14 posts
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Post by carster on Mar 9, 2017 3:16:09 GMT -5
My newest level Eventium Level Name: Eventium Level Creator: Carster Level ID: 30941137 Level Difficulty: Hard 4-5* Level Song and Author: Aura by iamwontolla Collaboration / Solo Level : Solo Level Video;
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Post by Mechanguis on Apr 12, 2017 11:12:31 GMT -5
Eventium by Carster
Gameplay The gameplay of the level is pretty fair. There are no unexpected moving obstacles or transitions, and all of the obstacles are clear for the player to see. The difficulty is also very balanced and consistent all throughout.
While the portals used in the level were diverse and frequent enough to keep the gameplay varied, the obstacle structures gets repetitive in some of the parts. Some instances of overly copy-pasted/repetitive obstacles are the first ship (less so than the others but the one block wide pillars are used too much), the 28-37% UFO, and every segment after 62%. 90-95% is a particularly good (bad?) example of this, with the obstacles being copy-pasted without any changes to their vertical position. While having recurring obstacles every now and then in a segment is fine, avoid repeating them too much in one part since it can make the gameplay repetitive and boring. Using the same obstacles over and over can also make the level seem copy-pasted and rushed. The easiest way to avoid making repetitive gameplay is to use different obstacle structures in a gameplay segment instead of just one or two kinds over and over. You can also try using more mechanics, such as the move/rotation triggers and the teleportals, to mix up the gameplay more.
Decoration First, let's look at the positives. The design is clean and organized. The color choices look good, blend well with the background, and fit well with each other. There are also a few "effects" used, like the strobe decoration in the first cube and UFO which, while not completely original, adds some nice touches to the level. However, despite these, the level's design suffers a lot due to the bland block design and the emptiness.
The quality of the block designs in the level vary; some are simplistic but still look alright (first ship, first UFO), while others are way too bland and not interesting at all (first cube, the parts from 67% onwards). As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid using block designs which don't have any interesting designs in them and is just one color filled in (67-73%) or are empty (first cube, and the robot from 74-88%). One way to spice up a block design using the latter is to add some air decoration to it (like how the black wheels were inserted in the block designs of the squares at 6-7%). Be careful not to make it look messy, though. You can also try using a simple layered block design, with the outer layer using one kind of block and the inner layer using another kind. These are just some simple tips, though, and there are many other more complex ways to make a good block design.
Aside from this, another major issue with the level's design is that it is simply too empty. Most of the level lacks air decoration (as well as foreground decoration for the last robot). First of all, make sure to add decorations to the black thorns, the jump orbs, and portals. This can help to make the level seem a lot more full even without having to add too much air decoration. Next, try adding more of the arrow decoration and increase its brightness so it doesn't look faded and stands out compared to the background decoration.
For the ship and wave parts from 67-74%, one way to fill up the area more is to connect the block structures to each other, especially the slopes, or place something in between them, such as black thorns or sawblades. Don't forget to add thorns to the floor and ceiling of the segments as well as their respective decorations. You can also opt to cover the blocks with thorns and their decoration. Add some faded blocks in the background as some decoration like you did with the previous parts, or add some air decorations like arrows, pulsing objects, clouds, and more. The last robot part could just use more sawblades, blocks, and spikes in general. You can add them in spots away from the player's path so the segment can be filled up more without being obtrusive to the gameplay. Another cool thing you could do with the blocks is to match the black blocks in the background with them to make it seem like the blocks are popping out from the background. Again, don't forget to add decoration to the orbs and portals.
Music Sync The effects and pulses sync well to the music, but don't forget to make the jumps of the player sync as well. Also, while most of the transitions were synced, there were a few that were a bit off-sync as well (very last transition, ball-to-spider).
The design fits the song in some parts, like the strobe effect and the buildup to the drop, but the gray and faded design of the first cube and UFO don't really fit well with the music of that part. The design should be more upbeat.
Overall The decoration needs a lot of work and the gameplay is a bit too copy-pastey, but some parts show potential. Higher-End Needs Improvement.
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14 posts
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Post by carster on Apr 12, 2017 18:50:51 GMT -5
Thank you for the response, ill do better and thanks for the criticism I'll do more decoration and better sync and more parts interesting. ~
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