Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:06 am
Heh, good ideas again.
I use quite many tankbots in my mod. ;)
I use quite many tankbots in my mod. ;)
Indeed. Such traps reduce the organic flow of a game, as they require the player to learn something that Keen wouldn't have been able to work out on his own. Such instantaneous reincarnation is a gameplay feature, and not possible in the game's universe. Therefore, if it's necessary to die before working out how to pass a level, the balance between gameplay and realism is lost.One thing comes to mind when reading this; it is a general rule in game design to NEVER EVER make the player feel that there wasn't anything he could do to prevent being killed. Having trial-and-error traps might be fun for the creator, but is it fun for the player when he falls through the floor the fourth time, promply getting killed by some spikes? No.
And indeed media. Just as games require gameplay to be balanced with story, a movie needs to balance entertainment with story. Indeed, I suppose 'gameplay' could be substituted with 'entertainment', uniting myriad different intellectual media.While 3D and 2D game level design are very different, there are some basic concepts that trascends dimensions (top that if you can!).
Ah, yes. This formula makes for great levels. Close calls, quick timing, edge-of-seat mayhem, whether in a movie or a game, followed by a sudden conclusion to the problem, can create a high of such magnitude as to form a memorable part of the game.:) walking along
:| oh no!
:o it's gonna be a close one
:P whew! I made it
;) good level!
I love this idea. I shall definitely make use of it in my own level design. It offers the player a glimpse of something yet to come, as well as a hint of what to do next. And it definitely improves the dynamicism of the game.Another acceptable, and used, idea in later Keen games are tricks making use of the look up or down before the player attempts a jump. Something similar could be made in the Vorticon series by making a small "dead-end" path that lets the player see what can be expected when he takes the real road.
Exactly. This also helps with replayability--if there's an out-of-the-way trap that was too difficult to achieve to warrant interrupting the current flow of the game at the time of first playing, the neurotic player may come back to beat it after passing the game.Another thing is that it is usually more acceptable to make "evil" things when it is not the main flow of the level that is interrupted (bad example - the last hut in Keen 1). As was said above, having some "chance" or "you didn't see THIS coming" areas isn't that bad when only points and greed are concerned.
I like to create bonus item traps where it's possible to collect the items, but if you try it at the wrong time, you're likely to become trapped (there's a classic example that you'll all see when I release my mod... though by then there'll be many other classic examples).Just remember, there is no such thing as a "obvious" trap. Level design differ so much even in commercial maps that most players will regard lots of loot as an encouragement from the designers - not as bait.
Yes, it seems to be spawning an increasing number of useful ideas. Just adding to it brings to mind so many things I'd never really thought of before.This is an interesting thread - may it live long and prosper.
That's exactly the thought process that leads to a well-balanced game. Keen himself isn't entirely concerned with a perfectionist clearning out of a level's loot, but it gives the player another sub-goal--to top the high-scores list, and/or find every secret area in a level, for example.In any case, anybody who overuses any point item other than lollipops deserves to die. And then some. The best possible way to lay out points in a level is to use lollipops (or other low-scoring items) ONLY and just use those books and teddy bears as bait and/or as reward for getting past something difficult. Wise players will quickly realize that going after big-time points is getting them killed, and will avoid them. All the other players deserve to die anyway. (Hey, if they can't measure up intelligence-wise to Keen, why should they play as him?)
I haven't come across that before... probably a good thing, eh?Worse than backgrounds of teds, IMHO, is backgrounds of ray guns, or, worse yet joysticks... who can stand the contstant WEEOO-WEEOO-WOOP-WOOP-WOOP! of collecting target items... AARRGHH!
I haven't noticed that in the past. I'll have to remember to ensure Keen's death by placing evil things along the very lowest part of the level.One more note. (Yeah, I know, I'm starting to drone.) always keep an eye out for falling off the bottom of the screen-it may be effective, but players listening with sound on will hear keen land before he finally dies, and may think that they're still alive-very disconcerting. I try to avoid that where possible.
Hmm... interesting link there...Speaking of sound, the most underused sprites in the Vorticons trilogy? The ones that shoot.
I haven't worked out yet what the shooting bots are to be in my mod. I've considered a number of interesting uses, though. The firing squad 'challenge' you describe sounds useful. Another little idea to add to the collective level design arsenal. Difficult, ominous, but passable.Guard bots, tanks, meeps and vorti-moms, but especially the episode one tank-bots are hardly utilized in any strategic sense. And yet they form one of the most versatile weapons in the game-they can be used, with a bit of ingineuity, as firing squads lined up to blast keen as he climbs a big staircase-wicked, evil, horribly fun... and doable. I know; I've done some of my as-yet unrealeased levels that utilize tank-bots to a much fuller extent.
*shudders* If I see another one of those tank pits, I'm gonna jump in there and kill myself. They've been done to death. Originality is its own reward--think outside the pit.They can be used in many other places as well-the prospect of wading through a tank pait is mind-numbing and surprisingly easy.
Ahahaha. Action pun. Whether intentional or not, it was brilliant. Jump, jump, hesitate, ZAP!Alright, enough of my thoughts. I promise to stop now.
But...*ZAP*