The Carvery Contest

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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby ~MP3 Amplifier~ » December 29th, 2012, 2:59 pm

No fancy results post because it would take too much time and I'm in a hurry- but WHO CARES because HERE WE ARE! :D


Sooo...

In 4th place, with a score of 13.42, we have...

Drum roll please!

*drum roll*


Spoiler: show
CrazyMario



In 3rd place, with a score of 13.5, we have...


Spoiler: show
zebtrestalala



In 2nd place, with a score of 14.08, we have...


Spoiler: show
Triple J



Then the remaining person (and we all know who it is lawl), in 1st place, with a score of 15.92, we have...


Spoiler: show
blackyoshi



But since this mini-LDC was soooo miniature, that only the winner sadly gets the medal. So BY, second gold even if it's from a tiiiiny LDC (or cookie but not really sure how official this medal business is)...





























Final scores:

1st -- blackyoshi -- 16.25 (MP3), 17 (Volcove), 14.5 (Mega)
2nd -- Triple J -- 14.75 (MP3), 13 (Volcove), 14.5 (Mega)
3rd -- zebtrestalala -- 13.5 (MP3), 14 (Volcove), 13 (Mega)
4th -- CrazyMario -- 15.25 (MP3), 12 (Volcove), 13 (Mega)



kthxbai and judges please post judgings :3
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby Volkove » December 29th, 2012, 4:44 pm

Octazone - Triple J: show
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Octazone - Triple J
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RATING: 13/20
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FUN: 6.5/10
Although the overall concept is a simple but admirable one, it has a tendancy to get frustrating rather quickly. It suffers from a lack of intuitivity, since one often has no idea how things are supposed to work in what way, often without offering an opportunity to react. The fact that half of the stars provide powerups while the other half randomly dispel everything doesn't help either, and tracking where all the pipes / doors go gets wearisome quickly. I really, really don't get the point of the random 'teleportation' portions in the wood brick section either. Some of the challenges are more interesting, though, and are worth playing through.
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GRAPHICS: 4.5/5
Despite the limited tiles available, the level does an effective job in terms of aesthetics. It uses a variety of items rather creatively, and each section remains fairly distinct from one another, which is nice support for the contest itself. Having trees and such sprout from underwater is questionable, though, since it implies there's a floor at the bottom of the water, and can be deceptive. The doodads sometimes become excessive in some areas as well.
On a side note, while using moving blocks to replicate certain tiles doesn't break the rules, it seems more like a way to weasel one's way around the original concept of the contest.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 2/5
- The hyper-speed green platforms near the start are extremely player-hostile, since stepping onto either tile essentially flings you forward / backward, often into fire, with almost no opportunity to react or even anticipate what is supposed to happen. Take first experiences into account when designing such obstacles, and allow for an opportunity to actually pass the obstacle the first time without dying, taking heavy damage or cheating. -0.5
- You say you need the wing cap to squeeze into certain half-tile crevices, one of which contains a red coin. The invincibility stars on route immediately dispel said wing cap, though. How does one reach said red coin, in that case? -0.5
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It seems like the level is designed to suit the maker knowing every trick there is, not the casual player who would not know the inner workings of each niche of the level. That seems to be the main problem.
----------------------------

Red Coins In The Sky - CrazyMario: show
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Red Coins In The Sky - CrazyMario
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RATING: 12/20
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FUN: 6/10
For a red coin hunt, it tries to rely on a lot of wierd and mostly useless gimmicks, and it doesn't really work well with this in mind. The switch propelling had no point, for example, and the 'boss' was just a glorified moving brick that didn't do anything threatening or useful. It was straight forward, but rather dull, since it doesn't execute anything worthwhile during the pursuit.
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GRAPHICS: 3.5/5
The theme is supposed to be sky-based, but considering the mostly intact structure and the use of too large a variety of trees and other doodads, it doesn't fit this at all. It is just a giant mesh of things thrown together, and while it technically isn't bad, it isn't great or noteworthy either.
The blatant water cutoff doesn't help either.
--------------
OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 2.5/5
- The red coin system was questionable overall. Knowing how many one needs to seek out would have been nice, especially considering many of them are deliberately hidden from sight and basically require either dumb luck or looking through every crevice to find them. This didn't end up being too problematic in such a small level, but still. -0.25
- I question how the player is expected to know of a fake pipe wall without any shred of a hint (and without dying a fair bit to try and figure it out). -0.25
--------------
Eh.
----------------------------

