[Open Assets] Srb2 - Virtual Realm Beta

[ChaosX]

Hello there, i'm happy to present to you my, in progress, Virtual Realm Level Pack:

Description:
The zones have merged and new misterious zones have been discovered from the past! You'll have the most strange experience in Mystic Forest, fight your fears in Dark City, deal with the heat of a desert wasteland in Toxic Wasteland, move as fast as you can without touching unstable experiments that threat you to death in Chemical Core, test your ability to reach platforms over the sky and reach the core of the flying fortress of Eggman in Falling Fortress, now with the ship back to the skies defeat the ultimate boss over the space in Doomsday Ship!


Map list:
Mystic Forest (100% complete)
Dark City (20% complete)
Toxic Wasteland (Sketching....)
Chemical Core (Not started yet)
Falling Fortress (Not started yet)
Doomsday Ship (Not started yet)

Wel will be making these at the process.

Extra Info:

Spoiler

For now Mystic Forest is done, soon we will start making Dark City Zone. And you may ask, "why Dark City if STJr is already making that stage?". Well, because for what I know, they didn't started yet, and we would like to give you all and STJr a concept of how can Dark City be.
Meanwhile, enjoy the first map and you just have to wait for the next update :D.

The beta tracks for the actual maps has been made by me with FL Studio 10. If anyone has a program to suggest, please post here or PM, as you want.

As a newbie here, I started making maps for Srb2 with SRB2DB for my stage pack, "Virtual Realm", and today I wanted to show you my first map ever. I will be updating this page with the most recent updates I can.
So I leave to you some screenshots with attachments.

Update changelog:

(04/22/14) : Updated some textures in DCZ3. (And a few critical bugs that caused the game to crash.)

(04/24/14) : DCZ1 added! Only the introduction part has been made, due to lack of ideas and time.

(04/28/14) : Now all 3 characters can turn super if all emeralds collected! Added Uncurl and Recover lua extensions by BlueBlurForever and added the adventure style monitor system made by Inuyasha, actually they have given explicit premisson to use them in any wad from other users. Credits has been given of course. Some bugfixes to MFZ1. MFZ3 Coming soon!

(04/29/14) : Several bugfixes and modifications to MFZ1. Changed the emeralds system by one more fun to do, you wanna get the emeralds? You just have to look for them inside the maps!

(05/09/14) : I hope the last bugfix to MFZ1. MFZ3 has been added with a new SOCed boss, Egg Flamer! DCZ1 has received a polish and a working end sign post. Some extras to DCZ3 has been worked out. New lua content: BOOSH is back from the modenr games! Just press Custom button 1 when the gauge is full, atleast 40 rings are needed to fill completelly the gauge. More unlockables like level select and some more stuff I don't remember right now! Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P

 

[Charybdizs]

Decided to plunge yourself into the big wide world of level design, eh?

I just played through this for the first time. It really reeks of new level designer, but that's okay because, well, you ARE new. I can tell you had several ideas, but in execution you didn't know how to present them well. Here are some very important things to take to heart in your future level design:

A level is like an adventure. The player starts at one point, and must overcome challenges in order to reach the end. Unfortunately, your level was mostly flat, with little actual challenge. With that in mind, in what sort of ways might you be able to challenge the player in the future?

• Challenge their agility and precision by making them jump and maneuver across varying terrain.
  
• Challenge their innovation by giving them gimmicks which they must learn, understand, and then use in various in order to progress.
  
• Challenge their problem solving abilities through unique puzzles (think Azure Temple's puzzles)

Next, are some faults I found with your level. Things you might want to avoid in the future.

• Tight Corridors. Remember that the camera floats a certain distance behind Sonic, and if you don't give it enough space, it will end up mashed against walls, which isn't good.
  
• Springs that send the player into a death pit. The player trusts that when they board a spring, they will be put where they need to be. Sending them immediately into a death pit is a mean trick.
  
• Enemy spam. Enemies honestly aren't very useful in srb2 to begin with, as we've all fought them so many times in even the default campaign that they're same-old same-old. Unless you have a specific way you're using the enemies to challenge the players, you should refrain from placing too many. They're simply clutter otherwise.

