Official Level Design Contest: July/August Voting
- Thread starter Mystic
- Start date
- Status
Wed - Arf - 2/10
It's obvious that a lot of work was spent on this map, but it fails level design 101. I don't really want to give it such a low score, because there are some genuinely awesome ideas in this map, but it's dragged down by some just plain terrible ones. Some of the ideas in the map, such as the upward arrow gravity shifts, elemental damaging pathways, and the room with the purple pillars of light, could be expanded into full stages and would probably rule. However, this level feels more like a hodgepodge of ideas mashed together in succession with not enough lives and powerups to keep the player going. Personally I enjoy difficulty, but even after I fixed the Star Posts myself, it's still way too difficult and frustrating. There is no way to go fast through most of the stage, and it's downright confusing. Especially the gravity areas near the end are impossible to go fast in, except the big room which can be done with a large monitor bounce. Maze-like complexity is never a good thing.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets - 9/10
I was expecting a lot here, and you sure delivered. This map is a home run, with a lot to do and see. The only thing I see dragging it down is the large open spaces in a few areas that could really use some elaboration. Other than that, this map is top of the line. The gameplay is great, and I really loved the recursion on the main room multiple times during the course of the stage. The use of multiple paths in this stage was just awesome as well, feeling more natural than most stages that have more than one path just by splitting the path up at a fork.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218 - 5/10
This map is merely average. It ranges from annoying most of the time, to some really neat sections at other times. The section between the Star Post and the conveyor belt is really quite quality, and quite enjoyable. The section in the beginning doesn't really excite me, since I have no control, and the conveyor is just stupidly difficult. It's so much faster and easier to just thok, get hit, grab a ring, and thok again. That's not fun. However, where the Jetty-syns fly at the player and the platforms change rapidly, the stage is quite fun. It really emphasizes how the stage keeps changing, and that adds a lot of interactivity to it. It just needs more sections of the stage where the player actually has a chance to interact with the stage, especially considering how short it is.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox - 8/10
This is a great DSZ-themed map. I REALLY love the room with the pillars that float up to the ceiling, crushing the player if they don't get off. The room with the moving ceiling that ended up as the floor was great as well. The air monitors really don't amuse me, really, I think it could be better as just plain air bubbles, but they don't hurt the map any. I do, however, think the map could use a little more detail and secrets. There just aren't many reasons to replay the map to find stuff, since there really doesn't appear to be that much stuff to actually find.
It's obvious that a lot of work was spent on this map, but it fails level design 101. I don't really want to give it such a low score, because there are some genuinely awesome ideas in this map, but it's dragged down by some just plain terrible ones. Some of the ideas in the map, such as the upward arrow gravity shifts, elemental damaging pathways, and the room with the purple pillars of light, could be expanded into full stages and would probably rule. However, this level feels more like a hodgepodge of ideas mashed together in succession with not enough lives and powerups to keep the player going. Personally I enjoy difficulty, but even after I fixed the Star Posts myself, it's still way too difficult and frustrating. There is no way to go fast through most of the stage, and it's downright confusing. Especially the gravity areas near the end are impossible to go fast in, except the big room which can be done with a large monitor bounce. Maze-like complexity is never a good thing.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets - 9/10
I was expecting a lot here, and you sure delivered. This map is a home run, with a lot to do and see. The only thing I see dragging it down is the large open spaces in a few areas that could really use some elaboration. Other than that, this map is top of the line. The gameplay is great, and I really loved the recursion on the main room multiple times during the course of the stage. The use of multiple paths in this stage was just awesome as well, feeling more natural than most stages that have more than one path just by splitting the path up at a fork.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218 - 5/10
This map is merely average. It ranges from annoying most of the time, to some really neat sections at other times. The section between the Star Post and the conveyor belt is really quite quality, and quite enjoyable. The section in the beginning doesn't really excite me, since I have no control, and the conveyor is just stupidly difficult. It's so much faster and easier to just thok, get hit, grab a ring, and thok again. That's not fun. However, where the Jetty-syns fly at the player and the platforms change rapidly, the stage is quite fun. It really emphasizes how the stage keeps changing, and that adds a lot of interactivity to it. It just needs more sections of the stage where the player actually has a chance to interact with the stage, especially considering how short it is.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox - 8/10
This is a great DSZ-themed map. I REALLY love the room with the pillars that float up to the ceiling, crushing the player if they don't get off. The room with the moving ceiling that ended up as the floor was great as well. The air monitors really don't amuse me, really, I think it could be better as just plain air bubbles, but they don't hurt the map any. I do, however, think the map could use a little more detail and secrets. There just aren't many reasons to replay the map to find stuff, since there really doesn't appear to be that much stuff to actually find.
Sik
Member
The worse thing about WED really is that there is not any general concept inside. GFz was always a forest level. THz was always a factory level. CEz is always inside a castle. WED starts well, but it finally went to a "nowhere" concept. That's the problem (plus the difficult). The problem starts at the part when everything is missing except certain red sector.Mystic said:
Super Sonic 2005 said:
There ARE weapon rings, what are you talking about? Theres the infinite and the automatic.
Also, I made a secret hole somewhere, containing rings, both the infinite and auto, and a spring to take ya back up. Start lookin'!
