Microwave Pack - Discussion

[Ihavenoname248]

Whitepoint (#2): This is just a blast to play.

Maze Maker (#5): I used to really like this level, and then I got better at optimizing... I quickly realized that you could clear a lot more than the 'maze' path by making a path with a lot of turns near the start, and that was it for the level. Then it just became picking up chips for almost a minute- nothing too interesting there. I think the beginning of Shemozzle does the concept better.

Windowsill Tears (#7): 0 chips on the counter, chips everywhere, and every chip must be picked up to solve. I don't know if that was intentional, but if it was that's an amazing design decision that actually complements the Shattered-esque gameplay. Unsurprisingly, it was designed by the same person.

Bomber's Maze (#13): Honestly... I don't know what I was thinking with this. There's some heavy guesswork and planning required to be able to reach the flippers, at which point the level kind of unravels. It's pretty good for the process, but unfortunately that means it's merely "okay".

#22 (Wastelands of Tabora): there aren't too many places in which dirt has to be cleared a specific way, other than one close to the start.

Fun fact: there's actually zero places where clearing a specific dirt tile cooks the level. You still have a block that can replace the "critical" dirt for the teeth section! And if that's referring to the "must clear the starting room" part...well, the blocks do somewhat hint towards that.

Another fun fact: Tabora is the name of the desert planet in the second Ratchet and Clank game- and it has a huge open desert with lots of crystals to collect, and a really neat side area that weaves back through this open area. Of course, that similarity is coincidental as I went to design a dirt level and then named it afterwards!

My only real regret with the design is that I didn't decide to avoid walls as much as possible until about a third of the way through the process, and I couldn't remove the walls from the starting areas...

Hairline Fracture (#25): It's a Stress Fracture ripoff! The only cleverness here is the partial post, which... is okay I guess? Stress Fracture had such a neat concept that I think another level in its style would be a good fit, but I don't think that level is this one, or even exists yet. Can't wait to see a CC2 element Stress Fracture though, J.B.

Fragmentary Airmail (#34): Not a fan of the first fireball room- after needing to get two blocks in position twice, you're given two blocks and a bomb. The correct answer is not the obvious "blow up the bomb with the fireball" but instead "use a block and then get the fireball through everything". The rest of the level isn't terribly interesting either, just setting up more easy partial posts and no real connecting aesthetics.

Grudge (#35): Oh man, this is a tough melee level. There's some nice puzzle elements of thinking ahead here too that make it quite fun to play.

Favorite level: Wastelands of Tabora (#22)

Favorite level, not designed by me: Japanese Game Show (#49)

Least favorite: Extraction (#41) (I did not enjoy playing this level. It's well designed, but I just do not like it.)

[ajmiam]

I agree with JB, not too many levels in this pack really wowed me. I only gave out three 5s, and even those levels just barely earned them in my opinion.

Some of my favorites for this pack:

#6 Go Swimming: This level is full of puzzle types that we've seen before, but they're good puzzle types (well, except for the cloning part), and I think the level implements them well. I thought "Trail Master" was a good concept that was stretched on for far, FAR too long in its namesake level, and this level keeps it more manageable in scale while giving you as many tries as you need. That part was still challenging for me, but felt good to beat.

#10 Security Gates: Unlike some itemswappers that have you running around a big area, here the puzzles are self-contained...or are they? Well, in any case, there are defined points beyond which you know you don't need to backtrack, which are nice. The gates start off very simple but by the end really ask you to consider carefully how all of the available items can be used to your advantage. I liked how the puzzle ramped up in difficulty this way.

#24 Colorblind Dog: I believe this key puzzle has many solutions, as I was basically able to improvise as I went along. That's welcome, and there's something I liked about picking up extra keys by entering the space between the rooms.

#33 Chant of Sapphires: Something about having the choice--either find a way around every key, or take the easy way out and pick some of them up--made this blue wall maze play in a way I liked more than usual.

#46 White Noise: A nice easy level with a variety of ice mazes that aren't too big or too tough to wear out their welcome. I especially like how each time you are returned to the center room, you're lined up to go through the teleport in a new direction so you probably won't accidentally die by taking the same path twice. Also the aesthetics manage to waste a lot of space without making it obvious, so you initially think the level is larger than it really is. Kind of cool.

Honorable mention:

#22 Wastelands of Tabora: I agree with JB that opening multiple paths to the starting room is really enjoyable. This level both looks and plays well, but my enthusiasm for it was dulled a bit when I failed to realize I had to save the walker in the trap at (6, 22) for the second bomb rather than the first. I didn't quite feel like playing it again. But that mistake was mostly my fault, so the level still gets a good score.

