3D Level 2 v1

 The concept of the level is supposed to be a knight (the player) is rescuing a princess from a dragon (a giant spitter) in a tower. I unfortunately only finished a quarter of the level, and I ran out of time before I could add the scene for the tower and more gameplay in the first part of the level. I plan to add much more before the next class, so I can ask for feedback for a more complete level, rather than a desperate attempt to turn something in before the due date.

The things that went right were:

• Players were drawn to the tower.

• Players liked the concept of jumping on rocks across the water. 

• Players thought the rocks looked really good.

• Players knew to step on the pressure plates and hit the switches even though they didn’t really know what the plates and switches did.

The things that went wrong:

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  Players didn’t notice the rocks coming up from the water when stepping on pressure plates.

• The plane was too flat.

• The players could climb up the big rocks and completely avoid getting the pressure plates.

• Players didn’t notice the side entrance.

• Spitters can’t be scaled without glitching the game.
  

Ways to improve:

• Make the rocks that appear a different color from the rest of them, as well as add an infozone that draws the player's attention to the water.

• Use the polybrush on the plane, and add scattered buildings leading up to the tower.

• Change the big rocks to be more like castle walls so the player can’t climb them.

• Change the terrain in that area to something different that makes it look like there’s something worth exploring.

• Instead of a giant spitter, use a giant chomper that has a spitter attached to it to simulate the fire coming from the dragon.

The challenges presented did not measure up to a hard level. The enemies were relatively

difficult to kill, but there were more enemies than what players would come across. I didn’t add any health crates or checkpoints and most players didn’t need them to begin with. Adding a mix of weaker enemies in a cluster and stronger enemies that stand alone will help with creating more of a dynamic difficulty throughout the level instead of just enemy after enemy. 

 

The critical path was clear enough to the player. The players were drawn to the tower, so the players wanted to go there. Since most players didn’t notice the rocks coming up from the water, it was a bit unclear as to how to get to the tower. Players still knew to step on the pressure plates and hit the switches before going to the tower. Making the rocks be more obvious when they come out of the water will help make the path more clear. 

The overall flow wasn’t that great. There wasn’t a whole lot of gameplay, so players were a bit bored. One player described it as “a lovely stroll through the countryside” which was both hilarious and sadly true. There is a lot of room to add more gameplay than what is already there, which will drastically improve the level. Creating a more enjoyable experience will also encourage players to want to explore and possibly find the secret entrance to the tower. Also blocking off the spots where the player can bypass the water will help add more immersion and force the player to experience more of the level, which would help the level be more immersive and make the flow better. There was also no clear end to the level, so there was no real reward for completing it. 

3D Level 1 v2 Feedback

Between version 1 and version 2, the level benefited a lot from adding the maze of trees and the infozones. The trees made the level even more immersive than before, and it kept players interested when going from one section of the level to the next. The story is much more clear and put together because of the infozones, and the untextured area makes much more sense to the player now. The issue with the temple doors was resolved, and all of them open now, which was a huge benefit to the aesthetics of the level.

The things that went right were:

• All of the temple doors opened when players got all the switches.

• Players enjoyed the maze that was added to the level, which made the level feel more full of gameplay than it originally was.

• Players couldn’t find a way to bypass obstacles in a way that was detrimental to the experience of the level.

• Players felt even more immersed than before after the maze was added.

• Players knew to use the temple as a vantage point to try to get an idea of where to go in the maze

  
  

The things that went wrong:

• The checkpoint in one section of the level respawns the player below the platform, causing the player to endlessly die in a loop.

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  Some of the spitters on a platform weren’t shooting at the player like they were supposed to. (right image)
  

• It was difficult to navigate the maze for some players.

• Players had no indication as to which switch inside the temple was the right one because there were no hints given.

  
  

Ways to improve:

• Move the checkpoint origin well above the platform to ensure the player will land on top of the platform.

• Fix the spitter settings so they don’t run away from the player instead of shooting the player.

• Make some of the tree tops be a bit different so that when the player has a vantage point from the temple, they have sort of a hint as to where to go.

• Make some sort of indication for which switch inside the temple is the correct switch.

The challenges presented were appropriate for a beginner level because the enemies weren’t very difficult. Some players struggled more with the platforming than others, but typically players did a section no more than three times before being able to reach the other side. One of the moving platforms could be slowed down a bit to help players with the timing of jumping on and off. (right image)

The critical path was clear to the players because they understood that each area had a switch. The switches were all visible from the top of the temple, which further helps indicate where the player needs to go. It could have been made more clear by adding some sort of indication in the trees so players who pay close attention will have a hint on how to get through the maze.

The overall flow of the level was better than before in some ways, but worse in others. The addition of the maze made the players feel immersed the whole time they played, instead of having a lot of empty space. However, the addition of the maze also added a bit of lighting issues where some of the objects were rendering in front of other objects, when the player was on the opposite side. It broke some of the flow because it misled players when in the maze and made it look like some parts of the maze were open when it was a dead end.

