DISCUSSION: Keen 1 level design

Discussion and analysis of graphics, story, levels, and so on.
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Flyingmouse
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Post by Flyingmouse »

I think the level design here exhibits a slight case of LHS, particulary in the yellow key area. Also, I don't know if it's possible to get that top left lollipop- I've never managed it.
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Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

I think the only hallway exhibiting LHS is the one immediately after the yellow door. The only thing in the hallway to make it interesting is a Yorp, and the player cannot see anything interesting outside of the hallway: just the room below which they've already been to and is empty. The lack of visual or gameplay features here doesn't contribute toward anything positive in the player's experience other than an easy ride.

I'd argue that the other two long hallways in this level, the one after that Garg pit and the one to the left of the raygun, are actually good.

The first hallway provides speedy progression between the left and right of the level and also between the key and door. It's emptiness accentuates the fact that there is a detail object, that rock, at the end of of the hall and contributes to the martian 'empty' atmosphere. Outside the hallway the player can see the pat pats above, providing some 'action' to an otherwise empty scene.

The second hallway delays progression and allows the situation above it (the Vorticon arena) to build in the player's mind without other conflicts interrupting and rather than just throwing the player into the arena. The lack of detail here leaves the player's mind entirely concentrating on the upcoming conflict.
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Tulip
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Post by Tulip »

I think the Vorticon being able to walk off the screen is no accident here, since there is a detailed opening in the border there. I think since this may be so you don't have to deal with the vorticon if you know how. As you don't really have to deal with any of the Vorticons in Keen 1 personally if you know how. (The one in Ice city being the trickiest)

I find the level boring after playing it hundreds of times, but I find it aesthetically pleasing, more so than level 3 for example, which seems like random keen 1 tiles mashed together. This level at least seems to have a stylistic concept behind it, but sadly the gameplay is just uninteresting.

It has its justification to be there though (if you haven't played level03 before it), since it carefully introduces the player to new aspects of the game after level 1 and 2, like doors, and it may have the first lethal opponent you encountered so far, and that all without being too distracting with multiple paths and the like.
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

Aside from adding a few detail tiles, I don't think I'd change much here. Maybe swap some of the lollipops out for different point items here and there.

I appreciate the minimalistic/exploration-based gameplay. The concern was raised that it was a bit boring after doing it so many times, and while that is a genuine concern, please consider the first time you encountered the level. :)

There's no reason every ounce of every level needs to have loot or enemies crammed into it--giving us breathing room only makes us eager to move on to the next set piece!
EricMushroomWilson
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Post by EricMushroomWilson »

The near-impossibility of getting some of those lollipops irks me a little, but overall and with the possible exception of the one hallway that exhibits some LHS, I think this is a pretty solidly designed level. I agree that the ability to have the Vorticon walk offscreen and not have to deal with it may well have been intentional. There do tend to be ways to work around having to fight the Vorticons directly in this episode.

I like the way the different-coloured blocks sort of separate the level into sections. It's a nice way of providing a touch of atmosphere despite the blocks in themselves not being very interesting to look at. Kind of works in the "city" concept of the non-dome levels with the different-coloured sections vaguely suggesting buildings or rooms or something (I may be overanalysing there though).
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Fleexy
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Post by Fleexy »

A level that doesn't stretch the page!

