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[Derek]

Current build/development stage: Milestone Two Build.

Balding's Quest: the Quest of Guy Balding

For an introduction to the project, along with the ground rules, click here.

Level Design:

It seemed like it might be necessary to organize all of our level design stuff into one place.  The Milestone 2 thread was getting a bit big, anyway.  We'll keep that thread alive for stuff pertaining to the completion of the M2 goals, but anything else that pertains to the design of the levels (including graphics and maps) goes here.

What I'm going to do is start breaking things down by level.  I'll take all the ideas (at least the ones that make the most sense) from the M2 thread and start filing them away based on what I think is the most appropriate place for them.  Then the community can fight about what's right and what's not, what should be added or taken away, etc.  Hopefully by the end of this thread we'll have pared things down nicely.

Without Arne it's going to be kind of an experiment in crowd-sourcing level design, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work!  I see there as being 3 types of people who will contribute in a big way to this part of the game creation.  Keep in mind you may fall into all three of these categories.  Arne definitely fell into all three, which is why we love him so much, but even if you do just one thing, you will be invaluable.

Idea People: It's easy!  Come up with ideas (enemies, objects, traps, mechanics, etc.), share your opinions.  Add, take away, massage, tweak, opinionate.  We need as many of these as possible!

Artists: Arne seems busy as hell, but there's no reason why we should wait for him.  Let's get some pixel artists going at some of these levels.  What we could use are mockups like the ones Arne made and also objects that could go in levels (statues, platforms, etc.).  There are plenty of style references for you to work from!  Follow them as close as you can.

Designers: We need people who can actually put levels together, whether on graph paper or in MS Paint or just in text.  But coming up with fun levels that make the most of the engine and all its (intentional) limitations is crucial to making this game work.

How's that sound?  Alright, here's what we've got going so far:

// Note!  None of your level designs have to adhere to this map.  The final map will be based on the levels we design and not the other way around.  This is just a guideline.  Sorry for any confusion.



A1: Forest & Temple Gate
Graphics: a gate into the temple
Enemies: dragonfly, gargoyle
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

A2: Forest





Graphics: trees, branches, vines
Enemies: spiders, snakes,
Traps: quicksand
Items: ...
Mechanics: swinging on vines (ala Pitfall)

A3: Forest and House Lawn



Graphics: ...
Enemies: dog
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

A4: House



Graphics: ...
Enemies: cats, angry housemates
Traps: flying toast
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

A5: Barn
Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: buzzsaws, horse crap!
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

A6: Factory
Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: pistons, spinning cogs, flame spurts
Items: ...
Mechanics: darkness / light switches

B1: Temple





Graphics: ruins, statues
Enemies: ...
Traps: arrow trap, spikes, floor plates
Items: ...
Mechanics: fake walls

B3: Cellar



Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: lasers, zappy traps
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

B5: Laboratory





Graphics: beakers, bubbly liquids
Enemies: mutants
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

B6: Processing





Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

C1: Ice
Graphics: falling snowflakes
Enemies: yeti
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: slippery surfaces

C3a: The Dungeon



C3b: Sewers



Graphics: ...
Enemies: slimes, rats
Traps: steam leaks
Items: ...
Mechanics: swimming

C6: Storage





Graphics: ...
Enemies: robots
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: moving platforms

D3: Caves





Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: rolling boulders, falling rocks, stalactites
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

E1: Boss
Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

E3: Lava



Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: crumbling rocks, lava!
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

E5: Alien
Graphics: ...
Enemies: aliens, saucers
Traps: ...
Items: jetpack
Mechanics: reversing gravity

E6: Bonus Levels







Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: ...
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

Other Ideas

• Timed events, "hurry up!" type events and enemies
• ...

[Derek]

By the way, "The Dungeon" could totally fit in somewhere as one of the Sewer levels (or wherever else it kinda makes sense).

[Akhel]

A5: Barn
Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: buzzsaws, horse crap!
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

Oh my god you did. :D
I'll try to sketch something. The tiles are 8x8, right? How many tiles per screen?

[Bezzy]

A5: Barn
Graphics: ...
Enemies: ...
Traps: buzzsaws, horse crap!
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

Oh my god you did. :D
I'll try to sketch something. The tiles are 8x8, right? How many tiles per screen?

Surely you should be asking "How many shits per pixel?".

[Akhel]

Oh, I already know the answer for that.
How big is the shit we're talking about?

[lowpoly]

somewhere there needs to be giant, blinking IBM mainframes and spinning tape drive reels. Kinda like the Hatch in Lost.

In fact, just recreate the Hatch! (giant magnets, a countdown timer, blast doors that can be rigged, a secret underground passageway, small 70's living quarters)

[Akhel]

somewhere there needs to be giant, blinking IBM mainframes and spinning tape drive reels. Kinda like the Hatch in Lost.

