Match:
Siberian Base by akb778
3/10 - Bad
Okay, I'll tell you no lies, I probably would have rated this higher in a previous contest, but my standards have changed. When I look at this map, all I see is nothing new. It's just another ice level, probably the most overused theme in SRB2. Nothing new to make it stick out, nothing to spark my imagination or admiration. It doesn't even play that well. It's shoddy looking, filled with flat rooms, and annoying death pits that don't really seem to belong. Maybe I'm wrong here, but it seems to me you just made this level for the heck of it, or so that you could say that you've made a level. Again, maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but I don't see enough love or serious effort put into this level.
SemiRuin Forest Zone by Zipper
2/10 - Awful
Well my scoring may not have indicated it, I just want you to know, I appreciate what you did in this level. Just looking at it, I can see the effort you put into making this what you imagined it. With the lights, calm night atmosphere, and quiet streams, it has a distinct original mood, and that alone impresses me. Well, I don't know about the
original part, because what I see in this is exactly what I had going through my head when I designed my first CTF map, Gravity Garden. And just like Gravity Garden was, this is a miserable failure. You know what's wrong with your map. Too many secluded areas, giant map size, you get the drift. Nevertheless, I see promise, and I'm fairly certain that with some refining, you'll do splendid. Now don't let what I said go to your head. :p
Splice Lab Zone by Fawfulfan
4/10 - Mediocre
You know, I'm surprised that you used the typical mechanical theme that's been used in Egg Hangar, and various other level, and managed to give it a very different taste. Mostly I just mean the color scheme and the cool moving walls. Oh, and the Metal Sonic Battle music, I've never heard that used before. It really is original in those respects. Gameplaywise however, it suffers from a few problems. Mainly, the one everyone has said: it's way too small. Like, WAY too small. Now a few people enjoy that, but generally it should be avoided. When it's an intense battle with 3 people, and you constantly feel like you're starving for rings, something is wrong. Secondly, there is so much stuff to crash into, all over the place. I hate when I have to constantly watch my every step to avoid crashing into various objects scattered around the floor, or little ledges that are a tad too big to step up on. Thirdly, it could seriously use some more rings. I felt like I was constantly about to die because of lack of rings. In my opinion, too many rings is better than too few.
Storm Stronghold by Spherallic, Errol, RedEnchilada, and SpiritCrusher
10/10 - Epic
Wow. I am
seriously impressed. You four have to have put so much work into this. Believe me, it shows. Every room has something special, and I'm constantly finding new things. Just going around looking at this map has taught me so much about visual tricks and level structure. This level is literally a masterpiece of design, and you should all be proud. I have only one question. Why acid? I mean, it's cool and all, and I had a lot of fun tracing the canals around, and splashing in the bridge room with an elemental shield, but... why? What place do purple chemicals have in a medieval styled fortress? It's sure cool, but wouldn't water have been a more sensible choice?
Oh, and
awesome cutie mark. I can't believe I didn't notice it until I opened the map in Doom Builder. I remember running right over it, too...
Jello Factory by Charybdizs
Definitely pretty proud of it/10
You guys have
no clue how much love and time I put into this thing. I started it about 4 months ago. You probably heard me mention it on IRC, if not personally to you. I've been obsessed with it for a while, but I have to say, I'm very glad it's done. Now I can get to work on other projects!
Believe it or not, I had to redo more than half the level, because I originally had quite a few more rooms and it was "Too. Damn. Huge.™" There's a
drastic difference between the original and this contest version. I've posted the download to it at the bottom of this rant. To tell the truth, it's worth a look if you're slightly curious in the least, because it has about 3 more big rooms, a few interesting hallways crossing the street below, and an entrance to the sewer from a small basement room. I had to scrap more than half the level when I redid it. I really had a hard time scrapping that warehouse room. So many interesting little forts and sniper spots among all the boxes. Heh, maybe I'll build a CTF level using that very idea some day. With some flashing lighting, and the name "Blackout Basement" it could get pretty interesting. :J
But anyways, there's a few things I want to mention about my level.
For one, that Celestia Mural in the entrance room.
