Amateur Stage Design Trials - A New Mapping Contest!
- Thread starter CoatRack
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Yes but it's not a regular single player level but a scary level.
...and buttons are scary?
There's a reason people usually leave their jackets' top buttons undone. Those things can be scarily lethal.
The standards of design for a level with the added goal of being spooky will not change much at all. Things that will make a normal level will make a spooky level boring, too. To use a little analogical reasoning, it is still important for a horror story to be written with proper grammar, and just so, it is important for your level to be built with good flow and design.
If it isn't, it will distract from the overall presentation of your level.
glaber said:
Your history with level design is something sporadic and unpredictable, hah! Try judging your work yourself, before you submit. Do you think it is on a level worth of matching against the likes of creations like Ezer Arch's or Thompson's?
Monster Iestyn
Fangtastic
Ack, took me by surprise when I first saw this thread. Good to see things are actually happening again! Would love to be involved with this a bit myself, but I haven't got all my stuff over from my old harddrive yet, including SRB2 stuff. =/
Also yeah, this is a fair suggestion. I certainly couldn't say I'm beginner nor advanced either, what with all the maps I've made but never finished. =V
Also yeah, this is a fair suggestion. I certainly couldn't say I'm beginner nor advanced either, what with all the maps I've made but never finished. =V
Download it fresh? :)
You don't need to finish maps in order to learn advanced things. Most of the stuff I've learned has been from a few maps I've deleted and restarted over and over again. The skill is in the understanding and the execution, not the amount of maps published.
Metal96
Member
So? One can still be intermediate. I'm no n00b but I'm no Thompson either.
Do I think it's at their level? No.
You make a really good point. In that case I fall somewhere in between. My most recent map, Emerald Lake act 2, has been receiving input from Charyb, and as a result I wound up starting the map over while transplanting parts that could still work.
Thankfully, I can still Use SRB2 Doom Builder even if Regular Doom Builder doesn't work.
To be honest, this seems like a really good idea... Until you see the theme and its horror with the intent of being scary.
I know that pretty much all but like... maybe one or two submissions will be all about jumpscares or not be scary at all. To really get something scary in SRB2, you'd have to really be skilled not just as a designer, but as someone who can SOC and probably a good artist to create the needed assets, as nothing in SRB2 inherently has anything genuinely scary, except maybe that one space countdown tune that's kinda spooky. And even then, it'll probably, again, be all based on jumpscares.
I think that this theme makes a really bad start for this kind of contest. I'm OK with the idea of this kind of thing, but I just know genuine horror isn't going to translate well into SRB2.
I know that pretty much all but like... maybe one or two submissions will be all about jumpscares or not be scary at all. To really get something scary in SRB2, you'd have to really be skilled not just as a designer, but as someone who can SOC and probably a good artist to create the needed assets, as nothing in SRB2 inherently has anything genuinely scary, except maybe that one space countdown tune that's kinda spooky. And even then, it'll probably, again, be all based on jumpscares.
I think that this theme makes a really bad start for this kind of contest. I'm OK with the idea of this kind of thing, but I just know genuine horror isn't going to translate well into SRB2.
I just played a beta of something that someone from skybase made, and it was doing a decent job of building suspense, currently with all vanilla content. I have faith that a majority of the people know that jumpscares are lame, and I've seen even beginner level designers say that on their own so far.
the_Mansion.wad did a pretty fine job of it if you ask me. And I know Ghoul's forest is technically a port, but it's still pretty damn scary. But honestly, I'm not sure if I'm more looking forward to the genuinely scary entries, or the ~spooky~ ones that spam skeletons everywhere in traditional halloween style!
I'm expecting two types of entries, in that style.
the_Mansion.wad did a pretty fine job of it if you ask me. And I know Ghoul's forest is technically a port, but it's still pretty damn scary. But honestly, I'm not sure if I'm more looking forward to the genuinely scary entries, or the ~spooky~ ones that spam skeletons everywhere in traditional halloween style!
I'm expecting two types of entries, in that style.
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Sparkxster
bruh
I'm looking forward towards stages that emphasize on atmosphere the level is designed for but should not suffer in the level design for it, I feel that a level that has a good atmosphere that is intended makes for an overall better map. I'm curious to see what the Advanced division will come up with, same goes for the Beginner division too!
For anyone who is still designing, or wasn't quite sure what to design in the first place:
I was doing a little thinking about the theme, and what exactly defines "scary" in the first place. There are probably two real understandings of "scary".
The first of these, is what your average Halloween decorations are about. Spooky skeletons with rattling bones, ghosts that say "boo!" and cackling witches with bubbling brews. All in all, it's actually more of a humorous and lighthearted thing, something that pokes fun at all the death and evil around us. "Look around you!" it says. "Look at how foolish it all is! Do you really think it could just reach out and hurt you?" Despite the fact that it doesn't actually frighten anyone but the children (who are still learning boundaries of safety vs. danger), we often consider things like this "scary" or at least "spooky". I know it's been posted a lot in this thread, because it's so humorous, but I just have to do it again. As funny as the song may sound, the lyrics pretty much say exactly what I'm saying. "ooOOooOO Spooky scary skeletons will shock your soul (it's a joke, how silly these skeleton monsters we've created are)"
Even though it may not be legitimately frightening or un-nerving, the judges will definitely have to keep this in mind while they judge the levels.
