Contest Discussion Topic (2.0.X)

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Lots of vertical variation, sweet! What's that thing on the top left of the last picture, though? It looks rather odd.
 
A small preview of what I'm working on for this contest. Hopefully I'll actually finish this one, unlike my previous attempts at an OLDC entry. It's a Match map, combines the forest and volcano themes.
nygwlv.png

Lava geysers shoot upwards from time to time, working as a sort of makeshift elevator for Sonic players. There will be another way to get up onto the green area, though.
106aiq8.png

A big, hollow tree with some rings in it. Off to the side is the magnificent Unfinished Path! No refunds.
 
Lots of vertical variation, sweet! What's that thing on the top left of the last picture, though? It looks rather odd.
The level will have a dormant egg factory section somewhere (I'm planning some cool effects!) and this is the second half of a broken waterway. Actually, I may change it if the area doesn't flow... in which it'll be different. Note: involves melting ice and water slides.
 
Emerald Lake act 2 is coming along nicely. just going through to add in the details, rings, and scenery now.

Expect to see it this coming contest, depending on if it happens or not.
 
The level will have a dormant egg factory section somewhere (I'm planning some cool effects!) and this is the second half of a broken waterway. Actually, I may change it if the area doesn't flow... in which it'll be different. Note: involves melting ice and water slides.

Egg factory section scrapped in favor of coherent level design.
 
'Daww. I was hoping for some cool freezing/metling water sequences. Like, you can't get past an area at first, but hit a button somewhere (or something) that freezes the water so you can run on the surface and keep moving forward. That'd be sweet!
 
These gimmicks usually sound a lot better in theory than they actually are. In reality it pretty much boils down to pressing a button, which isn't exactly the most interesting thing.
 
Super Mario Galaxy 2 had an interesting level using that gimmick. I should go back to it, just to see again in what interesting ways they used it.
 
'Daww. I was hoping for some cool freezing/metling water sequences. Like, you can't get past an area at first, but hit a button somewhere (or something) that freezes the water so you can run on the surface and keep moving forward. That'd be sweet!

Fact: that's still in the level. Trust me, it works much better than a button in a factory, keeps the level coherent, and does not suck, as Spiritcrusher pointed out :-P

EDIT: AND I got something REALLY awesome in progress (it involves teleporters and fake cameras) but it's a secret!
 
I got some preview pictures of my new level.

The other side of the fence from act 1
srb20136.png


Knuckles headed to his path (Wall is breakable by sonic and Tails too, kept that way on purpose)
srb20147.png


What was at first meant to be a scenic death pit, transformed into part of a new path. (figured people would jump though the "window")
srb20149-1.png


along the path made exclusively for this version of the level (TGF version only had 3)
srb20143.png


and yes, I have Pseudoslopes in level, and no, they don't move you. (too shallow an angle for that)
srb20146.png
 
ok, out of SRB2's default textures, what do you suggest I use? And don't suggest Green Flower Zone's. I used that set in act one last time.
 
I don't think the textures are the problem, it's just that there are big empty stretches of space that make the wall texture look extra repetitive. That, and that some of those rooms look positively boxish. Try to make them more organic like the third screenshot perhaps?
 
ahh, if that's the problem then I probably just chose bad shots. I can probably also do something about the blandness too.

Believe it or not, I have been trying to work on that.

there's a spot on Knuckles' path that was originally "blocky" I felt, until I added some sectors to make this:
srb20152-1.png
 
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Hmm, looks like a lot of empty space, for sure. If that is the start in the first screenshot, it is so bland. The start should always be very interesting visually, because it is what is going to set the player's mood for the rest of the level. Also, maybe you ought to try making those textures 2x? Loving that sky, though.
 
No, the textures are a huge problem. Emerald Hill Zone's walls were never meant to fill huge spaces. See this?

iprtxd.png


You only ever see a little piece of the wall at a time, and that works for such a noisy pattern. The bricks don't even tile perfectly, but that doesn't matter because you wouldn't even be able to stack 2 of them vertically within the screen size of the Mega Drive. Compounding the problem is that there is much forced perspective and perceived depth to the blocks that just falls completely flat when randomly tiled on a bunch of walls. The textures in SRB2 that work the best for that purpose are generally a lot flatter and have less harsh contrast.

Don't treat something so loud as the Emerald Hill blocks as catch-all wallpaper. Think a bit about how you use the textures and what you are trying to represent with them.
 
I think that level looks good, glaber. But i think you should make the texture's bigger, they look weird when they're that small.
 
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