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Temporary => Knytt Stories Level Releases => Topic started by: Polana on February 14, 2021, 17:39:03

Title: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on February 14, 2021, 17:39:03
So these are two little levels I made some time ago to try some features in KS+, like foreground tiles. I went a bit overboard with it, especially with the Fishy one which is probably too fluffy and kitschy. There is no real plot, just some scenery and collecting of keys, but Red plants are not purely enviromental.

Anyway, I hope at least someone likes them.

Fishy (http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Polana%20-%20Fishy.knytt.bin)

Where the red plants grow (http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Polana%20-%20Where%20the%20red%20plants%20grow.knytt.bin)
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: pfrangip on February 15, 2021, 19:53:26
I rather enjoyed both levels. They are each charming, unique, and never wear out their welcome.

Fishy was the more beautiful of the two; the tileset was striking and engaging and visceral, it flowed very well with the undersea motif and default COs.

I personally preferred Where the red plants grow because I enjoyed the unassuming challenges and the short search-and-find.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Thanks for the levels, and I hope you continue to produce excellent content!
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on February 16, 2021, 19:36:24
Thanks, I'm glad you liked them.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: egomassive on February 16, 2021, 19:52:35
Fishy is nice. The graphics are so different from how KS levels tend to look, it's refreshing. The unusual design made it a little tricky to navigate. I don't think I'd want to play a large challenge level like this, but it works just fine for a small exploration level.

Where the Red Plants Grow is pretty. I found the vertical shaft on the right side a little frustrating. That's partly my fault. I didn't realize the kill zones were larger than the spikes. I must be rusty. It's always nice to see some of the lesser used default tilesets put to good use.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on February 18, 2021, 22:57:54
Thanks. I got stuck there too while replaying before uploading. Maybe I should've put the kill block into wall and not on the spikes. They're really smaller.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: PigeonVoyageur on February 20, 2021, 22:19:10
Comfy levels, a bit of precision required for plants grow but it went fine after a bit.

Nice to see older creators trying new stuff :)
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Purple Ink on March 03, 2021, 04:56:26
Wow I just replayed Many Islands a couple months ago and thought how nice another Polana level might be. And here are 2! :D

Great little levels. I got softlocked in Fishy but due to the nature of the level it wasn't a hugely frustrating thing.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on March 05, 2021, 23:08:52
Thanks guys!

I myself see fishy more like an excercise in building from unusual tileset than regular level.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: GrayFace on March 18, 2021, 00:00:43
Nice levels. I preferred Fishy, because it's more beautiful.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Comhon on March 27, 2021, 12:26:35
The level Fishy is very unique one, totally different from other KS levels. And one of the few ones that actually take place underwater. At start I was a bit confused distincting foreground from background tiles, but it was fine playthrough afterward. The other one I have not played yet, I will give a separate review later.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: SC on March 29, 2021, 00:17:37
Really liked both of these. I had the same problem that Ego did with Plants but other than that, it was a nice small level. I feel the tileset could use some tweaking imo, but that's a minor nitpick. I'd love to see this level expanded, possibly. Fishy was also good. My only major complaint about it is that there's no music or ambience, but other than that it was also a nice, small level. Good stuff all around!
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Comhon on March 30, 2021, 20:16:58
Where the red plants grow is a easy short level. It does have decent visuals, I liked how the red plants and creatures make contrast to the gloomy grey land. Overall, I like the your level design having perfectly balanced color palettes.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on March 31, 2021, 01:08:15
@GrayFace: Beautiful tileset, yes, but hard to build from. But people liking it made it worthy.

@ SC: "Official" reason for having no ambiance or music in Fishy is that Juni is underwater and thus can't really hear anything. Real reason, of course, is that I was too lazy to look for some free underwater ambiance like singing whales or something.
Yeah, that shaft is much harder than the rest of level and should have longer segments without spikes.
I am actually thinking about some larger level with this tileset (or some variation of it).

