Country Dream Zone version 1.4 (s_countrydream.wad)

[BlazeFan1]

It's been a grueling process, and quite a battle between my Windows 7 and the Editing Software, but with all said and done, here it is, Country Dream Zone, the first (real and playable) level I have designed!

That said, please be aware that I do not yet know how to build highly complicated structures into my levels, but I gave this my best shot and have a decent amount of cliffs and holes, a lake, some enemies, and one hidden Armageddon Shield. (Among other bonuses of course)

This is version 1.5 of this level

Please be aware, version 2.0 of this level, and several others are available in my "Sonic: The chase is on!" Levelpack!

And now, since this is the first in a chain of levels I intend to make, here's a bit of story to go with it!

Sonic and his friends are enjoying another peaceful day in the Country Dream Zone, when suddenly, a crawla crawls up to the three heroes. Before Sonic can smash it, a hologram of Eggman emits from within it.
“Hello Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles,” Eggman says. “I just thought it nice to give you a fair warning concerning your oncoming defeat. I have assembled a great base, very far away from here, and already my new army of robots is wreaking havoc across the planet. If you want to know where to find me, I’m waiting atop the promontory on Mt. Crumble. I’ll see you soon, if you can get past the army of robots that have already descended into the Country Dream Zone. Good luck…”
As Eggman disappeared, Sonic turned to his friends. “That bad egg never gives up,” he said. “Come on guys, we’re heading for Mt. Crumble!”
And so another adventure begins…
Level 1- Country Dream Zone

I finally got screenshots working!!!!

The first is just an open part of the level. Not too interesting...


The second one is my hilarious "enemy parade", the most pathetic gimmick ever concieved.

Enjoy the Level, and please comment.

 

[Torgo]

Well, this level has thing spikes that don't hurt the player (which can be fixed by using an invisible, tangible FOF with spike damage around the spikes). The level is bland, but you seem to have some ideas that could be improved on over time. Hopefully someone will help you in addressing the problems in this level and help you make more interesting ones.

 

[Internet Explorer]

Good.
I take full account of your abilities buildings insider, and I can tell you that for a first level, you start well (Mine first level, I can tell you it was no more than yours, with its thirty seconds to win the level ...)
In short: I am not "excellent" in the field, but I have a lot of knowledge to the construction. For now, you've learned the basics, so the heights area, objects, enemies, etc..
My remarks following (clicked, what I think personally, eh!), Concern the abuse of land, and subsequently an excessive abuse of enemies, ring, objects.
As such, the lake that you created is really great!

Then my remarks to your development using the software.

I suggest you to place different objects recoverable horizontally and vertically (hence the placement of some zigzag rings ...)
Regarding the sky, it's really amazing that from the first level, you control an asser game hard ceiling!
That's all I have to say: if you want to know tips, such as tags (you have applied to the lake, for example), various gadgets, I assure you that experienced developers can help you create a great level!

Regards.

 

[BlazeFan1]

Torgo,
Yes, I'm aware the level wans't that great; I wasn't expecting it to be, it was my first shot at this.
It does have a few nice secrets though I think here and there.
I was not aware however that the spikes don't work! Thank you for telling me I'll look into that.

Internet Explorer, thanks for the compliments, but what was this regarding the sky?
I didnt quite understand what you were saying, please rephrase that so I can understand what you liked (or didnt like!) about it.

And to anyone who plays it, let me know if you can find that armageddon shield!

 

[MascaraSnake]

I found it without even looking for it, I thought it was the main path.

 

[BlazeFan1]

dang.

Ah well, maybe some people will have trouble finding it.
I'll put another into my next level and take better care to hide it.

 

[Blue_Blur]

You might want to fix how the textures are in the sky. At the end of the level theres the same thing too. Also, just a suggestion but if you can i think it would be a good idea if you put a colormap for the water.

 

[Ice]

Yes, yes, you've got the basics, now you need to put them to good use.
Try not to make such gigantic, empty stretches of land. From the looks of the level in SRB2DB, it looks like you made a giant sector and filled it up with huge simple shapes. Try to use more detail and interesting sector layouts. Try to make some sense, ex: Canyons are usually cut by rivers, rivers should have sources, rivers usually empty out into lakes, etc.
Above all, study good maps and see what sets them apart from yours. Study other sector layouts, gimmicks, control sectors, etc. Then you'll start making some good maps.

 

[BlazeFan1]

Blue Blur, I'm trying to figure out how to remove those floating textures. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for their existence, but if I manage to remove them, I'll update the wad promptly.

Ice I don't know how to create a level made of lots of different sectors, the thok barrier rules are too confusing then. Some others reccomended I make levels out of 1 giant sector, so that's what In did.
But yes, the inside is a bit empty and bland. Once I learn how to make cooler stuff, my levels will be more filled up.

 

[Fawfulfan]

Blue Blur, I'm trying to figure out how to remove those floating textures. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for their existence, but if I manage to remove them, I'll update the wad promptly.

I know precisely the reason for their existence. You unnecessarily applied a middle texture to those linedefs. Get rid of the middle textures in those sectors, and they'll vanish.

