The Dungeon

[RickTheRipper]

Best Played in LBP1

It's been a long time since I've played LBP, let alone created anything, so don't be too harsh. For F4F, I only have LBP1, so I can't do anything for you LBP2'ers until later this week or sometime during the next (depends when amazon ships LBP2).

Now then, with that out of the way, let's get some photo action going!

http://lbp.me/v/xeyx29

[CCubbage]

Hey wow, welcome back Rick! Added to que!

[Mick'o'Mania]

I played this level. At first a small detail attracted my attention; There were over 90 plays and only 9 of them were completed (i recall). I have seen many differences between those numbers before but 80 is a big number. It didn't take me long to find out why... I'll get to that.

Wow. The visuals are great! The lighting the materials, all give the feeling of a dungeon (with some technological improvements) pretty well. The humor was good too! (I assume this is a part of "series", i will check the other level later though...) The story is very entertaining, reminds me of my school a lot .

The gameplay; I rarely see so many new ideas in a single level! The electric hallway part with dissapearing platforms was very creative! I think i have seen something similar in LBPC:The Game, but this one is very different in gameplay. I really liked how all the platforms were leveled, so you couldn't just hop onto them and expect to land on the safe platform. The logic used in this level seems to be pretty advanced, im personally really bad with emitters, but the ones in this level worked flawless-ly (it's 2AM here, might have written wrong-ly). I must admit it was really hard to get past here though. Took me like 7 tries. This wasn't the hardest part though...
I liked the custom switches a lot too! Such small details can make a level look very good.
The mazes... Well, with the pressure of time; it is hard. Nothing to worry about though, just takes more then 2 or tries and you'll get past them.

Now the part i really don't know if i loved it or didn't like it at all. Why not? That part made me give up! Im talking about the boss-fight (it was a boss fight i assume since i couldn't continue to see any further.). This part was very good in visuals and the button idea was very creative too. But this part is TOO HARD (at least for me) to beat.

-Electrofied projectiles are too fast/frequent! Keeping a button pressed for the necessary amount of time is almost impossible. Even if you manage to press it and hide before the next wave, the "ball" is either crushed by the door or you cannot make much progress since the amount of time it takes to open the door is equal to closing it (i guess).
-Hiding is a little hard. Maybe having those holes a little higher so that the player could jump on them instead of pressing up with the joystick could have been easier. It is probably my fault that im not good at doing that fast, but i think haveing the projectiles slower would have helped.
-The ball disappears?! Seriously; I finally managed to get past the first door and accidently died in the process. When i finally returned from the checkpoint; the ball was gone! I don't know if it got stuck somewhere and got crushed or it had a life-time, but i decided to quit at that moment (it was my 12th attempt or something).

Overall; Visuals are great! Design is awesome! Story is entertaining! The gameplay is pretty good -except the ones that are just too hard (-for me). i gave and didn't for a reason... I don't know why, i think i must go back and hearth it since it truly deserves it. I just rarely hearth a level, that's all. Good Job! Im looking forward to see new levels and ideas from you and say "why didn't i think of that?!" while looking at them

[RickTheRipper]

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, one thing I've noticed with levels that I go out of my way to make hard, tend to have very low completed stats (one of my levels has 4k+ plays and less than 200 completes). Although I want it to be hard, I don't want it to be nerve wracking. Anyway, for the boss, the goal is to emit the ball (a speech appears telling you that the ball lasts for 70 seconds, but there is an unlimited supply). After emitting it, go to each button and hold it for a few seconds, retreat and continue to do so until the ball clears the obstacle (each button should take 4 tries at most, so long as you don't die). Now I have a thermometer that is quite literally ready to pop, but I'll look into slowing down the speed in which the energy waves spawn, but if I were to actually slow down their projectile speed, they wouldn't reach as far as I'd like. I'll also check into putting a raised platform in the doorways.

