Level Posting Rules

[entertainment.net]

Uh, it might be better to PM a staff member, but here is cool too.

Anyway, are you sure that your level was actually rejected? Because the first few levels you upload to the Portal have to be approved, and they won't appear in the list until they have.

[Dtroid]

Am I allowed to post the first level of a Course Series before I post the next levels?
What I mean is:
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Code: Select all

*LEVEL CODE HERE*

Next level is coming soon!
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Is it allowed?

[Asterocrat]

Yes, it is.

[Americankid]

Also do not get it in the wrong forum or do it like this.

[TheExcavator]

Apologies for the bump, but are these rules ever going to be updated? The list is pretty outdated, with images that don't even work and being not as helpful to a new LDer than it could be.

[Supershroom]

It's an announcement topic. As well as sticky topics, you can bump then whenever it's good to do so.

And yes, these should probably not only be revamped, but also be anchored in the general rules as there are many people being only here to post level. And not all of them follow the rules.

[Venexis]

So You Wanna Do Levels Like a Pro, Huh?

Index Where should levels be posted?
Navigating the Level Designer
What makes a good level?
Frequently Asked Questions

Is level designing a field you want to get into? Has one of your levels been disapproved, and you aren't entirely sure why? Maybe you're just hoping to pick up a couple pointers before entering your first Level Designer Contest? Whatever your reason- whether you're new to the scene or a veteran looking for the latest tips- you're in the right place.

First things first, though. Both Super Mario 63 (SM63) and Last Legacy (LL) have multiple places to submit level codes, depending on whether it's a standalone level or part of a series, a contest entry or something just for fun, even down to the type of feedback you're looking for. Below, we'll cover the most common areas to submit your codes, as well as the benefits to all of them.

Please remember to use code tags for all level codes!

Code: Select all

[code]Put your level code here.[/code]

Not only does this help save space, it also offers a convenient "select all" option to highlight the entire code for copying into your level designer.

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Where should levels be posted?
Back To Index

SM63 Level PortalLevel Portal GeneralLL Level Portal The Portal is basically the central "hub" for sharing levels and getting feedback on your work- as such, it's recommended to always post a copy of your level codes here, even if they're already submitted to a level series thread or a contest vault. Just pick the appropriate game's portal and submit your code.

The primary advantage of the Level Portal is that people can rate, review, and criticize specific parts of a single level.

Questions and concerns should go into Level Portal General, where the will attempt to address it as soon as possible.

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SM63 Level CollectionsLL Level Collections Level Collections are a simple way to store all examples of your work in a single place. If you want people to be able to easily find all your work in a single, easily accessible location, this is the best way to do it.

The primary advantage of Level Collections is that they allow users to locate more of your levels, without searching through the Portal. Due to this, only one collection thread per user is allowed.

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SM63 Level SeriesLL Level Series Level Series are useful if a particularly ambitious level designer project will take multiple levels to conclude. If you've got a set of levels united under a common story or theme, it offers an easy way to showcase just those levels.

The primary advantage of a Level Series is that they allow users to find only levels included in a specific series, without any extra clutter. There's no limit to the amount of series threads you can create, and no maximum limit to the number of levels per series, but you should have a minimum of three levels before making one.

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Level Designer Contests & VaultsIf there is currently a contest in progress, it will be stickied in the forum linked above.

From time to time, we host Level Designer contests (LDCs) as friendly competitions to test skill as a designer. These contests usually require you to create a level that fits a certain set of requirements (this can be anything from a simple theme, to a size constraint) in about a month, after which the winners will receive a shiny new medal to display in their profile. The rules for each contest are subject to changing so it's always a good idea to read up to ensure your entry isn't disqualified!

A corresponding Vault thread will be stickied near any active LDC. Only contest submissions are allowed in this designated area, but of course there's nothing stopping you linking your contest entry elsewhere.

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Navigating the Level Designer
Back To Index

The SM63 designer can be found in the "Extras" menu in game, or the standalone version found here. The LL designer can be found in the "Extras" menu in game, and does not currently have a standalone version.

The Main Screen

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This is the main screen of the SM63 level designer. With the menu bar in the top left, it's possible to alter course parameters like size or background, save a level, or choose tiles and items to place in the level. A guide to each of the functions can be found below:

• File
  
  • Course Info- Allows the user to pick a name, size, background, and music track for the level.
  • Reset Course- Returns the current level to default settings. This destroys the current level, and is irreversible.
  • Test Course- Allows the designer to playtest the course.
  • Save Course- Gives the designer options for saving the current levels. (See "Saving a Level" below.)
  • Load Course- Gives the designer options for loading saved levels. (See "Saving a Level" below.)
  • Exit- Quits the designer without saving.
• View
  
  • Close Windows- Closes all active designer windows.
  • Movement Settings- Changes camera movement speed in designer mode.
  • Toggle Layering- Toggles between displaying tiles or items in the foreground.
  • Re-Center Camera- Centers the camera on the level's starting point.
• Tiles
  
  • Place Tiles- Brings up the Tiles menu along the right side of the designer. Click the image at the top to change tilesets.
  • Eraser- Switches from tile placement mode to tile erase mode.
  • Change Grid Size- Allows the designer to change the size of the level.
• Items
  
  • Place Items- Brings up the Items menu along the right side of the designer. Click the images at the top to change submenus.
  • Select Items- Allows the designer to click an item to change its properties.
  • Eraser- Switches from item placement mode to item erase mode.
• Help
  
  • Unlockables- Informs the player that tilesets can be unlocked by collecting Star Coins in the game's Story mode.
  • Controls- Allows the player to check out designer controls.
  • Instructions- Brings up the Instructions window first seen upon entering the designer.