Take these things to heart, and with enough diligence, you'll be able to make some fantastic levels!

 

[ChaosX]

Decided to plunge yourself into the big wide world of level design, eh?

I just played through this for the first time. It really reeks of new level designer, but that's okay because, well, you ARE new. I can tell you had several ideas, but in execution you didn't know how to present them well. Here are some very important things to take to heart in your future level design:

A level is like an adventure. The player starts at one point, and must overcome challenges in order to reach the end. Unfortunately, your level was mostly flat, with little actual challenge. With that in mind, in what sort of ways might you be able to challenge the player in the future?

• Challenge their agility and precision by making them jump and maneuver across varying terrain.
• Challenge their innovation by giving them gimmicks which they must learn, understand, and then use in various in order to progress.
• Challenge their problem solving abilities through unique puzzles (think Azure Temple's puzzles)

Next, are some faults I found with your level. Things you might want to avoid in the future.

• Tight Corridors. Remember that the camera floats a certain distance behind Sonic, and if you don't give it enough space, it will end up mashed against walls, which isn't good.
• Springs that send the player into a death pit. The player trusts that when they board a spring, they will be put where they need to be. Sending them immediately into a death pit is a mean trick.
• Enemy spam. Enemies honestly aren't very useful in srb2 to begin with, as we've all fought them so many times in even the default campaign that they're same-old same-old. Unless you have a specific way you're using the enemies to challenge the players, you should refrain from placing too many. They're simply clutter otherwise.

Take these things to heart, and with enough diligence, you'll be able to make some fantastic levels!

Hey, thank you very much for giving me these useful tips. I'll make more updates to the map and in some days, I'll post the updated version with the tips you gave me.

 

[Larz T]

I looked at the title screen you have up there and I would suggest making "The" a less brighter version of yellow or a complete different color in general. It's too bright for my taste.

 

[ChaosX]

I'll fix that in the next update.

 

[ChaosX]

New update coming soon featuring more unlockables, a improved and more detailed MTZ and a preview to the DCZ3 boss!

 

[ChaosX]

Ya know, sometimes feedback helps :/.

 

[Yacker]

Mystic Forest 1 leads to DCZ 1. You might want to fix that.

 

[ChaosX]

Mystic Forest 1 leads to DCZ 1. You might want to fix that.

Mystic Forest was given that name because it's "Mystic". The MFZ zone will proceed from normal day to rain and sunsets to different environments like a portion of a desert to the entrance of a volcan. Act 2 and 3 will make that happen, so when you are at the volcan in the middle of Act 2, act 3 will carry you to the exit. I actually made the volcan entrance to later, if my DCZ was entered Srb2, you could easily continue the storyline from RVZ to DCZ, since, as I've seen on the srb2.org maps list, DCZ goes after RVZ. Next update will bring a bigger DCZ1 and a new MFZ3.

 

[Yacker]

Oh, wait, you don't even have MFZ2/3 done yet. Sorry.

 

[ChaosX]

Well, I've been working on more graphical errors in MFZ1, DCZ1 has been given more details and places to explore, while DCZ3 is intact :P. MFZ3 has been added, just gotta add some more stuff and done for version 1.5.... or I should say 2.0?

 

[ChaosX]

I hadn't worked on this anymore since the last comment (05-08-14... NO SH*T SHERLOCK!) but now i'll be working on this and there'll be more updates! Even if ya hate dis map m8, laik and comment if ya like this map m8! And you'll see more about it! Now with a few releases for more map options, i'll be adding more stuff!

So i'll leave a spoiler! And it isn't covered with a little window! Yay!

The music of Mystic Forest is being worked on and a little texture revamp is being made!
Mystic Forest's boss is more difficult to beat now! (hint: new brak eggman difficulty included lol)
Dark City is being worked on with even more cool effects and stuff! (Hue hue hue, I'll steal STJr's ideas huehuehue)

Merry late christmas and a happy new year!

 

[ChaosX]

Mystic Forest Zone Act 1 has been revamped!