And most of the votes for my level being 6/10, seems to be mostly for those item boxes. T_T. I put very little rings on it, cause by judging at the original match levels, most of them are in a small row, not 100 lined up. So I fixed it.
Just downloaded the wad, I haven't judged any of them yet.
ST218
Member
I haven't gotten a decent chance to play these yet, so I'll just post some thoughts on my maps:
Up and Down: To be honest, I didn't expect this to do too well. I just wanted to have a little fun making something simple. A lesson to level designers: FOF stairs with water under them equals bad framerate.
Diving Meadows: I'm glad people (sort of) like this. It was fun to make, and is the first time I've made a level that I've concentrated so much on looks. Doesn't say much, I know, but still. This was a rather fun map to make, however.
Aerial Factory: My pride and joy to say the least. Like other Emerald War levels, it's got a single gimmick to add to the pack. The conveyor part could have been easier though, but the final jump is a test of ingenuity and experience, for those who don't get it, just spin along and jump at the end. I admit it could have been longer, and I'd combine it with the upcoming Aerial Factory 2 if it weren't for the fact that AFZ2 will have a radically different design, for the most part. After this, releases will pick up, because I have all of Gem Egg 1 and 2 on paper. Don't forget to try it on race, because, personally, I think that's where my single player maps really shine.
Up and Down: To be honest, I didn't expect this to do too well. I just wanted to have a little fun making something simple. A lesson to level designers: FOF stairs with water under them equals bad framerate.
Diving Meadows: I'm glad people (sort of) like this. It was fun to make, and is the first time I've made a level that I've concentrated so much on looks. Doesn't say much, I know, but still. This was a rather fun map to make, however.
Aerial Factory: My pride and joy to say the least. Like other Emerald War levels, it's got a single gimmick to add to the pack. The conveyor part could have been easier though, but the final jump is a test of ingenuity and experience, for those who don't get it, just spin along and jump at the end. I admit it could have been longer, and I'd combine it with the upcoming Aerial Factory 2 if it weren't for the fact that AFZ2 will have a radically different design, for the most part. After this, releases will pick up, because I have all of Gem Egg 1 and 2 on paper. Don't forget to try it on race, because, personally, I think that's where my single player maps really shine.
Spazzo
Member
Wed 8/10
This was the most creative out of all the maps here. Even though i still cannot finish it, i just nocliped to see everything :P. Good work!
Dark Palisades Zone 7/10
Now, don't get me wrong, it was a fanominal map. Its just, I dunno, it just didnt come out to me as...well...i dunno how to say it.
Aerial Factory Zone 6/10
This was a little chaotic for me. I loved the start, though. That was a cool addon to it. Overall, it was fun to play.
Storm Ruins 10/10
Loved it. Every Part of it. The "Air" TV's were just genious. Also, that crusher room where your forced to go over it as well, just amazing. Keep up the good work Furiousfox!
I'll do the Match wads later, i havent played that many netgames on them anyways.
This was the most creative out of all the maps here. Even though i still cannot finish it, i just nocliped to see everything :P. Good work!
Dark Palisades Zone 7/10
Now, don't get me wrong, it was a fanominal map. Its just, I dunno, it just didnt come out to me as...well...i dunno how to say it.
Aerial Factory Zone 6/10
This was a little chaotic for me. I loved the start, though. That was a cool addon to it. Overall, it was fun to play.
Storm Ruins 10/10
Loved it. Every Part of it. The "Air" TV's were just genious. Also, that crusher room where your forced to go over it as well, just amazing. Keep up the good work Furiousfox!
I'll do the Match wads later, i havent played that many netgames on them anyways.
These match stages weren't a particularly good batch, really.
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119 - 7/10
This map's layout is rather decent. There is one major strike against it, though, and it's a major one: It has all five weapon rings. As Chaos Space is the poster child of, having all five weapon rings is a bad thing. You should also probably have more than one of each weapon ring in the map. The layout is great, though.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 7/10
This map is the exact opposite. The map layout is boring, but the item layout is top-notch, making the game fun because of the proper thing placement. The level is balanced and interesting. I'd be tempted to place an Infinity Ring instead of the Rail, though. I'd love to see a more complicated layout, though.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 5/10
Half of me loved this and half of me hated it. I love complicated interactive maps, but this stage was so inconsistant. The water doesn't come up in all areas, especially the bottomless pit, and the yellow texture showed up everywhere making it hard to see. A little more consistancy in how the insanity worked would probably make the stage more fun, as I really like the basic idea of having the stage be totally interactive.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 6/10
This map works at a basic level, but it's just so boring. There really isn't anything to do or see here, it's just one big open room. If there was more stuff in the map to interact with, it would probably be a lot more fun. At least the item layout is properly done, so the map is balanced.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 2/10
Ugh. No matter how good a map looks, if you have no item balance, the map is still crap. This is a perfect example of that. There are monitors everywhere with no logic or reason, and the Nights thing doesn't exactly work well in match, since you don't get points for it. As much as I want to like it, it just isn't a playable map for actual games, it just looks pretty.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 4/10
This map really doesn't have much going for it. The item layout is so god-awful unbalanced that it's easy to get 100 seconds of Rail-Automatic and 300 rings to go with it. That's really not a fun experience for anyone, the person who has the powerups or the person who doesn't. The fact that the texturing is hideous doesn't help it, either.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 2/10
Again, this is a port of a map designed for a totally different game, in this case, Bomberman 64. Again, it totally sucks. The level is so godawful big the only real thing to do with it: camp a Rail spawn point. I was the only person with points at the end of the round, because everyone else had suicided enough times to stay at zero points. That's just plain dull.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 1/10
This map is unplayable. I don't get the point, but the point appears to be "You have no rings, you die now." If I wanted to get more rings, my only choice was to die to another player or jump in the slime. Horrid, horrid design. Throw this one on the trash bin, please.