The second type of scary is no joke at all. It's the kind of scary that things like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, or Silent Hill, embrace. Pure horror. Somehow they tap into the very things that human beings dread the most. It gets your heart pumping, your adrenaline rushing, and if you weren't when you started, you'll be fully awake and alert by the time it ends. But what exactly are the things that cause this kind of "scare"? Here's a few ideas I have on it:
I'm hoping things turn out good for this contest. I want some real scares, and not just some generic Tails Doll deton spam.
I was doing a little thinking about the theme, and what exactly defines "scary" in the first place. There are probably two real understandings of "scary".
The first of these, is what your average Halloween decorations are about. Spooky skeletons with rattling bones, ghosts that say "boo!" and cackling witches with bubbling brews. All in all, it's actually more of a humorous and lighthearted thing, something that pokes fun at all the death and evil around us. "Look around you!" it says. "Look at how foolish it all is! Do you really think it could just reach out and hurt you?" Despite the fact that it doesn't actually frighten anyone but the children (who are still learning boundaries of safety vs. danger), we often consider things like this "scary" or at least "spooky". I know it's been posted a lot in this thread, because it's so humorous, but I just have to do it again. As funny as the song may sound, the lyrics pretty much say exactly what I'm saying. "ooOOooOO Spooky scary skeletons will shock your soul (it's a joke, how silly these skeleton monsters we've created are)"
Even though it may not be legitimately frightening or un-nerving, the judges will definitely have to keep this in mind while they judge the levels.
The second type of scary is no joke at all. It's the kind of scary that things like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, or Silent Hill, embrace. Pure horror. Somehow they tap into the very things that human beings dread the most. It gets your heart pumping, your adrenaline rushing, and if you weren't when you started, you'll be fully awake and alert by the time it ends. But what exactly are the things that cause this kind of "scare"? Here's a few ideas I have on it:
- Unexplainable events. Things that exceed your expectations of what something is capable of. Anyone remember the shocking way Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid played mind games like changing your TV channel, reading your mind, and moving your controller? If something exceeds the players expectation of what is possible, it puts them on the edge.
- Unseen dangers. Let's face it. The imagination can concoct a being way more terrifying and foreboding than the pixels of a screen can actually represent. One of the worst ways you can ruin a scare is by revealing your monster before its time. If it even has a time to be revealed, that is. Footsteps in the hallway, scratchings from the other side of the wall, shadows across the doorway, unintelligible whispers, each of these things, even when somewhat EXPECTED, are much scarier than an unexpected monster who jumps out of the closet at you.
- Unpredictable or erratic behavior. No place to hide. You can't predict where the monster will prowl next, but you do know this: if you stand still for long enough, it will eventually find you.
I'm hoping things turn out good for this contest. I want some real scares, and not just some generic Tails Doll deton spam.
Just a friendly remember, the contest deadline is on November the 12th, that is less than a month away. So I hope your entries are well on there way done, so we can have a nice turn out!
On another note, to add to what Charyb said, have a small video that is on the subject of fear and/or creepiness: Click me!
On another note, to add to what Charyb said, have a small video that is on the subject of fear and/or creepiness: Click me!
Well, I was gonna try and enter something, but I can't get the movement of this custom enemy I was SOC-ing to match the ZDoom counterpart I was porting it from.
It's supposed to float around the air somewhat uncontrollably, using ThrustThing (or A_Thrust for the SOC equivalent) to add momentum every three tics. In ZDoom, that builds up over time and lends itself to this sort of heavy feel; if the enemy keeps going in the same direction, they'll build up tons of momentum and have to swing around if they overshoot you. In SRB2, the thrust impulses decay almost immediately, ruining the whole thing. It works okay if you use MF_MISSILE, but that has other issues (because there's code written under the assumption that Things with that flag actually are missiles that are destroyed on contact with walls - plus, colliding with it causes it to disappear like a ring instead of hurting the player). The code seemed to imply friction wouldn't be applied if MF2_SKULLFLY was set, but I've been setting that in the SOC and it's not helping.
So, yeah, maybe some other time. :\
It's supposed to float around the air somewhat uncontrollably, using ThrustThing (or A_Thrust for the SOC equivalent) to add momentum every three tics. In ZDoom, that builds up over time and lends itself to this sort of heavy feel; if the enemy keeps going in the same direction, they'll build up tons of momentum and have to swing around if they overshoot you. In SRB2, the thrust impulses decay almost immediately, ruining the whole thing. It works okay if you use MF_MISSILE, but that has other issues (because there's code written under the assumption that Things with that flag actually are missiles that are destroyed on contact with walls - plus, colliding with it causes it to disappear like a ring instead of hurting the player). The code seemed to imply friction wouldn't be applied if MF2_SKULLFLY was set, but I've been setting that in the SOC and it's not helping.
So, yeah, maybe some other time. :\
There's an SRB2DB2, y'know.
and yet I couldn't get use to that.
i just stick with what I can figure out, and have working. (oddly enough, Doom builder 1 and 2 don't work while SRB2 Doom Builder 1 does)
10 days left, I may drop out due to lack of ideas to actually use and apply in a timely manner
i just stick with what I can figure out, and have working. (oddly enough, Doom builder 1 and 2 don't work while SRB2 Doom Builder 1 does)
10 days left, I may drop out due to lack of ideas to actually use and apply in a timely manner
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