[Challenge] [Easy/Hard/Very Hard] "Throwback" (project title)

Hello.

So there I was, having gotten a nice new computer. What shall I do now when my possibilities grow endless, now when my graphics card finally handles AAA-games properly? The answer is of course to make levels for my favourite 2D platform game.

Tentatively titled "Throwback", this work in progress harkens back to simpler times. Drawing inspiration from Nifflas' classic levels while adding a flavour of my own, working with self-made art assets mixed with the best ones this community has to offer (read: nice tilesets are nice) I hope to conjure an adventure of epic proportions. Traveling through a strange world to find power-ups to get to other places of the world and blaha-blaha, it's a well-established concept. And while it's always nice with "another" mid/high-quality KS level, I hope to accomplish more than that. I have finished making the first "dungeon", so to speak, and I believe it has turned out nicely, mainly because I focus on the mechanics of each jump or puzzle, then how to fit it into an asthetically pleasing enviroment. So far, so good. I haven't written ANY plot yet. I'll tack that on later. Hey, it worked for Portal, rrright?

The thing that makes this level very enjoyable for me as the author to work on is the inclusion of 3 different difficulties. While working on the Easy rooms I get the general outline for the "dungeons" and inspiration for the more difficult ..difficulties. For Hard and Very Hard, EVERY JUMP/PUZZLE is changed. Maybe just a little bit, but still. When I re-design the jumps for Very Hard I laugh like a madman each time. It might just end up Lunatic.

If you have played any of my old levels (The Room ov Death, Find Home & Tsymelia) you might have some clue of what's to come by now. An older, more mature (ha!) and out-of-work-living-with-his-parents-cuz-school-ended-a-couple-of-months-ago-and-i'm-too-exhausted-still-to-study Klämrisk making the level of his life! ...hopefully... Maybe it will not be as crazy as old my old work, though. Just maybe.

I have rambled for too long. Check out the screenies, say if you like it and send me a PM if you'd like to beta test anything. A second input of opinions is always nice.  

//Klämrisk

Progress report: (last updated 2013-11-29)
"Dungeon" progress: 100%
"Overworld" progress: 100%
Story progress: 100%
Music progress: 75%
Cutscene progress: 100%
Easy Normal: 100%, Hard: 10%, Very Hard: 75%
Polishing process: 84%
Random non-indicative percentage counter: 60%

Current version: Alpha 2.1 - Bugs be gone! (?)

Don't worry, you are not the only affected person, one of the first things I do every time I got new computer, I download KS and start making levels. Last time I did it, I ended up at this forum...
Screenshots looks interesting, so I am looking forward to the EASY difficulty of your level.

I'm up for beta testing when you need me.

Cool looking.  Do not neglect your old school addictions, they are too beautiful to oppose.

So far, so good. I haven't written ANY plot yet. I'll tack that on later.

How to make a game with a vague, oddly disappointing feeling... May have worked for Portal, but 'Aquaria' tacked on a plot and it felt like a beautiful woman with a missing leg, and the movie 'The Dark Crystal' made up its plot as it went along so that instead of being groundbreaking and brilliant it was pretty rubbish.

This is all in my opinion of course; it's the exact opposite from my approach - I start with wanting to tell a story and working out how I can best tell it. But it puts me off from getting particularly excited about this.


Buut, I'm sure I've played some levels by you in the past and liked them - though I don't remember what they were; did you make Land of Legends? - and the screenshots look cool, well made. Picking from the best art on this forum is really rewarding.

But why do you make Juni's face so... magenta?

Thanks for showing interest everyone!

Yes, I made the first two entries for the Land of Legends series before entagling myself too deep in a cheesy storyline with way too many options. Kind of that legend/story that speaks of a man, can't remember his name, that try to split his story into two parts at every choice, making it impossible to finish. That's why the third entry will never be completed and I haven't worked on it for 2 years. It even made me lose interest in KS for a long time.
...and that's why I'm keeping it simpler this time.

And don't worry about the story aspect, I almost always work this way while doing my music or what not. I'm sure it will work out fine.

...and as for Juni's body colour, NO it won't stay that way. I was just testing out stuff. And it was too difficult to navigate some darker parts of the map with only invisible skin.

...and why can I never stop writing until I've filled half the page with rudimentary text? 

I like the screens. That dungeon screenshot is especially nice! Can't wait for this.

Ok, so I've been working on this here level a little almost every day & it is now possible to play it through to the end thanks to placeholders for the 2 unfinished "dungeons". So, there's a couple of weeks work left but I thought I'd share a screenshot to assure you that I'm actually planning to finish this level. 

Star

When I re-design the jumps for Very Hard I laugh like a madman each time. It might just end up Lunatic.

This is an alarming sign actually. Make sure the obstacles aren't made to torture the player. That is, save spots aren't rare, green buttons don't appear on start of challenges.

the movie 'The Dark Crystal' made up its plot as it went along so that instead of being groundbreaking and brilliant it was pretty rubbish.

Damn, never thought someone could make a big movie without a clear understanding of plot.

Hey now, watch it.  I love the Dark Crystal.  Not a thing wrong with it imho

Quote from: Klämrisk on September 22, 2013, 18:44:14

When I re-design the jumps for Very Hard I laugh like a madman each time. It might just end up Lunatic.

This is an alarming sign actually. Make sure the obstacles aren't made to torture the player. That is, save spots aren't rare, green buttons don't appear on start of challenges.

Just a note: I have never been able to finish a map on Lunatic & I would never put up a map I haven't been able to play through entirely myself. I also have never been able to finish IWBTG because of how sparse the checkpoints are. Connect the dots. I am not an evil man, just a challenging one.  You needn't worry. Probably.

I'm not saying I didn't like it. But if they'd had a plot and made a movie of it instead of making puppets and cobbling a plot to fit them it could well have been the best puppet movie of all time.

Ok, this is bugging me, so I guess I gotta do a thread somewhere and hope you take a look at it.  And it looks like that will have to be the inn. 

In order to celebrate that Easy difficulty is now done and shipped away to the beta-testers, here's a desolate, non-indicative, hype-mongering, eye-watering, bowel-moving, excitement-mustering, toenail-clipping, princess-resquing, world-peacifying screenshot! 

...