In fact, just recreate the Hatch! (giant magnets, a countdown timer, blast doors that can be rigged, a secret underground passageway, small 70's living quarters)

[vitaminNewB]

few Ideas

A1: Forest & Temple Gate
Graphics: fairy, firefly, pixie dust (atmosphere), mushrooms
Enemies: scorpion, club wielding guy (natives), mushroom head man, big feet furballs,  giant caterpillar
Traps: fire/steam, vine net trap
Items: ...
Mechanics:  torches, shaky bridge w/ loose boards (?)

(Not sure if all of these would fit in one area though.)
 

A5: Barn
need some chickens!


A6: Factory
Graphics: ...
Enemies:  wrench man, electric sparks, blow torch man, supervisor man
Traps: spinning drill bit (pops up out of ground)
Items: ...
Mechanics: steam pipe, conveyor belt w/ crates falling off and breaking

[Xion]

More Ideas:

A3: Forest and House Lawn
Graphics: ...
Enemies: dog, lawnmower, cannibal flower
Traps: pollen, anthill, doggy doodoo,
Items: ...
Mechanics: periodic weather changes(?) (like, when it rains, the dog goes to his doghouse, but [giant] worms come out.)

A4: House
Graphics: ...
Enemies: cats, angry housemates, vacuum cleaner
Traps: flying toast, chandelier?, food (makes you fat)
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

C1: Ice
Graphics: falling snowflakes
Enemies: yeti, coyote/wolf
Traps: fishing holes, falling icicles
Items: ...
Mechanics: slippery surfaces

D3: Caves
Graphics: ...
Enemies: stone golems
Traps: rolling boulders, falling rocks, stalactites
Items: ...
Mechanics: "earthquake" switches that open/close passages

Big questionmark?

[Bezzy]

C1: Ice
Graphics: falling snowflakes
Enemies: yeti, coyote/wolf
Traps: fishing holes, falling icicles
Items: ...
Mechanics: slippery surfaces

C1: Ice
Graphics: falling snowflakes
Enemies: yeti, coyote/wolf
Traps: fishing holes, falling icicles
Items: ...
Mechanics: slippery surfaces, defeat wolves by getting them to charge at you, and then skid into spikes, rocks... so they have a low acceleration and high top speed as they scramble to attack you.

[Xion]

Ehhhh...maybe some ideas for the dog on the lawn level?

Wasn't sure which was best. Now that I look at 'em they almost look cavestory-ish. Kinda huge too, compared to Baldy.
(Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in Milestone 2. I mean, this really wouldn't be much a part of the Milestone 2 reqs., would it?)

Are the BGs for all levels gonna be just black/a single color? I mean, aside from those grey details. Blue skies?

[Joriz::]

Hey guys,

I've been keeping an eye on your projects for a while now, and I'm quite impressed. I would like to help out by designing some levels, and maybe some of their graphics as well.

I'm not really picky, but the factory, temple, lava, and ice levels seem interesting, so maybe I can help you out on those?

[Derek]

Ehhhh...maybe some ideas for the dog on the lawn level?

Wasn't sure which was best. Now that I look at 'em they almost look cavestory-ish. Kinda huge too, compared to Baldy.
(Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in Milestone 2. I mean, this really wouldn't be much a part of the Milestone 2 reqs., would it?)

Are the BGs for all levels gonna be just black/a single color? I mean, aside from those grey details. Blue skies?

Awesome dog!  I like the one in the doghouse.  The mean one is probably good as an enemy, though.  Blue skies are great, btw.  I don't think there's any problem with using different colored bg's, as long as it fits the style of the game.

Hey guys,

I've been keeping an eye on your projects for a while now, and I'm quite impressed. I would like to help out by designing some levels, and maybe some of their graphics as well.

I'm not really picky, but the factory, temple, lava, and ice levels seem interesting, so maybe I can help you out on those?

You can help out on anything!  I was talking with Brandon, and nothing is set in stone... we can even add other levels as we see fit, I think (like "The Dungeon").  The idea right now is just to brainstorm.

I've been working on The Dungeon a _wee_ bit myself, during my breaks.  Will debut that in the M2 thread, soon, I think.

[Derek]

A4: House
Graphics: ...
Enemies: cats, angry housemates, vacuum cleaner
Traps: flying toast, chandelier?, food (makes you fat)
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

I like the idea of having to eat a bunch of food to get fat and somehow using that to get past an area.  Like maybe to break through a weak floor?  That'd be awesome. :D

[Zaphos]

A4: House
Graphics: ...
Enemies: cats, angry housemates, vacuum cleaner
Traps: flying toast, chandelier?, food (makes you fat)
Items: ...
Mechanics: ...

I like the idea of having to eat a bunch of food to get fat and somehow using that to get past an area.  Like maybe to break through a weak floor?  That'd be awesome. :D

Maybe he should get soo fat that he's basically spherical, and then the player can control him by rolling him around.  He has newfound crushing and breaking powers, but then there's a timer counting down, and if he doesn't get to the bathroom by the end of it, he dies!  (We don't see him while in the bathroom -- he just emerges and he's normal size again.)

