A Fishin' Town!

[konidias]

I think it's complete garbage. No offense, and this is just my opinion... but why do people go through all the time and effort to make these elaborate levels which lack any real creativity or design? You're simply using like every tile you can find to make some insanely complex tiling that doesn't even make sense.

Take the 3rd level for example. You're using what are supposed to be beach tiles for ocean shores, as standing water tiles. You focus so much on your "mad awesome tiling!!11" that you don't focus on adding trees, or signs, or tables and chairs so people can like... sit down.

Honestly, if this level was online I'd avoid it at all costs. It doesn't look pleasant to be in at all. Walking through that upper water area would be hell. You'd constantly be falling in water and popping back out like 20 times just to get from one side to the other. You've got a tree stump out there in the middle of nowhere... Who cut that tree down? Some guy who decided "hey, I need some lumber, I think I'll cross this insanely zig-zaggy watery terrain to get to that one tree way over there so I can cut it down and then cross the water all over again to take back the logs."?

I would say 95% of the LATs on Graal today don't take anything into account except "is my level crazily tiled enough?!?". It's really annoying and a horrible direction to take Graal's levels in.

This kind of level wouldn't even be found randomly in a fantasy world, let alone actual real nature.

Here are some things I like to take into consideration when making levels:

1. is it somewhere people would like to go to hang out
2. does it serve any purpose other than showing your ability to make crazy tile designs?
3. are there focal points in which players can rest their eyes on instead of just non-stop chaos (as in your levels)
4. why are the objects in the level there, and why does it make sense for them to be there
5. is this level comfortable to walk through, or is it too complicated and messy?

Sorry that I blew up like this but I needed to get it off my chest.

/end rant

[bgumeny]

Originally Posted by konidias

You focus so much on your "mad awesome tiling!!11" that you don't focus on adding trees, or signs, or tables and chairs so people can like... sit down.

Yes, we all know how badly players always want to rest their pixel legs. It can get tiring sitting in a computer chair watching your game character stand up...

As Gerami said they are just show-off levels done to help practice tiling skills and such. They are very helpful in familizarizing a player with the tileset so that when they do have to make a practical level they know where to find certain tiles. It also helps LATs be more creative.

Originally Posted by konidias

Again, eye candy levels serve no purpose at all. You summed it up when you called the opposite "practical" because practical actually has a reason to be there. Why even bother making this kind of level if it's not going to be used and it shows no skill in practical level making at all? Like I said, you might as well draw the level on a piece of paper and say "here is my level". It might as well be moved to the graphics forum.

So graphic artists can post their random GFX, but LATs cannot post random levels showcasing their talents? The purpose of eye candy levels is to show off an LAT's talents, and also to get criticism and improve their levels. I completely disagree with you and feel that they serve quite a purpose.