GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Oct 15, 2015 15:13:43 GMT -8
- start small! Try 32 tiles wide by 24 tiles tall, to start. It is easier to expand a map than it is to reduce the size of a map already filled with your work.
- lay out background (Ground Tiles) using 1 through 8 in a semi-random pattern, filling the entire map area
- make a plan for how the solver will move: spiral inward/outward; zig zag; to and fro (it doesn't matter how, but have a plan in mind
- place the ExitTrigger (King's Fortress) logic centered at least two tiles in from every edge of the map
- place the solver's Grunt(z), properly equipped, or with the means nearby to get what they need
- plan an area only reachable by a Red Warp large enough to contain a Warp letter and return space
- As needed, place Switches (with logics!) and immediately place related Trigger objects with their logics.
- test frequently! Adding dozens (or more) of Objects without testing makes it difficult to determine which change caused the problem you are experiencing. For the Secrets, place a properly equipped test Grunt near the initiation area for the Secret. Your testing will go much faster if you do not have to start from the beginning for each new mini-puzzle.
- pay attention to graphic detail; use the proper stairway for elevation changes; vary the appearance of borders; be sparing with the use of Construction Pyramids (intended by the game's authors only for alteration by a Question mark Switch, not merely as obstructions); when there is no Bomb Grunt involved, it is only necessary to place Pyramids N, S, E and W ... NW, NE, SE and SW are not needed.
- all rectangles is ... boring ... use the tiles available to create interesting maps.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on May 7, 2018 16:25:40 GMT -8
In trying out Gruntz on a 64-bit Windows10 computer, I am running Compatibility mode (Vista) with dgVoodoo, with a screen resolution of 1024X768 pixels (32 tiles wide by 24 tiles tall); some Custom Levels are simply not playable ... not speed related challenges, but CL design problems.
In my system, when a Gruntz CL is opened, the screen resolution acts as if it is the default ... 20 tiles wide by 15 tiles tall. Sometimes it is possible to use the keyboard arrow keys to move the displayed 20X15 tiles. Sometimes the display will only move left and right. Sometimes it will only move up and down. It seems to be related to where the puzzle is designed to open.
Which leads to another problem. If the solver's (me, in this case) Grunt is placed outside the default 2015 window, and the centered opening point is such that the (only!) Grunt is outside the 20X15 window, using the arrow keys does not work at all!
Also, CLz that have action taking place immediately (Gruntz of different teams fighting, for instance), or the fact of the solver's Grunt start an action which means the solver must complete certain tasks in a tightly timed manner ... it is impossible to play, because a SAVE is required to allow the Grunt(s) to cover the entire map. And (as in Cocoanut Grove) the Rolling Coconut reaches the Black One-Time Switch before the Grunt can pass the Black Pyramid in his path.
Gruntz battling one another (as in Gaby's Air Wavez) when the CL opens makes it impossible to capture a "View the map!" image of the actual state of the puzzle before things are changed. So, please, do not design CLz so that such actions take place outside the solver's control.
If you want your CL to be playable by others with system constraints such as I have, keep it small; place your most important Grunt within the area of X<20 and Y<15 ... and what he has to do (time critical) is within that same space.
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Post by Perfect Grunt on May 19, 2018 1:10:08 GMT -8
I would add a few things... - Try to avoid too long wayz. Having to run 45 tilez to a switch the player has to press 6 timez is not funny. An exception could be of course a secret where the player has to get the idea of walking back a (reasonably!) long way when he has a new tool. - Keep your secretz in a fashion the user expects them to be. That is: One secret warp, one secret switch. - Do not hide things in open holez. That is just not logical. - Hide your secretz cleverly. The player should not stumble over them without looking for them, but he shouldn't be forced to have a Grunt walk every single walkable tile (probably even crashing rockz, brickz or digging holez beforewards) in the map, looking for the secret warp. - Refrain from unnecessary wasting of time. Having to dig ~3 holez? Fine. Having to dig 5 holez under time pressure? Great. Having to dig 10 holez in a row? ... Why? This of course applies to brickz as well (whenever you are frequently tempted to use the explosionz cheat for testing your level...). - Try to avoid unnecessarily large areaz filled with the same stuff. When the player has an area filled with 108 rockz that blow off in a timebombed chain reaction, this ist just boring. Of course some of these points can be discussed, they are my opinion only. I'm interested in yours as well! I have discovered most of the points in my own level designz of course.  Another tip: The explosionz cheat is a great way to discover missing brick logicz. Just start the level, activate the cheat, give one of your gruntz invulnerability and keep your finger on the f9 key, crashing the whole level. It's funny  and if the game crashes, you've found a missing logic. In a same way, the grunt creation cheat can be used to quickly test all switchez for wrong logicz as well. |
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Post by swietymiki on Jul 12, 2022 8:30:01 GMT -8
Bumping this thread to update the listing of unused name + graphic set combinations:
- 0-9
 ... ? (new) - 0-9
 ... ? (new) - 0-9
 ... ? (new) - D ... Dirty Sink?
- E
 ... Easy Money? - G ... Good Oddz?
- I
 ... Icing On The Cake? - I ... Impulse Engine?
- J ... Jello Pudding?
- J
 ... Jumping Golf Ballz? - J ... Jupiter Callz?
- K ... Kelvin Freeze?
- K
 ... Kiluea? (even a timely topic!) - K ... Kamikaze Kupcakez?
- N ... ? (new)
- N ... Nothing Spicy?
- N ... Nothing Sirius? (The title of a Sci-Fi short story)
- Q ... Quasar? (quasi-starlike object)
- R ... Rinse Cycle?
- U ... ? (new)
- U ... Upside Down?
- U ... Usual Breakfast?
- U ... Under Par?
- V
 ... ? - V ... ?
- V ... ?
- V ... ?
- V ... ?
- V ... ?
- W ... ? (new)
- X ... ?
- X ... ?
- X ... ?
- X ... ?
- Y ... ? (new)
- Y ... ?
- Y ... ?
- Y ... ?
- Z ... ?
- Z ... ?
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Jul 12, 2022 12:50:24 GMT -8
I am working on "Nine Is The Point!" in High Rollerz. (But "Nice Hand" is also a good choice.)
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Post by swietymiki on Jul 15, 2022 7:38:00 GMT -8
Reading this suggestion, I realized that such a level already exists. However, it was missing from the index that I used during my search.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Jul 15, 2022 9:10:57 GMT -8
Reading this suggestion, I realized that such a level already exists. However, it was missing from the index that I used during my search.
Not your problem! The index "Alphabetical Order N" did not have an entry for Zu's 2016 Quest! (Fixed, now.) |
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and if the game crashes, you've found a missing logic. 