I'm kinda fishing for praise and those warm fuzzies you get when someone tells you you did well, so if you want to compliment it, I'll gladly accept. :p It's pretty much my pride and joy of that level. It didn't take nearly as long as you'd think though. I was on a road trip for a couple days, with my laptop, so I had plenty of time to do it. I think the mural itself took me about half an hour, give or take a few minutes. I was actually really surprised on how it turned out. Any of the bronies on this message board might realize it was actually just a look and draw interpretation of one of the Princess Celestia Images I found in a quick Google Search. I must say, while I was drawing her, I was surprised to realize the detail the FiM creators put into making her an image of perfection. Pretty much every feature about her gives off an aura of love, gentleness, perfect self control, and purity. Yet, underneath all that there is an implication of "I'm serious as can be, don't dare mess with My Little Ponies or you will be in a world of hurt" Not bad at all for the being that is pretty much the God figure of Equestria, the emblem of perfection and omnipotence.
Then, there's the Jello itself. I originally got that idea when I was browsing the Bouncy Sector Wiki page, and saw what it said happened when you applied it to a water block. The idea kind of bounced (no pun intended. Really.) around in my head for a while, until one day I decided to try it out. I was pretty impressed by how it worked, my only peeve being what happens when you jump inside it. Not much I could do about that though. In all earnest, if I had a choice, I don't know what I WOULD have made it do... I mean, it's not like I really have any experience with what happens when I jump inside a large block of flavored gelatin.
Then there's three small glitches that I wish hadn't been there. You may have noticed them.
#1: On the glass freezing encasement in the mixing/cooling room, there is a dark patch of glass. I tried messing around with FOF sector brightness, and everything, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was causing it.
#2: In the Cooling Chamber, in the Jello Storage Room, there is some wonky black effect (I'd swear I never would have used that word if Spherallic hadn't described it that way) (Thank you Spherallic for my slightly boosted vocabulary) caused by who knows what. I'd bet that Fog Blocks, Colormaps, and Water Blocks get together specifically to hate on me, and do anything they can to screw me up. If anyone can even bother to open the file and figure out what the heck was going on there, I'd be grateful, if only for future reference.
#3: In that same Cooling Chamber, there should have been a yellow spring to help you exit as Sonic. Unfortunately, when I redesigned the level Thing layout shortly before submitting it, I missed putting that back in. Conveniently, it now looks like an intentional trap, and I have yet to hear anyone complain. Thank goodness it hasn't cost me any points.
*wipes sweat off brow*
So, I've been dragging this on for so long, I see no reason to end it quite yet. Hmm... What else could I write about here- OH YEAH THAT THING! I originally had another mural in here too, although not nearly as nice as the one of Princess Celestia. It was personally requested by KO.T.E., but I'm sad to say, I never found a place for it in the new version. It's in the old version I'm about to link, so you can see it if you must. [HINT: IT HAS TO DO WITH MORE PONIES]
I had a rather interesting time determining the flavors of the Jello. I had to pay a visit to Sugarcube Corner to ask Pinkie Pie's opinion on it. Believe me, she had plenty of suggestions. So many types of Jello I had never even thought existed. In addition to all the usual flavors you see around, there was Mint Jello, Pineapple Jello, Kumquat Jello, Quince Jello, Peanut Brittle Jello, Watermelon Jello, Mustard Jello, Butterscotch Jello, Bacon Jello (I was tempted to include that option), Provolone Jello, Frogleg Jello, Clear Unflavored Jello, Cake Jello, Pudding Jello, Jello Jello, Sugar Plum Jello, Root Beer Jello, Gooseberry Jello, Tripleberry Jello, Sunflower Seed Jello, Salt Jello, Pepper Jello, Thousand Islands Jello, Bratwurst Jello, Chocolate Jello, Mystery Flavor Jello, Boysenberry Jello, Dandelion Jello (According to Pinkie Pie, that is Twilight Sparkle's favorite. Perhaps I'll bring her a batch of it some time.), Herb Seasoned Jello, Dog Food Jello, Barbecue Jello, Caramel Pecan Jello, Grape Jelly Jello, Broccoli Jello, Taffy Jello, Seaweed Jello, French Fry Jello, Gemstone Jello, Antiestablishmentarianism Jello, Boiled Jello, Potato Jello, Diet Jello, Carrot Jello, Frosting Jello, Vanilla Jello, Bubble Gum Jello, Sherbet Jello, Ranch Jello, Apple Jello, Honey Jello, Hot Fudge Swirl Jello, Frozen Jello, Banana Jello, Walnut Jello, Pinecone Jello, Gravy Jello, Mac and Cheese Jello, Hay Jello, Caviar Jello, Chili Dog Jello, Tomato Jello, Margarine Jello, Jalapeno Jello, Creampuff Jello, Garlic Jello, Squid Ink Jello, Sub Jello, Star Fruit Jello, Mango Jello, Soda Pop Jello, Toast Jello, Maple Jello, Catnip Jello, and Slow Roasted Fresh Corn on the Cob Jello. so as you see, there was a lot to choose from. Eventually, I just decided to go with the plain old Cherry Jello, Orange Jello, Lemon Jello, Lime Jello, Blue Raspberry Jello, and Grape Jello that you saw in my level. That way, everyone has something they like, and everypony is a
happy pony.
