Single Player level pack collab suggestion

[MellowJacket]

This is a crazy idea that was brought up in the OLDC cancellation topic and then discussed further on #srb2fun, so I think it’s time a thread was made about this.

There has been a problem for some time now with no significant single player contest being released for SRB2 and with the OLDC being at an all time low it is a good time to try and inspire some extra creativity in the community. Therefore, I suggest making a single player level pack together as a community.

But how will this work?
As a community, the plan is to make us all work together to make a large and coherent campaign for SRB2. With full zones that follow the same format as vanilla SRB2, 3 act zones with unique gimmicks and features.

When the list of zones is finalized, players will be able to make a claim on which level they want to develop (for example, I could make a claim on zone 1 act 1) and when they are finished then can post this map to the collab thread and receive feedback, or another map maker could pitch in and improve what was already submitted.

How many levels?
Ideally, I would love to see us finish 7 zones with different themes and gimmicks, along with secrets and unique special stages.

However, being realistic, even if the entire community pitches in it is unlikely that we will finish 7 zones without divine intervention of some kind. So I would consider 4 zones to be our release candidate

How can I help?
We will need level designers, first and foremost. People who are willing to put the time and effort into making enjoyable and creative levels using the themes and ideas suggested by the users is the most important thing.

However, while level designers will always be in demand. We will always appreciate the help of artists who can make custom textures and sprites for the levels or even an original soundtrack.

How will this be different from previous failed level collabs?
Many users here will remember SRB2&K, a collaborative mod that started off well then faded away due to a lack of interest from the developers. To try and combat this, what I suggest is this. At the end of every month, the map makers will be asked to report in and post their WIP (or completed) maps in the collab thread where they can receive feedback from the other users. If no progress has been made on the map or the map maker fails to submit anything at all a week after the report was requested, the users claim on the level will be lost and free to take by another map maker.

What standard of quality are you looking for?
I will have to determine what is acceptable or not on a case by case basis, but I am not expecting every level to be a masterpiece. As long as you have clearly made an honest effort and the map is playable, it will either be accepted or it can be edited and improved by other mapmakers.

How will you get this idea off the ground?
This is going to be a community project from the ground up. Therefore, to get things started we need to brainstorm ideas and here is where you come in. We need suggestions for zone themes. Post ideas with the following.

Zone name
Theme (including texture use and music theme)
Gimmicks, hazards, and ideas. (Remember, there needs to be enough content to cover 2 acts, and one boss)
Potential badnik and boss concepts.
And any other information about the zone

After a week (on the 9th) I will take the well-developed ideas presented and put them up for vote. The most popular zones will then become eligible for users to claim acts on and begin creating.

Get cracking with those zone ideas, it's a small start but it's one we need to make make if this idea will get any momentum behind it!

 

[rocky]

Then for example, I can make a new level pack with members of the community and then in the end of each month, I need to show my progress?

If yes, can I show my progress by just showing screens, or I need to give a link so that you can see how it's going? (By you, I mean everyone).

 

[Spazzo]

While I won't be participating myself, I want to applaud you on your initiative and creativity, Whackjood. You are exactly what this place needs more of.

Best wishes that your concept comes to fruition.

 

[MellowJacket]

Then for example, I can make a new level pack with members of the community and then in the end of each month, I need to show my progress?

If yes, can I show my progress by just showing screens, or I need to give a link so that you can see how it's going? (By you, I mean everyone).

As long as you can show that you have made progress, then screenshots would be acceptable. But a playable beta is ideal because it allows for other users to give you more detailed feedback on how your work can be improved.

Also, I would like to add that if a user suggests a zone theme that is similar to your own. Or there's a theme you like that isn't particularly well fleshed out, you can contribute to it by suggesting extra gimmicks or ideas on top of it.

 

[rocky]

Sure. I like this idea very much. And also since OLDC is dying because of the lack of submissions, this idea comes in handy.

I'm in for your idea.

 

[Zipper]

As much as I appreciate your efforts to keep the playerbase up and running, I'm not sure if this will end up different than SRB2&K. There's been a lack of interest in making maps lately, and even if (and only if) we get enough mappers to start a project, if someone has to leave because of difficulties, or any other reason, then it'll be even harder to get replacement mappers from the already really low pool.

As I said, I'm ready to fully support this project whereever necessary, but I'm still worried about its future.

 

[rocky]

How about if the level pack have a lot of mappers and some kind of substitute? It's the only thing I can think of right now.