Now for the emitting floor, I'm really glad you liked that. It's certainly one of my favorite obstacles I've created (along with the final boss of this level. FYI, you were almost at him). Creating it was a real pain in the sack (setting, editing, re-adjusting positions, etc), but I'm very proud of it.



edit: I adjust the 2nd ramp in the boss fight to prevent the ball from getting stuck. I tried adding the elevated platforms but it interfered with jumoing for the button. Also slowing down the emitting didn't work out too well. The energgy beams were emitting funny.

[CCubbage]

You know, I was about to give almost the EXACT same feedback on the final boss..... .

At first I had NO idea what to do with this boss. I didn't see the grab areas above, and didn't equate "grabbing" above with a button. The big chunk of eletricity that flies by is going a BIT too fast compared with the SLOW amount of time it takes for the ball to roll under each section.

So, my final input is..... I would suggest balancing out the end boss area. I loved the rest of the level, but also had to give up. My wife was waiting for me to watch TV and it was taking me so long to get through the boss I finally had to exit.

However, great challenge, nice graphics, clever story.

[blizzard_cool]

You know, I was about to give almost the EXACT same feedback on the final boss..... .

At first I had NO idea what to do with this boss. I didn't see the grab areas above, and didn't equate "grabbing" above with a button. The big chunk of eletricity that flies by is going a BIT too fast compared with the SLOW amount of time it takes for the ball to roll under each section.

So, my final input is..... I would suggest balancing out the end boss area. I loved the rest of the level, but also had to give up. My wife was waiting for me to watch TV and it was taking me so long to get through the boss I finally had to exit.

However, great challenge, nice graphics, clever story.

Well this was supposed to be my feedback impression, but oh well, if CCubage & Mick can read my mind...
It's a challenging level and I doubt that most people will finish it..... cuase I haven't :'(

BUT I'LL DO IT AS SOON AS I CAN!

[RickTheRipper]

thanks for playing it and for the feedback both of you. well, i guess i can take a hint when im outnumbered 3:1 . i was hoping people would pick up that it takes multiple tries for each button (ball slowly makes its way and eventually rolls under). but seeing as how its stopped everyone thats posted so far, ill go ahead and make it a one push type deal.

hopefully you guys could try it one last time. i know its probably a pain having to do all that again, but if you beat that boss, you'll fight the last boss.

[CCubbage]

Will do - I'm putting it in my que for this evening.

[Mick'o'Mania]

Well, i really wanted to see the end of the level. I'll give it another try .It would be a pain if the level was bad, but this level is amazing, it will be really fun playing it again.

Edit: Wow. I actually managed to beat the level! It was really fun too! Im really glad that i could see the (real) final boss. Surprisingly it was easier than the older version of the first boss. I feel a little puzzled though; When i took down both of the bosses weapons; small platforms appeared. I was half way climbing up, but i noticed the laser beams were coming so jumped back down and hid. The platforms dissapeared once the beam was gone, and it took me a single bullet (paint) to take the "creature brain" out. I don't know if something went wrong... I don't think it matters anyway.

The maze is still really hard. No no, im not suggesting to change anything there! It is beatable, just a little frustrating. I think that is a good thing actually. Really fits to the theme of the level, and the maze is very cleverly designed that even dead-ends are fun to discover.

Well i think that's all i wanted to say; oh wait... One more thing; Does saving that kid from that "medieval style hand/head-cuff thing" change anything? I saved him each time i played the level. Well i guess the message is obvious; Don't do things just because you're told to do so. Infact we didn't even save the fat-kid, did we now .

Overall; and a .

[Aselrahc]

Wow, reading all the feedback (plus your pretty pictures) has me wanting to play this! You are queued up and ready to go!
I always appreciate the favor returned! Link in my sig if you're interested.

[RickTheRipper]

@ Mick: Alright, I was hoping somebody would get to him, and even better, get their name on that barren scoreboard. For those emitted platforms you were talking about, I have a little magnetic key set up to destroy any blocks that are in the way of the 'wall guns'. And although having u shoot the brain wasn't my initial plan, if that's what gets the job done, then so be it. I'll have to try messing w/ the emitters settings to make it a little more precise. But anyway, thanks for playing it not once, but twice (same for blizzard, I know he just tried again a few hours ago), I appreciate it.

