This probably would have been a lot easier and more accurate to do in ESE or something, but so far I've got this. Feel free to add and edit as you see fit. Perhaps if we structured this project more like a romhack, things could move along a little more efficiently. Maybe the level concept and design can come first, then we can polish up the art? Just a thought... EDIT: And I forgot to add, the bridge in the picture is supposed to be one of those breakable ones where you have to run fast enough to cross. May get rid of the red spring since that kind of defeats the purpose.
I've done a few simple layout designs. Rather than just make them up off the top of my head I tried to take some inspiration from mathematical curves and stuff like that to hopefully produce something different (that may be one of the geekiest sentences I've ever written). Act 1 To me I imagine this act as a fairly linear level, not in that there aren't many routes but more that the level itself is straight and clear cut. Alternative routes are obvious and simple to move from one to the other. Firstly I wanted to take advantage of the way sonic jumps when leaping from the tip of a hill, he always seems to go just that little bit higher and further. I know its been used in previous games but it always felt like a bit of a glitch, I wanted it to make it feel as if it should be there and the idea of sand dunes makes it fit in nicely. Loosely based on the Devils Curve. Next up is a method of getting in a 3-way level split as quickly as possible without it looking forced, the idea was based on this diagram. If running at full speed you run up the side of the dune and over to the other side (eg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu_wbdLi64k...feature=related around the 2min section but minus the boost pad), if not you continue down the slope and run across the water. Alternatively if you're half way over the dune when your speed isn't enough to make it you'll drop down leaving you without enough momentum to clear the water so you're forced to take the lower route underwater. Act 2 Using a combination of ideas I wanted to give this act a sense of height and altitude whether that's climbing up ledges or running full pelt almost vertically. Not sure if this loop idea would work best if the player goes full circle and continues to run vertically down or if they go an extra quarter of the way round and shoot out horizontally near the little branch. This concept was taking inspiration from the start of AIZ where you do a massive jump across the front of a waterfall (before the place burns down). Jump over the spring and you can take the route under the waterfall or jump on the spring and run right across the roof in a half loop taking the alternative route.
<!--quoteo(post=285723:date=Mar 2 2009, 06:20 PM:name=Matwek)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Matwek @ Mar 2 2009, 06:20 PM) [/quote] I think that one is pretty cool. I personally think that running down the wall rather than launching off the branch would look much better though.
Running down has more retro feel, being launched has more next-gen feel. Except that it has been done in AIZ too so I shut up lol. Either way, it may be made speed-dependent, or something like that. Remember the hidden room in MHZ?
I love these stage ideas but we butter use them in small doses or else we'll get a Sonic Rush-like stage design happening. And no one found them challenging, just heaps of running. Not trying to dim your hopes on the idea just saying that. The multi-level platorms feels sooo reminisent of aquatic ruin zone. I love that idea so much!
<!--quoteo(post=286352:date=Mar 4 2009, 11:58 AM:name=Kamon62)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kamon62 @ Mar 4 2009, 11:58 AM) If this is something along the lines of what you want for this level then I can probably flesh it out and expand on it when I get some free time. At the moment I have no idea what the tiles will be like or what charater specific moves are avaliable so I've left it very generic for the time being. I think most concepts in the design are self explanatory but if you don't understand a part ask and I'll explain it.
That is looking great! Your making me feel like drawing up some level designs. Multi-level platforms wasn't really touched on much in the Sonic seires but I am sure it will be a welcome introduction.
Having paths cross was the best way I could think of to keep a decent amount of alternative routes whilst maintaining a straight foward level. Adding too many could make things confusing so I imagine they would be used sparinly as the levels become more complex from the first level onwards
The fact that E02 isn't limited to 128x128 chunks means that there's a lot more freedom for drawing level set pieces as needed.
Chimpo's basic concept post at the beginning gave me an idea I should draw up tomorrow. Basically, the idea is at some point, Sonic hops on a raft, sort like the giant ice blocks you ride on from Ice Cap.. It won't be a long ride and at the end, you're sent careening off a water fall and *splash*. You could also bypass the raft idea altogether and just have the water slide gimmick that shoots sonic off a waterfall. Another idea would be to use those trees that hang on the side of cliffs as a springboard of sorts. Not sure how you would add that in, if at all, though I could see it working with Matwek's treeloop. You loop the tree, run down the cliff, hit the tree branch and springboard off to the right or something. Again, just throwing out ideas.
Thought I would post this here instead of the Artwork section as none of the art is really new, just put together in a different way. Some of the more observent of you will probably recognise previously posted work and 'abandoned' work from scrapped zones. The mock-ups were designed to try and give the predictable 'tropical zone' design something different, although I think I may have gone a bit too far in the direction of an old ruin. Seen as this is in the Level Design section I would rather have comments and critiscims on the overall desgin and layout ideas rather than the art itself.
For the love of Portal and God, keep those sprites for later use! They are indeed too much ruins and in no way enough Tourist Beach, but definitly stick with them.
The 'ruin' sections aren't mine, I think they were originally done for the water based level. I do agree that its not quite right for this level but I still feel that we need something to distinguish it from the cliché tropical level. Might be worth bearing in mind what level is coming next as the ruins might not look so out of place if the next level takes place inside its interior (and I don't mean people should go off on a tangent discussing what levels we should have, I mean use it as a way to gather some inspiration for this level).
you know what would be cool? If you had some trees with thinner trunks that stood straight and if sonic runs past at top speed, the wind he creates makes them bend in the direction he's running in.
Yes, I did those for the underwater level. I'm not sure if I still want my art to be involved in this project