@ Comhon: There were originally some enemies in Fishy, but I decided to get rid of them just for this reason and make it purely enviromental, so confusing visuals won't be such problem. Colour palette in Red plants is more of a Nifflas' merit than mine, I merely used his tileset.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Hmpf on November 23, 2023, 22:55:32
I *love* Fishy! (I haven't played the other one yet.) Don't call it kitschy, it's not. Just pretty, in - yes - a pleasant and "accessible" way, but that doesn't make it kitschy. I just replayed it, not for the first time, and I'm sure not for the last time. I really enjoy the atmosphere and visuals. It uses two tilesets I love and combines them brilliantly, in a way that makes it feel like they were always intended to be used together. It also presents a nice variety of sub-environments.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Lucinda on November 24, 2023, 02:37:30
I agree that Fishy is great. Superb use of Stone Tiers tilesets
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: fabiche on November 24, 2023, 16:24:10
Very nice level and not kitshy at all ;-) Knytt stories needs more underwater levels
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Hmpf on November 25, 2023, 12:18:32
Ok! So, I've now played both, and I enjoy Where the Red Plants Grow a lot, too! I've always liked that tileset - it may not offer much variety of *types* of plants, but I always enjoy it when a tileset has a great variety of *one* type of plant, too. After all, it's not unusual to find places in nature that are dominated by one type of plant; yet no two plants are ever totally alike. And aesthetically, it's much easier to make something visually interesting when you have more than one configuration of an element available. But I digress into praising the tileset instead of the level...

So, I think the tileset was used very well here, both the choice of making the ground/walls consist of lots of separate blocks and the placement of plants, and I especially appreciated the underwater plants. (HOW??? The water object seems to be the default one, so it shouldn't be transparent..?! What am I missing?)

I also really like the use of the Nurykabe bridges tileset, which offers so many interesting possibilities.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on November 25, 2023, 20:54:20
Quote from: Hmpf on November 25, 2023, 12:18:32
So, I think the tileset was used very well here, both the choice of making the ground/walls consist of lots of separate blocks and the placement of plants, and I especially appreciated the underwater plants. (HOW??? The water object seems to be the default one, so it shouldn't be transparent..?! What am I missing?)

It's because of the overlay function in KS+, I put the plants on layer 2 and water on layer 4, enable overlay and voila - plants underwater. I use this function quite liberally in my upcoming KS+ level and emulate it in my also upcoming KSEx level because water without underwater stuff now looks so boring to me. Be careful though because it makes objects on layer 7 literally untouchable.

Also I'm really glad you like both of these two levels.
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Hmpf on November 25, 2023, 21:01:37
Quote from: Polana on November 25, 2023, 20:54:20
Quote from: Hmpf on November 25, 2023, 12:18:32
So, I think the tileset was used very well here, both the choice of making the ground/walls consist of lots of separate blocks and the placement of plants, and I especially appreciated the underwater plants. (HOW??? The water object seems to be the default one, so it shouldn't be transparent..?! What am I missing?)

It's because of the overlay function in KS+, I put the plants on layer 2 and water on layer 4, enable overlay and voila - plants underwater. I use this function quite liberally in my upcoming KS+ level

Seems like that is one KS+ function I urgently need to learn about...


Quote
and emulate it in my also upcoming KSEx

K...Sex? o.O

(I'm sorry, that was the part of my brain that is eternally 13 years old. But also, I really don't know what that means. Anyway, probably more of a convo for the Discord. :D)


Quote
level because water without underwater stuff now looks so boring to me. Be careful though because it makes objects on layer 7 literally untouchable.

Also I'm really glad you like both of these two levels.

It's great to come back to so much great stuff!
Title: Re: [Small][Misc][Easy/Normal][KS+] Two short levels
Post by: Polana on November 25, 2023, 21:21:39
Quote from: Hmpf on November 25, 2023, 21:01:37

K...Sex? o.O

(I'm sorry, that was the part of my brain that is eternally 13 years old. But also, I really don't know what that means. Anyway, probably more of a convo for the Discord. :D)


Sorry, it's  the other KS mod by GrayFace (https://nifflas.lp1.nl/index.php?topic=4253.0).