Image

If you didn't know about the upper area, shame on you.

~~~~

- This level contains a pogo. Remarkably, this level is NOT necessary for completion of the game. Only one (required) jump in the game requires the pogo, and that level has another pogo in it.
- Does the player know to get the pogo? The first time I played, I just walked across to the exit, thinking it was a point item (I didn't used to bother getting points). Does the English "POGO" part of the sign help this?
- There are (semi)invisible platforms above the exit, leading to a secret area with a Garg and a teddy. This could be the first Garg.
EricMushroomWilson
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Post by EricMushroomWilson »

I think this level invests the pogo with sort of a sense of ceremony. The whole setup with it getting its own unique sign and the big spotlight shining down on it makes it feel important. Plus, it ties into part of the story about the Martians consider Earth's toys holy objects (something like that).
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

I really like the gravity and uncertainty the player gets as they scroll the screen higher to reveal the red blocks with fire in them--there is a huge amount of "what have I discovered?" in that initial revelation.

However, all of that mystery and momentum is immediately lost as soon as the player makes the first jump to the left across said red blocks, because the screen scrolls far enough to reveal the Garg above. No mystery! Combine that with the fact that you can merely pogo up to the 5000 point teddy bear, completely ignoring the Garg, and you've got some issues.

Make the Garg's platform a bit higher, so the player has to ascend a bit more between red platforms & Garg, and then make sure the player has to pass the Garg somehow before gaining the teddy bear. Personally I'd make a higher ceiling above the Garg, so that pogoing over him was an option. :)
Stealthy71088
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Post by Stealthy71088 »

I like Xky's ideas, and I say implement that and take it a step further. Switch the pogo with the teddy bear. Since there's a pogo available in the last level, the game is still perfectly winnable. Suddenly, you have a game where lots of points and areas are difficult to reach or unaccessible, almost adding a level of secrecy to the entire game. On top of that, getting up to the top of the level feels like much more of an accomplishment, as the reward is that much more valuable.

Another fun thing to do is replace the pogo with a fake unobtainable pogo, or a lollipop. Then change the tileinfo for the tiles directly beneath and after the pogo, so that keen will fall right through... possibly into the beginning of a tunnel level to run around in, similar to level 15. This concept might be a little too cruel for keen 1 though...
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Fleexy
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Post by Fleexy »

Level 6:
Image

- Those bricks are pretty bland when they are the only floating things in view.
- The fire can be pogoed over.
- It is ridiculously hard for a new player to make the jumps over the fire without pogo (at least it was when I first played).
- This has some complex lighting.
- It has a Yorp statue that gives an interesting message about the teleporter and the map.
- Should the level be made easier for people who don't have the pogo?
- Should points be added? There is a way to die, so maybe the player could at least get the rewarding feeling of collecting a few lollipops?
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Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

I really like the size and emptiness ratio of this level. It's the archetype of Dome levels in my mind.

The only things I would even consider changing are:

Make the fire jumps easier. However, since these are the only challenge in the level and they take no time to reach, the difficulty might be suitable.

I'd consider making them upper area unreachable by pogo, or at least less obviously reachable by pogo.
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

Agreed. I wouldn't add points to this (or any other) Dome level, because like Ceilick said, there's a whole archetype to Dome levels. They're barren, sterile, empty... creepy, even.

The best parallel I could give would be the Chozo statue rooms in Metroid games. :)

Make the jump over the flames one block higher, so the low ceiling isn't inhibiting new players, but keep the pogo shortcut.
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Fleexy
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Post by Fleexy »

EPIC BUMP

Image

EPIC PAGESTRETCH

- This is really huge and nonlinear.
- There are probably at least 20 different pathways to the exit.
- I'm pretty sure at least one extra life can be gained here.
- And now introducing... the Tank Bot! It's in a nice open area that makes it pretty safe to mess with.
Benvolio
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Post by Benvolio »

Ah I love this level! I remember well when I was first playing Keen1, I was still very much getting the hang of jumping [as someone who was virtually completely denied access to video games before the age of ten] so those green blocks when keen descends at the start of the level really gave me some practice at jumping. Particularly the series of green up-only blocks heading up and left. I suppose I never thought of this as the mandatory route in the level as I had already forged my way towards the RHS, yet there was something hugely enticing about that up-left route.

Meanwhile the far-right of the level ie everything beneath the exit, was a seldom-visited area, full of mystery and again those chambers with the gargs in the hard green blocks challenged my at-the-time limited skills. That teddy-bear to the left of the level was especially seldom acquired by me, perhaps I would have needed to be more mindful of such treasures if the game was more difficult and demanding on one's lives. (eg if this was Keen3 with no savegames).

So I think this level demonstrates that, by designing a main path and some anciliary paths, some fairly simple areas as described above can be conferred a shroud of mystery purely by how seldom one feels compelled to enter them.

This is also where the tank robots is introduced, as Fleexy mentioned, and I must say it frightened the life out of me at first - so did the preceding hidden garg. One feature of this level, then, is that it is composed of a series of scens or simple confrontations e.g. an approaching enemy, or a sequence of difficult jumps. It certainly trained me for... the Dark Side of Mars!!! Let's keep this discussion going and get ourselves across to the ice!! (i'd say levels 7,8 and maybe 13 are my favourites in Keen1)
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Fleexy
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Post by Fleexy »

Also, I forgot to mention that those green spikes seemed totally unfair the first time I played. I mean, there's a trail of lollipops and then suddenly, you're dead sir!
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