 

[SteelT]

The texture choices in those screenshots are very inconsistent and don't clash well. And some of your designs are odd, you have one area with CEZ textures, and the other with GFZ and DSZ textures, and a cave with a crystal chandelier. I suggest you stick with one theme throughout the level.

 

[ChaosX]

The texture choices in those screenshots are very inconsistent and don't clash well. And some of your designs are odd, you have one area with CEZ textures, and the other with GFZ and DSZ textures, and a cave with a crystal chandelier. I suggest you stick with one theme throughout the level.

I thought I made this clear a few posts long ago. Mystic Forest starts with the player traveling to another realm. The first map design is that you end on a damaged part of the realm, and is intended to be inconsistent and confusing for the player, it is meant to change the map's difficulty to another by changing the enviroment's design and structure. It is not because I can't decide, but because it is meant to be like that. The next implemented maps will be meant to be normal.

 

[clairebun]

I want to point out some issues with the aesthetic here, maybe this will help you with your overall visual technique:
* Your hallway/corridor in center has this border around it to make it look all pretty, but the misaligned GFZWALL texture in the middle breaks the aesthetic.
* This room doesn't make good use of vertical space. The entire right side of the picture is one big gaping checkerboard wall with nothing in it. Varying wall heights and midair platforms along the side can help break up the monotony.
* The inside of that tree is about as boring as boring gets. Do anything with it.

 

[Phantom-blade]

Okay, is Brak Eggman supposed to be DCZ's boss?

Because Brak Eggman IS supposed DCZ's boss, But was moved to ERZ due to DCZ being "scrapped".

 

[ChaosX]

I want to point out some issues with the aesthetic here, maybe this will help you with your overall visual technique:
* Your hallway/corridor in center has this border around it to make it look all pretty, but the misaligned GFZWALL texture in the middle breaks the aesthetic.
* This room doesn't make good use of vertical space. The entire right side of the picture is one big gaping checkerboard wall with nothing in it. Varying wall heights and midair platforms along the side can help break up the monotony.
* The inside of that tree is about as boring as boring gets. Do anything with it.

Hey! Finally some feedback! ^^

* Your hallway/corridor in center has this border around it to make it look all pretty, but the misaligned GFZWALL texture in the middle breaks the aesthetic.

Yes, I was thinking to make it bigger and fix the misaligned textures, I'm a bit short of time because school and bla bla bla. I'll post pixes soon!

* This room doesn't make good use of vertical space. The entire right side of the picture is one big gaping checkerboard wall with nothing in it. Varying wall heights and midair platforms along the side can help break up the monotony.

I may do a mini puzzle here for explore-liking players to enter an alternate area to the first cave. I'm actually full of ideas for this area, but I didn't have time to implement or even decide which idea to represent there. I'll post screenies soon of it too :D

* The inside of that tree is about as boring as boring gets. Do anything with it.

May look undetailed, but this will later be a necessary area to acces the alternate way to the caves, which contains- *censured for the good of everyone who wants surprises "^^.*. I can try doing some vines inside along with some rings, time will tell me what to do!

Thanks for the feedback, I really needed some!

 

[Lat']

Well I might say sorry for not providing feedback before, but that strange flamethrower will excuse me.

Anyway, as most people said your levels are needing a lot of improvements, which I agree.
However the fact that you added that Lua boost gauge (Which is rather useless) makes tge level completely unfitting to it.


You should try to make the player use the boost into smart ways (Smashing walls, jumping accross a huge pit... ).

 

[ChaosX]

Hello everyone, I know this thread is definetly dead, but I just wanted to inform you all that this map pack is not dead, I stopped posting updates a long time ago cause I got a new PC rig, and eventually while gettin my gigabytes of gigabytes of stuff from my old pc to my new one, I've lost quite a few things in the process, and the latest version of virtual realm was lost as well.
But after a really long time without knowing anything Srb2 related, I got back into this map pack, I'm continuing it from this released version, there's quite a lot of stuff I've added in the version I lost, so I may be a few more days adding it back, along with new concepts and workaround's on the stage's design and gameplay. I will be posting what I've done lately in a few days, but just left this here to llet you know I'm still working on this.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, as I may as well redeem myself from my past mistakes and release something worthy of you to play.