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119 - 7/10
This map's layout is rather decent. There is one major strike against it, though, and it's a major one: It has all five weapon rings. As Chaos Space is the poster child of, having all five weapon rings is a bad thing. You should also probably have more than one of each weapon ring in the map. The layout is great, though.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 7/10
This map is the exact opposite. The map layout is boring, but the item layout is top-notch, making the game fun because of the proper thing placement. The level is balanced and interesting. I'd be tempted to place an Infinity Ring instead of the Rail, though. I'd love to see a more complicated layout, though.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 5/10
Half of me loved this and half of me hated it. I love complicated interactive maps, but this stage was so inconsistant. The water doesn't come up in all areas, especially the bottomless pit, and the yellow texture showed up everywhere making it hard to see. A little more consistancy in how the insanity worked would probably make the stage more fun, as I really like the basic idea of having the stage be totally interactive.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 6/10
This map works at a basic level, but it's just so boring. There really isn't anything to do or see here, it's just one big open room. If there was more stuff in the map to interact with, it would probably be a lot more fun. At least the item layout is properly done, so the map is balanced.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 2/10
Ugh. No matter how good a map looks, if you have no item balance, the map is still crap. This is a perfect example of that. There are monitors everywhere with no logic or reason, and the Nights thing doesn't exactly work well in match, since you don't get points for it. As much as I want to like it, it just isn't a playable map for actual games, it just looks pretty.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 4/10
This map really doesn't have much going for it. The item layout is so god-awful unbalanced that it's easy to get 100 seconds of Rail-Automatic and 300 rings to go with it. That's really not a fun experience for anyone, the person who has the powerups or the person who doesn't. The fact that the texturing is hideous doesn't help it, either.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 2/10
Again, this is a port of a map designed for a totally different game, in this case, Bomberman 64. Again, it totally sucks. The level is so godawful big the only real thing to do with it: camp a Rail spawn point. I was the only person with points at the end of the round, because everyone else had suicided enough times to stay at zero points. That's just plain dull.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 1/10
This map is unplayable. I don't get the point, but the point appears to be "You have no rings, you die now." If I wanted to get more rings, my only choice was to die to another player or jump in the slime. Horrid, horrid design. Throw this one on the trash bin, please.
How the hell did Wed get a higher score than Dark Palisades? What does 'Wed' even mean? Meh, might as well vote now.
Wed - 3/10
Not much to say that hasn't already been said. It's painfully cramped; this isn't Doom. Tiny hallways don't belong in a Sonic game.
Claustrophobia aside, the design is just too complex and, for the most part, bland and uninspired. Though it's true that the level does have some unique elements, there simply isn't enough of said elements to make the map truly stand out. However, the portions that WERE there did earn the wad a few extra points.
Basically, a decent shot for a first single-player wad overall. Just increase the size a bit, and this map is worthy of about a 5.
Dark Palisades Zone - 10/10
Win.
Also, while the music didn't seem to fit well, it was surprisingly catchy. Where did you find this stuff?
Aerial Factory Zone - 6/10
Now, excuse me while I nitpick for a sec. The opening was a bit unnecessary, it would have been far more interesting if the player had some control during this segment. I did like the elevator bit, though. Now, the central hub is where the level really shines, just as Mystic said. I especially loved the collapsing platforms. The rest of the map didn't really interest me.
Also, the map really wasn't visually appealing. Using the same texture everywhere is a bit harsh on the eyes, especially since metal textures are generally only meant to be used in moderation (Unless various other metal textures are also used, which should be the case here). The map isn't anything like I had imagined, but with a bit of work, it could still look decent.
Also, the whole level is composed entirely out of FOFs. It didn't bother me much, but I'm sure that someone out there is struggling to run this map with a decent framerate. Also, everything seems a bit sloppy; there are pointless objects everywhere. For example, the 20-something useless springs at the base of the elevator, and the poorly organized fans floating in the abyss somewhere around the collapsing platform segment, which was also a bit odd, as they aren't particularly useful in that area. Also, the countless deaf jetty-syns. I can see how they could've been used for decorative purposes, so I'll let that slide. Oh, and the big metal plateaus. What are they for, besides Tails players? And the big glass pillar behind the elevator, which served absolutely no purpose at all. There's a ton of stuff all over the place here and there that appears to have had a purpose at some point, but were partially removed or unfinished. Watupwitdat?
It's not too terribly interesting as is, but it DOES contain some intriguing gimmicks here and there, and with a bit of refining, this could become an excellent map. It's a long way off, though. :7 *stabbed*
Storm Ruins Zone: 8/10
Okay. I wasted a great deal of my criticism energy on Aerial Factory, so I'll be brief. This is, as far as I know, the first ever single player map to fully focus on aquatic gameplay. Bonus points for that. I like the clever little traps, like the aforementioned crusher and the room with the floating pillars. Oh, and it's full of pretty architecture, which does indeed make up for the lack of other decorative aspects, especially the bland texture set. An excellent map, large improvement over GMZ2, keep up the good work.