 

[BlazeFan1]

Fawfulfan, I did that. I realized that was the problem and removed the middle textures.

Strangely, it didn't work.

Same thing for the steps at the end of the level.

That's why I said I can't find a logical explanation. I figured middle textures was the explanation.

EDIT: I found the problem. When selecting the linedefs in that sector, it appeared there were no middle textures, because that sector is joined with another tiny sector, used to stop abuse of an opening big enough to thok through. Deselect the one linedef it shared with that sector, and then the unneeded middle textures became visible.

 

[Ice]

For creating levels, I create the thok barrier sector first (floor and ceiling heights both at 0), then create the level itself inside. Think of the initial thok barrier sector as a block, and the rest of the sectors as carving into that block. Each sector represents empty space that you just carved out of the thok barrier.

 

[Internet Explorer]

About Heaven,
I do not really know how to say ...
Some textures of the walls of large area to reduce worm may almost double the size of Sonic ... which turns brown thick walls with small wall around a broad sky.

Even I personally have great difficulty in my level control ciel.De anyway, this comment is positive to your heaven so it's not something very important.
Do you manage to understand what I'm talking about this?

 

[Fawfulfan]

For creating levels, I create the thok barrier sector first (floor and ceiling heights both at 0), then create the level itself inside. Think of the initial thok barrier sector as a block, and the rest of the sectors as carving into that block. Each sector represents empty space that you just carved out of the thok barrier.

That's what I do too. And as my level gets more and more complete, I shrink the thok barrier in places where it isn't needed. Because of this method, it starts out as a huge rectangle, but by the end of the editing process it form-fits to the level.

 

[BlazeFan1]

Fawfulfan, you told me yourself never to delete just part of a sector.
So how do you take an initial rectangle thok barrier and make it into a complex shape around your level without adding or removing parts? In country dream zone, I actually did what you do backwards; I form fit the features of the level to fit the thok barrier.

 

[Fawfulfan]

BlazeFan1, shrinking the thok barrier isn't the same as deleting part of a sector. Deleting part of a sector would be if you actually cut out a linedef or something. Shrinking the thok barrier is completely different. Here's how to do it:

1. Go into Vertices mode.
2. Create a vertex.
3. Drag that vertex onto one of the thok barrier's linedefs. The vertex will then turn into a new point on that linedef.
4. You can now drag around that vertex, and adjust the size and shape of the thok barrier.

In other words, you're not deleting linedefs, you're moving them around and adding extra points on them.

By the way, why do you keep including the DBS file in the download? That file is a piece of junk that you can just throw away.

 

[BlazeFan1]

Oh, so I can add vertices. Thanks fawfulfan.

So does that mean before I'm ready to "tighten" the thok barrier, I just have to test my level without thoking through walls?

Also, I didn't know what the dbs file was, so I included it, just in case the wad needed it to work. Better safe than sorry. If I create another version, I won't include that.

I opened a few of your tortured planet levels in doom builder so I could better understand how you meant for a level to be built. I doubt I'll ever reach a point where I'm developing levels that complex.

Anyways, thanks for the tips. As I work on my next level, hopefully I can call on you a lot for designing some of the new gimmicks and such.

 

[Fawfulfan]

I opened a few of your tortured planet levels in doom builder so I could better understand how you meant for a level to be built. I doubt I'll ever reach a point where I'm developing levels that complex.

Well, now, don't take that attitude. When I first started, my levels weren't much better than yours (in some ways, they were worse!)

Also, Tortured Planet is hardly an example of the best levels you could ever hope to see...they just look really complex if you load them in SRB2DB. Not that I'm saying my levels suck...they're just incomplete. I think if you loaded up the default levels (Deep Sea Zone, Arid Canyon Zone, and especially Egg Rock Zone) into SRB2DB, you'd be way more intimidated. I still am.

 

[BlazeFan1]

I'm not saying I'm giving up, but since you make some of the best stuff I've seen outside of the "true" levels, I want to learn stuff from you.

Speaking of which, please answer what was talking about in my above post.
Do I adjust this giant square thok barrier all at the end or a little at a time as I got along?

By the way, I tried it, and the textures on the barrier became a mess, leaving those trails of repeating graphics that are so weird looking.

 

[Fawfulfan]

I'm not saying I'm giving up, but since you make some of the best stuff I've seen outside of the "true" levels, I want to learn stuff from you.

Thank you. I'm too modest to agree with you on that, but I appreciate the compliment.

Speaking of which, please answer what was talking about in my above post.
Do I adjust this giant square thok barrier all at the end or a little at a time as I got along?

You can do whatever you want...it really doesn't matter, given that you can always adjust it back if you later discover you need more space.

By the way, I tried it, and the textures on the barrier became a mess, leaving those trails of repeating graphics that are so weird looking.

For future reference, it's called "Hall of Mirrors" when the textures do that. 90% of the time, it's caused when there should be textures in a specific area, but aren't. Go to Linedefs mode, check the lines for missing textures, and fill them in wherever necessary.