Around the World in 80 sackboys-Balboa Park,San Diego

This is my entry level for the youtube geographical contest.

Bear in mind it is a design showcase and concentrates mainly on aesthetics although there are points to be had for those players who like going for the highscore.
http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...BalboaPark.jpghttp://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...albuilding.jpghttp://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...h_Fountain.jpg
The actual park is massive and features many gardens and over 15 museums. I was hoping to represent many more of them but could only do a small number due to level limitations as always. The thermo is completely full and I got the overheating message several times while finishing it off.
http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...seteahouse.jpghttp://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...deerscarer.jpghttp://s583.photobucket.com/albums/s...elrailroad.jpg

The last exhibit is the Auto museum. Please note that being a museum the cars obviously are not driveable although I do have driveable versions of each one which I hope to use in a future level. ( If anyone out there would like to use them to make a better race level than I can make let me know and I may send them to you. I only ask for credit for the original creation )

Thanks and I hope you like the level.

Looks good hope you do well.

I thought this was very enjoyable. I don't like the word 'edutainment', but this level was both factual, entertaining, and the amount of detail is admirable (I still love the little fish in the pond!).

If I had to choose a favourite part, it would be the railway scene, but overall I personally found this to be a breath of fresh air.

PROS
+ contains FACTS!
+ great scenery and details
+ the opening sequence when the player arrives is a stroke of genious and very charming
+ the railway is superb
+ original level and concept

CONS
- I appreciate fully that the cars where in a museum, but I still wanted to drive them!
- not to everyone's tastes, but that's true of probably any level
- I'm clutching at straws for cons - can you tell!

Well done indeed!

MrsSB

Thanks for those kind words MrsSpookyBuz. It's nice to know the hard work is appreciated.

As I said I do have driveable versions of the cars and was sorely tempted to put them in but I did'nt want to detract from the fact that it was a showcase for the park and the museums.
Also I didn't want the Balboa park authorities blaming me for people showing up at the actual museum and expecting to drive the cars away.

I may add those cars in driveable form to my Dragsters level which is still work in progress so look out for that being updated in the next week or so.

I'm not going to give a huge amount of feedback on this, as it is technically not a level as such. However I will tell you this - your level is very good and by far the best of the ones I've seen so far on the 'Tube Channel.
The facts and detail contained in it, aswell as the fun enterance you make offers more than the other levels.
I wish you the best of luck!

Checked this out yesterday. While it's not really my kind of level I think you did a wonderful job on it. The balloon ride was a nice touch, and I really liked your fountain. I thought it was good you put in the score bubbles, the info was interesting, and I really liked the train. I wanna ride it. lol. anyways good work!!

I wouldn't mind if you checked out (mountain marathon) thanks.

Thanks Smasher. I thought people might want to do that which is the reason I put the invisible roof there lol.

I checked out your level and thought it was beautifully designed and played very well albeit very tough. I did think a few more checkpoints wouldn't go amiss in certain places.
One in particular where you drop between the crystals to the moving platform below I thought a checkpoint on that platform would be better because I dropped off the last swing and got sent right back to the top again then when I came back down the platform wasn't there and I had to wait for it coming back.

I thought the Sun thing was very clever. How did you get it to move like that and come down and crush the player so quickly and accurately. Does it track you because it seemed to get me wherever I stood. No idea how you did that.

Overall I thought it was an excellent level and very well made and I would like the option to do it without race mode to enjoy it more. Needless to say I used the infinite life checkpoint option although I seem to think I was on my last life at one point but can't remember where so maybe it wasn't infinite life ones all the way. Not sure, maybe I'm imagining that.

I found this level to be really nice, there were so many things that i learned from this level, because i have never been to San Diego CA. And It looks like theres plenty of things to see over there.

Fine Dining, yum!

As for the visuals this level has many nice components built into it, and they are very good.

The Water Fountain was really nice, and what i really liked in particular is the detail you put in your cars. lol at General Lee logo, that was nice and The Mustang and Corvette were great.