Another mentionable thing is the view out the back hallway windows. It's kind of sparse, and I wish I could have taken the time to copy paste my better landscape with a waterfall out from the original. But when I'm cramming everything necessary into the level for the approaching deadline, a view out of a window that the player will probably never look out drops surprisingly low on the priority list.
This level taught me many things, but probably one of the things I enjoyed learning the most, was gradients. I had never really used them much before in lighting effects to any extent, until now. In the first place I built, (Actually the hallway with bathrooms that exists in the original version) I used a lot of lighting gradients to mark the boundaries between rooms. That and to make a soft effect of light coming through windows. When I first did that, I sat there and gazed at the sight for a good few minutes before moving on. By the end of building the level, things like that felt rather dull and ordinary to me. Oh, for the joys and beauties of ignorance!
Textures were a funny learning experience for me also. When I come up with an idea, I don't usually consider what textures I'm going to use, and I end up searching through the available textures, sometimes in vain. I eventually settled with some rather odd choices, or so they seemed to me. The walls and sometimes ceilings in the white rooms are actually a snow texture. The Grape Jello is one of the Zim's Base textures, and the Lime Jello, is, believe it or not, Jungle Grass. :3
I've now come to the conclusion that SRB2 needs more solid colors in it's texture pack. So if any of you developers and people are reading this, please consider that point. I mean, really. You don't even have to be good at spriting or texturing to do that. And if that is too much work, I would
honest to goodness to it for you. I care that much. I used solid colors all over in the scenery of this level whenever I could, but occasionally I had to make weird choices to make up for lack of solids. Hence the rocks in Celestia's mane.
Okay. I've rambled on sufficiently now. Here's the download link for the older, much huger version:
Jello Factory as it used to be
MT_Topangalifts by Brawl
3/10 - Bad
I wonder if you're actually going to read this. I don't think I've been around the forums for as long as you, so I don't want to make any judgments about you. I've just heard from other people that you've always made bad stages, and never learn. Well, if you're somewhat intelligent, which I have reason to believe you are, you should already know what's wrong with your map. Other people have already told you in this thread. I don't have anything to add to that. I do have some different things to say though.
You so had to be thinking of this track when you made this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCTWGLNTPo8&feature=related
This level reminds me incredibly of the secret levels in Super Mario Sunshine, in particular the Sand Bird one. I'd eat my hat if that's not what you had in mind. I've always had a thing for Super Mario Sunshine, so ideally, this level was like handing me a nice big candy drizzled chocolate truffle to enjoy. Just to make sure, I took a look at your level in Doom Builder. And well... I C WUT U DID THERE
To all you people complaining about those platforms moving for no reason whatsoever: take a closer look. Those are the wings of the bird. Yes, it's a weird looking bird, but it's nevertheless, a bird. And those little things outside the walls? Those are smaller birds. But to the point. Brawl, you have wonderful ideas. You have an interesting gift of beauty and artistry. I can see it from this level, and I've somewhat noticed it in your other levels. The problem is, a good idea isn't everything. A good idea can be made disappointing through poor execution. We want to see your ideas and your imagination put into good use, not bogged down by bad level design. Seriously try to do something about this. Put your all into it. Show it to others. Use advice. We're (at least I'm) not here to take away your style. I want to see you take your individual style and refine it, so that you can make something both interesting
and beautiful. All I can really do to help you is to say this: My inbox is open. I will
gladly review your levels for you (or with you), give advice, and help you out if you need it. I
want to do that.
Rush Jungle by Scizor300, KO.T.E, and Simsmagic
6/10 - Decent
Not bad, not bad at all, but
where are all my ammunitions at? I kind of like being able to actually build up a stock of weapons.
