Level Ideas #38

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opened 2021-07-13 05:47:58 +00:00 by kirsle · 0 comments

kirsle commented

2021-07-13 05:47:58 +00:00

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Some ideas for levels to make for the game:

2X Desert themed levels with a pyramid.
- One level outside the pyramid, climbing it maybe
- Second level is inside the pyramid, with continuity from the previous level.
- Doodads: crumbly floors, locked doors, etc.
Rocket launch base themed level
Castle themed levels

Will require new feature development:

Underwater levels (water physics need inventing)

Single Player Campaign

Ideas for the sequence connection of single player levels. The "1.0" of Sketchy Maze needs to ship with at least one proper campaign of a good enough number of levels.

Harbor:
- Very easy tutorial level, introducing minimal doodads. Teach the controls and how to open the Warp Door.
- Level begins on a ship harbor/dock. Player can walk past various buildings and "enter" them via Warp Doors.
- Doodads: Warp Door, maybe a Key and Locked Door to get onto the boat.
- Goal: entering the boat.
- Doodad ideas: more lock & key pairs: Money and Merchant? So the player buys a ticket and the ticket gets them on the boat. The ticket can just be a reskin that considers itself a colored key and can unlock the existing doors.
Boat: (done)
- Appearance like a large cruise ship.
- Interior of the ship has several floors and is maze-like with doors and keys. Make good use of colored keys to encourage backtracking.
- Deck of the ship can have some safe platforming sections. Jump across roofs and up towers to collect a key.
- Unbounded map type; if the player jumps overboard they sink in the water until hitting the death barrier.
Island:
- Themed like the arrival port on the island that the ship was heading to.
- Spawn point is on the dock, with the ship fully painted as a backdrop element.
- What is on the island? A town? Jungle?
  - Maybe: The harbor town you see immediately has been attacked, or is in a state of disrepair. Player then ventures thru a jungle area with platforming sections and the occasional river or cliff.
- Level ends in a town the player finally reaches.
Castle 1: (done)
- Start in a town outside a castle, goal is inside the castle with a bonus goal if you find the last secret key.
- Note: first created level with the Thief mob.
- Doodad needed: a "stall player character" doodad. It is possible to race the thief and beat him to the switch and softlock the level. A small (32x32) "invisible" doodad would freeze the character for a short moment, one time per level (resettable by linked button), to work around it.
Castle 2:
- Interior castle level, maybe have a subtle callout to the Castlevania series.
Launch Base:
- Themed like a rocket launch base facility.
- Goal is in the cockpit of the rocket.
- Doodad idea: with something like a Warp Door, the player can transport to a different part of the map so we could show the rocket in flight before the end of the level. Add "invisible warp doors" that automatically teleport you on touch.
Space Station:
- Zero gravity map (or gravity boots inversion map?)
- Custom wallpaper image for 'starry' background? Not dark space but doodled star shapes in a faint color.
Reentering orbit:
- A falling-themed map.
- Custom player character: the escape pod.
- Bounded map with VERY TALL height (player range horizontally is limited). Player must dodge obstacles and collect optional goodies as they fall to the Earth.
- Feature needed: terminal velocity should be slower on this level or it will fall too fast to be any fun.
- Level goal is when it hits the water.
- Doodad needed: invisible exit flags, that can be placed along the level bottom to trigger the win condition when the player touches them.
Beach:
- A small map to bridge the sea from reentering orbit to the desert levels.
- Maybe can just be part of Reentering orbit: invisible warp door to a different scene far down the map.
Outside the pyramid: (done)
- A desert themed level with prickly cacti, platforming sections, secret keys that can be used to skip a section, and the player climbs up a pyramid.
Inside the pyramid: (done)
- Player starts at the tip of the pyramid and falls thru a Crumbly Floor down a tall vertical shaft all the way to the bottom, showing a preview of what's to come. They land in a pool in the basement.
- Level goal is in the heart of the pyramid.
- Fix needed: the player character standing on top of 2 stacked Boxes sometimes gets stuck, probably a bug in collision detection between the three doodads.

