preferred style of level

Discussion and analysis of graphics, story, levels, and so on.

Preffered level type

Maze
1
6%
Beat-up
1
6%
Strategy
5
31%
Perfect-timing
1
6%
First level
1
6%
Big room
5
31%
Combo
2
13%
 
Total votes: 16

User avatar
grelphy
Posts: 219
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:41 am
Location: the Armageddon Machine

preferred style of level

Post by grelphy »

So...

What style of level do you prefer? This is just a general thing - merge your feelings on building and playing and come up with something. I would prefer that you not think too much about time-consumption with level design, but be judgemental.

Maze: kind of self explanatory. It's a maze, much like Hal's Kitchen or the thirteenth level in Keen 1

Beat-up: Uses lots and lots of bad guys to insure that Keen either dies or does a really, really good job of aiming, shooting and jumping.

Strategy: Levels that require some thought. DC in Episode 2 is a good example, though there are plento of others, especially in episode 6

Perfect-timing: Spike, space yorp. Jump at just the right time and into just the right space, or else...

pathetically easy/first level: Few if any baddies. Very easy. Almost all first levels form a good example.

Big room: Big room. Baddys, plats, jumping galore - like Keen 1 level 1.

Combo: some combination of the above.
User avatar
MultiMania
Patch Master
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:09 am
Location: Deep in the heart of keen.
Contact:

Level

Post by MultiMania »

Strategy, Then maze.
actually I'm suprised that I'm the first to post. Would've thought this would be quite popular. (I'm usually late for things :) )
User avatar
JosephBurke
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 9:51 pm

If it had lot of legs I'd want it, but no pun means no fun.

Post by JosephBurke »

Definitely combo; I like big rooms with tons of points and lots of bad guys where perfect riming would be needed to get to some places, about half the level would be maze like and require strategy too. Hey, if you can read that sentence, or yeah, if you can't read that sentence then you're something, something.
User avatar
CommanderSpleen
Posts: 1017
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 12:11 pm
Location: The Land of Sparkly Things
Contact:

Post by CommanderSpleen »

Level style, eh?

Well, I most like complex maze levels... ones that keep you on edge. Perfect timing levels annoy me most of the time, as I end up on a downward spiral of annoyed, mistake=>less focus=>more annoyed, mistake=>no focus=>angry, mistake=>broken puter, mistake.

Big levels with a lot of bonuses and such are good after a couple of particularly taxing levels, though.

I'll try anything seventeen times, though.

>Commander Spleen
KeenRush
Patch Maker
Posts: 1988
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:52 pm
Location: Sand Yego
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

Ah, strategy! In big rooms, with some hard spots! :) That's what I'm aiming in my next mod..
User avatar
XkyRauh
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 9:14 pm
Location: San Diego, California

re: level types

Post by XkyRauh »

To further discussion of the selected options, I wanna ask you all the following:

of the original Keen games (1-6 and dreams), which level(s) do you feel are the most representative of each level stereotype?

Maze: kind of self explanatory. It's a maze, much like Hal's Kitchen or the thirteenth level in Keen 1

Grelphy covered this one in his description--I agree with his examples :-)

Beat-up: Uses lots and lots of bad guys to insure that Keen either dies or does a really, really good job of aiming, shooting and jumping.

Hmm... I'd have to say the closest to "beat-up" as pertaining to Keen, to me, would either be the the Bloog Control Center (Blooglets) or a couple levels of Keen3 (the lower Subway area in one of the Vortivilles has plenty to kill-or-be-killed by)

Strategy: Levels that require some thought. DC in Episode 2 is a good example, though there are plento of others, especially in episode 6

Agreed--DC in Ep2 was spectacular in its use of smarts, but I believe that Episode 2 has inherently "smarter" levels solely because of the Scrubs.
:-)

Perfect-timing: Spike, space yorp. Jump at just the right time and into just the right space, or else...

It could be argued that many Keen3 levels are exercises in patience and enemy evasion, but I think my nomination for this category would have to be Keen Dreams. Some of the stuff in there I remember being quite perfectionist in nature.

pathetically easy/first level: Few if any baddies. Very easy. Almost all first levels form a good example.

True, practically any first level is a good example, but my favorite of these is definitely Keen2's. It's short and fast if you're in a hurry, but also contains enough points and distractions to fill up a full minute of your time. Keen1's is a bit long, and 4-6 are a bit dangerous (Keen6's in particular.)

Big room: Big room. Baddys, plats, jumping galore - like Keen 1 level 1.

You consider Keen1 Level 1 a "Big Room" level? I'm surprised. When you say "Big Room" the first thing that comes to mind is the Korath III base in Keen5, or The Domes of Darkness in Keen6. Actually, what really comes to mind is a level from Crystal Caves, Episode 3, full of hidden bricks... that level is the very definition of "Big Room" in my mind and I will forever hate it.

Combo: some combination of the above.

This was the crux of my post: Which Keen level do you guys think hosts the best balance of the above aspects? Personally, my vote is Guard Post 1 from Keen6. It's got a wonderful balance of hidden areas, shortcuts, optional backtracking, difficulty, pacing, and risk. My second vote would have to go to Rome in Keen2. (I may have to double-check that it's Rome... either way it's the level that starts with Keen dropping down and right to a lightswitch.)