@ Ase: got it qeued (its not just an LBP2 level is it?)

[Super Sackboy Bros]

wow you are really good at using the tools you even managed to do stuff that I didn't know it was possible.
I think it looks really professional made; it got me really in to it.
I find the platforming content to be really creative, the only think I dislike about them is that they generally require patience, I really dislike waiting.

I tried my best but it seems like I am stuck or maybe it is a glitch that you might want to consider. In the "electric changing platformeing" part and after the first infinite live checkpoint there is a part where the platform doesn't show it just stays electrified, it prevents me from proceeding. Killed me like 20-30 times, I tried everything I could think off.

I give it for the pro design and creative pitfall alone while for that glitchy problem I do know that it is the kind that can easily be fixed either way I hearted hoping that you’ll give me a solution for that problem. As far as I have seen the level really does look interesting.

If I may ask how can I make a flamthrower like that one you put in the beginning?
Also how can I make strong air that is strong enough to push the player? I really wanted to make one of those but they just seem impossible to make. I got all prize bubbles in the main story mode and in MGS and PoC add on content but none allows me to do that.

[RickTheRipper]

Wow, thanks. I'm glad you liked it. For your problem, where exactly was it? Was it the first floor obstace, the second, or the third? I'll give it a look and see if I can find the problem. If it was the 2nd or 3rd, there are some parts where you have to climb to the edge of the grabbable 'roof' and swing over to a safe platform. In any case, it'll get sorted out and hopefully you'll be able to go all the way.

For the flame, you have to do some tricky stuff (not really tricky, I just wnated to use that word) to accquire it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIO2dH-qNQ

Watch that to learn how to do it. After you get the flame put on the material, you have to turn the material into fire. For this part, make the material very small, then attach one flame to it. Then use 'No Grid' and shrink the flame/material down until the material holding the glame is invisible. Copy and create the fire patterns you want and have fun.

For the wind, lol, there is no actual wind. It's a set of fast spinning circles that are hidden behind a wall. The wind effect is from a jet engine (can't think of what it called in game, but it found in the tool bag).





Edit: Well, I just ran through the level and checked it out in create mode and everything seems to be working fine. Maybe it was just a stroke of bad luck. Remember, the red squares can be walked on and climbed on.

[CCubbage]

Ok, I played it last night again. I've got some more feedback:

1. Got past the grab-roll-drop on head area this time. FAR better! Just that little bit of change made this area a lot more fun. It kept the game moving.
2. The electric-floors-emitting area. There was 1 specific part that (I felt) was overly frustrating. The part where you have to move left to a square, wait for the floor pattern to change, and jump over an electric block, move to the left a bit, and jump hang. Then it says "I guess I'll have to jump". For the life of me, it must have taken me 50 times to jump over that electric block - and that's AFTER I knew exactly what to do. I felt like I had to get too close to it, and it was highly tricky making the left jump over the block.... without then ALSO touching the electric to the left. But I realize this is objective, so I understand if you like it the way it is. I would personally give the player a BIT more room or lower the height of the electric block. I personally like timing and jump challenges, but the inconsistent way that Sackboy behaves sometimes makes this unforgiving of a jump frustrating.
3. Final boss. Now.... keep in mind, I was playing LBP2.... I couldn't finish it. Either it's not working in LBP2 or I just don't know how to get out of the room. Here's what happened: I got to the part where the platforms are emitting and disappearing. I had destroyed the brain in the top center, and it destroyed, but nothing seemed to get destroyed with it. I kept platforming up to the top.... but couldn't find anywhere to go or anything to do when I got up there. Then, of course, the platforms would disappear and I would end up on the bottom again. The gas part kept lowering and killing me once in a while if I didn't get into the back layer. I did this for about 20 minutes before I finally decided it may be broken in LBP2.... which may be a problem because it isn't marked for LBP1 only and I get the feeling many people have moved on to LBP2 at this point.

Up to that point, great job! I really enjoy the challenge of this one.

[biorogue]

adding to queue