Thanks dude, getting feedback from you will mean tons
It's so awesome actually understanding all of the creation tools. Playing through my first level, and now my second...it's worlds apart.
Thanks again man for any feedback
[PS3] LittleBigPlanet Impressions
- Thread starter patsu
- Start date
Thanks dude, getting feedback from you will mean tons
It's so awesome actually understanding all of the creation tools. Playing through my first level, and now my second...it's worlds apart.
Thanks again man for any feedback
So, I played this a few times and I can tell that you're really starting to see how versatile the create tools are. I think you did a great job on creating the map and offering fun obstacles for the player. I do have some suggestions based on my play through. The first elevator can be a game breaker if you fall off of it, because it wont go back down. Figure out a way to make sure that if someone falls off, the elevator will return or place a checkpoint on the elevator. I also like the way you move the checkpoint into the clouds for the scene transition, but having to use my pop-it to kill my self felt odd. You could possibly emit something like gas or fire to kill the player after they collect the bubbles instead. In the clouds I jumped off of them and landed on your bubble prize box a few times. Maybe you could keep the player from going where they shouldn't by using the same invisible dark matter technique you used at the beginning. You might also want to check off the visible option on some of your sensors and music boxes, they just seem out of place in the theme of the level. All in all it looks like its coming together very nicely. Can't wait to see it finished. The new lighting options coming up will make the level way cool too. Keep up the good work.
Thank you SO MUCH man.
I'm reworking a lot of things right now, one of which being the stairs at the beginning of the level. For whatever reason, they've "broken" and now delete TONS of stuff on the map when they activate. Very painful, lol.
I really appreciate all the great feedback man. Tons of useful tips, can't wait to start working on the level some more
The boss fight at the end still has bugs, I'm still trying to figure out how to get the lift to go up (and stay up) but go back down if the player falls / misses it. This seems ridiculously hard to do, lol, but I may end up just using a series of proximity switches and a platform at the top to avoid the mess of wires and switches. Dunno yet.Thanks again!
I've just played it through and agree with a lot of Jaeyden's points. I do like the way you've used the Sackboy tokens as clues. I think you've targeted the challenges pretty well. I also like your wood and ropes architectural style. You do have some issues with players going where they shouldn't. eg. The diagonal lift. If the player jumps off, it's 'game over', and yet a level like yours encourages exploration to look for secrets. Rethink some of your gaps - do you really need a space on the right-hand side for example. Put a thin-layer railing across to stop the player jumping forward. If there's somewhere they shouldn't go, chuck in some hazards to either scare them away or kill them and reset their position so it's not a level breaker. Use proximity sensors along with levers. Have you seen an AND widget yet? They're a simple mechanic that lets you test for two switches being active at the same time. Any moderately complex level really needs to make use of these logic gates! You could have a proximity sensor ANDed with a lever, so the lift goes up only when all players are on and the lever is pulled. If either of those circumstances isn't set, the lift comes back down. If you look at my Hearted levels you'll find a good Boolean Logic level that gives some components away as prizes (though I tend to build my own. It's like writing assmebler all over again :wicked. Or use a mechanical solution, a piece of elastic pulling the lever to the off position so the player has to keep holding it.
My level is pretty much finished. This one is classic LBP modelled on the original Story levels. I'll have friends test it tonight to make sure the 3 player puzzle works. I do hope the mushroom platforms at the beginning aren't too hard. They're only hard because of LBP's physics, and if you know how to play the game are a doddle, but I dread that they'll prove a turn-off. In the game proper players would try again to complete the game... Any advice for publishing tricks would be very appreciated!
. Or use a mechanical solution, a piece of elastic pulling the lever to the off position so the player has to keep holding it.My level is pretty much finished. This one is classic LBP modelled on the original Story levels. I'll have friends test it tonight to make sure the 3 player puzzle works. I do hope the mushroom platforms at the beginning aren't too hard. They're only hard because of LBP's physics, and if you know how to play the game are a doddle, but I dread that they'll prove a turn-off. In the game proper players would try again to complete the game... Any advice for publishing tricks would be very appreciated!
