I was speaking with someone yesterday, and he was saying that he was having trouble designing good levels. He said he was trying to build things people wanted to see. I told him he was going about it the wrong way.
I think the secret for designing with this game is to design for yourself. Design what you'd like, design what you'd play, design what makes you happy. It will come through to others when they play your level.
It's like cooking. When you cook with love and passion, people can taste it in the food.
I believe the same is true here.
(And that is SJ's Words of Wisdom for the day)
This is true, but only partially. While, yes, you are the person designing the level, and you are the judge of what's fun or not, you have to keep in mind that you are making this level for other people. The joy of gaming isn't being stuck on a puzzle because you can't follow the particular train of thought that comes easy to the person who develped said puzzle. The Joy of gaming comes from figuring something out and besting it. To feel accomplished. This is not to say you should dumb things down. But you should keep in mind that while you are creating fun designs, that this is something you want other people to be able to solve and then to feel good about.
This is what makes the difference between a bad level; one designed only with the designer's own malevolent entertainment in mind, a good level; where the designer designed something fun (s)he can solve, and a great level; where the designer has created a fun challenge for others to overcome.
Sorry for the slight tl;dr rant.
I think you missed the point of what I was saying, entirely.
I was speaking with someone who felt the end result of his levels was not good. Had nothing to do with stars or comments, just his own personal feelings that he wasn't creating good levels. That is where my words for him came from. As motivation.
Yes, you are designing the level to be played by others. What I was saying is that if you are only designing things with other people's wants and needs in mind, you are missing out on the part that makes it personal for you. All the great levels that I've played... you can feel a part of the designer in the level. It is so well designed, there is a piece of that designer in it now. Because they built it with their passion. (@ChelsAngel is an excellent example. When you play one of her levels, you can tell it is a Chels level. @Tamara is another. All her levels feel like they could never have been made by anyone else. They are entirely hers.)
Never once did I say anything about someone creating something malevolent to get people with cheap deaths. Yes, you should make something that the other people will find fun. I've said repeatedly that when someone finishes one of my levels, the one thing I want them to take away from it is that they had a good time.
When you have a personal passion for what you are doing, whether it is writing, fashion design, cooking, or making levels in Super Mario Maker, that passion shows through in the final work. That was my point.
@Tamara: You are most welcome! I've been sharing your level codes with other players I know. (Yours and a few others from this forum) When I come across great levels, I want other people to experience the fun as well.
@Duffking: I've played those two levels, and then I played and starred all of them. Those were really cool, and I like how you can make the most of a single concept and have a convincing level based on one object. i'll be following your upload for sure.
A Truly Smashing Level was very satisfying. and fun. It just felt good.
A Ghostly Visage might be my favorite, as I like heavily themed levels. This one was really beautiful. Everything looked nice and well put together.
Beware of the Dog! is fun. with some good platforming with a bit of extra challenge on the side. Very sensible design.
P-Switch Panic is maybe the course I liked the least. It was nice and fun, but a bit bland outside of the part with the grinders. THAT was really good.
Yoshi Must Die! The good old joke. Like 15 times in a row. Poor Yoshi. Nice level though
Buzzy Beetle Blitz is my second favorite. I tried doing a course with these little guys but failed miserably. Yours is really well made and each aspect of the enemy is well used.
If you want to check some of my levels, please click on the link in my signature.
I think you might enjoy The secrets of Chompville.
@sjmartin I'm now curious then what you think of this level of mine, then.
Happy to check it out tonight when I get home!
Even more than creating my own levels, I love glimpsing into the imagination of others by playing through their levels.
@sjmartin: haha, I'm definitely going to want to try a couple of your levels now. Probably record one too.
Thank you! I'd be honored.
I'm new to the NintendoLife forums, but everyone here has been so warm and welcoming, and this thread has been filled with such support for each other. This truly is a wonderful place!
@Kinan: I just watched you play my course! Hehehe, you are so reckless XD @DanoLefourbe: I'm going to play your courses, but I've been working all day -sigh- ;_;
@Rafx: Thx for playing. Don't hesitate to try and find the different routes. If you want more of this kind of levels, please click the link in my signature. And if you have a level you want me to try, just give me the code. @Tamara: no hurry, I undestand ^^
@sjmartin: It's a smaller place. And it's a more "traditional" kind of forum. This kind of places always feel better and nicer it seems.
True that the community seems nice here.
I havent posted on this thread yet. These are selection from my uploaded courses.
These all are short/supershort puzzle courses, but I have other kind of courses too.
Hey guys! I found this Canadian dude doing a little showcase style of the First Ranked maps. Check him out! I found it pretty enjoyable and figured I should share it with you!
Try this one and let me know what ya think, it's the 1st one I have made @DanoLefourbe
Star Generator Showdown
7C1E-0000-0066-4E76 @mrichston really liked the prison break. The start had me scrating my head and feeling dumb when I figured it out.
@sjmartin: Ok I tried your levels. Overall, really great platforming. You know what the player can do in a mario game, and it is obvious each jump is measured and tested. It makes your platforming really enjoyable. Two things I noticed though.
1) you sometimes put the player in a point of no return because of necessary objects that have dissapeared, and he has to restart a level. More on that later but going through a door resets a lot of elements.and that can be quite helpful.
2) minor complaint overall but it is very true in one of your level: the use of sound is sometimes unnecessary and a bit random. It can be annoying in the long run.
Now onto a few levels:
*1 up,up,and away: the cloud at the very end being just placed there means the player will lose it if he just fools around a bit before taking it. Why not spawn it from a pipe? Also, the pit a t the end is maybe not necessary since the payer has basically finished the level and just needs to confirm by hitting the pole. Those two elements together can make a death of what should be a celebration.
Slip and Slide Cave Climb: The blue platforms just disappear if you mess up, and you're stuck since you don't have enough space to reset it. Just putting two doors at the bottom of the room would help respawn them.
Kid Icarus Retro Homage: That's the level where the sounds really annoyed me. Specifically the sppoky sound in the ghost room. this sound resetting on itself all the time was infuriating to me, and I gave after two deaths. Not because of the platforming, which is maybe the best through all your levels, but just because of the sound. You should just make it proc once when the player enters the rooom, and he will get the idea.
Mario Kart Jump Drive was super fun. just great platforming with a good rythm and pacing, and it's never boring despite being pretty long for a course of that kind. That would have gotten three stars if I could.
Mario Kart Fun-Time Drive felt more bland, since it's maybe too easy for me. Well put together and serves its purpose right though.
9 Rooms, 9 Doors, 9 Lives: that one just felt tedious to me, sorry. I saw it more as a chore than a challenge and I didn't really care to finish it.
Well that's all I have to say about your levels. Once again, I really loved the great platforming in them.
@Rafx: Your level was really nice, with good theming. I loved the end when you use the effect to make the level fall apart, really nice. Just one point I didn't like: in the (pretty tough) room with the wrench moles, is there a hidden p-block somewhere? Or do you have to run on the one before or bring one woth you? That a bit cheap to the player who doesn't know and I fear many players would just give up at that point.
Also, good platforming and I like how you handled the bosses.
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