And some members of the community need motivation or something but I don't know what. I also suport this idea or project. But still we need more so that people can be motivated.

And people this days are getting kinda lazy, specially to do things like maps.

Example: My cousin downloaded SRB2DB a few days ago, and on the next day, he unnistalled it out of the computer because he said it was too hard.

 

[Internet Explorer]

This is a crazy idea that was brought up in the OLDC cancellation topic and then discussed further on #srb2fun, so I think it’s time a thread was made about this.

It is really a crazy idea like you say... there are some good reasons to build it, but if it starts to work, then what it needs is organization. Especially since more and more things start in SRB2 (contests since a lot of time, but especially : modifications by single players or the Kart Contest.) They rarely progress/end, mainly for levels and mods, including mines.

By organization, what I mean is that, for example, if two people make two levels or zones, they will be in a different style for sure. In video games, most of the time, some people work for the levels, a few for the musics, other for the textures... they have their own job. Because each zone will be made by differents minds, with differents styles, and views, it will look like to a sort of 'compilation', won't it ?

However, I couldn't help to this project, for several reasons : I'm really not a good designer, my themes won't fit to a collaboration pack, but above all, my progress is too much random.

It mays be a good idea (maybe more than the contest), but we'll need to discuss and agree with other's ideas together, organization.

Oh and I can provide ideas of custom music, but I can't make a custom soundtrack ~

 

[Zipper]

So how about I spruce up this place a little by actually suggesting a level idea?

Name: Sidewalk Carnival Zone

Textures/Music:
-Might use electricity based textures at some points, but some textures like the ones used in SRB2Kart might be necessary
-Not too demanding other than that, some checkered floors and brick textures (castle figures) would be nice too.
-For music, I suggest Starlight Carnival, or maybe something from Kirby's Return to Dreamland? That game has a lot of fun and non-serious music available.

Gimmicks/Ideas/Enemies:
-Uses lots of springs (mostly for decoration), bumpers, those freaking barrels from S3&K, maybe cards as a little casino bonus, balloons, slides, etc. etc.. Shouldn't be too much of a hassle to create these gimmicks.
-Some flashy areas, and toy castles you can plow through in ~10 seconds would be nice too.
-Twinkle Circuit area.Please.
-Of course, it's not complete without featuring bats. Other than that, it might be good with a sprite-edited version of the Egg Guard, who holds a bumper in front.

Boss:
-Eggman riding a machine wielding some plastic, but GIGANTIC hammers could be a good idea. Two hammers on two sides, he pretty much rapidly fires them.
-Maybe fires toy soldier enemies, or bumper enemies.
-Pinch mode has him rise up, and use the balloon spawners to get to him. He just fires missiles (NO NOT THE RED ONES) by this point.

For other notes, it'd be nice if it had some city elements in it, as I originally planned it to come right after a city. Being similar to Carnival Night doesn't hurt, as it really is an ignored trope in SRB2 itself, and pretty much a lot of Sonic games.

Name : Stealth Operation Zone (name changes accepted)

Textures/Music:
-Probably ERZ and GEZ textures, because it's supposed be an airship level.
(Multiple airships,actually)
-Electricity, a LOT of electricity, that's pretty much the main gimmick.
-Music can be something from Megaman X5, namely Grizzly Slash's level, or you can just use Babylon Garden.

Gimmicks/Ideas/Enemies:
-The whole zone is about disabling the engines of airships, so it'll use a LOT of electricity based stuff in it, think Flying Battery and Wacky Workbench at the same time.
-Of course, it'll have its ERZ easy mode moments.
-Not many enemies will be included, since it's STEALTH Operation after all.
-You'll need to traverse in darkness at some points, and guard robots will instantly teleport you back to the beginning when they see you.
-First act should be a few small airships that are easy to barrage through, the second act will be a giant battleship that you have to take down part by part.
-Outside areas will be included, since that's how you make ship changes, and go through a closed ship.

Boss:
-The boss is Aero Egg. It'll function a lot like Altitude Limit's boss from Sonic Rush, except simpler.Can't think of anything else yet really.

 

[MellowJacket]

How about if the level pack have a lot of mappers and some kind of substitute? It's the only thing I can think of right now.

And some members of the community need motivation or something but I don't know what. I also suport this idea or project. But still we need more so that people can be motivated.