[RB3ProKeys]

Thoughts on the levels:


1 - Symmetry has the power to make an otherwise easy level somewhat difficult, and I believe it gives this beautiful level the push it needs to move from nothing special to noteworthy.


2 - As much as I enjoy navigating levels with broken force floor paths, this level isn't that fun to navigate and the dirt just reminds me that bugs could've been placed to make the level more interesting.


3 - It's nice that you can't get stuck and the time limit is just right for an invisible wall maze of this size. Kinda feels like a cross of STRIPES? and TRINITY.


4 - I don't mind the long corridors since the level as a whole is pretty great to play.


5 - I'm glad that only some of the chips are required, but I think the chip count is a bit too low and it takes away from the rush you get from collecting chips while dodging walkers since you can just lead them to a large area and mine the rest of the level.


6 - The puzzles in this level don't work well together. They're fun individually, but the level as a whole just feels weird.


7 - Works well as a breather level. It's fun, short, simple, and it pretty much solves itself.


8 - One of the better maze levels.


9 - Not much of a challenge and not much fun to play.


10 - Got boring after the first couple gates.


11 - The difficulty is sort of diminished since you can just corral the teeth into a corner, but the level might work very early in the set.


12 - I like that the paths get more complex.


13 - You're good when you get to the flippers, which isn't that hard anyway, so I would keep this in mind.


14 - Could be a lesson in bugs, but the concept is too simple to serve any other purpose in the set.


15 - The ball room is pretty extra, but the rest of the level is great.


16 - Even though there are probably other levels just as good, I really liked solving this one and wouldn't mind seeing it in the final set.


17 - Took me longer to solve than it probably should have, but very fun to solve.

18 - The time limit on this is way too high, and there are better levels with this concept.

19 - Somehow exciting and dull at the same time.

20 - Just an all around great level.

21 - I didn't like this level as much at first because it's mostly, or all, chip collecting, but it kinda grew on me.

22 - A big long sokoban with melee and itemswapping mixed in, and the walls move? Yes please.

23 - Could be a great refresher on monster interactions.

24 - Feels like a LESSON 1 candidate, if necessary.

25 - This level looks nice and it plays alright.

26 - Uh, no. Why is this even in voting?

27 - I like that there's more to this level than just chip collecting.

28 - Too bad it's mostly just waiting.

29 - The best part of this level is the feeling like you're mining for the key and boots.

30 - Could be a LESSON 4 level if needed.

31 - Not much of a puzzle, but still fun to play.

32 - This level implements the four level themes very well and is just an all around fun level to play.

33 - Probably one of the better blue wall mazes.

34 - Probably one of the best levels in this pack.

35 - There are some risky moments in this level, but that just adds to the excitement and fun.

36 - I would recommend this level for an early slot in the final set.

37 - I might like this level more if there weren't so many hidden walls, but the little vaults of chips are kinda fun to raid.

38 - Nothing special.

39 - The random elements make it a little tough, especially with the cramped spaces, but I happen to like random elements and blue.

40 - Who knew such a short level could be so much fun to figure out?

41 - One of my favorite sokoban levels in voting.

42 - Nothing special.

43 - One of the better mazes.

44 - The only monster that really got in my way was the teeth in the SW, and that was only because I wasn't really paying attention. The rest of the level is nice to play. Might work as a breather level.

45 - I thought I wouldn't like this level, but I did in the end.

46 - Pretty good ice level.

47 - Didn't notice the time limit the first time I played. That's the only thing preventing me from reducing my rating for this level.

48 - Good concepts in this level.

49 - Nice collection of miscellaneous puzzles.

50 - The time limit on this level is probably irrelevant. If you haven't found the exit already, then you probably won't be able to on that playthrough.

[Flareon350]

2 - As much as I enjoy navigating levels with broken force floor paths, this level isn't that fun to navigate and the dirt just reminds me that bugs could've been placed to make the level more interesting.

I don't really see how putting bugs you'd have to avoid in place of simple dirt spots would make this more interesting. If anything, it would just make it a bad level.

[RB3ProKeys]

That's because you think I meant replacing the dirt with bugs, which is not at all what I meant.

[Flareon350]

What did you mean then? Bugs around the dirt?

[RB3ProKeys]

I was really just talking about a couple bugs in the northwest area where they would actually make an impact, but I see now that only a couple bugs in only a small part of the map is pretty much pointless.