[Environmental/Playground - Normal] Urban Dusk (Demo)

Well, I'm new here, but I'm not new to Knytt Stories, I've played quite a few very good levels (Trek, The Forever Rain, etc.) and I always enjoyed the atmospheric and exploration-based levels. I recently got some help for using the level editor, and have been working on a level for the past week or 2. I'm trying to make a relaxing exploration-type level with multiple endings, a large world, and even a hero vs. villain story for those who enjoy a challenge (I'm thinking about making dungeon-type areas, such as a lava cavern, a factory, a temple, and some sort of ghost world, complete with bosses, as well as exploration areas, such as a city in the sky above the normal city, a forest, a desert, and an ice area). That's all I've thought of so far, but I've made some decent progress so far. Try it and tell me what you think!

I'm motivated to get the level done, whether it takes a month or longer (including any breaks I take from the project). So here's the deal, I'm uploading the most recent update to the archive, I want you guys to tell me how to improve, tell me about any glitches, the music, anything!  I'm sure there's room for improvement, just give me some constructive criticism, maybe suggest some tilesets for the areas I'm planning on (custom or not), and hopefully it'll turn out alright, thanks! Also, I'm thinking about adding a few custom songs to the game. I could even try to make some sort of graphic tileset myself... I don't know how well it would turn out, but what would you think about that? Anyways, the demo has a few areas and doors you can't open yet, and once you pass the bridge out of the city, you'll meet an invisible barrier you can't pass through, I'll be working on those areas next. Otherwise, every other area is open to you though, so explore! Tell me what you think!

http://www.mediafire.com/?34jeefq3dm2

Also, here's some pictures of the first few areas I've got... It's kind of bland, but hopefully the areas outside of this will be more scenic and detailed.

Bridge to Urban Dusk


Sea of Forever


Dusk Hill Cavern


Waterfall


These are the early "intro" areas of the level, it's a bit bland as I said, but I'm hoping to improve as I go along, anyways, it's just a demo so far, I hope you guys like it! Also, the boss of the mines may be a bit challenging, tell me what you think of it, I don't want it to be TOO frustrating, but I personally had a bit of trouble with it even. Maybe I could deactivate the evil flames until the second phase, I dunno, just tell me your opinion of it! That's all I've got, thanks!

P.S. I accidentally posted this in the Level Preview area, so I moved it over here, if anyone could move or merge that one over here I'd appreciate it.

The demo was good gameplay wise, but before you get to the city the graphics are awful. I like how pretty much everyone talks, it adds depth. Keep working on it, it could be good!

The demo was good gameplay wise, but before you get to the city the graphics are awful. I like how pretty much everyone talks, it adds depth. Keep working on it, it could be good!

Before the city? How so? The tilesets? Backgrounds? The room in the mines? Tranquil Valley? Those are the ones I'd imagine being pretty bad... Are those the ones or were there others?

The waterfall looks a bit, un-matchy, try changing the gradient or add more stuff to the background and stuff.

and good job on dusk city

The waterfall looks a bit, un-matchy, try changing the gradient or add more stuff to the background and stuff.

and good job on dusk city

Do you mean the waterfall between the mines and Tranquil Valley? I was kind of going for a background to foreground water effect, didn't work out too well then huh? lol. So as for the gradiant, what should I change it to? I kind of like the dusk effect of that background, but if you've got a better idea for it I'm open to hear it. I'm not completely sure what to add to the background either aside from more waterfalls, I'd appreciate some suggestions for that one too 

So... I think I'm going to work on the forest next, but I want a ground that shifts more naturally (y'know, all curved and such) I'd imagine a tileset like that being a bit tough to use, but I'd like it for the forest. If anyone can find and link a forest with a curvy ground, that would be awesome, thanks!

Before the city? How so? The tilesets? Backgrounds? The room in the mines? Tranquil Valley? Those are the ones I'd imagine being pretty bad... Are those the ones or were there others?

It's not that the tilesets were bad, The screens just need more decoration. The second part of the mines was actually excellent. The scenery is actually above average for a first level in some parts. Try looking at "The machine" and other levels with good environments like gaia to see how to use tilesets to their full potential. And I think evil means the waterfall color doesn't match. I disagree. Oh, and don't save screenshots as JPGs. They get distorted. PNGs are better.

Quote from: Quadraxis14 on June 05, 2009, 03:52:15

Before the city? How so? The tilesets? Backgrounds? The room in the mines? Tranquil Valley? Those are the ones I'd imagine being pretty bad... Are those the ones or were there others?

