Projects, Updates and Flying Sheep!
Dr. Fastbro Issue #17 - Celebrating One Year of LBP for PSP!
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, 11-14-2010 at 02:21 PM (531 Views)
INTRO
The sort of stuff you'd expect from an Intro...
Ok, to make up for last week's absence, (and great timing!) I've decided to make this Issue EXTRA SPECIAL! For you see, on the 17th of November 2009 LittleBigPlanet PSP first launched in the America. And on the 19th in Australia, the 20th in Europe and the 3rd of December in Japan. I'm here to celebrate these dates in the Issue! I hope you enjoy reading it.
In this Issue...
-Two weeks worth of excellent levels!
-A Super-Special Timeline feature of LBP PSP's first year!
-We have a chat with Coxy224!
-An exclusive interview with the minds behind Kindred!
-A behind the scenes look at ZEN!
-Yeah, it's Randomness!
FASTBRO'S PICK
My pick of the recently published levels...
To make for last week, this time we have double the awesomeness!
Halloween Hallow Ship by Spark151
Hmm... What makes an EPIC boss? How about a superbly executed intro, shockingly beautiful scenery and an awesome battle?
The Temple of Glass I by bubbles550
Glass... One of the most underrated materials in LBP. But don't worry, DizzyZebra is here to change that! In the first part of this soon-to-be epic series, we get introduced to a gripping story, and are given some exciting gameplay. So yeah, PLAY THIS NOW!
Hayal Dünyasi by indie _r3cords
For 7 long months I waited for another level from this guy... And man, this level met every expectation I had for it! Explore a beautiful world filled with mushrooms and... more mushrooms. A must play!
Shoop-Da-Whoop by CyberSora
Speaking of people who are long due of releasing a new level... Shoop-Da-Whoop is a level that does exactly what it says on the tin. Your battling a giant awesome face that shouts "IMA FIREN MAH LAZA!" Does life get any sweeter?
MEET THE CREATOR
I talk to one of the community's best creators...
This week I decided to have a chat with Coxy224, one of the top names on the PSP side!
Where does your Username originate from then Coxy?
Well my last name is Cox, and on the football (soccer for you americans ) team I got called Coxy a lot by the coach. The 224 comes from my birthday - April 22nd, or 22/04. It's pretty simple, but I think it fits nicely.
Which console do you prefer creating for, PS3 or PSP?
It's so hard to choose, I started on the PS3 and of course you get the addition of an extra layer so there's lots of extra gameplay oppotunities. However I do think that there's hundreds of little things the PSP version does so much better. To start with, you don't have to edit each corner seperately which I find a hugely awesome addition. Also I don't have to wrory about multiple players playing and glitching up my levels.
Overall if you made me choose though at the moment it would have to be the PSP, the community is closely knit and there's just so many awesome little features - plus I can create on the go.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I draw a most of it from other levels, when I see something awesome in someone elses level, I think "how can I do something similar in a level, only better?" The stories and things all come from my own head, it's a quirky place and there's some odd stuff going on in there. And of course a few of my levels draw inspiration from the PS3 levels that I'd played and loved so dearly for the past two years or so.
What is your favourite level you've made and why?
If I had to show my non-LBP friends a level I'd made, it's normally always The Great Palace of Emitters because it took so much energy and time to make, but seems so simple to anyone playing it. What some people may not notice is that a lot of the level design continues past the players eye, if you were to fly around in create mode you'd notice that the arches continue down or there's roofs and temple-like things that the player doesn't even see. It was really worth it for the feedback I recieved, and it even got Featured and Spotlighted!
What other games are you into?
A game I got into really recently was Mirror's Edge. I love the way the game flows and you can rack up speed combos, awesome stuff. I've downloaded some PSN games such as Zuma and PixelJunk Shooter, but my PS3 is either LBP or Fifa10 usually. (feel free to add me if you ever want a game of Fifa BTW )
My PSP really changes from LBP - except for a bit of Football Manager, I just can't get enough football!
I also own a Wii (Okami, Smash Bros Brawl and such) but I still play the N64 I own - Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Pokémon Snap! I love them all!!!
THE HISTORY OF LITTLEBIGPLANET PSP
How it all begun...
Gather round children, today I'm going to tell you about the history of our God, our savour and ultimate time waster. LittleBigPlanet PSP. From early days to recent events, this article will cover the majority of it all! So let's get started!
(Please note that I didn't not join the forum nor started creating levels until Jan 2010. Meaning that I had to survey the forums to find info prior to this date. So please don't bash me on mistakes...)
Chapter 1: The Reveal
Our story begins in early 2009 (almost 2 years ago now!) when rumours were flying around surrounding the possible chance of LBP for PSP. But it was at the stage where nothing was certain... Well, not until Febuary the 24th when the game's developement was revealed.
The initial reactions towards this announcement were stellar, many people being hyped for a portable version of one of the most original games of the decade.Originally Posted by The PS Blog
Months passed and various snippets of info were revealed and people were getting more and more excited about the launch of this epic new game...