While unlikely, with 7 zones that have 2 full acts (not counting the boss acts for the time being) each that adds up to 14 levels, it's possible for 14 different mappers to be working on this project at the same time. I doubt we will hit this number of level designers, but there's potential for there to be a lot of mappers.

And the intention is for this project to serve as both motivation and inspiration for community members.

By organization, what I mean is that, for example, if two people make two levels or zones, they will be in a different style for sure. In video games, most of the time, some people work for the levels, a few for the musics, other for the textures... they have their own job. Because each zone will be made by differents minds, with differents styles, and views, it will look like to a sort of 'compilation', won't it ?

However, I couldn't help to this project, for several reasons : I'm really not a good designer, my themes won't fit to a collaboration pack, but above all, my progress is too much random.

It mays be a good idea (maybe more than the contest), but we'll need to discuss and agree with other's ideas together, organization.

Oh and I can provide ideas of custom music, but I can't make a custom soundtrack ~

Having levels with different styles isn't necessarily a bad thing, the levels will be of varying quality but that's a sacrifice that is needed to be made so something notable is actually finished and I'm perfectly fine with that.

If you don't want to make content for the collab, then that's fine. But the plan is to welcome creators of all skill levels regardless of experience, and if they make something that isn't good enough to be accepted then it can be edited and improved by other editors further down the line.

And any suggestions or ideas you have to make as the project goes along are more than welcomed!

Anyway, here's are some suggestions for zone themes.

Gravity Garden Zone
Theme
Space Station crossed with Green Hill. A large botanical research center. Complete with glass views of space and designed as an easy, but still interesting and original, introduction level.

This can work fine with the texture set that is already in SRB2, thanks to the wide range of textures designed for Egg Rock or factory themed levels, along with the Greenflower and jungle themed textures already in the game.

Examples of possible music for this level include www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYCpC1f9gsg & www.youtube.com/watch?v=BodnZ-tzyPE
this also sets a nice precedent for how an original song for this level would be themed if someone wants to do that.

Gimmicks/hazards/ideas
Floating islands, complete with vines hanging from them, used as general floating platforms.

Reverse gravity water while the player is in normal gravity, allowing the player to climb up into water and creating an interesting dynamic where the only way to escape water is by going down. Can also be used to leap through floating blocks of water to make a jump go further thanks to floaty water physics.

Rooms with low or high gravity used as a platforming gimmick, whether this be simple platforming that needs to use lower gravity to go further or high gravity used to break through a cracked floor. Or a room that changes from low to high gravity on a timer.

A giant tree that that the player climbs down, while in reverse gravity.

A tropical beach diome somewhere in the space station.

Badniks/boss concepts
A plant badnik that shoots a laser, if it connects with the player then the players gravity is reversed. This can be used to send them flying into hazards, less beneficial alternate paths or used as a platforming gimmick by forcing them to use the turrets as ways to progress forwards.

Coconuts, the monkey from Emerald Hill Zone, it hangs onto sprited trees and throws coconuts that function like grenade rings at the player.

An edit of the SDURF that leaps in arcs, making it a (slight) threat as now it can cross the players path as they walk over a bridge instead of leaping up and down on the spot.

I have no idea what could work as a custom boss for this map, I will have to leave that up to other people working on the project unfortunately.

Steam Engine Zone
Theme
A large steampunk clock tower that doubles as Robotnik's robot factory. Providing the token industrial stage for the game while also keeping the players on their toes with something unexpected.

This would need additional textures and sprites to accomodate the victorian retro sci-fi steampunk theme, for example gas lamps on the walls used to light up the factory paths, or animated textures that show moving gears and cogs behind grated walls.

The ideal musical theme for this level would be industrial, preferrably with the sounds of smashing machine parts and gears to fit the robot factory theme. Such as this song from the Jamestown soundtrack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyisJ1f9BNA

Gimmicks/hazards/ideas
Rotating polyobject gears
Conveyor belts leading along robot production lines, forcing the player to make their way through without being crushed or harmed by moving machinery, smelting pots, and so on.

A large boiler room that needs to be passed through multiple times in a single act, as the player climbs up they can note their progress through the level and catch glimpses of the boss being constructed at different points.

Pipes leaking steam that can be used to launch the player around. Whether this is directly upwards using the THZ steam effect, or a custom socced effect that can launch the player horizontally as well.

Platforms hanging by chains, or moving clock weights that serve a similar purpose.

