Originally posted by gravitasOriginally posted by GbreezeSunsetOriginally posted by gravitasSo basically, aim for a 2-minute-or-so level? Got it. Now to find out how to use checkpoints in conjunction with sublevels...
EDIT: It looks like there's a patch for that. Bad if I want to enter any VLDCs in the future, but good for nigh-all other scenarios.
Actually there's an easy vanilla work around involving 1-up mushroom checkpoints or dragon coins that is easily done, seen in both worldpeace and morsel's vldc8 levels. As with most things, there's a vanilla work around that's a lot more complicated than the ASM counterpart.
Wait, how do you do that? That sounds interesting as hell.
The 1-up checkpoint objects work like this. If you place all 4 and you get all 4, you get a 1-up right? So if you either die or take an exit pipe/door to another room, the 1-up checkpoints will disappear, meaning all objects you placed under it will become visible. This is especially useful in vanilla hacks to create multiple midway points, since after you die and enter the level again, people will place hidden pipes that only become visible after the 1-up checkpoint is collected, allowing you to skip to the end. Although it's usually done as a checkpoint after you die, worldpeace showed that it can be used as a checkpoint even if you don't die in his JUMP 1/2 level.
Same can be done with yoshi coins. If you collect all 5 yoshi coins, all yoshi coins will disappear. It's important though that the 1-up checkpoints and yoshi/dragon coins aren't inserted with map16, or it won't work.
As far as level length goes, it entirely depends on the mode of play style and design. If the level involves lots of vertical ascension, waiting time, or puzzles, you obviously don't want it to be long horizontally, and if it is mostly flat, is can be longer horizontally. As far as time goes, let others play it and say how long it took, because the way you play your own level is extremely skewed, especially if it's non-linear.