Gamer Gap - blackyoshi: show
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Gamer Gap - blackyoshi
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RATING: 17/20
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FUN: 8.5/10
Having a bunch of mini challenges in one level simply works for this sort of contest, and frankly, the variety and flow of it is quite fun. Starting with low health further improves this, which is commendable, and most of the challenges themselves are quite fun, varied and unique as well. The underwater one was the weakest, unfortunately.
The final one with the rapidly moving red bricks might have been overkill, though, considering the burning ceiling and how it all simply moves too quickly. The health refill is useful here, fortunately, but it could have been tuned down a little.
--------------
GRAPHICS: 4.5/5
The only portion I didn't like is the grey brick's very blatant lava cutoff, which is quite ugly compared to the rest of the level. Other than that, though, it is great, and really serves to supplement each additional room well.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4/5
- This is the entry to that makes the best use of the 8 room concept the contest is meant to work around; well done. +0.5
- I really liked the blue tile's mini flame challenge; it really stands out. +0.5
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This seems like a sure winner to me, from what I can tell.
----------------------------

Pendulum Palace - zebrestalala: show
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Pendulum Palace - zebrestalala
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RATING: 14/20
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FUN: 7.75/10
The enjoyment derived from the level tends to vary based off the obstacles present. Some, like dodging pendulums while dealing with a convetor system along with the giant ticking clock (despite the bullet-induced lag) were interesting, while others, like the bully 'boss' fight and the elevator, were more annoying than enjoyable due to being overly crude. It was really rough around the edges overall, yet not too bad still.
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GRAPHICS: 4/5
Going all clockwork for these tiles is a risky move, since while it technically works, it is hard to portray the proper atmosphere well. That being said, it still does a commendable job; the torches in particular were unexpected and offered the best atmospheric touches.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 2.25/5
- Going for a clock tower theme in a contest such as this is an interesting move, to say the least. +0.25
- Hah, GoomTRON. +0.25
- However, there are bugs and issues quite rampant throughout, and those swinging pendulums are largely the cause. They often force enemies into other rooms they're not supposed to be in (big bullies were often forced into the primarily clock room, which was a serious problem). Also, being struck by a pendulum the wrong way often warps the player into different rooms or, worse, outside the level's boundaries entirely (limbo!) since the game doesn't handle horizontal crushing well. This happens way too much. -1.25
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Ironically, the clock theme was probably the biggest problem, since pendulums probably cause way too many problems in such a confined space.
----------------------------
Will do sporadic level reviews on request - PM if interested. I will only do one level at a time. I tend to be rather critical.
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Both made by MoD, naturally.
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby CrazyMario » December 29th, 2012, 6:01 pm

*pretends to be surprised*
What did I say a few pages ago?
CrazyMario

 


Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby CedarBranch » December 29th, 2012, 6:33 pm

~MP3 Amplifier~ wrote:But since this mini-LDC was soooo miniature, that only the winner sadly gets the medal.

:cry:

|
|
V


CrazyMario wrote:*pretends to be surprised*
What did I say a few pages ago?

No offense, but when I saw that (a couple pages ago), that actually gave me enough of a laugh!

--------------------
Anyway, nice work, BY! *insert thumbs-up emoticon*



EDIT: OH! Volcove, about the Red Coin in the crevice: I should have mentioned in the one sign that it has nothing to do with the Wing Cap, or at least placed the sign by said Red Coin. I didn't think of that confusion! When you dive just before touching the ceiling, Mario's back reaches it, allowing you to fit into openings narrowly connected. Touching the ceiling, THEN diving limits your jump's height a bit, which is why you want to do it vice versa, because Mario would therefore not be able to reach the altitude of the openings when crouched in the air.
(Yeah... the average gamer may get pretty frustrated or confused by that technique...)

And I will consider all the feedback given. I wish to succeed as much as I can in the LDing world.

"The saying removed what was once a saddening to I."

I've got to say things that way, at the end of my posts, more often!
Triple J here!
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby zebtrestalala » December 29th, 2012, 8:38 pm

Ahhh, my creativity was my own downfall! Anyways, that would have been my third third medal.