There, I'm done. I'll do the match maps later, I'm too tired now.
Wed - 3/10
Not much to say that hasn't already been said. It's painfully cramped; this isn't Doom. Tiny hallways don't belong in a Sonic game.
Claustrophobia aside, the design is just too complex and, for the most part, bland and uninspired. Though it's true that the level does have some unique elements, there simply isn't enough of said elements to make the map truly stand out. However, the portions that WERE there did earn the wad a few extra points.
Basically, a decent shot for a first single-player wad overall. Just increase the size a bit, and this map is worthy of about a 5.
Dark Palisades Zone - 10/10
Win.
Also, while the music didn't seem to fit well, it was surprisingly catchy. Where did you find this stuff?
Aerial Factory Zone - 6/10
Now, excuse me while I nitpick for a sec. The opening was a bit unnecessary, it would have been far more interesting if the player had some control during this segment. I did like the elevator bit, though. Now, the central hub is where the level really shines, just as Mystic said. I especially loved the collapsing platforms. The rest of the map didn't really interest me.
Also, the map really wasn't visually appealing. Using the same texture everywhere is a bit harsh on the eyes, especially since metal textures are generally only meant to be used in moderation (Unless various other metal textures are also used, which should be the case here). The map isn't anything like I had imagined, but with a bit of work, it could still look decent.
Also, the whole level is composed entirely out of FOFs. It didn't bother me much, but I'm sure that someone out there is struggling to run this map with a decent framerate. Also, everything seems a bit sloppy; there are pointless objects everywhere. For example, the 20-something useless springs at the base of the elevator, and the poorly organized fans floating in the abyss somewhere around the collapsing platform segment, which was also a bit odd, as they aren't particularly useful in that area. Also, the countless deaf jetty-syns. I can see how they could've been used for decorative purposes, so I'll let that slide. Oh, and the big metal plateaus. What are they for, besides Tails players? And the big glass pillar behind the elevator, which served absolutely no purpose at all. There's a ton of stuff all over the place here and there that appears to have had a purpose at some point, but were partially removed or unfinished. Watupwitdat?
It's not too terribly interesting as is, but it DOES contain some intriguing gimmicks here and there, and with a bit of refining, this could become an excellent map. It's a long way off, though. :7 *stabbed*
Storm Ruins Zone: 8/10
Okay. I wasted a great deal of my criticism energy on Aerial Factory, so I'll be brief. This is, as far as I know, the first ever single player map to fully focus on aquatic gameplay. Bonus points for that. I like the clever little traps, like the aforementioned crusher and the room with the floating pillars. Oh, and it's full of pretty architecture, which does indeed make up for the lack of other decorative aspects, especially the bland texture set. An excellent map, large improvement over GMZ2, keep up the good work.
There, I'm done. I'll do the match maps later, I'm too tired now.
Well, I've gotten through my fair share of playing. Time to vote!
I've played all of the Match stages as well as the Single Player stages three times each. The games were almost always played in Software mode and as Sonic. I've considered scores on each playthrough, being sure not to pull any punches, and this is what I've concluded:
___________________________
MATCH CONTEST MAPS
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119
SCORE: 6/10
This map is pretty streamlined! The action was pretty well paced and thus I had fun here. The flaws aren't numerous, really, but they hurt. A: Automatic and Rail - This is too powerful a weapon ring combination. I'd get hammered by that half the time. B: Too cramped. I always felt I had little space to move. If the land mass was a bit bigger, this wouldn't have been a problem. Still, I liked this map.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34
SCORE: 6/10
As much as this map is small, it's also pretty sharp. The symmetry and the simple layout don't leave you guessing about the level, but rather actually focusing on the action. I don't have much to say, except the use of random monitors kinda' makes matches a bit catastrophic (especially when you draw an Attraction shield), and the size hurts a little. Sharp, though.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah
SCORE: 4/10
Insanity Planet is insane! The effects were nice and all, but the gameplay was pretty abysmal. The main problem with this map is that its area-to-ring ratio is way out of place - the field was way too big for the ring count. Way too few rings. I also felt that the weapon rings were a chore to grab.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland
SCORE: 6/10
This map is pretty cool. Mechanically, it works, but there are a few big-hitting flaws to it. A: Ring Placement - The rings in each row are a bit too spaced out, thus making it slightly harder to grab a good lot. B: Level Design - It's all too broken up. On the bottom, it's all flowy and speedy (which I liked about the map), but once you try going up the seats, it becomes a chore to move. Fortunately, I didn't have to do that too often, so I had fun with this map.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64
SCORE: 3/10
While a cool concept, Peach's Castle doesn't really do a lot of justice as a Match map. You've got all these super-powerful monitor power-ups to let players cause chaos among the map, and the rings were rare. As Mystic said, I wanted to love this map, but I didn't. At least it was a pretty decorated map.