[Akhel]

Uh... so... I sketched up a level using the same size as Arne in the original design document. I think it could be sewers. Obviously, feel free to change anything or not to use it at all.

I'm using basically the same color pattern as Arne: Yellow is obstacles; brown is ladders; grey is a door; white is the key that open grey doors; red is enemy; cyan is points/treasure/whatever good; red is enemy or trap; light green is what you have to get to get out of the level. Also, dark green is a door that opens and closes every ~2 seconds (GB can be crushed by them), blue is water, the darker brown is a trampoline and purple is a platform that rockets eight tiles up when you stand on it for a second.

Expected level flow:

Guy Balding starts on the top-left corner, next to the uppermost ladder. He climbs down, perhaps gets some timing right to get the treasure beneath the dark green doors, gets past the broken ladder (the one above the huge fall), climbs down and up again and jumps on the water. The fish (red) swiftly chases him, but he manages to escape (for the player to be able to escape, he'd have to jump when the fish is near the bottom). Mister Balding then leaves the fish behind and proceeds, jumping over the traps (three next red squares) and grabbing another treasure.

Hey, Balding Boy, what is that? The fish just grabbed that underwater key! Our hero climbs back all the way up and bravely jumps on the fish's head. The foe, surprised, spits out the key, which Guy quickly takes.

He doesn't climb the first ladder because he notices the enemy and the obvious lack of anything useful up there, but he does climb the second one. After grabbing all three treasures, he decides to take a chance and fall on the apparently puffy enemy. Good thinking, Guy! He falls right on the critter and bounces back up all the five tiles he needed to reach the key. He takes it, bounces again to get back to where he was and goes all the way down back to the lower level.

Skilfully dodging the three jumping menaces, he then grabs the next treasure, using the platforms above to evade the next enemy. Balding climbs up, grabs one last and deserved treasure and falls on the trampoline, not getting hurt. Had he jumped right away, he'd get boosted up and his head would meet the not-very-friendly Mr. Spike.

Finally, GB picks the last key up, uses the elevator to grab onto the broken ladder, climbs up, opens the three doors, gets what he was searching for (his game?) and goes out through the same hole in the ceiling he used to get in.



What you think?

...

...holy crap. I was just about to press the "post" button when I realized GB is almost two tiles high.

Stupid me. 

Well, I think this level could be used in some bonus screen where the character gets... smaller... and jumps higher... or something. If not, that's fine.

[BMcC]

Easy Solution:  Use the actual screen size, and add a little more height to the ceilings.

(Why wouldn't you use the real game screen size to begin with, I wonder?  )

EDIT:  I really like the big fish swimming around, and having to wait 'til it's at the bottom.  (Though, the water is supposed to be solid... Hm.)

This is a good start!

[Akhel]

Isn't it 256x160, which is 32x20 tiles?
I made it in 32x20 size so it would be easier to draw and then enlarged it.

And yeah, I'll try to heighten the ceilings.

(@Edit: Thanks! )

[BMcC]

It's 256x192 px, so 32x24 tiles.

That only gives you four more rows to play with though, so edit wisely. 

[Akhel]

Awesome!

Everything the same, except for the bright yellow square, which is a switch used to deactivate the barrier on the upper right corner (two red squares), and the pink boosting tile, which now boosts ten tiles up.

Expected level flow:
(some things are better explained on the first one)

Guy Balding is back, and now he can actually stand! He climbs down the ladder right next to him and keeps going forward, for he understands there is no reason to use the ladders yet. He climbs down the last ladder, ducks, climbs up and picks up the first key.

This key is perhaps some kind of trap, for if the player uses it to open one of the three doors guarding the bright green square, his progress will be stalled. The player notices it, and Balding uses the key to open the door next to the bright yellow square instead. He activates the switch and decides to try and grab the treasure beyond the dark green doors, which keep opening and closing rhythmically. They are kind of tricky to get past of, but he manages to do it.

He goes all the way up again, waits until the fish is near the bottom to jump on the water so he can escape, climbs the ladder to get out and goes through the now deactivated barrier (laser barrier? stone door?), climbs down the stairs and notices the fish has grabbed the submerged key. He goes back and jumps on the fish, which spits the key to the surface. GB grabs it, climbs down once again, jumps over the trap, evades the falling something, jumps over the jumping enemies and grabs a treasure while doing so and reaches the lowest level.

Balding climbs the second ladder, grabs the treasure, climbs up again, grabs yet another treasure, jumps right on the enemy below, bounces up, grabs the key, bounces on the enemy again and goes all the way back down.

He then evades the three jumping/shooting foes, grabs the treasure and dodges the enemy by jumping back, climbs up, falls on the trampoline, not taking any damage, takes the key, uses the elevator to grab the broken ladder, opens the three grey doors, picks up his game or whatever and goes away using the ladder next to the starting point.

...better?