Ah well, I knew it wasn't great, but I didn't really try that hard...
Signatures are silly little things.

With that in mind, check out my clever, well-thought, and generally amazing level series!
Zebtrestalala's Possibly a Series Levels -http://runouw.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=157&start=20
Or My Second Series! This one's cool too! -http://runouw.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2122&p=16280#p16280
Or if Last Legacy is more your thing, check out this one! -http://runouw.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=39328&sid=c9a97fe200ffcb08c2ce64ebf877591a
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby -BY » December 30th, 2012, 1:13 am

I thought about the things you mentioned, as possible weakpoints already.
Gonna fix this tiny stuff soon.

No idea what I will receive. But I think a cookie is more than enough for a mini contest with only 4 participants.
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby Megar » December 30th, 2012, 2:24 am

Judgings? 'K

I hope these judgings are better than the 22nd LDC ones.

Octazone - Triple J: show
Fun: 7/10
This was a really enjoyable level, but like all things it could be improved. The first thing is that some of the jumps were quite tricky, for example after the part with the lava where you had to jump from the stair tile to the half tile above it. I had a bit of trouble getting up that. Going back across the lava pit was uneccisarily difficult aswell because of the timings of the flame towers being for going forward rather than backward and that the platform to take you didn't seem to go the full distance. Try and work on timings along with the jumps.
Graphics: 5/5
This is where the level truly sparked. You used all of the different background pieces well, even in places they wouldn't normally be used but seemingly made it look like the would be used there.
Other: 2.5
-0.5 Slight loading time
Overall: 14.5
A nice enjoyable level, some minor flaws bringing it down. Good work.


CrazyMario - Red Coins in The Sky: show
Fun: 6/10
Though a generally fun level, I found some things to be awkward. One in particular was the amount of red coins, and I couldn't figure out if one had disappeared or not because you didn't specify how many red coins there were. Try to keep it to eight to make things simple.
Graphics: 4/5
You definately used the decor pieces quite well, and it certainly shows in the level. The robot looked quite nice, but in the same area it was quite bland and could have used some spicing up. Also the water wasn't smoothened out and the bottom was just flat.
Other: 3/5
Nothing: in particular to add here.
Overall: 13/20
Yep, this was a good level, and just some little problems inching it down. Nice work.


blackyoshi - Gamer Gap: show
Can I start by making a point that I like the banner thing? That's not going to effect the score, by the way.
Fun: 7/10
First off, I liked the concept of different difficulties, and I felt it gave the red coins another purpose because they heal one point when you get one. I had to play it twice, so replayability. Anyway, some of the challenges seemed to have a sharp difficulty curve compared to others, and on the last one it took me some time to figure out I had to get squashed down by the leftmost block to continue. Try and specify that.
Graphics: 3.5/5
Although I liked what you did with the Koopa's glasses, there was nothing too new or interesting here and the glasses only warrant half a point really.
Other: 4/5
+1 I found the characterization you gave all of the NPC's really interesting, like the way the bully was just a bit mysterious and giving a slightly vague hint.
Overall: 14.5
There seems to be a running trend. Good levels with small things weighing them down. Nice level, by the way.


zebtrestalala - Pendulum Palace: show
I'm doing the same as blackyoshi here. Nice banner.
Fun: 6/10
Although a good level, I found that certain jumps were just too precise, like when I was on the clock at one point, transitioning between one arrow to the other was too difficult with all the Bullet Bills flying at me, along with the trampoline jump next to Goomtron.
Graphics: 4/5
Nothing too new, really, but the clock looked really good, as did the King himself.
Other: 3/5
I was actually determined to find something to put here so I didn't have two pairs of matching points but I couldn't find anything that warrants something here.
Overall: 13/20
It's official, the contest follows a trend of "Good level, flaws that bring it down a small bit". Just like with the others, nice work.


Finishing Comment: A nice contest, good levels all around.
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby ~MP3 Amplifier~ » December 30th, 2012, 12:17 pm

Judgings for the Mini-LDC (Carvery/Masonry): show
Triple J:
with Octazone


Fun8/10. While the gameplay sometimes felt fresh and new, there were times where the puzzle element just felt too much for me. It would be great to have some more signs describing where we have to go- there were lots on the techniques we needed to use, which is fine, but it also makes it feel a bit more like a tutorial than an actual game. But other than that, everything else was pretty cool.

