December 2015 Create Competition - First Impressions
#5
It's not 2016 yet? Fail

Yes, basically make a level that looks good in an editor, but I will also test the levels before ranking them. Honestly, this theme comes from not wanting to spend hours upon hours judging the competition, but it doesn't mean I don't think it will result in some cool new levels.

To give you more of an idea what random stuff I might be judging, I looked at CCLP1 with this sort of judging in mind, and here are a few levels that stood out:

#7, Under Pressure
: This looks very simple, but the button placement and single glider intrigued me to wonder how it all might work together. After playing it, it did not turn out to be quite as exciting as it was in my head at first.



#10, Graduation
: It's quickly clear what this level is about, going linearly through simple tasks. Understanding that this is meant as a review of the game mechanics (partly due to the name), I know this level fulfills its purpose even before I play it.



#13, The Monster Cages
: The monsters here are confined but not knowing exactly what interactions Chip can have with them gets me excited to try. Note that they are still placed in a way that isn't too chaotic to scare me away.



#22, Repair the Maze
: I see it's a maze, but with a twist. It's a puzzle, I love those! I quickly count the number of keys and where they are absolutely required and am a bit disappointed that only a couple are extra, but still know this to be a fun level on many levels. I get some of the same initial vibe from Sapphire Cavern
(#46), but after playing them this one feels more interesting as the use of space fits better with the challenge. It would be hard to say that without playing through the two levels.



#28, The Last Starfighter
: This doesn't look too special in an editor, but once I start playing it, I realize it is a level about the experience. The sound effects alone are cool, which is an aspect often overlooked in design.



#31, Quincunx
: I quickly see this is a level I won't like. Sure the topology is a bit interesting, but it is only used to collect chips, instead of say a item swapper. At least it's quickly clear that this is a level for a different audience than me, so I am not as disappointed when I do play the level. (Would still rank it low, but would understand if someone else liked it.)



#41, Descending Ceiling
: The map tells you exactly what's going to happen. It gets me excited to try how far I can get on each cycle. I won't find out if this is annoying or not until I play far into the level, so the initial impression is pretty positive.



#49, 49 Cell
: This looks annoying. Will the monsters be a nuisance? It's hard to quickly tell how the forcefloors restrict Chip's movement between the rooms. At least it has some symmetry, but nothing here excites me to try the level and find out that it actually is pretty fun.



#59, Asterisk
: I like pop-up wall mazes and puzzles, so this initially excited me. After playing for a minute, I'm a bit disappointed that the solution was pretty easy. Finding/creating a difficult yet elegant puzzle like this is not a given, so I it's not a bad level though.



#68, Flames and Ashes
: I see that it's a puzzle where I need to lead the fireball to the bomb. Such a clear goal and am eager to try the execution!



#75, ToggleTank
: This also feels like a dynamic puzzle. Playing it ultimately has me feeling it could be developed further to find more interesting arrangements of toggles and blocks, but the concept definitely got me interested.



#102, Frozen in Time
: The levels in this set are getting more complex, so it's harder to form clear impressions of what's going to happen in the level when played. In those cases, most often the impression of the level is "ok so Chip goes there and there and there and does this but I'm not sure what the actual challenge is or if there are some huge complications on the way". It doesn't mean the level will be bad, it's just hard to know this quickly from the map. This level however, manages to surprise me within the first seconds of playing it especially after looking at the map, or even just the starting screen. In that sense the first moments with this level stand out from many others that look similar.



#114, Comfort Zone
: This looks really fun. In a way I'm afraid to say that because all the entries to this competition will just be littered with similar setups, but this combination of dodging and logic looks like it could have the makings of something truly awesome.



#122, Jeepers Creepers
: This looks like a fun way to build a maze. I can see it provides both reward for being careful and chances to be adventurous with the teeth. I'm a bit scared it fills the whole level, but it would still stand out from a set as a level I'd like to try.



#126, Peek-a-Boo
: The symmetry first catches the eye and the use of space has me wondering what type of item swapper this will be. I try to map it out in my head, but miss something and get confused. The complexity is just right to require actually playing it and I know there won't be any big surprises or dodging, so I will feel comfortable I know what I am getting into when I try it.



#130, Dynamite
: The objective is clear at first glance and there seem to be more than enough blocks. I know before playing it that I will need to think some, but not be too absolutely optimal, which feels nice.



#140, Automatic (Caution) Doors
: This looks like a mess. I mean I don't have a clue what playing this will feel like just by looking at the map. The mechanism is just a bit too complex to really grasp without testing it. Ok, so I test it for a minute. I get it now! But if this was all I was judging the level on, I wouldn't know what puzzles lie ahead. I think my assessment of the level would end up being pretty cautious and I wouldn't be able to appreciate this as a masterpiece.



Hopefully that gives you some idea on what I might be thinking when I first see a level. Granted, these were all levels I already knew, so my perspective with the entries might be very different Tongue At least I tried, so you should try and send something in too!
Reply


Messages In This Thread
December 2015 Create Competition - First Impressions - by M11k4 - 04-Dec-2015, 3:36 AM

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)