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.

• 
  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.