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Level Testing


Sorry papermariorulez1, all the levels have been taken.
As for testing levels, feel free to download the patches the levels creators post in this thread and test them for yourself.
Layout by LDA during C3.
About issue 1: I think I'll remove the Bill Blaster as people can use the Bullet Bills to make a future part of the level considerably easier.
About issue 2: Won't the base rom this gets added to as an MWL have that patch?
Thank you for making Outrageous Mario World the 11th most downloaded hack on the site!

Ham Sandwich progress: v1378 (Now with more arbitrary version numbering than ZGC!) Waiting to get around to working on it again.

I occasionally stream ROM hacks on Yoshi Lighthouse's Twitch account. Be sure to check it out!

Layout by Counterfeit.
@AnybodyAgrees
I would recommend either a graphic swap for the "ice blocks" around the Silver Quarter Switch or removing them entirely (personally, I'd go with the latter and find a new way to incorporate the Silver Switch - maybe a very simple ON/OFF puzzle to help introduce you to the level's main gimmick). Not only do they look out of place as ice blocks, but it makes the gimmick appear even more forced than it already is.

Originally posted by AnybodyAgrees
About issue 1: I think I'll remove the Bill Blaster as people can use the Bullet Bills to make a future part of the level considerably easier.
About issue 2: Won't the base rom this gets added to as an MWL have that patch?


You have to request to have that block added in the block sign=up thread. From what it looks like, the block is not added yet.
Layout by LDA during C3.
Originally posted by Lightvayne

Originally posted by AnybodyAgrees
About issue 1: I think I'll remove the Bill Blaster as people can use the Bullet Bills to make a future part of the level considerably easier.
About issue 2: Won't the base rom this gets added to as an MWL have that patch?


You have to request to have that block added in the block sign=up thread.

I simply removed all the ladders in the level.
Milk, I took your suggestion.
New level at: http://bin.smwcentral.net/45421/SMWCP2%20patch.ips.zip
Thank you for making Outrageous Mario World the 11th most downloaded hack on the site!

Ham Sandwich progress: v1378 (Now with more arbitrary version numbering than ZGC!) Waiting to get around to working on it again.

I occasionally stream ROM hacks on Yoshi Lighthouse's Twitch account. Be sure to check it out!

Layout by Counterfeit.

You missed one.



Other than that, everything looks good.
Layout by LDA during C3.
Couldn't you just use the ledgevine block that just got added by someone else recently?
Just make a block act like tile 310 and it should be alright.
Your layout has been removed.

Extras



I should have something witty to put here (even if it's just to update dated info), shouldn't I?

Advertising Space

The base should have that tile set to behave correctly already, so yeah.

*Epic Music*
The final version of 1-4 is available.
You can download it here.
SNN, this is the final version to place in the ROM.
http://bin.smwcentral.net/45440/SMWCPii%20patch.ips.zip
Thank you for making Outrageous Mario World the 11th most downloaded hack on the site!

Ham Sandwich progress: v1378 (Now with more arbitrary version numbering than ZGC!) Waiting to get around to working on it again.

I occasionally stream ROM hacks on Yoshi Lighthouse's Twitch account. Be sure to check it out!

Layout by Counterfeit.
I notice that a lot of people are asking if they can test certain levels.

As it has been said several times before, you do not need to reserve levels in advance for testing; you do not even need to ask permission to test a level. If you want to test one, go right ahead and do it.

Also, I may have said this before, but I plan on doing a large amount of testing once my exams are finished in compensation for a lack of hack moderation.
Comments:

Good:

1. I really like how you worked with the "On/Off" switch at the end. It's like "Oh look the goal!" then it's like "Oh, I have to press that switch first". Good thinking. ;)
2. The Shell-kicking Koopa Troopa at the end served as an interesting challenge for me.
3. No more slowdown = Better.
4. Level feels like it's a decent length one now, especially when trying to find the secrets.
5. Another good use of the gimmick ... when I played this level the 2nd time, I would've never known that I had to go all the way back after pressing the first "On/Off" switch to activate the Silver QuarterPOWnder at the beginning of the level.

Minor Adjustments (If necessary):

1. If I were me, I would add a small amount of coins/non-power blocks at that last part.
2. Commenting about 5 ... how much time does Mario have? If it's a short amount of time, then it would be a bit hard pressing that Silver P-Block then having to rush all the way through the level.

Overall: Much better than before. However, it's still far from ready to go in the ROM.
Couple of quick thoughts. I'll leave the tearing apart to others.

-Why are all of the SMWC coins crammed before the midway? Try moving one (perhaps the third one) somewhere in the second half of the level.
-Perhaps I missed something (likely), but the first ON/OFF switch appears to be just after the midway. Do you really think the player will find it fun hitting that, running all the way back to the start, and then getting the coin behind the munchers there?
-Change the FG's palette slightly so that it doesn't directly match the first level.
-The message boxes need text. Don't forget to send this to me with your level once it is cleared for insertion.