Btw, the NiGHTS thing is cool and all, but I wasn't really impressed. Working on BSZ kinda' takes the fun out of NiGHTS gameplay... at least for me.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
The layout is way too complicated and cramped here. It's rare I even encountered another player so I did more running around than fighting. When I did find someone, the rings would be obstructed by the obstacle-esque structures. The map was pretty explorable, though.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
Although the layout was much simpler, same thing applies here as last map: I didn't really score any points, and all I did was run. This is really attributed to Sonic, as you have some real running space here. I didn't like how the rings way up top weren't within walking height. Oh well.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz
SCORE: 3/10
In its own gametype, it's a pretty alright map. However, as a Match map, it fails. You have a limited amount of rings to shoot and once you run out, you're forced to kill yourself and lose fifty points, or have someone kill you and have them gain fifty points. It doesn't really do a lot for the fairness. The amount of rings granted to you as well is pretty slim.
__________________________
SINGLE PLAYER CONTEST MAPS
Wed - Arf
SCORE: 3/10
I'm sorry, but as much as this map has some cool features, it's outshadowed by poor design. The hallways are too cramped, only one starpost works (which, btw, isn't very good), and I forced myself to walk slowly in a few areas. I haven't completed the map yet.
The good thing about this map is that it has a notable replay value. The level actually inspired me to try the different paths.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets
SCORE: 8/10
This map is ace. It had an amazing amount of flow and it fit for all three characters. Although I felt the design was a bit too advantageous for Tails, as Sonic I had a lot of fun running through. If anything, I felt the map was just a tad bit bare, but that's only to a very small degree. It was outruled by the cool features of this map - I especially liked the ending after the waterfall.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
The beginning sequence of the stage, while not really seen a lot, was pretty pointless. I wasn't 'wow'ed by it too much, but I think that was the best part of the level.
As for the level itself, it didn't wow me either. It's too simple and too short. An obstacle course using lasers and conveyor belts doesn't really excite me, as it's not fast paced. I also ended up killing myself with the bottomless pit towards the end; that was pretty cheap.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox
SCORE: 7/10
Not bad! It was either slightly linear or the forking of paths was really obvious, but the level gameplay itself made up for that. The flow here is pretty nice, especially as Sonic. The main problem here is that the map's too bare. Perhaps it is that you didn't have enough time, but the hallways were a bit boring. It would've made a bit of difference if you even placed a few more Crawlas here and there. It's not a bad stage, though.
__________________
This contest's entries... well, the Match entries were average at best. I apologize, but I wasn't too impressed by the overall result. The Single Player entries were alright, though.
I've played all of the Match stages as well as the Single Player stages three times each. The games were almost always played in Software mode and as Sonic. I've considered scores on each playthrough, being sure not to pull any punches, and this is what I've concluded:
___________________________
MATCH CONTEST MAPS
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119
SCORE: 6/10
This map is pretty streamlined! The action was pretty well paced and thus I had fun here. The flaws aren't numerous, really, but they hurt. A: Automatic and Rail - This is too powerful a weapon ring combination. I'd get hammered by that half the time. B: Too cramped. I always felt I had little space to move. If the land mass was a bit bigger, this wouldn't have been a problem. Still, I liked this map.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34
SCORE: 6/10
As much as this map is small, it's also pretty sharp. The symmetry and the simple layout don't leave you guessing about the level, but rather actually focusing on the action. I don't have much to say, except the use of random monitors kinda' makes matches a bit catastrophic (especially when you draw an Attraction shield), and the size hurts a little. Sharp, though.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah
SCORE: 4/10
Insanity Planet is insane! The effects were nice and all, but the gameplay was pretty abysmal. The main problem with this map is that its area-to-ring ratio is way out of place - the field was way too big for the ring count. Way too few rings. I also felt that the weapon rings were a chore to grab.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland
SCORE: 6/10
This map is pretty cool. Mechanically, it works, but there are a few big-hitting flaws to it. A: Ring Placement - The rings in each row are a bit too spaced out, thus making it slightly harder to grab a good lot. B: Level Design - It's all too broken up. On the bottom, it's all flowy and speedy (which I liked about the map), but once you try going up the seats, it becomes a chore to move. Fortunately, I didn't have to do that too often, so I had fun with this map.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64
SCORE: 3/10
While a cool concept, Peach's Castle doesn't really do a lot of justice as a Match map. You've got all these super-powerful monitor power-ups to let players cause chaos among the map, and the rings were rare. As Mystic said, I wanted to love this map, but I didn't. At least it was a pretty decorated map.
Btw, the NiGHTS thing is cool and all, but I wasn't really impressed. Working on BSZ kinda' takes the fun out of NiGHTS gameplay... at least for me.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
The layout is way too complicated and cramped here. It's rare I even encountered another player so I did more running around than fighting. When I did find someone, the rings would be obstructed by the obstacle-esque structures. The map was pretty explorable, though.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
Although the layout was much simpler, same thing applies here as last map: I didn't really score any points, and all I did was run. This is really attributed to Sonic, as you have some real running space here. I didn't like how the rings way up top weren't within walking height. Oh well.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz
SCORE: 3/10
In its own gametype, it's a pretty alright map. However, as a Match map, it fails. You have a limited amount of rings to shoot and once you run out, you're forced to kill yourself and lose fifty points, or have someone kill you and have them gain fifty points. It doesn't really do a lot for the fairness. The amount of rings granted to you as well is pretty slim.
