Tips for creating a good level!
I've seen a lot of people in chat who are asking people how to get a LOTD, and it's pretty annoying, and I've decided to make this to reduce at least some of the LOTD questions aske
1. Make your level aesthetically good.
People aren't going to like a level which looks like somebody vomited all over it, so take some time to make the level's art good. It may take some time, but look at the 5 starred art levels, it won't take the creator of them half a minute to create them!
2. Give your level an appealing theme
People don't to play a level that switches from being about traps to being about a hotel. Give your level one theme, and one appealing enough to be intriguing enough for people to play.
3. Give your level a fitting name
If you're making a level with an arty theme, don't name your level "4P War". Name it something to do with your level, e.g. "Advanced Art".
4. Make your level long enough, and give it the right amount of time.
Nobody wants a level where you can see the finish block from where you start (unless, of course, it's separated by a wall, and you have to travel around the level to get to it). Some levels may be short (e.g. a test for a level, or a quick taster), but try to make your level long. But not too long. If your level is too short, people will not like it for being too easy. If your level is too long, people will not like it for the amount of time it takes to finish it. If it's in between, then people are less likely to complain about your level. And also, give it a good amount of time. Giving a trap level a time of 1:00 won't exactly be good.
5. Try to be original
suggestion from Tendu.
"Be unique. Simple goal that should be easy to follow. There are thousands deathmatches out there, so if your going to make a dm, make it original. I spend a lot of time just experimenting with block mechanics to try and build something interesting. This experimentation led led to my most recent LOTD of Maze dm, and my currect wip tWISTED rELAY.
Make your own blocks. I'm not condemning block shops, just saying your blocks will work infinitely better toward a unified aesthetic than buying from a shop. This will take time and paitience though, so be prepared to put in the effort. I used to spend over 30 minutes a block when I first started simply because I had to build it pixel by pixel. Now I can pump out some blocks in less than 5 minutes. Give it practice and skill will come.
Practice good design. It's hard to quantify this as "good design" is ultimately subjective, but I know Final Cheetah has an entire thread dedicated to good design, and its definitely worth checking out. "
I've seen a lot of people in chat who are asking people how to get a LOTD, and it's pretty annoying, and I've decided to make this to reduce at least some of the LOTD questions aske
1. Make your level aesthetically good.
People aren't going to like a level which looks like somebody vomited all over it, so take some time to make the level's art good. It may take some time, but look at the 5 starred art levels, it won't take the creator of them half a minute to create them!
2. Give your level an appealing theme
People don't to play a level that switches from being about traps to being about a hotel. Give your level one theme, and one appealing enough to be intriguing enough for people to play.
3. Give your level a fitting name
If you're making a level with an arty theme, don't name your level "4P War". Name it something to do with your level, e.g. "Advanced Art".
4. Make your level long enough, and give it the right amount of time.
Nobody wants a level where you can see the finish block from where you start (unless, of course, it's separated by a wall, and you have to travel around the level to get to it). Some levels may be short (e.g. a test for a level, or a quick taster), but try to make your level long. But not too long. If your level is too short, people will not like it for being too easy. If your level is too long, people will not like it for the amount of time it takes to finish it. If it's in between, then people are less likely to complain about your level. And also, give it a good amount of time. Giving a trap level a time of 1:00 won't exactly be good.
5. Try to be original
suggestion from Tendu.
"Be unique. Simple goal that should be easy to follow. There are thousands deathmatches out there, so if your going to make a dm, make it original. I spend a lot of time just experimenting with block mechanics to try and build something interesting. This experimentation led led to my most recent LOTD of Maze dm, and my currect wip tWISTED rELAY.
Make your own blocks. I'm not condemning block shops, just saying your blocks will work infinitely better toward a unified aesthetic than buying from a shop. This will take time and paitience though, so be prepared to put in the effort. I used to spend over 30 minutes a block when I first started simply because I had to build it pixel by pixel. Now I can pump out some blocks in less than 5 minutes. Give it practice and skill will come.
Practice good design. It's hard to quantify this as "good design" is ultimately subjective, but I know Final Cheetah has an entire thread dedicated to good design, and its definitely worth checking out. "
This isn't a big list (yet), but give me suggestions and I'll make the list bigger.
