White City [Environmental]

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Offline Headgrinder

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White City [Environmental]
« on: January 08, 2012, 22:40:52 »
You awaken to a message, a memory written in light, and find yourself in a lost paradise:  the white city.


End attempt at a cleaver introduction.

This is my first attempt at a largeish (or medium?) level.  I started this thing a year ago today for a competition.  :D  I've actually had it done for something like 4 months, but I kept waiting on a piece of music from one or more friends which was never delivered.  So, I figured a year is the cut off point.  So here it is, the first level I've posted in a long time.   :D

http://www.knyttlevels.com/levels/HeadGrinder%20-%20White%20City%201.1.knytt.bin

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Offline Widget

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2012, 23:24:16 »
I've been running around for the past 15mins or so and really enjoyed it, though I'm pretty sure there's a lot I still need to find. I usually start to resent wandering through environmental levels 'cause I feel like I have nothing to do but between finding the powerups and the cryptic messages (to say nothing of exploring a truly beautiful map) I've already had a lot of fun with this.

I'd highly recommend this to everyone, even if you don't think you like environmental levels.

Edit: Finished the level now and I definitely stand by what I said. It's an eerily gorgeous place and the message is quite thought-provoking.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2012, 05:12:57 by Widget »

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Offline egomassive

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2012, 23:35:00 »
Another long awaited level is released. 2012 is off to a good start. Downloading...

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Offline ortoslon

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2012, 05:25:09 »
wallswim at running to the left from x1001y996

after reading several paragraphs I started avoiding cutscene lights because seconds spent reading badly written stuff are seconds spent not running through a beautiful place
« Last Edit: January 09, 2012, 05:30:22 by ortoslon »

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Offline Widget

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2012, 06:40:35 »
after reading several paragraphs I started avoiding cutscene lights because seconds spent reading badly written stuff are seconds spent not running through a beautiful place

I'd call that pretty harsh; while some of them would've benefited from another pass with a spellchecker I wouldn't call them badly written. I also think the level would've lost most of it's impact without the messages scattered around; as much so as if it had lacked its unifying visual theme.

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Offline Headgrinder

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2012, 14:07:46 »
Me and the english language, which is ironically my only language, have never gotten along well.  I prefer rules of spelling that make logical sense and I've always had a hard time memorizing irrational facts.  So I apologize for any misspellings.  Gimp doesn't have a spell checker and I though I had checked everything on Word.  Ah well. 

Thanks you both though for your input, and widget for your generous words.  I really appreciate it.

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Offline ortoslon

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2012, 17:18:10 »

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Offline Headgrinder

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2012, 13:14:29 »
Wow,  the first play through of one of my levels.   X-P

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Offline RichardJ

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2012, 16:09:32 »
I enjoyed this level a lot. The music was lovely and fit the ethereal nature of the world very well (except for the abrupt cutoffs every now and then). I thought the design was very good too - it felt so non-linear, but then I realised a lot of thought must have gone into it to guide the player towards powerups.
The only thing I didn't like so much was
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

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Offline Headgrinder

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2012, 23:50:19 »
thanks!  Abrupt music cut offs?  The only ones should be in the fall, the rest should be non-stop music.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2012, 01:00:03 »
What can I say other than very creative? Many ups, and only one important down.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Overall, a very good story.

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Offline yohji

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2012, 18:04:57 »
Gorgeous level here, certainly one of the very best ever. The top levels of the city would end up in my "best KS screens" list, no question about it :D Congratulations on such a beautiful job! Can't really add much to the comments posted above. I didn't really care about the few stray grammatical errors, probably wouldn't notice any if it weren't for the posts here.

Technical problems:
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

...I wonder if you have any other levels planned, hmm? ;)

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Offline Headgrinder

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2012, 13:39:25 »
Geeze, I'm really surprised how many errors keep being found.  I guess I'm just not as methodical as I thought I was.  Maybe too it comes from having a 2 year old who only stops for breath when he's sleeping.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

I guess I really should have had more beta testing, but I was just so dang ready to upload this thing.  At any rate, thank you so much for the comments!  If I never got a positive comment on a level, it would be real hard to keep making them.

I do have a half made level I'd like to finish, one at leas the size of White City, though probably strictly environmental without even a key and item maze (well, maybe, we'll see), but a lot more plot and cutsceen work.  I don't know when I'll start work on it again.

And I keep thinking I'll pick up the old TundraTrek Round Robin and get it as done as I can, just so it is done.  But again, I've had a lot of changes in my real life in the last year and I don't know when I'll get Knytting again. 

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Offline yohji

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2012, 23:24:14 »
Eh, I'm a bit late with this reply, am I not? Anyway, I know very well how real life can affect knytting - I've been working on two small levels for months now, and it's very frustrating. Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm looking forward to playing anything you'd want to release, even if it's unfinished. I hope you won't just disappear like Hmpf did (well, she didn't exactly, but, you know...)  ;)

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Offline Headgrinder

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Re: White City [Environmental]
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2012, 23:31:39 »
Hey, thanks for any reply period, no matter how late.  It's hard to want to release more work in any kind of timely manor unless there are replies, late or otherwise.

I'll have to think about whether to release my next large project unfinished or not.  Actually, I know I could never release it until I at least get the first half mostly done.  The second half can be left unfinished, and would still feel at least slightly finished.