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SINGLE PLAYER CONTEST MAPS
Wed - Arf
SCORE: 3/10
I'm sorry, but as much as this map has some cool features, it's outshadowed by poor design. The hallways are too cramped, only one starpost works (which, btw, isn't very good), and I forced myself to walk slowly in a few areas. I haven't completed the map yet.
The good thing about this map is that it has a notable replay value. The level actually inspired me to try the different paths.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets
SCORE: 8/10
This map is ace. It had an amazing amount of flow and it fit for all three characters. Although I felt the design was a bit too advantageous for Tails, as Sonic I had a lot of fun running through. If anything, I felt the map was just a tad bit bare, but that's only to a very small degree. It was outruled by the cool features of this map - I especially liked the ending after the waterfall.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218
SCORE: 4/10
The beginning sequence of the stage, while not really seen a lot, was pretty pointless. I wasn't 'wow'ed by it too much, but I think that was the best part of the level.
As for the level itself, it didn't wow me either. It's too simple and too short. An obstacle course using lasers and conveyor belts doesn't really excite me, as it's not fast paced. I also ended up killing myself with the bottomless pit towards the end; that was pretty cheap.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox
SCORE: 7/10
Not bad! It was either slightly linear or the forking of paths was really obvious, but the level gameplay itself made up for that. The flow here is pretty nice, especially as Sonic. The main problem here is that the map's too bare. Perhaps it is that you didn't have enough time, but the hallways were a bit boring. It would've made a bit of difference if you even placed a few more Crawlas here and there. It's not a bad stage, though.
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This contest's entries... well, the Match entries were average at best. I apologize, but I wasn't too impressed by the overall result. The Single Player entries were alright, though.
ST218
Member
Muh. The downloads don't work for me-It stops partway through, and only has some of the zip file, and the files that are there have a CRC of straight zeroes, meaning that they aren't really there. Help?
Oh, and Ritz, the seemingly useless stuff is for multiplayer. If someone's a few seconds behind the others or they die, then there's the springs and the platforms in back to catch them.
Oh, and Ritz, the seemingly useless stuff is for multiplayer. If someone's a few seconds behind the others or they die, then there's the springs and the platforms in back to catch them.
I got the music for Dark Palisades from Arrow's collection of Sonic Emerald Quest midis. I don't think it fits very well either, and several other people have voiced their concerns about this, but it was the best I could find at the time.
EDIT: And now for the single player scores.
Wed: 2/10
This stage really does not play well at all.
Dark Palisades: Obviously can't rate
I think it's pretty cool. :[
Aerial Factory: 4/10
Has the potential to be really good, but as it stands it seems pretty sub-par. The intro is cool, but from there it goes downhill. It's not very clear at all about which way you're meant to go and there are far too many enemies.
Storm Ruins: 7/10
I had a fun time playing this stage, and that's saying a lot when compared to some recent contests. The first underwater platform hopping bit is all right, but the second one is annoying as it hardly gives you enough time before your air runs out or the pillar you're on rises to crush you against the ceiling.
EDIT: And now for the single player scores.
Wed: 2/10
This stage really does not play well at all.
Dark Palisades: Obviously can't rate
I think it's pretty cool. :[
Aerial Factory: 4/10
Has the potential to be really good, but as it stands it seems pretty sub-par. The intro is cool, but from there it goes downhill. It's not very clear at all about which way you're meant to go and there are far too many enemies.
Storm Ruins: 7/10
I had a fun time playing this stage, and that's saying a lot when compared to some recent contests. The first underwater platform hopping bit is all right, but the second one is annoying as it hardly gives you enough time before your air runs out or the pillar you're on rises to crush you against the ceiling.
Spazzo
Member
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119 - 7/10
Out of all the Green Hill Maps i've seen, i think this one stands above them all. It was a great map, but some things wern't really netgame material. That spot with all the pillars got really annoying when the camera got stuck. Other than that, good work.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 5/10
This map certianly was certainly evened out, but there was some major framerate issues involed. It was also a tad too small for me.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 6/10
I think the name says it all. This map certainly would never be boring when exploring it, but in netgames, you cant find a single other person in it! Also, there seems to be a push force near one of the smaller pillars. Whats up with that? Overall, it was pretty standard.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 6/10
This map is one of the only maps that screams rail ring. It was preety evened out, though there should be a few more rings, im my opinion.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 3/10
For a port, it was just about exact. For a match level, not as much. Sure, the super sonic was a fun extra, but it led to lag and accidentally falling into it with no rings. Fun, but not for match.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 4/10
My eyes! IT BURNS!!!
..Anyways....This level needs some vertical compression. And even so, it was a little too big for me. I can see this one being a special stage though.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 2/10
This map really was boring for me. Just going up and down and possibly running at the sides dosent make for a fun time. The transparent blocks were a cool touch, though.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 10000/10 (I can't vote on my own, can i?)
When hotdog and I first thought up of it, it sounded like a very great idea. Unfortuatly, it might of not played as well as we thought it would. The grades already gotten for this map are a little bit lower than i expected, but i wasnt expecting a 10 for it, either.
