2D Mega Man Level v1 Feedback
2D Mega Man Level v1 Feedback
Mar 22, 2022
Level designer: Ava Matthews
Play testers: Kyle Tunison, Timothy White, Joseph Hagerman
What went right?
Play testers enjoyed the platforming.
They actually compared it to a Mario level. I was definitely inspired by Mario games, so that was great to hear.
I consider this a sign of success, considering fun platforming is the star of most 2D games!
Play testers appreciated the art design of the level.
Using the assets at hand, I attempted to tell an environmental story with my level, and it seemed to work!
I spent a little extra time to add these details and it definitely paid off.
Players did not get lost or stranded in my level; they knew where they were supposed to go every step of the way.
They also didn’t find any areas where the player might be “soft-locked” or any other bugs.
So, the critical path was obvious.
What went wrong?
It could be too similar to a Mario game. What about the mechanics makes it my game rather than a copy?
The level is similar in the amount of jumping, stairs, and enemy mechanics (for instance, fire balls leaping out of pits).
Compared to the games I play tested, my level is very easy. Play testers who are really skilled at video games (and/or are particularly familiar with Mario or Megaman) sped through my level.
The difficulty needs to be increased, perhaps with more enemies or traps
Or, the level needs to be extended in order to be longer.
It took me about 10 minutes, but I may just not be the best at games.
So the conclusion can be drawn that the challenge was not balanced properly to the skill level of the players.
Some areas of the level are slow compared to others.
There are a few spots of great platforming, but also some flat areas that take away from the level overall.
That being said, the flow was good until interrupted by one or two slow areas.
I have one area where the level splits off into two possible pathways, but play testers couldn’t see the second path.
Improvements
Find some way to give the level a personal spin.
While Mario games are fun, what could I add to make my level unique?
I really enjoyed the puzzle aspects in the games I play tested, so maybe adding some rooms players have to “solve” will give the level some more flavor.
Add an enemy to areas that drag on.
There are a few areas that are pretty flat and static, so adding another enemy there would solve both the difficulty problem and the negative space problem.
Some new enemy types would be helpful overall as well. Levels I play tested had more variety of enemies than my level.
Add some more platforming
Because the platforming (and background design) was play testers’ favorite part of the level, I should add more!
This would both make the level more fun and longer.
Make it more obvious when a path splits and add more forked pathways.
More of these forks would be more fun and they fit into the level narratively.
Every minecart level/film/etcetera includes an area where the tracks fall away or split off. I was trying to achieve this feeling in the design of my level.
It has to be designed perfectly so players don’t get confused, though.
This would also create more opportunities for circulation elements. My level is pretty straightforward at the moment, which is fine, but could have some extra elements.
There’s currently no opportunities to gain health in my level, I’ll need to add some, especially if I make the level more difficult.
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