Official Level Design Contest - December Voting

There we three submissions to the December contest. They are:

Mine Maze Zone by lostgamemaker
Poisoned Paradise Zone by Tets
Shrouded Terminal Zone by FuriousFox

Well, I screwed up. I feel dumb.

As a reminder, the voting will involve copying and pasting the level list below, and giving each stage a rating from 0-10, 10 being highest. You may not vote on your own stage.

Mine Maze Zone:
Poisoned Paradise Zone:
Shrouded Terminal Zone:

Excuse me while I smack myself, and I removed all the vote posts, so please vote again if you already did.

Voting will end at January 8th, 2004 0:00 GMT (Jan 7, 7 PM EST)

Here, I put 'em in a single wad for your convenience.

http://illegal.coffeestops.net:3875/d/scr_contest-dec03.zip

Server is totally unreliable and very slow. Have fun!

Mine Maze Zone: 2/10
The positive - it works. Thank you for trying, as that puts you ahead of a lot of other people who just didn't bother. Your level, however, needs a lot of work. The major thing is that it's just too cramped. If you look at the official levels, they're large and easy to navigate. Your take on Mine Maze is closed in, hard to navigate, and impossible to go fast in. Remember the camera, too, as I had a lot of trouble with the camera getting stuck in walls. A for effort, F for execution.

Poisoned Paradise Zone: 8/10
I like this one a lot. It's not gorgeous, but it has a lot of complexity and variety, making it plain old fun to play. The only things I can think of here is to add a little bit more vertical variation and make it a little more interesting in the visuals department. Otherwise, it's VERY nice. Also, you forgot a header in the version you sent me. I don't much enjoy the task of making one for you, you know ^_~

Shrouded Terminal Zone: 5/10
I dunno what to think. You did a lot of clever things here. Unfortunately, the button fetching routine kinda sucks. CEZ2 already proved that button searching in Sonic = teh suck. Also, the spikes with the conveyor don't appear to work right, and I have to thok to actually make it. Too bad, though, since that's one of the neater things I've seen in a level in a while. I do like the use of the alarm grpahics near the end, and the usage of the THZ2 turret got me off-guard nicely. Just making it a little more linear and not using buttons in your next level would make it more fun. Also, what's with using the character select music for the level. Considering the level took me 5 minutes to beat, that repeated a LOT. Enough to drive me insane, at least.

I know there was a header there at one time, I guess it got lost some time during the process. Although I'm pretty sure I also saved the header as a text file and put that in the zip file. Oh well, at least it works.

As for reviewing, I'll have to wait until 1.08 is reuploaded. I was cleaning out my SRB2 directory and deleted a few files I shouldn't have. :P

Okay...

I didn't originally intend on putting mine maze up as it was my second wad ever. I just saw that like no one had entered, so I just put it up for the heck of it. Plus, no one has used those textures yet. (At least as far as I could see)

Well I did bother to make a coop level.. but with me getting grounded and the level not working so well.. I kinda gave up.. it was a 2D level, too :/

Ouch... There aren´t many levels...

Mine Maze Zone: 6/10 It´s not really good, but I like mazes :P Better textures and more variety could make this level a lot better, but I enjoyed it somehow anyway...

Poisoned Paradise Zone: 8/10 This is a really good level!!! :D Has lots of things... And I like the idea of getting into a base only to get out later... XDXDXD Not too easy but not too hard ;P Really good

Shrouded Terminal Zone: 4/10 I dislike this level... I´ve done lots of strange wads, because some years ago I liked to put lots of enemies, and ways you had to go around again and again... Just like this level seems to be :? Framerate was killed too...

Mine Maze Zone: 3/10
I'll say it right now: This would pass as a very average Doom map. Tight corridors abound! I can tell you at least tried, though, but there's a lot of problems with this map; you use the same texture for pretty much the entire thing, first of all. You take the "maze" part way too seriously and give us a very "linear" stage with almost zero height variation -- this makes for a very confusing ride when you're trying to find your way out. Room design is okay; you seem to have a grasp on how to use certain hazards like spikes. Decoration is okay -- I'm glad you decided to put in fire and a little lava and stuff, because without it this map would've gotten an even lower score. Better luck next time.

Poisoned Paradise Zone: 8/10
A very interesting map to say the least; it differentiates from the style the regular SRB2 levels are set in. It feels very open, very natural, but like any good level it leads you along by a leash in the direction it wants you to go. Very nice flow, very nice design, and good texture usage. Enemy placement is spot-on, and the stage doesn't feel too long, nor too short. It winds down just fine. A little on the easy side.