Graphics4/5. The graphics varied a lot- sometimes the rooms seemed very empty, but also, sometimes it felt too over-decorated. In the future it would be great for a balance. But there was nothing seriously bad about it though.

Other2.75/5.

-0.25 – You could spin attack through the bricks to see the sign at one point. Firstly, since there were signs describing other techniques, I think it would’ve helped to use a sign for this one. Although if you never mentioned it and we had to use that invincibility we collect later, then it is still a cheat way of getting through.
Note – That jump and dive technique to get past low ceilings, while the concept is cool, it just did not work for me at all. They both balance each other out to 0.

Overall – 14.75/20.




CrazyMario:
with Red Coins in the Sky


Fun8.25/10. While the gameplay was pretty simple, I actually found it rather enjoyable and personally, it’s the most enjoyable level I’ve played by you so far. (even if this is a mini-LDC) There were some things that didn’t make sense … such as why there was a block boss randomly placed in the level. I also wasn’t too keen on the red coins hidden behind the trees/plants. But overall it was actually a rather fun level.

Graphics3.75/5. The décor wasn’t excellent and was mostly lacking … however I think you did well in what you could do. Like I said before, simplicity. It seems to work well here, so keep it up. (although you could see some tree cut-off on that cloud towards the middle-end of the level)

Other3.25/5.

+0.25 – Even if the block boss wasn’t that well designed and didn’t really have a proper purpose of being there, I still appreciate the effort of making one.

Overall – 15.25/20.




blackyoshi:
with Gamer Gap


Fun8.75/10. Firstly- meh that bug occurred where the red coins disappeared. I would put this in Other but that section seems quite full already … so yeah, I’ll put that here. Anyways. The challenges were in fact really fun to play- I had a right blast playing this level. The last room I wasn’t so keen on however the concept was cool. My favourite room was personally the lava/metal cap room, because even if the cut-off lava didn’t look so nice (see below), the challenge was pretty interesting for a powerup challenge and I really had fun trying to move around quickly before I lose health. If not that, then the laser room. That was also pretty fun.

Graphics4.25/5. The décor lacked a fair bit sometimes, especially in the room at the beginning. But overall you actually did very well. Although the lava cut-off in the metal cap room wasn’t so great.

Other3.25/5.

+0.25 – Koopa with sunglasses. ‘Nuff said.
+0.5 – The idea of being able to choose an easy mode and normal mode is quite cool- after all the challenges can get tough.
-0.25 – Didn’t really like how you didn’t even have the move that cannon to get the red coin. It lessened the challenge a bit.
-0.25 – It was a bit unclear in the last room on how to return back to the warp pipe. Well, not perhaps for me, but others seemed to find that difficult to work out.

Overall – 16.25/20.




zebtrestalala:
with Pendulum Palace


Fun7.5/10. While sometimes the platforming was a bit too much (those fast moving yellow blocks for example and the pendulums at the same time) it was actually a pretty fun play. It kept me very entertained throughout- there were only a few times that let it down for me, such as that annoying yellow block/pendulum section. Overall it was certainly not disappointing.

Graphics3.25/5. Often I felt like there was a real lack of décor and that most of the level just revolved around interesting gameplay. (and sometimes the mushroom vines showed cut-off and that was a bit ugly) They seem just above average for me.

Other2.75/5.

-0.5 – There is a bug where if I jump high enough through one transition, or get pushed back through, I could skip out a whole section of platforming.
+0.25 – Cute little stationary block boss at the end.

Overall – 13.5/20.


1st – blackyoshi. (16.25)
2nd – CrazyMario. (15.25)
3rd – Triple J. (14.75)
4th – zebtrestalala. (13.5)
"I treat everyone equally, depending on how much I like them." ~Me
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Re: The Carvery Contest

Postby CedarBranch » December 30th, 2012, 3:50 pm

Volcove wrote:Take first experiences into account when designing such obstacles, and allow for an opportunity to actually pass the obstacle the first time without dying, taking heavy damage or cheating.
I didn't realize, until now, that this particular feedback is SO SIGNIFICANT.
This was missed IN EVERY LEVEL I MADE. Come to think of it, this could help me out in countless scenarios.
Thanks!
Triple J here!
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