It's a lot better than your first version indeed, but it still needs a few more things before I can call it acceptable for the hack.

(e: also, might I suggest using this track that was recently submitted to the hack? It seems to fit the level better, in my opinion.)

Extras



I should have something witty to put here (even if it's just to update dated info), shouldn't I?

Advertising Space

Personally, I would redo the entire second half of the level and move the SMWC Coin before the Splittin' Chuck into the newly constructed second half. It just seems too short and blah for my liking, the introduction of the ON/OFF and POW blocks could be implemented better (as it stands now, it's a wee bit too hard for World 1).

Extend all of the dark girders pieces down an extra tile. They create a small, yet noticable amount of cutoff when playing in SNES9x. I'm not sure about the matter in bsnes, so...

Utilization of FP's girder set could be improved. It doesn't need to be nutso like how I set it up in the Items sample level I used (which will soon need to be moved to a sublevel), but more of a proper use that you would normally expect from construction sites.






By the way, the P-Switch block issue got fixed, so you can use the custom ExAnimation I used for it instead of some coins.

Originally posted by AnybodyAgrees
SNN, this is the final version to place in the ROM.

No, it's not. Once we testers are satisfied with your level, we suggest to S.N.N. that it's ready for insertion. Not you. Would you kindly...not do that again.

Let's see...

Your level is named "POW Path," but it's only a 'path' in the metaphorical sense because most of the level takes place on girders (not so nitpicky when you look at the next sentence). Also, you really don't make much use of P-whatever shenanigans here, certainly not anything novel enough to justify its inclusion after the SMWCP debacles. Yeah, there's a short trek to a very obvious "bonus" area, a short backtrack around the goal roulette, a small hop, skip, and jump to an On/Off switch, and an inexcusably long return journey for a smwcoin, but all of these seem tangential, NOT central, to the level design. If this level has a theme, I really couldn't tell you what it is. There's just nothing exciting about the ways you use the p-whatevers. We've seen all of that before, and recently, too. You have to learn how to look at old things in new ways if you want to make this kind of level. Ask around, find levels that use p-stuff well, brainstorm more ideas, do something.

You're not making good use of Firephoenix's tileset, to be blunt. I'll tell you again, look at Firephoenix's level. He arranges the girders such that they suggest a construction environment. Many of them follow the contours of the ground, make use of diagonal supports, have cantilevered platforms, vary in height, length, and shape, are generally pleasing to look at, and have a certain level of complexity/detail without going overboard. In contrast, your level looks like a repetitive set of airborne girders placed in a row. Many of the tiles are just long and straight, continuing off into the distance...not very exciting at all.

Well, let's just go to a screen-by-screen analysis so I can be more specific.

00-01: Eh, surrounding the P-quarter and the question block with stuff looks kind of odd to me. Besides, the formations are pretty clumsy to navigate around, and it feels almost like a narrow passageway going under them- not really the effect you want in an early grassland/girder stage. I suppose the goomba/sliding koopa combo is ok, but somehow it feels like a weak start.

02-06: I'm not against alternate paths, but this top part is basically a long, straight girder with a couple of enemies on top for supposed justification.

The bottom path has pretty much no enemies, and moreover contains a jump of debatable tastefulness. This isn't gym class: you don't really need to test Mario's jump length to the fullest so early in the game. I question the use of one-tile-wide blocks, too, and in general there are quite a few places to fall here, but the enemies aren't very threatening at all, so what kind of difficulty are you aiming for exactly? I'm getting mixed messages.

The amount of backtracking required for that smwcoin is utterly ridiculous, and the bonus room location is painfully obvious (this isn't the first level of the game).

Bonus Room 1: Pretty much the same comments as two paragraphs above, and the area is very spacey. The location of the 1up is fine, but it would be nice if you could use the spring without hitting the right edge of the girder beneath the pipe. Also, the entrance is a little strange, maybe because it's so high up. I know you want to show that Mario's falling, but it helps to have something there as a frame of reference.

06-07: Mario has misleading hitboxes when running on walls, and besides, having to wait for the parakoopas to come back down is pretty annoying.

07-08: This is kind of a blind drop, and players have to process that there's a shell-kicking koopa there and potentially dodge a bullet bill as well. You don't know whether players are going to drop down or jump forward here, so it doesn't seem very fitting for where the level is in the game.

09-0A: Well, I liked how you hid the 3up moon (which, by the way, does NOT need a sublevel of its own), but other than that, this section is pretty boring for me. You could have a much more involved mini-puzzle here or something, but nope, all you do is hit a switch in the same way we've already gotten used to and move on. Your designs can't exist in a vacuum, you know? You have to go beyond what you've already seen other levels do with p-stuff, even if it's just a variation on a theme. This usage is too basic; it lacks depth.

0D-0E: I have no idea why this vertical girder is here. Since you can reach it by bouncing on that parakoopa, you could move the platform next to the goal roulette higher and put a smwcoin there, if you're so inclined.

