BUILDING A GOOD DEMON LEVEL PART 1: GAMEPLAY
Nov 21, 2016 13:06:59 GMT -5
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Bionix, genericqueso, and 3 more like this
Post by durianhead on Nov 21, 2016 13:06:59 GMT -5
Here's a long one, folks. Note that in some parts I'll be talking about my areas of expertise (demon levels, block design, air decoration, etc.) and in some parts I won't (gameplay specifics, colour schemes). So all I ask is that if you note something wrong, just tag me and tell me what you think is better or can be added or removed. Thanks <3
LESSON 1: DEMON GAMEPLAY
The Basics: There are three basic rules when making gameplay.
1) Never put sudden moving objects or changes in a level, ever. I don't care whether it is for memorisation or not, its unfair. Always remember that for a moving object or teleport or whatever to be fair, leave around 0.5 seconds for the player to fully react and absorb the gameplay coming up. This is because the average human being takes about 0.3 seconds to react to what is before them, and conpensating for lag on low-end devices, 0.5 seconds is the value we get.
2) Never make boring sections, especially in those "take a break" segments. Boring sections equals bad gameplay. You can make a break or the end of a level easy without making it boring. To list some examples,
- Jumping over spikes repeatedly is boring.
- Simple platforming is boring.
- Overly easy flying is boring.
- That thing where nothing happens and you don't have to move your character and the credits just roll by is boring.
3) Find new, fresh gameplay concepts without them being too complicated. Too many levels nowadays, while having ok gameplay that isn't boring, aren't unique either. They don't shine or stnad out. Things such as a unique way to put orbs and portals in a ship segment, using the level design and the human mindset to trick people in a memorisation level instead of moving objects and orb fakes, and maybe even making the structure of the level slant up or down to achieve a certain goal. These things are unique and will ultimately make your level more memorable.
MODES AND SOME GOOD GAMEPLAY STYLES: Listed below are some suggestions to take when making gameplay for types of modes/vehicles. You can do what you want, but I've found that these are really fun to do.
Cube: Heck, this is usually a wasted segment of the level's gameplay. People usually just put simple platforming here and boom. Done. To be honest, I like cube sections that trick you by making some memorisation involved. Cube timings are also great if you don't want your target audience to confuse themselves trying to memorise your intended path, but bear in mind that these timings can get very annoying.
Robot: Yet again, another wasted gamemode - the variable jump height not put to good use. JonathanGD, a good friend of mine, has already covered various types of jumps, such as the Diamond, Double Diamond and Corner jump that nearly no one has used. I'll put a link here when i find it. There are many ways that my gameplay creating friends have found to make these robot jumps interesting and fun while staying challenging. So stop using the same old jumps.
Ship - There's not much to say, but one can use a mix of orbs and portals to great effect. Try using less straight flying, too - it gets annoyingly repetitive after a while. A little bit of memory in ship segments is also really fun.
UFO: not much to put here actually lol
Wave: Try to avoid spam segments, especially with high speed and mini wave. It is a type of very annoying and unpredictable gameplay. Tight wave spaces can also be fun, but for the best type of wave sections I recommend slow wave sections. However, as long as it is fun, it shouldn't matter.
Ball: Simple memorisation, like the ball sections in Nitrogen by Vlacc, are hilariously fun to do. Other good ball segments could include moderate difficulty timed tight switches and orbs. Swingcopters are harder to make into a fun patt because it is harder to control and use in my opinion.
MUSIC SYNC: that thing which is missing in excessive quantities
If you can sync it to a note, SYNC IT. The better the sync, the more enjoyable the level will be to watch and play. However, the sync should not compromise the gameplay, like with spam mini waves and orb spam and etc. There are 3 ways music can be synced to a level.
1) Basic gameplay. Try to make your sync obvious - use sudden movements like the ones you get from blue orb pads and other jump orbs instead of smooth movements like those from gravity portals. Use speed changers if possible to strengthen sync possible. Bonus points if the sync is performed in a crazy, over the top way which still retains good gameplay (like mixed duals with perfect sync)
2) Moving objects. Moving objects can sync to the beat and move in accordingly. Just try to adhere to the 0.5 second rule mentioned above.
3) Decoration. Things like colour changes, bg and ground flashes and obj changes can all sync to the music.
