10-Apr-2015, 12:48 PM
Since it's been a week from my last update and because people would miss it easily otherwise, I'm not updating the above post again but adding more comments down here...
Squares
- IceyLava108
This is a fun short level. It uses a lot of block slaps to move a couple blocks around. That's also its problem, it uses it just a bit too much. I like the first half of the first room but it gets repetitive quickly (all four sides work similarly, and you need to go around twice). I like the second room and it makes me feel there is more potential in this theme of thieves and block slaps. It might have been cool if you had connected the two rooms together in a way that Chip would be manipulating the same block throughout the level. Overall I like the length of the level and the design showcased some things that felt nice to play.
Bonfire
- IceyLava108
Of your two Lynx submissions, this one was the weaker one. It requires block slaps to manipulate the direction four slow streams of fireballs. Without the fire, this would be an uninteresting experiment, and I am not sure the block slap adds much. Funnily, I often see long levels with interesting rooms that I feel like would be better off as individual levels, but this one feels the opposite, as I think the idea is not poor but would work best as just one room in a larger level. Overall it feels like an experiment with what kind of weird things block slaps could be used for, and I feel the very first room in 'Squares' uses the idea even better.
Specific Gravity
- J.B. Lewis
This level pulls me in two directions: I want to like it because it has some novel ideas, but I also don't want to like it because it contains some aspects I don't enjoy at all. My main problem is with the strict room order. In levels like this I would prefer I could go explore each room in the order I want, and if I mess up I could try something else before managing to put together a complete solution. I'll quickly comment on each of the rooms. I like the beginning; the timing of manipulating the Fireball works nicely, and you always exit the room with the same direction set on the force floors. I don't like the NE trap room; I feel it is too simple, and the idea could be explored in a more interesting way with more force floors. I don't like the Ice+block room either, and it feels a lot like the NE room except with memory issues. Why are both rooms so easily cooked if you make a mistake? I would prefer more room for error and freedom of experimenting with crazy solutions. I feel the yellow key room is a bit redundant, though it is clever that you shouldn't take the 'gravity boots'; however the setup makes it pretty obvious you shouldn't touch them and there is no place that feels you need them either. I do however like the bottom two rooms, the one with the Walker and then the Fireball; this concept is the star of the level and makes me wish the Fireball maze was larger. Overall I feel the level has some good moments and potential, but with more time and feedback you could've made this into a terrific experience!
Swiped Away
- Syzygy
This is an interesting take on moving blocks around in tight corridors. At first glance it seems like it doesn't differ much from just having a single bomb guarding each chip, which would work just as well in MS; however, there are a few places where the need for a block slap to reach the chip brings something new to the table, in particular the manipulation of the blocks at (14,8) and (20,12). This was a fun discovery, and even more focus on such arrangements would have been welcome. A couple negatives to note: I would maybe have liked this a bit more if it was even smaller and shorter, and don't expect everyone to like this sort of block pushing. Overall I feel the concept is sound (and would work very well as part of a larger level too), and the level managed to find a couple new block maneuvers.
Sub Station Alpha
- Syzygy
This level managed to collect many eclectic rooms together. Though many parts felt like they could be made to work in MS as well, there was always a small reason why in this configuration they didn't. I know it's a trend to justify some sort of guess work in a level by saying the player should window shop more, but my opinion of the start of this level is that all it manages to do is make the player feel stupid if they fail to do that. For me, it would be much simpler and more fun to not make me question what to do with the block (which I don't know has a trap button under it), but rather set it up so that it is clear you aren't supposed to push it down into the bombs. I like the Glider hidden in a blue wall maze. I was careful not to allow the Fireball to erase the blue key, but felt that this tension could work even in a room that was a bit larger. At first the block+trap room had me confused as I didn't know how the traps connected, but it worked out as there was really only one thing to try (though I suspect that the room is not beginner friendly if they don't know about blocks sliding off traps in Lynx). One last note about general level design philosophy: I don't like the use of a teleport here. I would prefer that the upper part of the level were simply moved to the other side of the map and maybe some of the rooms would be rotated or flipped if they fit better. The resulting game play would be more intuitive, as going through a teleport always makes me recalibrate my surroundings and wears me down. Overall I felt the level was fun, but lacked any part that really stood out as brilliant.
Silhouettes de 101 Apparitions
- Syzygy
I'm sorry, I didn't play this level. You submitted so many levels and this one looked so involved that I chose to skip it. Another reason for this was that you submitted both MS and Lynx versions of this level, so I was not sure if it was a level that really explored the differences in the rules or just a level that happens to not work in both at the same time. Like for example one difference in the Lynx and MS versions that I see in the editor is the use of Gliders vs Bugs to press some buttons; is the difference in game play really that large that there is a reason not to simply use Bugs here and allow the room to be solvable in both rules? If not, then I feel it doesn't quite contribute well to the theme of this competition. Overall, I'm happy this competition inspired you to make this level, but unfortunately it managed to slip through the cracks this time.
Next time I will move onto the MS levels
If you've played these levels, or made them, don't be afraid to share your thoughts before I come up with some sort of ranking for the participants. You might notice that complaining about other people's creations can be fun! 