0E-10: I've seen this used in SMWCP too (Pun intended. Take that, parentheticals of solidarity!), and eh, I don't think it adds much, but again, that might also be because everything is so flat. You're seemingly rushing the design and trying to avoid thinking about the architecture, but architecture is quite germane to good level design, and you have to think about it. Oh, and generally I think it's a better idea not to leave a patch of empty space at the end there, unless for some reason you want players to think that maybe there's something there if they just jump a litt- oh fiddlesticks.


Essentially, like I said before, there's even less going on here than Firephoenix's stage...and considering his is the first level of the game, that's definitely not good. Personally I think the entire stage needs to be redesigned, maybe not from scratch, but you really need to modify everything. The architecture falls flat, the sprites are too sparse, and the mechanics too bland.
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@AnybodyAgrees

When I suggested incorporating the Quarter Silver Switch into an ON/OFF puzzle, I certainly didn't think you'd do so in such a way that would require you to backtrack half the level. But, then looking at your level layout, I'm led to believe that you might have done this with the intent to preserve your original P-Switch/ON/OFF puzzle later on. Even still, with clever design, you can keep your original puzzle intact while still creating an interesting, yet simple puzzle with the Silver P that excludes tedious backtracking - that is if this is the route you decide to stick with.

An alternate suggestion would be to move the Silver P to the top path sans ON/OFF blocks (or any other blocks), since as of now, there is really no point to that section at all, and the rewards you do reap are unfitting considering you have to spinjump off a piranha just to get up there. Which, speaking of, is that really the way you're expected to reach that area? Because that seems to be asking a bit too much from the player for a World 1 level.

It also seems to me that as a whole, the ON/OFF switch is the level's primary gimmick; not the P-Switch as implied by the level's title. I think if you're really wanting to push the P-Switch as the level's focal gimmick, then you should work on integrating more P-Switch shenanigans and ease up on the ON/OFF puzzles. In fact, when I made my original suggestion, it was because that's what felt to be the level's gimmick - ON/OFF switches, despite what the level is called.
Let's see. First off, as SNN suggested, you should change the palette some to make it look different from the first level. To that end i spent 15 minutes and whipped up the following:



Already it looks different. If you want the palette I made, let me know, I'll send it our way, if not, change the palette of the level on your own but please make a change somehow.

As for the level itself, I agree with pretty much everything AxemJinx says. He goes into much further detail than I would. My biggest issue isn't even that the level feels dull, it's the introduction of mechanics that bothers me. I'm assuming this level will mark the first appearances of the 1/4 time P-blocks. If this is the case, you do a really poor job of introducing them in a beginning-of-the-game "tutorial" manner. The Silver P is optional and annoying to access followed by a tough run for the smwc coin that has little room for messing up. The Blue P is introduced over a pit with small block platforms. Both of these introductions scream bad to me. They should both be over land first off, should show the player how they function before they get used extensively and in situations and most importantly be used in the level for more than once each. If your level truly is POW/P-Switch Path, it should focus entirely on the use of the P-Switches in varying situations. As such, it feels more like ON/OFF Path, as has been mentioned.

I think you should really consider restarting the level. There is no reason to rush the level development like you have. There's plenty of time here and I'd rather see you take that time to make a good level than rush to complete a level.
Yeah, like FP said. The pallette would look better changed. I do like the level overall though. I also had a go at changing the pallette!


And also, the 3up is hidden quite well. But you might want to make the room and bit more decorated. With more building work and stuff. AND! Disable Lunar Magic's global pallette animation so the door don't flash!


Overall the level is a great level for the part of the hack it is in.
Level 110

Here's my level v.1.0

Also if you can think of a great level name while playing it please tell me.
Originally posted by 2dareduck


That was pretty fun; good work. I loved the idea of swapping the key graphics out for a life preserver; very creative. Two issues, though: firstly, maybe it's just me, but the level seemed a bit easy for a world 5 level. It probably has to do with the fact that there are no pits anywhere to die in, meaning that you have to rely on enemies alone for the difficulty. Also:



You might want to block off the side of that pipe. Other than that, it's looking good so far.
I should get a new layout.

Probably won't, though.

Extras



I should have something witty to put here (even if it's just to update dated info), shouldn't I?

Advertising Space

- Yeah, it felt a little too easy for World 5. What you can do to increase it while keeping it out of fake difficulty territory or having to redo entire chunks of it, I'm not sure. Other people can be able to chime in on that better than I.

- When Mario lands after being shot out of the pipe, he's put in a small react or get hurt situation with the hopping Cheep-Cheep. My rule of thumb is to give the player three or four seconds to avoid getting hit after they've entered a new sub-level.

- I would make the BG palette in the underwater section to be darker to match the nighttime setting in the main section of the level. Something darker, but still relatively cheerful.

- Be sure to disable the palette animation in your levels. Press the coin icon in the menu bar and uncheck the "LM's Palette Animation" box.

- Also be sure to enable layer priority for the second half of the level.

- I liked the subtle addition of what I'm assuming is your avatar character. He looks like he fits in just fine.