Badniks/boss ideas
A clockwork spider robot that crawls along the ceiling and drops bombs on the player.
Some kind of a robot with trains for feet that charges towards the player extremely quickly.
A Steampunk themed Metal Sonic that uses the same abilities as the player, but with a higher priority on its attacks. It would play out with the player and the boss trying to spin or jump on each other at every possible opportunity, but if the two players collide mid attack the player would always be damaged and Metal Sonic would emerge unharmed. So basically, the Knuckles fight in Sonic & Knuckles but with some difficulty behind it.

Anyway, those are my suggestions for zone themes. By no means do your suggestions need to be as detailed, but these should be good examples of what kind of ideas to suggest.

 

[rocky]

Ok. I will be sure to stop by and suggest something that really can be accomplished. And I will try to check sonic videos so that I can have an idea what to suggest.

 

[Boinciel]

Arpifact Zone Zone Zone e
Theme
A zone that has been corrupted by a failed experiment of Robotnik's, the Reality Manipulator. In other words, the traditional fabric of reality has been cut up and taped back together as though it were by a four-year-old with a brain tumour.

The texture set is horridly glitchified and JPEG-artifacted versions of SRB2's regular textures. Animated JPEG artifacts and scrolling/flashing textures for increased excellence.

The music should be solely picked from the very best that Atrophic has to offer.

Gimmicks/hazards
Anything that makes no logical or spatial sense works. Relative teleports as Sonic runs through a section that makes it look as if the area is changing when it remains the same. Invisible walls just to the right of an intangible FOF. Polyobjects crossing sectors. Floating polyobject platforms in general. Enemies that charge at Sonic and then change course at the last minute, running into a wall and exploding. Floating balls of water that the player must spring through to gain enough height to ascend. Randomly changing the player's size. Enemies that shoot shrink and growth rays at you. Reverse gravity combined with all of the above.

However, level design and challenges must be toned down and not use anything the player isn't prepared for or would be considered unfair. This means no invisible platforms (without indication) over a gap, and especially not with penalty of death for failure. Bottomless pits must never be masked.

Level Design
Arpifact Zone Zone e Zone Act 15 (1)
The player starts off in a night version of 2.0 Techno Hill Zone with a colourful special stage sky, descending into a yellow colourmapped cave full of non-harmful green acid and AFALL. The cave spirals down and eventually Sonic reaches two massive polyobject stone doors. This begins the descent into madness. Sonic pushes the doors open and the polyobjects making up each door begin infinitely rotating in opposite directions, rotating through the wall. Beyond lies a veritable slurry of bright yellow fog, and JPEG-artifacted THZ textures set to fullbright. Occasionally normal sectors have F_SKY1 for the floor but are not death pits. Walking through this artifacted wasteland Sonic comes upon a glass room full of vertical red springs on the floor and ceiling. The fog changes to colourmap and back to fog occasionally, creating horribly glitched colours. The obstacles in this room include floating spinning blue rectangular polyobjects that also move in circles on the ground and up and down. The gravity shifts at the midway point of the room, making Sonic fall up to the springs instead.
The path splits from there depending on whether you were on the top or bottom of the room at the end of it. The top half is played in reverse gravity while the bottom is normal gravity. From here the top path experiences flashing textures while the bottom path experiences a room where the collision of each object is shifted 256 fracunits away from it in a consistent direction. The paths continue with upside-down moving polyobject platforming and mysterious buttons that don't do anything.

Arpifact Zone on Zone Act 8 (2)
Basically a clone of Sinow Frost Zone 12.

Arppppppppppppppppppp Zone Act 20 (3)
Fight the heart of the corruption, Negative Eggman! It is just the Eggmobile with inverted colours.

<Katmint> Negative Eggman should team up with Forgot To Covert The Pallete 1.09 Eggman

 

[Spazzo]

I have a novel idea i'd like to add.

Make your own interpretation of Dark City, Castle Eggman, Grand Eggship, or Final Fight. See what you can come up with given the confines of one of SRB2's existing (if unfinished) motifs.

 

[Charybdizs]

Well, I would have suggested Gravity Garden's theme, it being the theme (and name you dirty plagiarist) of my first level idea. It crashed and burned when I made it though, as it was my first map, and looked nothing like what I had in my imagination. Literally, if I remade it you wouldn't even recognize it. Which, makes me interested in possibly claiming one of those stages when the time comes. I've always had a passion for abusing water physics, especially in the context of changing gravity.