3D Level 1 v1 Feedback

 The story I created surrounding this level was you, the player, are going back in time to steal an ancient treasure that’s locked inside a temple in the jungle. The infozones were going to be the people running the operation talking to the player. There is one area in the level that is untextured, where the people would tell the player that the software is glitching, but they can’t fix it while the player is using it.

The things that went right were:

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  The temple was a captivating centerpiece that made players interested in starting the level

• Players thought that the trap doors inside the temple were cool

• Even though players died, they still enjoyed playing the level and didn’t get too frustrated

• Players felt like they were actually in a jungle
  

The things that went wrong:

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  The death volume was too high in one section of the level

• Not all of the temple doors would open when all the switches were pressed, even though it was part of the counter inspector

• Ellen kept tripping down the stairs

• Players were able to skip part of the level because the game boundary didn’t cover enough space.

• I ran out of time before I could add infozones and more level content

Ways to improve:

• Use different death volumes for each section of the level to ensure that players don’t die when they aren’t supposed to

• If I can’t fix the issue with the doors, I will only have one door for the temple

• To keep Ellen from tripping, I need to make new stairs with more steps

• Make the game boundary larger, or boarder the hills with lava so the player can’t get to it, to keep players from skipping part of the level

• Add everything I wanted to add originally to the next version, like the infozones and the maze

The challenges presented were appropriate for a beginner level. All players were able to complete the level without too much difficulty. Players usually died once or twice in one section, and then were able to easily get through the section without dying any more. I can still add more enemies to the level without increasing the difficulty because there’s enough open space in the level.

The critical path was clear because all players were able to figure out where the switches were. Players quickly understood that the first goal was to get inside the temple, even without including infozones. Players chose which section of the level they wanted to go to first, which didn’t impact the overall experience of the level at all. The path will be even more clear when the maze area is added, so players can address the section from one checkpoint to the next, instead of possibly missing one.

The overall flow was consistent for every player. No player felt too frustrated or too bored when playing the level. When players died, they didn’t get upset because the checkpoints saved everything they did after, and they were simply respawn points. The flow could have  been broken with less patient players when going between each section of the level, a

The circulation element were the stairs that led up to the temple doors, and the temple entrance. The entrance was made to be grand and intriguing, to make the players want to enter the temple, and not just because that’s the goal of the level. The entrance and stairs could have been made more grand with better materials, but they still drew players in.

2D MegaMan Level 2

In terms of level faults, I think my MegaMan level 1 v2 went a lot better than this level because having multiple people playtest the level opened my eyes a lot to the way different players will interpret my level. However, in terms of level concept, I like my level 2 better because it made players need to think more about what they needed to do. The biggest issue in the level came from how MegaMan is made in a grid, and realizing what the player will actually see and notice in the level. As the designer, you yourself know what you are seeing, as well as what is just out of your sight, and it's hard to insert yourself into the mindset of someone seeing the level for the first time.

The things that went right were:

• Once players understood the layout of the level, they had no problem navigating the areas they were supposed to go.

• The level was just as difficult as I was hoping it would be.

• Players said they liked the concept of my level after they played it.

• I used the weapons in interesting ways, like riding the S.Arrow and using the O.Slider to shoot up in water.
  

• No players ran out of ammo when they absolutely needed it in the level.

The things that went wrong:

• The S. Arrow doesn’t break weapon blocks even if that’s the specified weapon for the block. This caused me to need to change the weapon block to a door even though that wasn’t my original concept idea.

• A lot of players went down the first ladder, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t something that was intended and it caused the players to waste time getting to the bulk of the level.

• Players didn’t immediately realize that they could be in water without dying.

• Players would sometimes walk towards an area with two capsules that took away their weapons, even though they could avoid it like intended.

• Players could avoid a capsule by sliding under it.

Ways to improve:

• Laying out the level one grid at a time and then connecting each grid as a whole later would help ensure the player sees everything they need at a certain time.

• Ensuring that players can see the ground under water so they know going in water isn’t instant death.

• Block players from each door entrance to ensure no player accidentally loses a weapon when they weren’t supposed to.

  
  

The challenges presented were appropriate for the skill level of the players because no players were unable to beat the level. Each player figured out what to do in a fairly decent amount of time. Players did die at times, but they never wanted to give up, and they were able to pass where they died after doing it a second time.

The critical path was obvious after the player received the first weapon capsule. Players were given three different options for where to use their three green keys, and behind each door was a capsule that took away a different weapon. Most players chose the top door because it was the last door they saw, which makes me think they may have forgotten about the others. 

The overall flow was decent. Most players didn’t get into the zone until they got the first weapon capsule, which took longer for different players depending on if they went down the first ladder or not. Once the flow began, it never stopped even if players died. There wasn’t a risk of players running out of ammo when they needed it, which helped keep the flow of the game going throughout gameplay.