Shrouded Terminal Zone: 5/10
The major problem I have with this is the beginning of the stage: the 48 bajillion spikes on the ceiling absolute obliterate my video card -- even in software mode! I've got a 1.30ghz processor and your spikes kick it's ass. that's way too many to be logical. Beyond that, this level is mean. I mean, there's "Mystic Mean" and then just above that is your stage. I don't mind the button fetching so much in this (I didn't like CEZ2, though), and as Mystic said, I loved the useage of the alarm lights at the end.

Shrouded Terminal was mean?

I mean, I got hit a few times, but it still seems a lot easier than some of the junk I've done. You played the new Mystic Realm yet, Blaze?

Are you kidding? Your levels are challenging, but not really that mean. The enemies in this stage were placed in spots to purposely piss you off, it seems. And instead of lots of enemies spread out (in your stages), this stage would give you mini-armies, often times with a few hard-to-avoid detons.

Here we go!

Mine Maze Zone: 5/10
Mine Maze strikes me as more of a Doom-styled level than one you'd see in a Sonic game. Not that there's anything wrong with that. This is pretty good for a first, and it's always great to see new people entering the contests. One way to make this better would be to make the map a bit more open.

Poisoned Paradise Zone: nyo!
This was my first single player level ever. I plan to expand upon it, and possibly make it a complete three act zone. Glad to see you all are enjoying it.

Shrouded Terminal Zone: 6/10
This one takes the idea of CEZ2 and executes it many times better. Overall, I'd say I liked it a lot. There's just something fun about dodging swarms of bad guys while looking for buttons. The enemy placement is absolutely evil. One problem though, it absolutely does NOT work in software mode. This thing brought my 1.7 GHz machine down to its knees begging for mercy moments after the level started. Better usage of one-sided linedefs could help neutralize this problem, but it probably wouldn't be the final solution. Aside from that, the map could also do with some texture variation.

Mine Maze Zone: 3/10
Well the idea for this was pretty cool but it was just too darn easy for me :/ Nice job though.

Poisoned Paradise Zone: 7/10
This one was great, it was a nice long and somewhat challenging level! Although if you took the liquid shield out it would be even more challenging. I liked the use of glass and the placement of enemies, it is just so fun to make fun of those darn Jetty-syn gunners when they cant get to you because they are on the other side of the glass :D.

Shrouded Terminal Zone: also 7/10
This one was pretty interesting. The enemies were a little hard to get by, but that's a good thing! The turrets hiding behind the buttons were a pretty cool idea, but once you get past the first turret, you know it's hiding and can easily avoid them. I really liked the last room with the flashing lights, I think this would have been very challenging if you stuck a ton of enemies in this room.. you know so you could see them when the lights were on and not when they were off, that would hurt! :P
Edit: However, this zone could have used a few patches of sky in it.. it was just a little closed in for me.

I liked that liquid shield put there where you can see it :? In Sonic games, only a few times those shields were hidden... They used to be there for you to catch them... I hate to have to enter into the conveyor belt to take it when I have to take that emerald token... And that last egg in the slime was evil!!!!

Mine Maze Zone: 2/10 Sorry, it was basic, too easy, and I didn't even know where to go. It was just too basic.
Poisoned Paradise Zone: 8/10 Great stage, coulda used some more scenery, secrets, and alternate paths. It's pretty good though.
Shrouded Terminal Zone:4/10 It was okay, too big, too empty, too many objects wherever there were any. It ran at 5 fps nearly the entire time.

Hey, you spoilerated it, KMM! I didn't know that's where the last egg was. :(

Mine Maze Zone: Good use of scenery, but the layout was totally boring, and what with how cramped it was, it felt like playing a subpar Doom level. Plus the camera got stuck constantly. Looking at the map, I can see why: it's full of linedefs with the wrong front/back sectors. It's surprising the level even displayed correctly. 2/10

Poisoned Paradise Zone: The scenery, decorations, and theme are awesome, and the level design is very nice, as far as it goes. But I really have to knock this one for how linear it is. There's one path through the whole map, nothing even resembling an alternate route. That's not good for replayability... to say the least. 6/10

Shrouded Terminal Zone: Also a very linear level, and I've never been a great fan of button pushing. The experience this level provided, however, was awesome. Just two big problems with it: the excessive spikes in Sonic's path killed the framerate, and Knuckles's path was totally aggravating, trying to climb the huge wall while being bombed by Jetty-Syns. I recommend replacing the ceiling spikes with FOF damage of some kind (floating slime?) and for Knuckles's path, use a bustable block too high up to be spindashed into. Despite those problems, I really enjoyed playing this level. The unusual music, clever placement of enemies, and winding paths made it memorable. 7/10

