Going to second the "unique" thing. Most of my levels also have some sort of gimmick that stands out. Off the top of my head some levels I've done include:
-A Haunted Underwater Volcano
-A level where everything looks like it was drawn in MS Paint
-A castle that's made of ice and is melting
-A level that looks like it's being played on an old TV with picture problems
-A level that takes place entirely on one screen that looks like a stage
Though one thing I have noticed is that even if my levels start off in an open outdoors area, I'll typically start to eventually incorporate indoors elements, like adding a ceiling. I was all self-aware of this ever since the fourth "real" level I made, since at that point every level I made had something involving a castle or cave in it.
As for hacks I like to play: anything with a neat gimmick or something that surprises me. One of my favorite hacks here is Snifit's EVW; I really loved how it was focused on unique ideas, and it's pretty much my main inspiration for wanting to make my own "gimmick hack."
Hmm...
-Favorite to design
Space (forky style)
Ice (oh hell yes ice)
Ghost House (usually an icey one)
-Favorite to play
Umm.. I hardly play any hacks to be honest..
Ice levels maybe?
Usually...
To design:
Industrial
NES type levels
Factory's
Caves
Kaizo!!
To play:
Grass lands
Special levels
Castles/Fortresses
KaizoWant progress on 100 Rooms of Enemies: The Nightmare Edition? Go here to see.
Designing:
Anything I can have an excuse to put a boss into.
Well recently I've had a few ideas that have been a lot of fun to design. A lot more than anything I've previously created. None of them are really anything special though.
Designing:
- A forest level that takes place among a farrago of gigantic rotting logs.
- A massive mystical, haunted maze-like library level.
- A flooded temple dedicated to Piranha Plants.
- A Blackreach-esque Vertical Level loaded with ancient technologies (although there are no references at all to Skyrim)
-Anything that includes a convoluted Easter Egg
Playing:
- Anything Original and Professional
- Anything that includes a convoluted Easter EggHmm. . . not sure what to say so I'll just stop talking. . .
Least favorite to play:
- Underwater
- Convoluted P-switch and springboard puzzles, GOD I HATE THOSE!
Favorite parts of hacking not related to levels:
- Text
- Overworld
Favorite type of level to design? That'd definitely be castle levels, as evidenced by just about every single level contest entry I've ever submitted. To be more precise, it'd probably be a ruined castle in some sort of abstract/void-type setting, most likely including Thwomps in some way. :V
As for what type of level I enjoy playing the most, that spot would go to puzzle levels. And by puzzle, I don't mean the usual kind of "get item A and carry it to place B to get item C" garbage that is so common in hacks; I mean a level that actually requires thinking to complete. The sky world castle in VIP5 is a great example; it took me almost two hours to figure out the solution my first time through, but dear lord if it wasn't one of the most fun levels I had played in a long time.My YouTube channel
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Favorite to design (everything is done without Yoshis and feathers):
-Layer 2 levels
-Castles
-Fortresses
-Industrial/City levels (that is doable in vanilla)
-Jungles/Forests
-Dark levels with light switches (permanent and/or temporary)
-Extremely difficult postgame bonus levels (everything I design is made to be done without savestates)
Favorite to play:
-Castles
-Levels that look unique
-Difficult but fair levels
-Sometimes, levels that are made to be possible without savestates but are extremely difficult