Thanks Shifty, your comments are also gold
I actually haven't heard of an "AND" switch, I will look into it, because it sounds like the EXACT thing that I need for a lot of sections in my level.
You guy's are incredibly right though, when I went through and started a lot of my concepts and ideas, I hadn't taken into account what other people would do, and playing a few times with friends online made that evidently clear, I was stuck "explaining" too often, and spent too little time playing.
I'm going to continue to polish this level as a "learning experience" and hopefully move foward as I build my next level with everything I've learned here.
I really want to push the envelope visually with my next level, as opposed to mechanically. I want to create something that is visually striking to the player that keeps them going (along side some secrets and rewards, I love those!).
Thanks again for all the wonderful input guy's, it won't go to waste!
Shifty: Pumped to play your level man. One thing I've tried to avoid in LBP is complex platforming. I find that using hazards + jet pack is a better way to "platform" as it's more predictable, unless the platforming is rather simple.
I think LBP's strengths are in it's ability to create puzzles and simple platforming. Maybe throw in something to grab on to as a "saftey net" for players (like something to hang / swing from).
I actually haven't heard of an "AND" switch, I will look into it, because it sounds like the EXACT thing that I need for a lot of sections in my level.
You guy's are incredibly right though, when I went through and started a lot of my concepts and ideas, I hadn't taken into account what other people would do, and playing a few times with friends online made that evidently clear, I was stuck "explaining" too often, and spent too little time playing.
I'm going to continue to polish this level as a "learning experience" and hopefully move foward as I build my next level with everything I've learned here.
I really want to push the envelope visually with my next level, as opposed to mechanically. I want to create something that is visually striking to the player that keeps them going (along side some secrets and rewards, I love those!).
Thanks again for all the wonderful input guy's, it won't go to waste!
Shifty: Pumped to play your level man. One thing I've tried to avoid in LBP is complex platforming. I find that using hazards + jet pack is a better way to "platform" as it's more predictable, unless the platforming is rather simple.
I think LBP's strengths are in it's ability to create puzzles and simple platforming. Maybe throw in something to grab on to as a "saftey net" for players (like something to hang / swing from).
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Well check out the level I've hearted. It has all the components and a good tutorial for each, so it'll get you up to speed in no time.
Ha ha! I know that feeling all too well!
There's so much to learn, all your levels will just keep on getting better! I spent ages developing a complex creature destruction system for the Grimmaulchkins, missing completely that a switch set to '1' and attached to the brain would do the job! Although at least my method has a good fiery death
I really want to push the envelope visually with my next level, as opposed to mechanically. I want to create something that is visually striking to the player that keeps them going.[.quote]The lighting in LBP is phenominal and IMO one of the best and quickest ways to get something that looks good. Make use of extra lightsources. You'll also have the fun of the new Environmental widget. Detailed models are great but be prepared to invest a lot of time!
It's actually just 5 platforms (mushrooms) that raise and drop into a fog. A platforming staple, and yet surprisingly tricky! There's a quirk to LBP's physics that can cause a super-jump as Sackboy jumps up a slope. Kinda weird that the biggest gameplay concern in the platformer is the platforming
"Mushrooms by Moonlight" is now released out in the wild.
Awesome, can't wait to get home and play it!
Had a few more troubles last night w/things going haywire, I think my Thermo may be WAY WAY too high. I really have to start getting creative w/my levels, but trying to keep them in 1 set piece.
The level I have now uses quite a few different materials, and I've kind of lost track of everything I used, so I'm thinking the thermo is "blown up" w/out cause. Next time I create a level, I'm going to stick to fewer materials to make room for more creations
Side note: Do switches and logic boxes take up a lot of memory? I'm wondering if I could clean all that up and get a bit more effecient with my switches.
