Patchwork Mod.

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levellord
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Post by levellord »

Or, in my case, if I've given my mod a clean bill of health, run it through 3 beta testers and a virus scanner just to be sure. Which is why I now have a dedicated beta tester down the strret to give me face to face information on my latest crippling error.
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Grandy02
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Post by Grandy02 »

LevelLord, do you see the shading mistake I told you about?
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

Oh yes, I see it. Tiles have changed however, but I've fixed it as well as I can. Expect an email from me soon too.
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grafix
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Post by grafix »

You are your best level/beta tester: you know all the potential trouble spots and secrets that others may miss.
A varied set of playing styles is more effective for testing levels than your own. The other beta testers are more important than you are for the purposes of testing the mod. If you're any good at modding, you'll have played your own mod through several times during the course of making it. Also, you are not an effective judge of whether or not your levels are fun and playable (as I found with my "perfect timing" game, Stickman's Escape, a few years ago)
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Grandy02
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Post by Grandy02 »

Thank you, LL, for the beta version! :-D
I already sent you a mail with some spelling mistakes.
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Post by KeenRush »

If you're any good at modding, you'll have played your own mod through several times during the course of making it.
Yah. I haven't played any mod as much as Episode Smile. :)
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Post by KeenRush »

I made up a new level and just send it for you LL. I hope there's still 'space' for one level..
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grelphy
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Post by grelphy »

Also, you are not an effective judge of whether or not your levels are fun and playable (grafix5000)
True. but for ironing out level bugs and mistakes (like walls that Keen can't quite make it over), you personally are better than your beta testers.

Assuming, or course, that you don't accidently overlook a level. =)
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Post by Stealthy71088 »

When the creator beta tests, he can check to make sure that everything works and looks how it its supposed to. Other betas testers can't do that. They instead make sure its fun and enjoyable, and possible for the average human being, possibly with a little legwork involved. Or a lot, if you, like me, find final levels/bosses annoyingly simple.
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

However, other beta testers also test wether the level is easy to do, something the creator thinks may be obvious, flick 3 switches and avoid the middle pit, may be frustratingly difficult for the average player. A lot of my early levels were like that.
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Post by adurdin »

levellord wrote:...frustratingly difficult for the average player. A lot of my early levels were like that.
Your later levels are still like that -- only now you're doing it on purpose. :)
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Post by Stealthy71088 »

Sometimes i wonder if you could beat your own level. That very irritating tower will all those shadow beings that drop down from above on you in the first castle of sk1 for instance, yuck.
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

I can beat that, but in retrospect I don't like it.
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Post by Stealthy71088 »

i can get about halfway, or three quarters, basically aggravating them, then falling down like a million were afta me, shootin them, then jumpin up again. Then they drop down on you without warning. Its fun.


Thats the point when i think a beta tester would start asking for money
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

Which is why I now use my best friend as a beta tester, all she asked for was a $60 dress.
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