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The standalone designer requires the user to first reset or load a course before anything can be modified, due to the unspecified level code. Additionally, the standalone designer has all unlockable tilesets available from the start, and will not play the in-game music selection.

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This is the main screen of the LL level designer. With the menu bar in the top left, it's possible to alter course parameters like size or background, save or load a level, or change the zoom. Additionally, there are quick access buttons on the right side of the top bar. A guide to each of the functions can be found below:

• File
  
  • Save As- Gives the designer options for saving the current levels. (See "Saving & Loading a Level" below.)
  • Open- Gives the designer options for loading saved levels. (See "Saving & Loading a Level" below.)
  • New- Returns the current level to default settings. This destroys the current level, and is irreversible.
  • Course Properties- Allows the user to pick a name, size, close background, far background, music track, starting equipment, gravity settings, and starting delta powers for the level.
  • Return to Title- Quits the designer. (The level will auto-save in to browser cookies and reload when the designer is re-opened, but don't rely on this. Save frequently.)
• Edit
  
  • Copy- Copies a group of selected items or an area of selected tiles to the in-designer clipboard.
  • Paste- Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the designer, either centered on the cursor (for items) or at the top left of a selected area (for tiles).
  • Delete- Deletes a selected group of items or area of tiles.
  • Undo- Undoes the last action.
  • Redo- Redoes the last undone action.
  • Controls- (Bugged) Same functionality as File>Open.
• View
  
  • Show Non-morphed Tiles- Toggles the morphing tile display. If checked, terrain will be smooth. If unchecked, tiles will be displayed individually.
  • Display Grid- Toggles the display of designer grid used to help align tiles and items.
  • Display Ground- (debug tool, advanced) Toggles highlighting the hitboxes of solid tiles.
  • Display Transparent Tiles-

[guide incomplete]

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Saving & Loading a Level

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This is the save menu of the SM63 designer, accessed from the File dropdown menu. There are two save options, outlined below:

• Output as Code- Outputs the level code as text, to be pasted and saved in a text editing program such as Notepad.
  
  • This is the most secure save option, but care should be taken to paste the code somewhere more permanent immediately- copying anything else with a level code copied will erase it from the user's clipboard forever. If the computer is shared or saving a text file is not an option, the code can be sent in a self-addressed PM instead. This option is necessary in order to share level codes with the community.
• Save to your Browser's Cookies- Saves the level code in the same way cookies are stored locally.
  
  • This method is prone to accidental deletion, cannot be shared with other users or across multiple browsers, and has a limit of three save slots. Care should be taken to avoid clearing cookie data, or levels saved in this manner will be lost. Despite this, it works in a pinch, and can be used in conjunction with regular text backups to quickly a level currently in development.

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Levels can be loaded in a similar fashion, by copying in a level code in the user's clipboard or loading one of the browser cookie saves.

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This is the save menu of the LL designer, accessed from the File dropdown menu or the icon. There are two save options, outlined below:

• Copy to Clipboard- Copies the current level code, to be pasted and saved in a text editing program such as Notepad.
  
  • This is the less secure save option. The level code will exist in the user's clipboard until something else is copied, at which case it will be deleted. This option is very useful for sharing level codes or saving them in a self-addressed PM on the forums, but care should be taken to paste it somewhere more permanent as soon as possible.
• Save to Text File- Allows the user to directly save a text file of the level code to the computer.
  
  • This is the more secure save option. The user is prompted to save the level code to their Documents folder by default, but this location can be changed.

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Checking the "encrypted?" box while saving a level will result in the code being locked from further edits. Levels can also be loaded in a similar fashion, by copying in a code from the user's clipboard or loading the text file directly from the user's computer.


What Makes a Good Level?
Back To Index

Frequently Asked Questions
Back To Index

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Stuff to do:

• Finish designer navigation info for Last Legacy, make the columns nice and even with pxspacer
• Tips for creating a good level (both SM63 and LL), covering things like cutoff, enemy spam, lag, etc... picture/level code examples along with resources like Shroom's guide to LDing would also be found here as well
• FAQ section explaining common reasons for things like level disapprovals, how to contact the level mods, and any other miscellaneous stuff that isn't covered above

This is severely unfinished- if there's anything you feel needs to be added, if you don't like the formatting, or hell, even if you want to give me examples of "good" and "bad" level screenshots/codes, feel free to PM.

A big thanks to OJ for doing basically all of the LL designer navigation guide, luv ya bby <3

[Doram]

Two quick questions on this topic, now that I am taking a quick look at this:

1. Do we want to make a whole new thread for this once it's finished?
2. What do you guys think of my suggestion to keep tutorial here really brief, and mostly refer people to the much more fleshed out guide on the wiki?

[Supershroom]

Well, I have the following in mind: Graveyard this thread once we have cleaned up everything pertaining rules. I've already made the new thread some time ago. :> As for glitches and tricks, I'd rather say let the existing threads stay, as they contain extra contributions in further posts (as I've noticed, the OP in Every Proven Glitch doesn't contain all the glitches in the topic by far). We divide it up into glitches and to other basic knowledge for the Tutorial Thread. Similar stuff would happen for LL.

And the wiki - to be honest I've already made many thoughts about contents being doubled both on the forum and the wiki. Even more, planned stuff like the SM63 Play Guide even appears to be rather redundant for me partially, everyone who meets the Wiki already knows the controls of SM63 and probably also has 100% cleared the game. The way I see it, the Wiki is good for having things compact, not overly detailed. We can do more in a forum post and we also have more effective possibilities formatting-wise, so we should focus on the posts first before looking at what's done on the Wiki.

[Oranjui]

Could easily just delete/hide the contents of the original post, put the new rules in, and then swap the thread author. That's what we did with the Art Rules. It's better than having twenty bajillion different "Rules" threads.