Had a few more troubles last night w/things going haywire, I think my Thermo may be WAY WAY too high. I really have to start getting creative w/my levels, but trying to keep them in 1 set piece.
The level I have now uses quite a few different materials, and I've kind of lost track of everything I used, so I'm thinking the thermo is "blown up" w/out cause. Next time I create a level, I'm going to stick to fewer materials to make room for more creations
Side note: Do switches and logic boxes take up a lot of memory? I'm wondering if I could clean all that up and get a bit more effecient with my switches.
Is this the one I'm supposed to help test ? Sorry for the slack man.I haven't been playing BR games for a week now. Hope to give your level a run this weekend.
Each material or object requires a certain amount of memory for assets (principally textures) but once loaded, requires no more. So I'll be surprised if materials is really pushing the thermo up. I saw a YouTube video maxing the thermo with materials, and it took probably about 50, maybe even well overm trying to remember the array of blocks demonstrated. So 10 materials leaves plenty of headroom. Though like you I sometimes forget what materials I've used. I'd like a 'sort materials by use' option so those already used are listed. Otherwise I end up going through materials and applying them to an object until it makes the 'it's already made of this material' noise
Switches take up virtually nothing, so it's worth optimizing them to free memory.
Just as reference, if you check out my levels, The Scourge maxxed the thermo and I was deleting spawned explosives to free just enough work-space to make edits. The Bubble Shooter pushes the thermo as there's lots of spawns. The Buggy is also very high because of the aliens. Onooi popped the thermo and I had to cut back on geometry. I'm not really sure where the resources went on that one. It's certainly not large by ordinary standards. And Mushrooms was I think 7/8ths full. Most of my levels are copiable so you can have a nose at them.
Also you can try experiments yourself. That's normally the best way to learn. Build a switch system and then keep duplicating it and see how quickly the thermo fills up (or doesn't!). Then create a critter and duplicate that, and see the thermo climb. Add a complex object and see it jump, and then duplicated the object and see no thermo increase. And then add lots and lots of different stickers and see each one take a tiny slither of RAM, but it all adds up. Basically, don't go overboard on variety, like beginners are prone to do throwing in everything they can!
Yeah, this is the one. Never mind! I also recommend a level Hearted by Media Molecule and now by me, some Basilisk Swamp thing it's called. Very professionally done, as classy as anything in LBP's story mode.patsu said:
BTW : How exactly does the new Cool Levels thing work? I have no understanding of how one gets on there! There are some completely new unrated levels listed, some lowly rated levels, and some popularity monsters. 'Mushrooms' has got 23 plays, 6 hearts, and that's it. The heart-to-plays ratio is very high, ~25%, well past the usual 10%, although of course it's statistically too small a sample to mean anything. But still, it has more plays and is higher rated than some stuff on the Cool Levels, but appears to have dropped off the radar! What is the selection criteria to get front-paged?
I actually avoid sticker use, and I try to stick to a few decorations to create foliage, and that's about it.
I think the biggest bunch of Thermo space I've used is probably from geometry. I wonder if complex objects take up considerably more memory? I'll probably get down and do some experimenting.
While the second level I created was like a revelation to me, I noticed that I didn't pay much attention to thermo space, and my level was all over the place (it seemed like a short "journey" rather than one level).
I think in the future I'll be able to better tie together this idea with level linking. I basically one to take each piece of my level, and expand it into larger, more focused chunks. So I'd have the ground level, the climb into the mountain, the floating city, heaven, and the end at the woods. I think I could do better to improve each individual area and flesh it out, as opposed to trying to cram all of that into one smaller level.
I think the biggest bunch of Thermo space I've used is probably from geometry. I wonder if complex objects take up considerably more memory? I'll probably get down and do some experimenting.
While the second level I created was like a revelation to me, I noticed that I didn't pay much attention to thermo space, and my level was all over the place (it seemed like a short "journey" rather than one level).
