runouw.com

SuYo1141 wrote:Well, in all honesty, levels really shouldn't be made for the purpose of being huge and long. If you're making it long to depict a story of some sort, then that's acceptable (see Dark by MessengerOfDreams,) but no level really needs to overstay its welcome.

Well, yeah... levels aren't meant to be colossal (lag bombs). But, levels that are bigger have more in store, and that can mean more fun and replay value.
Some popular video games have levels that are enormous, which leads to my question:

Why does this game lag so easily (and easily load slowly?)? And why do so many other games manage to avoid lag and long loading times, yet have huge levels? I understand that this isn't the only game with level transitions, but others games with them can still have huge sections.
Is it possible to improve this game's engine? Is there a problem in the way?

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One of my problems (which is why this turned out to be a lag/loading time bomb, along with some of my other levels) is that I am over-patient. I could make levels bigger and slower, yet not get anywhere near impatient. I may be more patient than needed, and this causes my levels to require more and more patience, yet I still lack impatience. This kind of messes with my perception of how long a loading time should be to BE acceptable.

Sorry.

Lag bombs? How appropriate, because bombs lag.



In seriousness though, Bob-ombs are a major cause of lag.

KABOOM wrote:Lag bombs? How appropriate, because bombs lag.



In seriousness though, Bob-ombs are a major cause of lag.

Really! I didn't know that! That'll make this harder to unlag (and thank you for making my head bigger.).
Do you think this level will explode?

EDIT: What is wrong with the background in the screenshots, KABOOM?

EDIT EDIT: Wait, wait... we are talking about Bob-ombs, and your username is KABOOM?

Triple J wrote:Why does this game lag so easily (and easily load slowly?)? And why do so many other games manage to avoid lag and long loading times, yet have huge levels? I understand that this isn't the only game with level transitions, but others games with them can still have huge sections.
Is it possible to improve this game's engine? Is there a problem in the way?

While I agree that huge levels can be grand and immersive, SM63 can't do that very well because of a few problems a lot of us have encountered. 1. It's a fangame, 2. It runs off of Flash, which will run at various speeds depending on your computer, and 3. The Runouw brothers (Rob and Steve) don't have very much time to improve the game or its engine, they're both taking what seems to be UBER EDUCATION ++ college.

Though I wouldn't let this get you down. Lots of people make this mistake, and it's easily avoidable in the future, so ya just gotta live n' learn.

Yeah, that is a problem from the designer, but like SuYo said, it is something we need to get used to. Some decide to make levels without too much decor, others decided to make their levels shorter (like me) and others just let go and shallow the consequences of long loading time (sometimes like me).

AWESOME LEVEL but it does take quite a long time to load though but the level is pretty decent!

When I play, the very back of the background is black. In your screenshots there's red cavey stuff in the background. It might be because you're playing the actual game and I'm using the LD-only version.

SuYo1141 wrote:

Triple J wrote:Why does this game lag so easily (and easily load slowly?)? And why do so many other games manage to avoid lag and long loading times, yet have huge levels? I understand that this isn't the only game with level transitions, but others games with them can still have huge sections.
Is it possible to improve this game's engine? Is there a problem in the way?

While I agree that huge levels can be grand and immersive, SM63 can't do that very well because of a few problems a lot of us have encountered. 1. It's a fangame, 2. It runs off of Flash, which will run at various speeds depending on your computer, and 3. The Runouw brothers (Rob and Steve) don't have very much time to improve the game or its engine, they're both taking what seems to be UBER EDUCATION ++ college.

Though I wouldn't let this get you down. Lots of people make this mistake, and it's easily avoidable in the future, so ya just gotta live n' learn.

It's okay. At least they try their best within their schedule.

lordpat wrote:Yeah, that is a problem from the designer, but like Suyo said, it is something we need to get used to. Some decide to make levels without too much decor, others decided to make their levels shorter (like me) and others just let go and shallow the consequences of long loading time (sometimes like me).

Ok. But, what do you mean by "shallow the consequences?" (I spent 40 minutes trying to look it up, and the closest definition doesn't seem to fit with this)

KABOOM wrote:When I play, the very back of the background is black. In your screenshots there's red cavey stuff in the background. It might be because you're playing the actual game and I'm using the LD-only version.

At the beginning of the level, those are disabled level transitions. I did that to make it seem like you're in a dark tunnel, and the light of the fissure shines at the bottom (sort of like the lava glowing). I'm sorry if it was too subtle.

I just felt like taking a screenshot of the tunnel.

(Did you notice the cave tiles? Think of those as dark volcano tiles. It is like a transition.)

UPDATE!

This is now a first portion of the whole level!

(If you were lucky, and quick enough, you would have seen KABOOM's fame. I had accidentally placed a quote of KABOOM's in the level code box.)

Triple J wrote:At the beginning of the level, those are disabled level transitions. I did that to make it seem like you're in a dark tunnel, and the light of the fissure shines at the bottom (sort of like the lava glowing). I'm sorry if it was too subtle.

Too subtle? Pff, effects like that are EXCELLENT, be as creative as you want with them. :3