This level doesnt really provide gameplay but the Point Bubble additinons added some fun factor to it.

And did i just hear some Custom soundtrack? let me know will ya?

The only thing it was missing was.... Background. its all empty space except for some clouds and mountains. It could also be said that the objects youve placed in it is the background it self but its still incomplete.

The train was too small IMO.

Suggestions:

If you can place those cars into a fully built museum (doesnt have to be big, just enough to fit those 3) That would be great.

Some Background please.

Overall 4 stars and pretty and hearted!

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And did i just hear some Custom soundtrack? let me know will ya?

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Not sure where you mean but I can tell you I only used the in-game music. Maybe it was the Japanese garden part where I started the music from near the end of the track so it sounds a bit different ( can't remember which music but I can copy it back and check if you want me too ).

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The train was too small IMO.

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LOL I actually wanted to make it smaller because it was a model railroad museum and also to put more than one in but I couldn't get more in because they wouldn't fit side by side in the layers. Also to get it any smaller meant parts disappeared altogether.

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If you can place those cars into a fully built museum (doesnt have to be big, just enough to fit those 3) That would be great.

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I did want to do a museim building but ran out of thermo

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Some Background please.

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Yes I agree , I reall wanted to put a custom background but couldn't for the same reason as above. I had several more museums to put in aswell but I just ran out of thermo completely. I got the overheating message several times. To add background would have meant deleting something from the level but I wasn't prepared to do that as I could only get a very small amount in as it is.

If MM ever give us a bigger level limit that would make things so much easier and allow far more creativity.

That level was very exciting. Mainly because it really felt like a trip to Balboa Park, there were many beautiful buildings and cars which looked simply astounding. Also, I liked the fact that you gave some background as to why it was named Balboa Park. Oh, and the hot air balloon was awesome! F4F: The Cave Ruins

I live in San Diego, and it's really nice to see a version of balboa park here.

And well done, too! You really managed to capture the mood of the park in the sack-world. I especially liked the organ pavilion, because it seems to get forgotten a lot, even here in San Diego. It's a shame because it's one of my favorite parts of the park. It's really something when they fire that sucker up and play! you can hear it echo of hills in the distance!

Not allowed to ride the train?! That's Just mean! waaaaaaaah!

I really like the water-clock, but it's easy to circumvent and get the score bubbles from jumping up the back.


Great Job! This is a great, ambient sort of level.

I'm playing this level as I'm typing this now.

Pro:
+ I like how you duplicated the actual font. Nice to see the time put into that category.
+ I like your palm trees!
+ Lol, I want to ride the train :( I like all the text explaining how everything came to be. It's very informative.
+ I like the koi fish in the pond but they look dead :(
++ Love the asian water catcher thing (I forgot what it's called).
+ Awesome details on the cars! Very proportional.

Cons:
- I would like to hop on the train! A petty con but it's the only thing.

Nice level. I gave :star::star::star::star: and a <3.

I would like a F4F on my A Heartless Night in Halloween Town level. :) http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14546

Thanks guys.

Not sure what you mean by the 'water clock' swanbrown. I didn't even know I'd made one lol. ??

And MrTran the thing I think you're talking about is a 'Deer scarer'

As for the train I've had a few complaints about not being able to ride it but I couldn't allow that. They are museums after all and you aren't allowed to ride on the exhibits. The train is too big really but i couldn't make it much smaller without losing parts of it. I actually wanted to put 2 side by side going in opposite directions but was restricted by the layers.

Glad you liked it for the most part anyway. My wife and I visited there on the last holiday we had in 2003 and we loved the park and fell in love with San Diego ( That's why I just had to make a level about it when the geographical contest popped up ). Unfortunately we never got to hear the organ playing but would love to visit again sometime if we could ever afford it.

If I ever win the lottery a home in San Diego is top of my wish list. Close to Balboa Park would be ideal. Failing that somewhere near Spanish Landing would be nice too.