Out of all the Green Hill Maps i've seen, i think this one stands above them all. It was a great map, but some things wern't really netgame material. That spot with all the pillars got really annoying when the camera got stuck. Other than that, good work.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 5/10
This map certianly was certainly evened out, but there was some major framerate issues involed. It was also a tad too small for me.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 6/10
I think the name says it all. This map certainly would never be boring when exploring it, but in netgames, you cant find a single other person in it! Also, there seems to be a push force near one of the smaller pillars. Whats up with that? Overall, it was pretty standard.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 6/10
This map is one of the only maps that screams rail ring. It was preety evened out, though there should be a few more rings, im my opinion.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 3/10
For a port, it was just about exact. For a match level, not as much. Sure, the super sonic was a fun extra, but it led to lag and accidentally falling into it with no rings. Fun, but not for match.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 4/10
My eyes! IT BURNS!!!
..Anyways....This level needs some vertical compression. And even so, it was a little too big for me. I can see this one being a special stage though.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 2/10
This map really was boring for me. Just going up and down and possibly running at the sides dosent make for a fun time. The transparent blocks were a cool touch, though.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 10000/10 (I can't vote on my own, can i?)
When hotdog and I first thought up of it, it sounded like a very great idea. Unfortuatly, it might of not played as well as we thought it would. The grades already gotten for this map are a little bit lower than i expected, but i wasnt expecting a 10 for it, either.
O_O Dang, my map's doing a lot better than what I thought it would. I may see a good ranking yet! Not too bad for a newbie honestly. ^^
I'm more happier that I got critisism for my map. I'll know what to do for my next maps. I always thought that the pillar area was too crowded, the weapon rings were too close to each other and that the level was too small all in all.
...guess I was right. :P
I'm more happier that I got critisism for my map. I'll know what to do for my next maps. I always thought that the pillar area was too crowded, the weapon rings were too close to each other and that the level was too small all in all.
...guess I was right. :P
Ritz said:
You could have a 1000x1000 map and it would still be laggy. Just use too many FOFs and such. ;P
But Spazzo's problem isn't induced by that thankfully, he must've been in a netgame when that happened.
MAP01 - Greenery Hills 2 - JJames19119 - 6/10
The map had a pretty nice layout, but you just can't have all 5 special rings in the same map; it just doesn't work well. Also, the little square blocks near the Explosion ring are a bit annoying, I get stuck on them quite alot. I really didn't think the size of the map was bad, small maps make for alot of action. You should have moved around some of the rings, having a long line of rings just sitting around isn't a good idea; I generally try to avoid making a line of over 10 rings.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 5/10
Like Greenery Hills, it's small. The random monitors can really unbalance gameplay at times, if someone gets armegeddon or attraction shields. I can't really think of anything else to say about it. It wasn't a particularly bad map, but it wasn't really all that good either.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 3/10
Flat and needs more rings. This map isn't too bad if you're playing as Sonic, but it can be a pain to get rings as Tails. The weapon rings take so long to get that nobody bothered using them. Insanity just doesn't appeal to me, I like to have consistency in levels.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 4/10
A pretty basic map. Auto-Rail doesn't work too well together, since you can completely destroy anyone that comes within your sights with it. I feel there should have been some way for Sonic players to get up where the monitors were.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 3/10
Eye candy, but severly lacking in the ring department. The NiGHTs track serves no purpose in this map, since you can't really use it to attack your enemies. Having an invincibility monitor in the map (especially one that's easily accessible) is never a good idea. Like Insanity Planet, the weapon rings are too hard to get to, so no one bothers using them. To sum this map up: It looks good, but it doesn't play good.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 6/10
Despite me saying Auto-Rail doesn't work well together, it somehow turns out not being too bad in this level. The level does have way too many weapons, but it all somehow manages to work. I guess everyone running around firing streams of rings at each other just makes for a rather fun map.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 3/10
Too many rings, flat. Rail-Explosion is good if you're Tails, but it really doesn't help Sonic players much. The map is just dull, there really isn't anywhere you can run to or hide or dodge behind. It's just a bunch of big open areas.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 1/10
1) No rings outside the safe areas, 2) Starts in the slime, 3) No way to get out of the slime if you fall in, 4) No real incentive to play as any other character besides Sonic. I realize you guys were trying to make some sort of new game mode, but this is a Match competition. This map is terrible for match, if you get hit you're basically dead, unless you're good enough to fight back with only about 5 rings. If I wanted to play one shot kills, I'd just turn Sudden Death on.
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Wed - Arf - 3/10
WAY too hard. Also, I don't like how you put a forcecharacter on this level (Which causes that glitch where you turn to Sonic after dying in Single Player), I like being able to play as whoever I want. Only being able to activate one starpost doesn't help this map eitehr. It does earn some points for some of the cooler ideas later in the level, and the secrets.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets - 7/10
A nice, big map. A little too big in some areas, though. The map seemed a bit empty sometimes, and there were also a few graphical errors (though they were well hidden and barely noticable). I feel the map could have stood to be a little more difficult, I was able to make it through the map as Sonic on Hard without being hurt once. Overall, it's a really nice map though. A bunch of different paths, nice scenery. The music could have been better, but everyone else has already told you about that.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218 - 3/10
Short. The beginning really didn't impress me much, it just reminds me of Sonic Adventure. I didn't like how the thok barrier was right up against the path right at the beginning. Since I play in OpenGL, I could see right through it and didn't know there was a wall there. The lasers on the conveyor belts were pretty annoying; I just hit one, grabbed a ring, and kept running. The level really didn't offer much of a challenge to me.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox - N/A
Yeah, yeah, I know. The level isn't very decorated, and it could stand to have more secrets. I just ran out of time, I have a really bad problem with procrastinating. I'm glad you all enjoyed the floor/ceiling crusher and the upward floating platforms. The air monitors are there just because I wanted to do something different. There are still air bubble patches in the level, I just put the air monitors there as a way of guaranteeing a large bubble to whoever hit it, instead of making them wait around for one to come up. There are a few secrets and shortcuts in the level: 2 shortcuts (maybe 3, if you count spinning from one of the upward floating platforms), 2 emerald tokens, and a poorly hidden invincibility monitor.