I insist on claiming that your inspiration for this map and name was subconsciously taken from my old map though :{

So, now, to decide which of my overflow of level ideas I wish to part with for the sake of this project.

Black Water Zone
Theme
Placed on and around an ocean oil rig, this level would probably start (Act 1) in a shallow coral reef area, with some parts being high enough to allow for breaking the surface. Coral structures would abound above the ground and under, when Sonic would descend into seafloor caves filled with schools of fish and moray eel bots hiding in crevices. Poisonous sea anemones might make a good hazard, too. Act 1 would end at the Dropoff. If you don't know what I mean by that, go watch Finding Nemo, you brainless cucumber.
Act 2 would continue into the deeper ocean, growing excessily darker as you continued. The pipelines of the oil rig are evident here, and cracks in some are sending sludge into the water surrounding, causing it to become dark and cloudy. When you can see the surface, you can see slicks of oil formed. Nature is not as hardy, and most of he fish have left this area, but you can find pockets of tall kelp thriving in underwater hollows, and fish hiding among them. Near the end of the stage, you encounter the rig itself, and begin a climb up it's supports and pipelines, until you break the surface. There, the boss arena awaits you.
Because of the excessive water nature of these levels, custom powerups to allow infinite breath would be used. So, no raging when you drown.

Gimmicks/hazards/ideas
For Act 1, sand shifting, to allow passages to lower caves with air filled caverns and water physics puzzles, the occasional foggy and deadly oil slick which causes you to stick to lower ground, and perhaps a dolphin race using a brak missile sort of technique?

For Act 2, machinery would play a bigger role. Ocean vents would release blasts of upward currents in the lower sections, while in the higher sections pipes would litter the seabed, occasionally leaking sludge. Sometimes it would be necessary to climb across treacherous gaps on such pipes. In the end part, you would navigate a lot of moving machinery as you climbed up the rig.

Badniks/boss ideas
Shark Bots, of course. Moray Eels. In the second act, obviously some sort of bot that speeds back and forth along the pipelines, doing something or other. You know, a threat that can knock you off if you aren't paying attention. As for a boss, I don't really know, but something underneath the oil rig or in the control room would be nice.

Now, another suggestion.

I think we're all aware that Robotnik is getting boring. It's the same old thing. Fat man in a red suit builds robots and tries to build a fortress, but has a design flaw that lets Sonic + Friends right in. A few boss battles involving the fat man climbing in an Eggmobile that takes different forms. Inevitably, he is beaten, and Sonic grabs the emeralds, performs an astounding transformation, and soundly pummels that fat man. Same old, same old.

It's time the true villain of the piece steps in.

Spoiler

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The one and only, the illustrious, the brilliant, the charismatic, the undoubtedly fabulous SNIVELY!!!
Save your applause for someone else, folks, humble Snively is too humble to accept such a magnanimous token. Not like that... that fat man. For years, Snively has been held back, obstructed by the selfish desires of Dr. Eggman. Potential unused, held prisoner, his talents being used for selfish means. But now, he has came out the winner! With his cunning nature, he overthrew the Talking Egg, and banished him, locking him up in the place he banished him to. Now the lands are free from the oppression that the round one imposed.

But, what is this supposed hero all about? What plans does the great Snively have?

Girls and boys, Snively is about progress!

And such are my plot offerings. Though a plot is not necessary in a Sonic game, it is always entertaining, and adds some character to the game. I have few possible ideas, such as...

Sonic + Friends receiving a mysterious letter from the banished princess of mobius, begging for help. It turns out to actually be a request from assistance from Eggman, shamed and humiliated. For now.

Or if that is a bit too cheesy...

Sonic + Friends are the only ones to realize that President Snively's plan for progress is actually not beneficial to the woodland creatures. "Progress", though a wonderful thing, in Snively's eyes, is not far removed from Eggman's, though admittedly not so morbid. No animals are being roboticized, but Snively does have an active army of robotic minions left over from Eggman's last reign, who he has dispatched around the country. Mining oil to fuel new technology. Happens to also be polluting the blue oceans. Building grand cities. Too bad he has to cut down the forest creatures homes to do so. Snively is not the evil megamind most expect. Just a stubborn man with a narrow vision.

EVERYONE KNOWS SNIVELY IS THE BEST ANTAGONIST

Throw your own ideas out there, people. I know I have more coming.

 

[MellowJacket]

I have a novel idea i'd like to add.