Chapter 2: The Launch
The lead to the game's launch was seeming very positive. With big name PS3 creators such as Jackofcourse and tsr13 planning to buy it, we could be sure that upon launch we'd be getting some killer levels!
Taken from the "Who's getting it?!" Thread
Prior to the official release, there were a few lucky people who got there mitts on it early! Which helped build up people's want to buy the game!
And then came the big day of the game's release in the US. Now a whole armada of LBP lovers could get a copy. Though there were some who were still waiting, not only in other places in the world, but for those who owned PSP GOs! Leading to some hilarious posts...
Taken from the: "So, what are you doing while you wait to download LBP PSP?" Thread
But soon enough, the whole community had there hands on it. And so, it began.
Chapter 3: An "Unstable" Start
The game was just reaching the point where people had polished off the Story Mode and were now heading into the new create mode. It was the feature that everyone had been waiting for, but it wasn't long until the PSP's create mode faced it's first issues... Instability.
Taken from the "Unstable Physics in Create Mode" Thread
Obviously this wasn't a good sign. The amount of "LBP PSP is broken, DON'T BUY IT!" topics popping up over the forums was crazy. And if this glitch wasn't sorted soon enough, it would deter all creators from ever using it. Luckily I didn't take Cambridge long to hop to it and fix some of the issues with update 2.01.
Though the game was still quite unstable and the next patch would not be released until the following month... But through the create mode, the more persistant creators refused to give up. The likes of Jaeyden, Jackofcourse, Coxy224 and Lleonard Pler releasing some of the community's early greats. Things could only go up from here...
Chapter 4: The Forming Community
By Mid-December we began to get a clear image of who was going to stick around the PSP community. Several popular PS3 creators such as jump_button had given us a level, but would cease to make another due to the game's create mode. Although this was a shame, it had it's benefits. Making room for new creators who had never published a PS3 level. Possibly the most notable of these were Lleonard, Jeffcu28 and Arrestor. Publishing some fantastic levels such as Bird of Paradise, The Harp of Seasons and LittleBigVolcano.
Taken from the "Bird of Paradise by jeffcu28" Thread
And on December 22nd we received another update, promising to fix our issues. Although it helped stablize the create mode some more, it still wasn't completely fixed... But luckily the community was discovering they're own ways of combating some of the issues. Taffey revealed an excellent method of saving our profiles from corruption via backing up our data.
To be continued in next week's issue...
THE MAKING OF... ZEN
How the professionals do it...
This time in talked to Jeffcu28 about what could possibly be The Greatest LBP PSP Level Ever! Yep, that's right. It's ZEN!
Where did your inspiration come from when making the level?
I was taking a class on ancient Chinese culture and philosophy for my college minor, and I was completely mesmerized at the beautiful ink paintings and the concept of chi as a life force. I loved the stark contrast of the ink and paper, and I thought it would be a neat idea for sackboy to be running along the strokes as platforms.
Did the level work out as originally planned, or were you forced to change/remove sections?
None of my works ever go as originally planned, and I even went through multiple edits once it was published just so players could finish and have a great time rather than being frustrated. The biggest thing I had to change was the long rolling ball section that activates the doors and closing platforms. At first, I had it so that the gates close, rather than open, when the balls come, and players only needed to run across rather than repel. I wanted to make it a tad bit more challenging so I added the repel and reversed the direction of the gates so that timing became more crucial.
Where did you get the idea for the excellent ball sections?
Well, the original idea came from the concept of the chi as a source of energy, so I wanted to do something visually dynamic to evoke a flowing movement. I remembered a lot of PS3 levels I played that have similar mechanisms, but of course, I had to translate it into my project so that it made sense and tied in to the story.
If you could go back and change something in the level what would it be?
Looking back, I don't think I'd change anything. That's not to say that it's perfect, but I am really happy with how it turned out, and I was really glad I was able to pull off something that has never been seen before. There are some flaws to the level of course, and some of the puzzles aren't all that original, but I've learned to embrace them as they make it what it is.
Overall, how long did the level take to make?
I was building the level while I took on a rigorous course work in college, so it probably took me longer than most to create a level. Overall, it took me about a month to complete, having to spend some really long nights to get the job done.
LITTLEBIGNEWS
DLC, Contests and much, much more!
The stellar news this week is the update of the Featured Levels page! (Check out thread to see if your level got featured!) Umm... In terms of 'other' news there really isn't anything. Though I'm sure you'll enjoy this excellent interview CheezeBo conducted with Taffey!
SPECIAL FEATURE: KINDRED INTERVIEWS
Kindred news... Straight from the horse's mouth!
To celebrate the special occasion of our 1 year anniversary I decided to swing some questions past the rest of the Kindred Team just for you guys! Enjoy!
On a scale of 1-10, how hyped are you for this project?
CyberSora said... "A scale, huh? Well, I'd probably break it, so let's leave it at ∞ (infinity), m'kay?"
BlueBulletBill said... "It's a complicated formula: check the current US deficit #, then multiply by eleventeen."