You call this level a rush level, but I find it hard to believe. How long did it actually take you to make it? It seems fairly in depth to me, with the waterfalls, the mud pits, and twisting and turning path up to the top of the map. As usual, Scizor300, the colors and textures you chose are very appealing to the eye. However, I was a bit shocked to look up and see a cloudy sky. I guess I had just gotten the impression that it was a sunny day out above the trees, and it almost made me sad to see that it wasn't. XD
Capture the Flag:
Frantic Forest Zone by ThunderNova
4/10 - Mediocre
My goodness, Thundernova. This texturing makes me lose my appetite. I am telling you
no joke. I get the most disgusting thoughts and tastes of ketchup, spinach, chocolate, sawdust, and broccoli, all swirled together, and watered down by lukewarm water. I must go clean my eyes, my brain, and my mouth out now.
Ah. That's better. Now that you know what I think of the... umm...
...It's best not to talk about it. Anyways. I can't remember, is this your first level? I don't remember you making anything else... Whatever the case, you really- AHHHH THAT MUSIC! don't EVER use those sucky Midi's in your levels if you can help it. I'd swear it cheapens your level's effect like no other thing. I've only ever seen one level get away with using one of those somewhat harmlessly, and that was Internet Explorer's Lost Feelings Island. It fit in his level well, and you see... It doesn't hardly do so in yours. Personally, I don't even know why the SRB2 team even has those in there. As a past MIDI sequencer, I can earnestly say that they have to be the worst Midi's I've ever heard. There's plenty of better choices over on VGMusic.com.
To cut to the chase, though, I scored your level 4, because as, it implies, it is just mediocre. Gameplaywise, it isn't bad, but it also isn't good. It leaves a lot to be desired in terms of level intricacy and good weapon placement. Those springs up to the bases are a bad gimmick also. Mind you, all the points I gave you for this map came solely from what gameplay there is, because I don't like anything else about this. I can't even begin to when it looks so horrid.
Galactic Waterworks by Spherallic
10/10 - Epic
GUESS WHAT GUYS SPHERE DID IT AGAIN
Molten Canyon by akb778
6/10 - Decent
Wow! For someone who's relatively new to level designing, this isn't bad at all! More than a bit rough around the edges, but it has solid gameplay. I love the metal bridge, with the elevators up to it. I kind of wish you had done a little more with that idea of the map. Really though, I think I can see what you were envisioning as you made this map.
However, there's a number of things that detract from the overall gameplay, even ignoring the unfortunate Red Base in Blue Base issue. For one, the elevator that brings you out of the base is a pain in the neck. It breaks the flow of gameplay too much, and there's really no reason to take it when there is the other way to go. More often than not, I'd end up getting crushed by it than getting a ride on it. Secondly, there is the silly dead ends in the bases. For the time it takes to get in those ugly little passages, there isn't much of a reward, just some weapon ammo for the least sought after weapons. Either get rid of those, put something better in them, or make another outlet on the side of the cliff. But whatever you choose to do about it, make them look nicer. The monotonous textures in them aren't appealing to the eye at all. That's about all I can think of right now.
...It just occurred to me that your map follows almost the exact same design plot as Lime Forest Zone.
Lethal Filibuster Zone by Fawfulfan
6/10 - Decent
Am I the only one who got a good laugh out of this? It's a witty theme, it looks nice, and it plays okay. That reflecting pool in the center especially. If only it actually reflected. Besides the lame spring entrance to the base, my only complaint is that I can't play as a third party. Well, I guess it hardly makes a difference anyways. It's not like we'd win anyways; The media would make sure of it.
Race:
Girder Detour Zone by Fawfulfan
7/10 - Good
Probably the most interesting Arid Canyon Zone themed level I have played in a while. You did a great job with the scenery, I was really wowed by it. But those annoying metal frames... I'd swear they have Tails magnets on them. I hadn't heard much good about the actual course of this map before the contest, but I wasn't disappointed. It was fine in my book. Nothing extraordinary, but perfectly fine just the same.
I have a strange inkling that this map is going to win.
__________________________________________________________
Wow! What a fun contest! Quite a number of maps to remember this time around. Sure, there were some flunks, but at least they were memorable flunks! I know I won't be forgetting about SemiRuin Forest or Topanga Lifts anytime soon. And so help me, I never plan to forget about Storm Stronghold until the day I die!
Good work everyone! Friendly Friends! ♪