It's not that the tilesets were bad, The screens just need more decoration. The second part of the mines was actually excellent. The scenery is actually above average for a first level in some parts. Try looking at "The machine" and other levels with good environments like gaia to see how to use tilesets to their full potential. And I think evil means the waterfall color doesn't match. I disagree. Oh, and don't save screenshots as JPGs. They get distorted. PNGs are better.

Oh yeah, sorry bout that! I used a program that just automatically saves em as jpgs, I can convert them with another program, but for a few preview pictures I figured it wasn't worth the effort 

Anyways, I'll see what I can do about the decorations, if you've got any specific ideas then I'd be glad to hear them, in the meantime I'll just see what I can add to the level. Thanks for the help! I'm also aware that Gaia used quite a few custom tilesets. I'd like to get some of those (Mainly so I can make Tranquil Valley a bit less bland, as well as some of the other areas if I can. The entrance to the mines felt kind of empty to me, though in a way that's the point of that area.) I'm a bit suprised you guys liked Dusk City, I thought certain areas of it could've used improvement (mainly the tilesets for the indoor areas and that sort of thing) but some of the buildings were just there to get from point A to point B. I dunno, if you guys liked it that's a good thing either way 

I've been playing your level through all of it's changes since you first posted it on the archive. I think it's pretty darned ambitious and good for a first level. I'm assuming we'll see more like the cheesus factory, forest etc?

I've been playing your level through all of it's changes since you first posted it on the archive. I think it's pretty darned ambitious and good for a first level. I'm assuming we'll see more like the cheesus factory, forest etc?

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

thought the boss battle was good and funny too. I'm assuming the red key will eventually get us into another area and what about the holgram? I saw a side corridor with a spike toast and a save point to it's left when falling down the long pit. I'm assuming you plan on developing that too or did I miss the hologram? [/spoiler}

Keep up the good work!         

Thanks! Glad you liked it 

Cheesus Inc. is more of the company building... Though it is a good guess, I was even indirectly thinking about their connections to each area of the game in a way. We'll see how it unfolds, right now I don't even know, I think it's better to plan as I go so that I don't get too stressed out about some big story and take each character's dialogue one step at a time. The red key will lead to another dungeon, yes, you're pretty good at guessing these things, lol. Also, I'm not going to say anything about the small corridor with the toast monster. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself when I release the game... Or use the level editor, but that's no fun, lol. I'll probably end up changing that around anyways.

Okay, well I finally found the site for custom tilesets and I'm going to start refining the indoor buildings (And the outdoor areas as well if there's any you guys want changed, same applies for indoor buildings, just tell me what you don't like about a screen and I'll see if I can make it look better). I'll update the download link when I finish fixing up the areas I've gotten done so far.

I've fixed up some of the indoor areas to make them a bit more homey, here's one of the houses in tranquil valley that I redid, as you can see I expanded the house a bit more. It actually turned into your character's house (I think I'm going to leave her unnamed, just use your imagination, call her Juni, or Lauren, or Bob!) so that makes a bit more sense as to why you start out in that area.

Anyways, pics!

Old Man's Library Attic


Marvey Bros. Hotel (Now with different doors and soda machines!)


Your House 1 (I removed 3 of the windows since there was a room behind them, and putting windows between rooms in your house doesn't make much sense, does it?)


Your House 2 (3 windows were removed from this one as well)


I actually left a lot of the buildings in Dusk City, I either didn't feel the need to change them or didn't have the ability (tileset usage) or patience (redoing entire buildings) to do, overall it's a city area, so not every place you visit is going to be extremely decorated. Cheesus Inc. is going to be the most decorated and largest building in the city, so if you want a big city building feel, that'll probably be the area for you (It'll also probably be important to the storyline at one point or another).

So, there's some indoor photo updates. Hopefully it's a nice improvement over their design before. I'l probably work on the forest tomorrow. It may open up to an underwater area (No, I have no idea why, but an underwater area sounds cool, so hah.  )

*Update*

Alright, I've gotten a bit more accomplished since my last update. The forest and mountain area has been started as well as the beginning of a cave system below them. The subway has been improved a bit, and I've fixed a few tiny glitches I found... Overall just a reason to bump the thread, I need some constructive criticism or at least a few suggestions! I probably won't update again until I've gotten a few more areas done. Anyways, that's all for now. Enjoy!