The map had a pretty nice layout, but you just can't have all 5 special rings in the same map; it just doesn't work well. Also, the little square blocks near the Explosion ring are a bit annoying, I get stuck on them quite alot. I really didn't think the size of the map was bad, small maps make for alot of action. You should have moved around some of the rings, having a long line of rings just sitting around isn't a good idea; I generally try to avoid making a line of over 10 rings.
MAP02 - Cynicism - RedFox34 - 5/10
Like Greenery Hills, it's small. The random monitors can really unbalance gameplay at times, if someone gets armegeddon or attraction shields. I can't really think of anything else to say about it. It wasn't a particularly bad map, but it wasn't really all that good either.
MAP03 - Insanity Planet - SRB2-Playah - 3/10
Flat and needs more rings. This map isn't too bad if you're playing as Sonic, but it can be a pain to get rings as Tails. The weapon rings take so long to get that nobody bothered using them. Insanity just doesn't appeal to me, I like to have consistency in levels.
MAP04 - Amphitheatre - Oogaland - 4/10
A pretty basic map. Auto-Rail doesn't work too well together, since you can completely destroy anyone that comes within your sights with it. I feel there should have been some way for Sonic players to get up where the monitors were.
MAP05 - Peach's Castle - Chaos Zero 64 - 3/10
Eye candy, but severly lacking in the ring department. The NiGHTs track serves no purpose in this map, since you can't really use it to attack your enemies. Having an invincibility monitor in the map (especially one that's easily accessible) is never a good idea. Like Insanity Planet, the weapon rings are too hard to get to, so no one bothers using them. To sum this map up: It looks good, but it doesn't play good.
MAP06 - Diving Meadows - Sonicandtails218 - 6/10
Despite me saying Auto-Rail doesn't work well together, it somehow turns out not being too bad in this level. The level does have way too many weapons, but it all somehow manages to work. I guess everyone running around firing streams of rings at each other just makes for a rather fun map.
MAP07 - Up and Down - Sonicandtails218 - 3/10
Too many rings, flat. Rail-Explosion is good if you're Tails, but it really doesn't help Sonic players much. The map is just dull, there really isn't anywhere you can run to or hide or dodge behind. It's just a bunch of big open areas.
MAP08 - Koth - Hotdog003 & Spazz - 1/10
1) No rings outside the safe areas, 2) Starts in the slime, 3) No way to get out of the slime if you fall in, 4) No real incentive to play as any other character besides Sonic. I realize you guys were trying to make some sort of new game mode, but this is a Match competition. This map is terrible for match, if you get hit you're basically dead, unless you're good enough to fight back with only about 5 rings. If I wanted to play one shot kills, I'd just turn Sudden Death on.
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Wed - Arf - 3/10
WAY too hard. Also, I don't like how you put a forcecharacter on this level (Which causes that glitch where you turn to Sonic after dying in Single Player), I like being able to play as whoever I want. Only being able to activate one starpost doesn't help this map eitehr. It does earn some points for some of the cooler ideas later in the level, and the secrets.
Dark Palisades Zone - Tets - 7/10
A nice, big map. A little too big in some areas, though. The map seemed a bit empty sometimes, and there were also a few graphical errors (though they were well hidden and barely noticable). I feel the map could have stood to be a little more difficult, I was able to make it through the map as Sonic on Hard without being hurt once. Overall, it's a really nice map though. A bunch of different paths, nice scenery. The music could have been better, but everyone else has already told you about that.
Aerial Factory Zone - Sonicandtails218 - 3/10
Short. The beginning really didn't impress me much, it just reminds me of Sonic Adventure. I didn't like how the thok barrier was right up against the path right at the beginning. Since I play in OpenGL, I could see right through it and didn't know there was a wall there. The lasers on the conveyor belts were pretty annoying; I just hit one, grabbed a ring, and kept running. The level really didn't offer much of a challenge to me.
Storm Ruins Zone - FuriousFox - N/A
Yeah, yeah, I know. The level isn't very decorated, and it could stand to have more secrets. I just ran out of time, I have a really bad problem with procrastinating. I'm glad you all enjoyed the floor/ceiling crusher and the upward floating platforms. The air monitors are there just because I wanted to do something different. There are still air bubble patches in the level, I just put the air monitors there as a way of guaranteeing a large bubble to whoever hit it, instead of making them wait around for one to come up. There are a few secrets and shortcuts in the level: 2 shortcuts (maybe 3, if you count spinning from one of the upward floating platforms), 2 emerald tokens, and a poorly hidden invincibility monitor.
shadowstar
Member
...
Mystic, I sent you my map before the deadline.. What happened to it?
Mystic, I sent you my map before the deadline.. What happened to it?
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