Mine Maze Zone: 3/10

Can't blame ya' for trying. An immediate 1 point for that.
First up: Errors. Tons of them. Looking in Wadauthor, I notice some unclosed/glitched sectors (which explains why I thought the "thok barrier" was either non-existant or horrid).
I did have a degree of amusement playing this stage, both in the positive and negative way. It kept me awake, at the very least. Your decoration placement seems pretty much okay, as well as the rows upon rows of spikes, other than the first row. I didn't really think much about the badnik placement.
The level design does leave much to be desired. It's linear. ...that's really about it. There are a few elements I don't exactly understand, namely the electric shield's existance in that stage. Seeing as there are lack of rings, I don't find much use for it.
Lack of lush ings, linearity, bugs. If it was less linear, it would probably earn this stage a 4. Ah well. Okay as a first wad, but pretty horrid (sorry) as a normal one. I wish you luck on your next wad :D

Poisoned Paradise Zone: 7/10

I'll say it here and I'll say it right now: Lacks decoration. I didn't find enough flowers to keep me thrilled at the outdoors areas. Left me pretty bored.
Now, this stage is very action packed, especially at the factory. The turret caught me off-guard and I didn't know where I was going once. The flowing river was also quite actiony, as well as the level design itself.
Those Jettys kept on chasing me >_<.
PPZ uses some very, very interesting design elements. I loved the transition from THZ to factory to GHZ-ish. The level design allowed for Sonic to take the path of twisting and turning and revisiting areas. I loved exploring the extra areas. Using the CEZ blocks as sort of like a "corporate logo" for the factory was very clever. Heck, the entire design of the factory was clever. The mirrors guiding the lasers were a nice touch, and the little stairs-guiding platform to the right of the entrance kept me thinking that there was an alternate route to take in the factory (mainly because of that indoors window). The little turret area made me lose a life because I didn't realize there was some secretive entrance past the second starpost leading to the GHZ-ish area. I loved that. The postioning of the windows foreshadowing what's coming up in the level was very 1337 of you, Tetsy.
Now for problems. Of course, I mentioned lack of decoration. More flowers would've livened this place up a little, as it mostly looked like a FLOOR0_6 wasteland. I also didn't like how the crushers were shaped. I would've liked them better if they actually stretched through the entire width of the conveyor belt. The square shape is pretty yawn. I could also walk right next to the conveyor belt instead of actually on it, taking away the purpose of the difficulty of the crushers. The badnik placement was overall pretty crummy. They were all clumped together and weren't spread out.
Overall, interesting level design + action-packety = Big Plus. Lack of good scenery + Level design "decreasers" = Minus. The scenery alone cost it a point, but because I can't give you half-points, I'll give you a 7. :P
I gotta hand it to ya', though: The action kept me from realizing that the entire path was linear.

Shrouded Terminal Zone: 5/10

Arg Arg Framerate problems.
Those spikes, that nasty conveyor belt, and the Red Crawlas charging at me cost me one life. Heck, I didn't even think I could get past that part, but I DID! Then I went through the area with the Detons. Oh hell, I lost all my rings. Then I pushed the button to see the turret shoot at me. OH NO, I LOST MY SECOND-TO-LAST LIFE! That was the point at which I gave up.
Overall, badnik placement is okay. Could've been much more spread out though. The music selection was just horrid >_o.
If MMZ gets a 3, you get a 5. You would've sunk much lower if MMZ got anything lower, but I thought that this stage did have qualities that made it better than MMZ. Somehow. Definately not gameplay-wise, though :P

My Vote

Um... well my zone wasn't exactly good but poisined paradise gets my vote. It was big, fun and well it was too much like techno hill act 1, it was still good. I'm sorry too say I didn't like shrouded temple, it was just, well it used the same texture so much (although mine did as well) and it got boring after the first 2 minutes.

LGM, you have to rate them all. Read how the voting works.

I did it, a441? Sorry about that, but it´s still evil enough to waste my time protesting because it, like I did with the 7th stage or the time attack one :P

About Shrouded Terminal Zone: HAVE YOU NO PITY FOR THE POOR FELLOW WITH AN INTEL 333MHZ PROCESSOR? I was getting about a 0.5 framerate! Next time, don't make it too complex, okay? I gave up at the spike-con belt area!