However, I would like to say that Point #1 in the list for good sync is the most important and you should try and achieve as perfect of a sync as possible in Point #1 before moving on ti Points #2 and #3.
FINAL WORDS: NO ORB SPAM THANKS
Good gameplay creators: Voquev, PredtauGD, Taman (lolyes)
LESSON 1: DEMON GAMEPLAY
The Basics: There are three basic rules when making gameplay.
1) Never put sudden moving objects or changes in a level, ever. I don't care whether it is for memorisation or not, its unfair. Always remember that for a moving object or teleport or whatever to be fair, leave around 0.5 seconds for the player to fully react and absorb the gameplay coming up. This is because the average human being takes about 0.3 seconds to react to what is before them, and conpensating for lag on low-end devices, 0.5 seconds is the value we get.
2) Never make boring sections, especially in those "take a break" segments. Boring sections equals bad gameplay. You can make a break or the end of a level easy without making it boring. To list some examples,
- Jumping over spikes repeatedly is boring.
- Simple platforming is boring.
- Overly easy flying is boring.
- That thing where nothing happens and you don't have to move your character and the credits just roll by is boring.
3) Find new, fresh gameplay concepts without them being too complicated. Too many levels nowadays, while having ok gameplay that isn't boring, aren't unique either. They don't shine or stnad out. Things such as a unique way to put orbs and portals in a ship segment, using the level design and the human mindset to trick people in a memorisation level instead of moving objects and orb fakes, and maybe even making the structure of the level slant up or down to achieve a certain goal. These things are unique and will ultimately make your level more memorable.
MODES AND SOME GOOD GAMEPLAY STYLES: Listed below are some suggestions to take when making gameplay for types of modes/vehicles. You can do what you want, but I've found that these are really fun to do.
Cube: Heck, this is usually a wasted segment of the level's gameplay. People usually just put simple platforming here and boom. Done. To be honest, I like cube sections that trick you by making some memorisation involved. Cube timings are also great if you don't want your target audience to confuse themselves trying to memorise your intended path, but bear in mind that these timings can get very annoying.
Robot: Yet again, another wasted gamemode - the variable jump height not put to good use. JonathanGD, a good friend of mine, has already covered various types of jumps, such as the Diamond, Double Diamond and Corner jump that nearly no one has used. I'll put a link here when i find it. There are many ways that my gameplay creating friends have found to make these robot jumps interesting and fun while staying challenging. So stop using the same old jumps.
Ship - There's not much to say, but one can use a mix of orbs and portals to great effect. Try using less straight flying, too - it gets annoyingly repetitive after a while. A little bit of memory in ship segments is also really fun.
UFO: not much to put here actually lol
Wave: Try to avoid spam segments, especially with high speed and mini wave. It is a type of very annoying and unpredictable gameplay. Tight wave spaces can also be fun, but for the best type of wave sections I recommend slow wave sections. However, as long as it is fun, it shouldn't matter.
Ball: Simple memorisation, like the ball sections in Nitrogen by Vlacc, are hilariously fun to do. Other good ball segments could include moderate difficulty timed tight switches and orbs. Swingcopters are harder to make into a fun patt because it is harder to control and use in my opinion.
MUSIC SYNC: that thing which is missing in excessive quantities
If you can sync it to a note, SYNC IT. The better the sync, the more enjoyable the level will be to watch and play. However, the sync should not compromise the gameplay, like with spam mini waves and orb spam and etc. There are 3 ways music can be synced to a level.
1) Basic gameplay. Try to make your sync obvious - use sudden movements like the ones you get from blue orb pads and other jump orbs instead of smooth movements like those from gravity portals. Use speed changers if possible to strengthen sync possible. Bonus points if the sync is performed in a crazy, over the top way which still retains good gameplay (like mixed duals with perfect sync)
2) Moving objects. Moving objects can sync to the beat and move in accordingly. Just try to adhere to the 0.5 second rule mentioned above.
3) Decoration. Things like colour changes, bg and ground flashes and obj changes can all sync to the music.
However, I would like to say that Point #1 in the list for good sync is the most important and you should try and achieve as perfect of a sync as possible in Point #1 before moving on ti Points #2 and #3.
FINAL WORDS: NO ORB SPAM THANKS
Good gameplay creators: Voquev, PredtauGD, Taman (lolyes)