Levels that the game already has that needs a home:

Tutorial 1, 2 and 3 (may be obsoleted by the campaign)
Thief 1 ("play as Thief" level where you steal Small Keys from the Azulians)

Some ideas for levels to make for the game: * [x] 2X Desert themed levels with a pyramid. * One level outside the pyramid, climbing it maybe * Second level is inside the pyramid, with continuity from the previous level. * Doodads: crumbly floors, locked doors, etc. * [ ] Rocket launch base themed level * [x] Castle themed levels Will require new feature development: * [ ] Underwater levels (water physics need inventing) # Single Player Campaign Ideas for the sequence connection of single player levels. The "1.0" of Sketchy Maze needs to ship with at least one proper campaign of a good enough number of levels. 1. Harbor: * Very easy tutorial level, introducing minimal doodads. Teach the controls and how to open the Warp Door. * Level begins on a ship harbor/dock. Player can walk past various buildings and "enter" them via Warp Doors. * Doodads: Warp Door, maybe a Key and Locked Door to get onto the boat. * Goal: entering the boat. * **Doodad ideas:** more lock & key pairs: Money and Merchant? So the player buys a ticket and the ticket gets them on the boat. The ticket can just be a reskin that considers itself a colored key and can unlock the existing doors. 1. Boat: **(done)** * Appearance like a large cruise ship. * Interior of the ship has several floors and is maze-like with doors and keys. Make good use of colored keys to encourage backtracking. * Deck of the ship can have some safe platforming sections. Jump across roofs and up towers to collect a key. * Unbounded map type; if the player jumps overboard they sink in the water until hitting the death barrier. 1. Island: * Themed like the arrival port on the island that the ship was heading to. * Spawn point is on the dock, with the ship fully painted as a backdrop element. * What is on the island? A town? Jungle? * Maybe: The harbor town you see immediately has been attacked, or is in a state of disrepair. Player then ventures thru a jungle area with platforming sections and the occasional river or cliff. * Level ends in a town the player finally reaches. 1. Castle 1: **(done)** * Start in a town outside a castle, goal is inside the castle with a bonus goal if you find the last secret key. * Note: first created level with the Thief mob. * **Doodad needed:** a "stall player character" doodad. It is possible to race the thief and beat him to the switch and softlock the level. A small (32x32) "invisible" doodad would freeze the character for a short moment, one time per level (resettable by linked button), to work around it. 1. Castle 2: * Interior castle level, maybe have a subtle callout to the Castlevania series. 1. Launch Base: * Themed like a rocket launch base facility. * Goal is in the cockpit of the rocket. * **Doodad idea:** with something like a Warp Door, the player can transport to a different part of the map so we could show the rocket in flight before the end of the level. Add "invisible warp doors" that automatically teleport you on touch. 1. Space Station: * Zero gravity map (or gravity boots inversion map?) * **Custom wallpaper image** for 'starry' background? Not dark space but doodled star shapes in a faint color. 1. Reentering orbit: * A falling-themed map. * Custom player character: the escape pod. * Bounded map with VERY TALL height (player range horizontally is limited). Player must dodge obstacles and collect optional goodies as they fall to the Earth. * **Feature needed:** terminal velocity should be slower on this level or it will fall too fast to be any fun. * Level goal is when it hits the water. * **Doodad needed:** invisible exit flags, that can be placed along the level bottom to trigger the win condition when the player touches them. 1. Beach: * A small map to bridge the sea from reentering orbit to the desert levels. * Maybe can just be part of Reentering orbit: invisible warp door to a different scene far down the map. 1. Outside the pyramid: **(done)** * A desert themed level with prickly cacti, platforming sections, secret keys that can be used to skip a section, and the player climbs up a pyramid. 1. Inside the pyramid: (**done**) * Player starts at the tip of the pyramid and falls thru a Crumbly Floor down a tall vertical shaft all the way to the bottom, showing a preview of what's to come. They land in a pool in the basement. * Level goal is in the heart of the pyramid. * **Fix needed:** the player character standing on top of 2 stacked Boxes sometimes gets stuck, probably a bug in collision detection between the three doodads. Levels that the game already has that needs a home: * Tutorial 1, 2 and 3 (may be obsoleted by the campaign) * Thief 1 ("play as Thief" level where you steal Small Keys from the Azulians)