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024: Frivolous Fires - Agent Q

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Owner: Agent Q

World: 5
Exits: 1
Theme: Desert
Music Options: 1, 2, 3 or compose your own.

Briefing: This is a general desert level with one exit. You may incorporate a ruins aspect or industrial decorations if you wish, but it is not necessary.
Claimed.
It's safe to say the level is at least 1/4th done as of right now. I'm really focusing on making it a graphically enjoyable level while also maintaining a great level design.

Here's what I have for the background so far.

That looks really awesome. Reminds me of MegaMan X. Would be really nice with mode 7, but I don't think we're using that.
Violators will be prosecutedt to the full extent of the jam.
How would mode 7 help with that?
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@ Leod: I think he means parallax scrolling (a slow one) for the BG, which would indeed make it look much nicer and more "real". I do like the BG but the empty parts (filler between each layer perspective) are to large to Ignore/look good. Other than that, it looks fine.
I wonder what a HFD opcode would do in ASM...
I think I've mistaken it with something else. You know, the effect with the layered background thingy is what I'm talking about (I suck).
Violators will be prosecutedt to the full extent of the jam.
I perfectly know what you mean agie777, haha. I'll dive myself into scrolling tables once I get the level design out of the way.

Getting started on redesigning the background TLMB. Thanks for the feed-back guys.
Now that I'm done with a particular test, I may resume work.


I'm considering using the "[Cluster/Sprite] Falling Leaves" to have a segment of the level engulfed with blowing sand to minimize visibility for the player.
Your graphics are awesome! Although one cactus looks as if it's polyhedral due to it's shading. If that is a barrel cactus, you should make that light shade (the one in-between the leftmost shading and the middle, medium luminosity shade) have the average luminosity of the two. I mean...

Left side of cactus|Light|RIGHT HERE |...Medium...|.Dark.| Right side of cactus

Light+Medium=RIGHT HERE

Anyway, good work! It feels like NES games for some reason...
Instead of a cluster sprite for the sand in the air, how about exanimation on 8x8 tile f8?If you want, I could make the animtion frames.
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Because then if he wanted to use slopes, he'd have to make tiles for the slope tiles.
Same for cacti.
woag.....

(previously superdragonyoshi1. sup yall.)
then how about layer 3?
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I guess blowing sand won't really work.

I'm noticing that several of the desert/beach levels are following the standard yellow/brown/gray palette colors. I'm all about variety so I'm offering some choices for the palette.


Palette 1 is a dawn type palette. Palette 2 is like twilight or something. Palette 3 is what I have right now, just a standard desert type place.
I like palette 2, since I love parette variations :P
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Extras



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

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The palette you should go for ultimately depends on the mood you're trying to set for the level, which includes your choice of music. Try out each of those palettes with the three default desert songs first as to see what you think is the best matchup for you is.

If that's the concept DeePay, I'm gonna have to lean with Bloop using Palette 2.

The song I'm using is #59.

Extras



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

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Originally posted by Agent Q
Well Central, HERE'S what I have done so far for my level.

Any issues regarding the length, difficulty or just bugs in general, please point them out so I may bring them to justice. Thank you.



Be sure to disable SMW's original palette animation LM (coin icon).


This may be of an assistance.



This is a nice effect, but the two pixel wide gap between the sand hampers is a little.


This is a potential blind drop. It's entirely possible for Mario to fall down hugging the left wall, the he takes damage from falling in front of a Bezerker baseball barrage. A small coin trail on the right should do the trick.


Other than that, what you have so far is mostly fine. There's a feeling about the level that just feels... off to me (it's hard for me to describe) and it could benefit with peppering some more coins into it.

Wasn't aware of that tile-slope fix. Thanks DeePay. I'll fix everything else ASAP.
Originally posted by MrDeePay
There's a feeling about the level that just feels... off to me (it's hard for me to describe) and it could benefit with peppering some more coins into it.

Have to agree with this, though we'll see whether or not I can help pinpoint it...

It's not a difficulty problem per se, but an "interest curve" problem; your level's too boring. Keep in mind that easy =/= boring, but in this case your level is both. It's very simple to just run through this stage and jump over most of the enemies, one after another. Your sprite setups aren't coordinated enough to pose much of a threat; plenty of the enemies seem isolated from one another and try to tackle Mario on their own. Some super koopas dip too low to even affect Mario. Overall, the level doesn't seem to have an awful lot going on in parts, and so the design isn't engaging enough. I also don't think you have quite enough sprite variety (or creativity, maybe?), and in a macro sense I'm a bit worried about how many people are using mostly koopas and chucks and leaving it at that. You could be more creative with the sprites you have arranged so far, as many of them just attack Mario head-on as he rushes through the stage like imps in a Doom speedrun. Oh, I also find it odd that not a single monty mole (to my knowledge) chases Mario.

On the graphics side...in the beginning, I thought the grassy (?) platforms were tiered so that I could walk on the lower parts, too, but only the very top is solid. I'm also not sure what to make of the green layer- is it grass? Mossy rock? Stone-cold lime Jell-O? It doesn't necessarily look bad, but it seems unrecognizable to me. Also, the rocky bridge tiles (solid) have the same palette as the rocky background tiles (nonsolid), which was confusing to me at first- especially where the throw blocks were. On top of that, most of the midair tiles are square, which makes the level seem too similar, with too much of a blocky aesthetic that personally, I'm not terribly fond of (though I admit that might just be me).

Now, this doesn't mean you have to overload the entire stage with sprites; the level generally starts off fine enough, but never seems to pick up with a sense of progression or increasing complexity or creativity, and I think that's a problem. I guess you also have room to switch things up after the midpoint, but even so, I feel this first half could make a stronger impression. If people walk away from your level thinking "hmm, there's just something I didn't really like about it," then it doesn't matter that they can't articulate it (even if that would be more helpful)- the design probably could be better.

Don't get me wrong- there are a few spots where I mostly like the spritework, like 1-2, 9, and maybe B/C, but I wish more of the level was like that, I guess. I keep on getting the sense that your sprites are just a little too spread out.
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