-Miika
Squares
- IceyLava108
This is a fun short level. It uses a lot of block slaps to move a couple blocks around. That's also its problem, it uses it just a bit too much. I like the first half of the first room but it gets repetitive quickly (all four sides work similarly, and you need to go around twice). I like the second room and it makes me feel there is more potential in this theme of thieves and block slaps. It might have been cool if you had connected the two rooms together in a way that Chip would be manipulating the same block throughout the level. Overall I like the length of the level and the design showcased some things that felt nice to play.
Bonfire
- IceyLava108
Of your two Lynx submissions, this one was the weaker one. It requires block slaps to manipulate the direction four slow streams of fireballs. Without the fire, this would be an uninteresting experiment, and I am not sure the block slap adds much. Funnily, I often see long levels with interesting rooms that I feel like would be better off as individual levels, but this one feels the opposite, as I think the idea is not poor but would work best as just one room in a larger level. Overall it feels like an experiment with what kind of weird things block slaps could be used for, and I feel the very first room in 'Squares' uses the idea even better.
Specific Gravity
- J.B. Lewis
This level pulls me in two directions: I want to like it because it has some novel ideas, but I also don't want to like it because it contains some aspects I don't enjoy at all. My main problem is with the strict room order. In levels like this I would prefer I could go explore each room in the order I want, and if I mess up I could try something else before managing to put together a complete solution. I'll quickly comment on each of the rooms. I like the beginning; the timing of manipulating the Fireball works nicely, and you always exit the room with the same direction set on the force floors. I don't like the NE trap room; I feel it is too simple, and the idea could be explored in a more interesting way with more force floors. I don't like the Ice+block room either, and it feels a lot like the NE room except with memory issues. Why are both rooms so easily cooked if you make a mistake? I would prefer more room for error and freedom of experimenting with crazy solutions. I feel the yellow key room is a bit redundant, though it is clever that you shouldn't take the 'gravity boots'; however the setup makes it pretty obvious you shouldn't touch them and there is no place that feels you need them either. I do however like the bottom two rooms, the one with the Walker and then the Fireball; this concept is the star of the level and makes me wish the Fireball maze was larger. Overall I feel the level has some good moments and potential, but with more time and feedback you could've made this into a terrific experience!
Swiped Away
- Syzygy
This is an interesting take on moving blocks around in tight corridors. At first glance it seems like it doesn't differ much from just having a single bomb guarding each chip, which would work just as well in MS; however, there are a few places where the need for a block slap to reach the chip brings something new to the table, in particular the manipulation of the blocks at (14,8) and (20,12). This was a fun discovery, and even more focus on such arrangements would have been welcome. A couple negatives to note: I would maybe have liked this a bit more if it was even smaller and shorter, and don't expect everyone to like this sort of block pushing. Overall I feel the concept is sound (and would work very well as part of a larger level too), and the level managed to find a couple new block maneuvers.
Sub Station Alpha
- Syzygy
This level managed to collect many eclectic rooms together. Though many parts felt like they could be made to work in MS as well, there was always a small reason why in this configuration they didn't. I know it's a trend to justify some sort of guess work in a level by saying the player should window shop more, but my opinion of the start of this level is that all it manages to do is make the player feel stupid if they fail to do that. For me, it would be much simpler and more fun to not make me question what to do with the block (which I don't know has a trap button under it), but rather set it up so that it is clear you aren't supposed to push it down into the bombs. I like the Glider hidden in a blue wall maze. I was careful not to allow the Fireball to erase the blue key, but felt that this tension could work even in a room that was a bit larger. At first the block+trap room had me confused as I didn't know how the traps connected, but it worked out as there was really only one thing to try (though I suspect that the room is not beginner friendly if they don't know about blocks sliding off traps in Lynx). One last note about general level design philosophy: I don't like the use of a teleport here. I would prefer that the upper part of the level were simply moved to the other side of the map and maybe some of the rooms would be rotated or flipped if they fit better. The resulting game play would be more intuitive, as going through a teleport always makes me recalibrate my surroundings and wears me down. Overall I felt the level was fun, but lacked any part that really stood out as brilliant.
Silhouettes de 101 Apparitions
- Syzygy
I'm sorry, I didn't play this level. You submitted so many levels and this one looked so involved that I chose to skip it. Another reason for this was that you submitted both MS and Lynx versions of this level, so I was not sure if it was a level that really explored the differences in the rules or just a level that happens to not work in both at the same time. Like for example one difference in the Lynx and MS versions that I see in the editor is the use of Gliders vs Bugs to press some buttons; is the difference in game play really that large that there is a reason not to simply use Bugs here and allow the room to be solvable in both rules? If not, then I feel it doesn't quite contribute well to the theme of this competition. Overall, I'm happy this competition inspired you to make this level, but unfortunately it managed to slip through the cracks this time.
Next time I will move onto the MS levels
If you've played these levels, or made them, don't be afraid to share your thoughts before I come up with some sort of ranking for the participants. You might notice that complaining about other people's creations can be fun! -Miika