My least favorite level would definitely be Security Center from Keen5... it's quite simply too long for its own good--it's twice as long as any Keen2 level!

I'm interested in hearing your guys' opinions. ;-)

--Xky
Ilsoap
Posts: 197
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 4:04 am
Location: Canada
Contact:

Post by Ilsoap »

Maze: That level in Keen 1 fits it best because of the close, confining spaces in that level. However, I think Crystallus in Keen 4 might also fit (or at least as a cross between maze and big level)

Beat-up: Some of the Keen5 levels in Hard mode would definitely fit. The dominantly green level with all of the shikadi and shockshunds in particular fits this category.

Strategy: Besides the ones mentioned, the well of wishes is strategic in that you have to get the dopefish to eat the schoolfish at just the right time.

Perfect-timing: Oh, definitely the Mangling Machine finale level of Keen 3. I've never yet gotten through that level without God mode on... can never get under those feet.

pathetically easy/first level: Keen 1 or Keen 2's first level tie for easiest for me

Big room: Pyramid of the Forbidden in Keen 4, or the end level of Keen 5 (in addition to the Korath III base).

Combo: Crystallus might be a nominee for this honor, due to its shortcut for those with advanced skill (don't need to get the green gem to beat it), but there aren't any drops in the level, and points are slim pickings. The level around the castle wall in Keen Dreams (just before you meet Boobus Tuber) is probably my most favorite level in that game, due to its combination of qualities. The "Eat At Joe's" level of Keen 6 qualifies, too (although it also contains those little yellow unkillable dudes, one of my least favorite Keen enemies). I guess I'll go with the Isle of Tar for best combo level.

Least favorite level: The barbwire Vortininja level of Keen 3. Too many deathtraps in there.
User avatar
JosephBurke
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 9:51 pm

Life....

Post by JosephBurke »

pathetically easy/first level: Few if any baddies. Very easy. Almost all first levels form a good example.

True, practically any first level is a good example, but my favorite of these is definitely Keen2's. It's short and fast if you're in a hurry, but also contains enough points and distractions to fill up a full minute of your time.
I -- I died in level one of Keen2 -- but not once, four times. *shame*

What was that electrical thingie doing in level one, anyway? And why the hell I did I hit it again and again and then fall into that acid pit? I tell you, something jinxed me the first time I played Keen2!

The price to be paid for mindlessly pogoing, I guess. It was then that I decided to become a master of the pogostick; it truly was a holy moment, one that should have humbled a player for a lifetime. Hahaha!
User avatar
ckguy
Posts: 465
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 11:20 am
Location: Wakefield, RI, US
Contact:

Post by ckguy »

Ilsoap wrote:Beat-up: Some of the Keen5 levels in Hard mode would definitely fit. The dominantly green level with all of the shikadi and shockshunds in particular fits this category.
The Neutrino Burst Injector? I'd say that's my least favorite level in Keen 5. That bouncing slicestar and the Shikadi at the end are just too anoying. Not to mention all the shockshunds.

edit: Whoops, I didn't vote before. I like big room levels.
KeenRush
Patch Maker
Posts: 1988
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:52 pm
Location: Sand Yego
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

Argh, I hate shockshunds, but prefer slicestars and shikadi. :)
Ilsoap
Posts: 197
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 4:04 am
Location: Canada
Contact:

Post by Ilsoap »

Neutrino Burst Injector... I thought that was it, but it's easy to get level names confused in Keen 5. (Defense Tunnel Vlook? Teln? Schmirp?)

Yeah, when there's ONE bouncing slicestar at the end, it does involve some strategy, if you go into the fuse room just after it comes out. But with two, it suddenly becomes random chance... I don't like it in hard mode.

You know, with all of Keen's gadgets, you'd think he'd have enough know-how to blast through walls... you could finish some of those levels way quicker if the walls were blasted through. :)
User avatar
ckguy
Posts: 465
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 11:20 am
Location: Wakefield, RI, US
Contact:

Post by ckguy »

Ah ... blasting through walls ... that'd just be cheap.
User avatar
CommanderSpleen
Posts: 1017
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 12:11 pm
Location: The Land of Sparkly Things
Contact:

Post by CommanderSpleen »

You know, with all of Keen's gadgets, you'd think he'd have enough know-how to blast through walls... you could finish some of those levels way quicker if the walls were blasted through. :)
Where's the fun in that? He can save the galaxy from an ensuing threat, and still be home for tea... might as well make it entertaining.

>CommanderSpleen
KeenRush
Patch Maker
Posts: 1988
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:52 pm
Location: Sand Yego
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

And we don't know about the material some races are using; it can be unbreakable with somekind of "handgun". :)
Ilsoap
Posts: 197
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 4:04 am
Location: Canada
Contact:

Post by Ilsoap »

And ANOTHER thing. Why does Keen always park the far away from the place he needs to go to finish his objective? Did he really need to park behind TWO fences in Keen 4? Couldn't he see the big tower with the "M" on it from space in Keen 3? Did he really need the rope and grappling hook in Keen 6, if he could have just flown over the canyon?

Yeah, I guess he did. Because it made the game more fun. Long live pointless diversions and miscalculations!!
Post Reply