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.
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