I think in the future I'll be able to better tie together this idea with level linking. I basically one to take each piece of my level, and expand it into larger, more focused chunks. So I'd have the ground level, the climb into the mountain, the floating city, heaven, and the end at the woods. I think I could do better to improve each individual area and flesh it out, as opposed to trying to cram all of that into one smaller level.
Yeah, I think that's important. Originally Onooi wasn't going to have a boss, but I felt one was needed but didn't want to create a whole new level. Actually working on something in episodes also means you get more feedback and encouragement to continue. It's good that you're thinking large-scale!
Definitely, I'm going to use "The Great Hunt" as a "cliff notes" of sorts, and from there I'll publish episodes individually in different areas. Where one episode ends, the next will continue.
On a side note, I hope that it helps me get more plays! I really want to get those trophies and get a platinum for this, lol.
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I'm not sure if you saw my post a while ago, but the game will tell you what's eating your thermo the most..and it can be deceiving. You can have a full thermometer because of geometry but still have oodles of room for putting in your stickers and decorations. I would recommend really spending time experimenting with the global lighting tools, all your different materials and what different stickers look like on those materials under different lighting conditions. Just like food...presentation is key.
It only tells you when you're hitting limits though, which is a bit late in the game. You go to all that effort to create detailed models only to be told before you can finish your level that it's too complex and you have to delete them all and replace them with simpler models! Experience is needed to develop a sense of what is 'expensive' and what isn't. For example, in my Onooi level I started by building the oriental style architecture, and a temple with a fancy roof. When I started building the level, these things just cost too darned much, and I whittled it down to smaller and smaller shrines. Had I have appreciated the expense of the temple, I wouldn't have gone to the effort of modelling it! And I still don't really understand why it costs so much. The wooden tiles of the roof are all glued together. It's not a massive amount of geometry that I can see.
I guess the general guideline that I'm still trying to incorporate is 'paint in broad strokes'. Finicky detail is generally wasted. My Scourge had minutiae detailing in the lift's wood-panels, but that's not in keeping with the conventional LBP style and the style seems part of the engine limits, so it's something to aim for not just for looking good but to ensure you're designing within the games limits. I think.
It's up but doesn't do much. There are icons to remove unwanted community objects and photos. However you still get the Profile Save error with your own content. I do wish they'd explain why with many gigabytes of free space on the HDD, we're limited to such a small amount of content. It flies completely in the face of sharing!
The only other notable additions are a Sackboy decorating mode and improved emmitters accuracy. Dunno how to test the latter as I never had a problem with them. Improved decorating involves your like SB standing still when you hold stickers over them, which is very good.
The only other notable additions are a Sackboy decorating mode and improved emmitters accuracy. Dunno how to test the latter as I never had a problem with them. Improved decorating involves your like SB standing still when you hold stickers over them, which is very good.
Although I went to great lengths to hide every piston, bolt and connector in all my levels and I took great pride in it. I am glad that they all now have a visibilty option, that will save me loads of time and open up fun new things to do with pistons. The angle radius on sensors is fantastic also. It now shows how many people are online and your story mode progress, cool. The music player is a GOD SEND for someone that spends so much time in the editor and I'm sure the new costume mode will be nice for throwing on creative new tails for my sackboy. People are also reporting that levels that previously would fail to load, now load when copied to a new spot on their moon. I've noticed various glitches have been fixed...to some dismay, cause they were fun. The colored gas capture bug has been fixed, so you can now emit gas in colors other than green. Big patch...next week should be even better.
The visibility is very cool. Removing a Winch's visibility also removes its sound, giving the impression of something floating. They've also been clever in taking pistons of length 0 and setting them in non-visible in the editor. The angle radius should prove powerful. Works for both Proximity and Magnetic Key sensors. The radius setting for these is still buggy though, dropping a step to a lower radius when you make a change.
I'm not seeing a new costume mode that gives me access to the back of my sackboy though. Am I missing something?
I'm not seeing a new costume mode that gives me access to the back of my sackboy though. Am I missing something?