Make your own interpretation of Dark City, Castle Eggman, Grand Eggship, or Final Fight. See what you can come up with given the confines of one of SRB2's existing (if unfinished) motifs.

I think it would be better for the project if we made original level ideas instead. It's certainly possible that we could use similar zone themes and have them function as spiritual successors mind you, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of that happening.

I insist on claiming that your inspiration for this map and name was subconsciously taken from my old map though :{

Until you told me about your old Gravity Garden on the irc channel, I had no idea the zone existed! :<

Sonic + Friends receiving a mysterious letter from the banished princess of mobius, begging for help. It turns out to actually be a request from assistance from Eggman, shamed and humiliated. For now.

Or if that is a bit too cheesy...

Sonic + Friends are the only ones to realize that President Snively's plan for progress is actually not beneficial to the woodland creatures. "Progress", though a wonderful thing, in Snively's eyes, is not far removed from Eggman's, though admittedly not so morbid. No animals are being roboticized, but Snively does have an active army of robotic minions left over from Eggman's last reign, who he has dispatched around the country. Mining oil to fuel new technology. Happens to also be polluting the blue oceans. Building grand cities. Too bad he has to cut down the forest creatures homes to do so. Snively is not the evil megamind most expect. Just a stubborn man with a narrow vision.

With regards to story telling in SRB2 in general, I expect that a plan like this would only work if you develop a story that is solely told through action and gameplay. Weaving the zones into the story itself, rather than asking the player to read a wall of text or watch a cutscene to know why Sonic is blowing things up.

For example, the plot in Sonic & Knuckles is the best example of this. As Sonic, you attempt to stop the Death Egg from taking off and eventually chase it through the sky and board it for the final showdown at the end of the game. This is told through unobtrusive background events and one short level in particular (Hidden Palace) which advances the plot with some clever foreshadowing to the Doomsday Zone boss and resolving the Knuckles being tricked plot thread set up in Sonic 3. But the key thing here is that it's simple enough to be clear and engaging without getting in the way of the game itself. Establishing a political campaign and exploring Snively's motives would just take too much time and get in the way.

On the topic of Snively, I'm not too keen on the idea of him being the villain myself. I would much rather have Eggman take that role for reasons which I hope are fairly obvious. But that'll have to be up to what others think, even then there's nothing to say Snively couldn't be the boss of one zone as a cameo.

 

[Boinciel]

On the topic of Snively, I'm not too keen on the idea of him being the villain myself. I would much rather have Eggman take that role for reasons which I hope are fairly obvious. But that'll have to be up to what others think, even then there's nothing to say Snively couldn't be the boss of one zone as a cameo.

If we're going to have a cameo boss, I'd much prefer it to be more along the lines of Nack/Fang or Bean and Bark. At least they appeared in games!

 

[filio]

I feel as though the forums has been slowly decaying over the years... Might just be me but meh.
Anyways this place does need some sort of public collaboration projects, might liven things up a bit more.

Grassy Gorge Zone (inb4 Sonic CD zone naming)

Theme
Act 1: Would use more of the grassy textures and start off a little distance away from the gorge. Music would be sort of a fast-paced Green Grove (3D Blast) tune since Sonic would be dashing past plains to get to the gorge.

Act 2: Would start with you falling down into a puddle. The textures have a more brownish hue and it would look sorta swampy. Something about this theme makes me think about toned down Red Mountain (Sonic Adventure) caverns music.

Ideas
Act 1: The area would be very free, many ways to advance. Would start off with a short section of 3D mach speed, ending at springs that launch you and you would have to strafe to close-by springs. Then it turns into Sonic 2 themed 2D where you would have around 3 paths to advance to the right. Other paths would be small caverns and hills. The gist of this act would be for speed and lots of room. The end would be at the cliff-side with the sign post, and breaks off when it's stepping on.

Act 2: The area would be linear, as in if you go one way you mostly stick to that path until the half-way check point. At the half-way check point there would be a tube which you would go into, exiting in a hallway that is filled with rushing water. It would clear out into a more free part which had a choice of an underwater route or to run across the sides of the river. The end would be close enough to see it once you enter, just a little badnik bashing and dashing until you reach it.

Boss: A circular lake with 8 platforms in it that slowly sink. Eggman is in the center chargin' his laser, if you're too late he shoots a laser that's hard to dodge. If you hit him he gets damaged and shoots a heat seeking missile at you. After 7 hits he lets out an attack that electrocutes the lake that you need to jump over, then just hit him there.