Alismuffin said... "11."
Spark151 said... "1......... and 2......... and 3..... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... and 10.
Add them all together, that's the amount of hype I have for Kindred. X]"
How many times have you been abused by the Hoarder?
CyberSora said... "Plenty o' times. I was never on her good side, so we had a vendetta from the start. But of course, I rant on her (wimp), and she cruelly assigns me another difficult and back breaking task. So we got something good of a relationship going on.
Oh, and Hoarder's gender is unknown. But I like to think Hoarder is a girl, because he acts like one."
BlueBulletBill said... "Well, while master is of course intelligent and powerful, it did take him a while to figure out successful attacks, with me being shielded by metallic blue Bullet Bill padding and all. After that cursed Sora showed him the Mario series though... well, let's just say the guy knows how to jump.."
Alismuffin said... "Well that's hard to say to be perfectly honest. Though I suppose I am one of the least fortunateslavesservants as I have thehorriblewonderful job of preparing The Hoarders meals for him. He's so fussy. I burn his bread, he whips me. If his water is too wet he kicks me. And don't even get me started on what happens if I don't put enough salt on his cereal. It's really tiresome, but eventually you get used to it and just go with the endless supplies of punches, kicks and hot pokers.
"
Spark151 said... "The Hoarder hitting me? XD Pshhhh!!! Me and the Hoarder are very great friends. He would never lay a finger on me! X] It's like an a friendship meant to be...... *Hides all my scars with my jacket and hides my bruised up face in my hood of the jacket*
..... heheh.... I'm okay..... PLEASE DON'T COME NEAR ME!!! ;_; These are tears of joy by the way, I've been cutting up some onions...."
What types of gameplay can we expect from the project?
CyberSora said... "A lot! We simply didn't feel that one type of gameplay was enough to do this project justice, so we got all the major ones and packed them into one delicious bowl of awesome sauce just for you guys!"
BlueBulletBill said... "All I'll say is, it's quite the variety bunch. One reason our team is so varied is so we can include lots of different play styles."
Alismuffin said... "Gameplay will consist of various factors, implemented in different places and interesting ways. I can guarantee you that some of the gameplay has never been seen before and are indeed going to blow the very sacks off your.. uhh boy. Even I'm looking forward to some of the gameplay mechanisms that are on the way."
Spark151 said... "There are all sorts of gameplay to expect from Kindred. I'm sure at least everyone of you will have at least one or more favorite level from Kindred. Heck, if you were just like me, you'd like them all!!"
Who first came up with the name "Kindred"?
CyberSora said... "Well,I'm not sure I should be the one answering this. Our "founder" should be the one to tell you guys (if he/she feels like it). However, I will tell you this: he/she has been a major influence and contributer to the site, so I'm happy to work for him/her."
BlueBulletBill said... "I'm not sure who it was, but I heard one of the old minions mispronounced the Hoarder's old villain name, King Dread... hey, maybe that's where the skeleton in the west hall came from!"
Alismuffin said... "Kindred is no mere name. And by no means should it's existence be attributed to one mere creator. Kindred is the title of togetherness that sprouted from our endeavours to blow the minds of LittleBigPlanet.
Seriously though, I think it was either Taffey, AFP or jeffcu28."
Spark151 said... "Honestly, I can't remember who, but most of our team was there trying to build a title. I think the founder of this title was Taffey, AFP, Jeff, or Salieri. (Salieri existed during this time right? For some awkward reason, I feel he was the one to make the title as well...)
Anyway, the title suits the project."
Out of the 3 race posters revealed which is your favourite?
CyberSora said... "Hmm... well, I can't pick. I love all of them! I was never the type to favor one over the other. But if I had to go with the ones I think are the most interesting, then it's going to have to be a tie between the tribe in the "Sacrebleu!" poster and the last tribe (yet to be revealed). They pretty much have the best qualities in my opinion (platforming being an exception), and I think they represent my style pretty well. "
BlueBulletBill said... "THA FOURTH ONE. :trollface: "
Alismuffin said... "I personally very much like the third one. I can't wait to begin work on that tribe as in a way it represents all that I stand for in this pocket sized world of LittleBigPlanet PSP. Though my mind could be changed by the up coming new posters. "
Spark151 said... "I'm not sure if you guys know yet, but my favorite tribe has been The Puzzle- I mean the second poster tribe. I was actually interested in the last tribe at first, but the longer I stayed in this project, the more I grew fond to the 2nd tribe. Second poster is my favorite!
Though, all the posters are amazing! "
RANDOMNESS
*Throws common sense out the window*
Written by BlueBulletBill and Moi!
Alright, B3's back! And I've got quite the report for you, haha! Do you guys remember the 90s when there were soooo many awful games around such as Bubsy the Cat? Well, I think I've found a review of the worst one of all... Sonic 3?
And thus, another Issue has came to an end!
Thanks to...
The Kindred Folks - For allowing me to interview them!
Coxy224 - For taking part in the interview!
Jeffcu28 - For the interview!
The PSP Community - For being so awesome!
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