2D MegaMan Level V2

 After learning more about MegaMan, my second version was much better than the first one. I made a level where the player would face three different sections, and in each section collect two green keys to move onto the next section. I added blue keys that, if found, the player could complete the level easier and faster. There were more doors than keys that were directly visible to the player. Players could always find and get to the keys they needed to beat the level, but the blue keys were much more hidden and harder to find.

The things that went right were:

• There was no point where a player got trapped in the level.

• All the keys needed to beat the level were in obvious places.

• Players didn’t feel frustrated when they died and had to do an area over again because the level was enjoyable.

• The addition of doors and keys made exploration much easier to encourage from players.

• Adding areas that allowed players to leave the current area allowed for falling platforms to reset, therefore no players got stuck.

The things that went wrong:

• Players felt baited when going for a key on the other side of a blue door.

• None of the players realized there were areas under quicksand that would help them no matter how much I tried to hint at it in the level.

• When players are playing the level, they don’t have much sense of space as to what parts of the level connect to others when the screens are separated and not stitched together. This can be a good thing for some instances; however this is what caused the issue above where players weren’t realizing that there were places they could go that were hidden under quicksand.

Ways to improve:

• In the spot where players felt baited, keep the doors, but put the other blue key somewhere else. 

• Put quicksand on the screen right above the secret area to further indicate that quicksand doesn’t kill you.

• Do not assume players have the same sense of space as I do. Players don’t see the level as a whole, but rather in the parts that they see in front of them.

The challenges presented were appropriate for a tutorial level because there wasn’t any point where the player was overwhelmed with information or enemies. Combat was either easy or moderate depending on the player’s skill level, and there was a checkpoint right before areas where players died the most often. Players were also able to focus on the task at hand when they were presented with one because there weren’t any outside interferences, such as enemies from a different section of the level spawning, or different areas of the level that could possibly be seen as distracting.

The critical path was indicated by green doors that led to the next section. It was obvious to players that they needed to explore each area before a green door to find the keys. Each section used space both above and below the main linear path, and there weren’t any areas that players needed to get to that they couldn’t reach or find.

The overall flow of the level was really good. Players didn’t feel like their flow was broken when they died because the level was enjoyable, and the checkpoints were in areas that made the death not super inconvenient for the player. There were also no instances where players were confused as to what they should do or not. The only time where the flow may have been broken was when the player felt baited by the blue key behind a blue door.

2D Mega Man Level V1

 The things that went right were:

• The concept of falling and being met with a different part of the level was made clear in the beginning of the level, so players knew what to expect.

• Players had fear of dying, but never actually did.

• There was no way to avoid the checkpoint or go past the end goal.

The things that went wrong:

• I had to learn how MegaMan worked as I made the level because I had no previous experience with the game.

• Players got stuck in one part of the level from a design flaw with the footholder.

• The level was very short.

• Some parts that were an option for the player to take were hard to get to.

• The second pickelman encounter was a bit too difficult, and players always fell into the quicksand instead of defeating pickelman.

Ways to improve:

• Make the level longer by adding more enemies are more areas to the map.

• Fix the design flaw of moving from one area to another that was blocked off by adding a ladder instead of a foot holder.

• Make the second encounter with pickelman easier to win if the player wished to.

• Make sure every area made for the player is accessible to the player.

• A lot of my level will be completely changed, but I will still keep the same or similar concepts.

The challenges presented worked overly well with the skill level of the players. None of the players died when playing the level, and the players grasped the concept quite easily. Even when the players fell off some platforms, they were given a bit of health instead of dying. Unfortunately, this made the level very easy. MegaMan, I have heard, is known for being difficult; if I were to create a MegaMan level that encompassed that, I would like to make it more challenging. I don’t want it to be too hard, but I do want it to better introduce the difficulty level of a regular MegaMan level since it is meant to be a tutorial level for MegaMan, not something else.

The critical path was very clear because there weren't many places that the player could go besides forward. There were, at most, two options on where the player could go at any time, and those two paths bottlenecked together to a checkpoint or the end. Players never felt like they had to backtrack in order to complete the level. I would like to add more options of ways to go, that way the player has a lot more options for different play types. Maybe some paths will have more enemies, while others will have more obstacles to jump around. Players will be able to pick one of the paths, and stick with it, maybe with the possibility of falling down to one of the other paths.

The overall flow of the game was relatively smooth until some players got stuck in a place with a foot holder. A footholder won’t change screens like a ladder will, which keeps the next part of the level from generating. This drastically broke the flow of the game because players had to restart the level in order to complete it. I would like to keep the flow of the level, but still increase the difficulty of the level. This will probably be done by adding more enemies, as well as more health pickups that would be decently proportionate to the expected amount of damage the player will receive at a given moment. I would also still like the flow of the game to not be broken by falling to you death, but rather keep the flow by falling into a different part of the level.