I'll spare myself and everyone reading from making badnik suggestions. I might make a sketch of how I would like it to look like one day.

 

[Blade]

I like the sound of this.

CLOUDY DOMAIN ZONE
--Theme--
Completely made of clouds, with buildings made of cloud bricks. Old Roman designed pillars/buildings. Sky should be custom, with "The Planet" visible on the bottom. (I feel that the GFZ sky is over-used for sky levels.) Rainbows would also be nice.

--Gimmicks--
-Icy Clouds : Slippery, maybe make them have snowflake designs on them?
-Weak Clouds : These act like quicksand. Alternatively, they just fall apart after a bit.
-Bouncy Clouds : Same thing as Sky Sanctuary.
-Rainbows : Spicy--er, If the Icy Clouds aren't done, these could be slick.

--Enemies--
-Storm Cloud : A black cloud that slowly floats toward the player. will light up at times, making it invincible. Also drops a lightning bolt beneath it as it does so.
-Tornado Badnik : Floats towards the player. Looks like a Unidus with a fan. After a bit it will start spinning and make a tornado. At this point, if the player touches it, they are sent flying.

--Boss--
- Rainbow Dash ---er...
- Egg Hurricane -
Attack 1 = Same as Tornado Badnik above.
Attack 2 = Fires multiple Storm Clouds out in multiple directions.
Pinch = Fires a large lightning bolt at the ground. Apon impact, it briefly electrifies the entire arena. May also knockout parts of the arena?
Arena = Large roman colosseum made of clouds.


By the way, this isn't a Cloudsdale reference. Nope. Not at all.

 

[Charybdizs]

Until you told me about your old Gravity Garden on the irc channel, I had no idea the zone existed! :<

Same name, same theme? subconcious~

With regards to story telling in SRB2 in general, I expect that a plan like this would only work if you develop a story that is solely told through action and gameplay. Weaving the zones into the story itself, rather than asking the player to read a wall of text or watch a cutscene to know why Sonic is blowing things up.

Of course. This would all be accomplished through the start menu cutscene, and then level endings. Perhaps a few in-level drama scenes, like the ones with Knuckles in Sonic 3.

But the key thing here is that it's simple enough to be clear and engaging without getting in the way of the game itself. Establishing a political campaign and exploring Snively's motives would just take too much time and get in the way.

Depends on how you look at it. What I was saying was mostly for drama's sake. For example, if in the intro scene, sonic + friends are basking under the artificial sun of the Woodland Space Resort, (founded by President Snively, as posters in the hallways announce), when they receive a suspicious plea for help from the long banished princess of Mobius, it could segway into a traditional level pattern as they head for the tower. But honestly...

I'm liking the idea of cameo bosses. I had such an idea regarding Chaos Domain a while ago, but KOTE heartlessly shot it down without even thinking about it. :(

We all know the eggmobile forms get a little old, why not a few different things to vary it up?

Perhaps a boss where instead the Eggmobile, it's Snively's attempt (read: attempt) to be the hero. Foolishly he would put himself in a completely vulnerable position, and obstruct your progress through use of projectiles and other obstacles when you reach him, (continuously falling sector boss arena anyone?) one measly hit sends him sniveling (how appropriate) and running back to Eggman.

Nack/Fang

Must. This guy didn't cross my mind until you said this. This guy was undoubtedly one of the most unique and interesting characters in Sonic History, we have to give him a chance.

(I feel that the GFZ sky is over-used for sky levels.)

So much. Ideally, we shouldn't use the GFZ sky once in this level pack. :x

 

[Violo]

CLOUDY DOMAIN ZONE
--Theme--
Completely made of clouds, with buildings made of cloud bricks. Old Roman designed pillars/buildings. Sky should be custom, with "The Planet" visible on the bottom. (I feel that the GFZ sky is over-used for sky levels.) Rainbows would also be nice.

It's too bad skyboxes don't exist for SRB2, or this would be easier.
Though, this level would need a lot of custom textures if it's "totally-not-based-off-of-Cloudsdale", but I think an actual 'cloud' level would be nice. Adding wind currents to push you up would be cool as well.

When the zones are selected, will it be alright for us to develop levels and post WIP pictures but not take the space of developer for that level? I want to develop for this, but I don't want my procrastination to get in the way of other people's talents.