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2017 Old-School Level Design Contest (Discussion)

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Is the difficulty okay in my level?
Wow, I only started working on my level one hour ago and now i'm nearly finished save for some testing and the final few screens. I wish I was this fast in my main hack. I'll upload the level and video of it shortly.
So I have played some entries. I don't know where to put a feedback because there is no level threads like in VLDC. That's why I put it here.

Luansilva12 entry: midpoint doesn't work. On the other hand level is short and easy so it doesn't need any midpoint.

LOLIPOP1136 entry: your link in Rules and Submissions doesn't work. I downloaded it directly from your Profile Bin. Also I get "The patch is not intended for this ROM" info when I try to use your bps.

AbuseFreakHacker entry: The very first lightning is a really dick move.

Final Theory entry: this level is a mess. It's hard to tell what's solid and what's not. Also sea of cut-offs.

Also did anybody noticed that this contest's overworld in short will be called OLD COW?
Originally posted by Kyanite
If we were to ever do this again, I think a rule should be that we have to use Lunar Magic 1.0, since so many options in newer versions to edit a SMW ROM aren't considered "pure vanilla".
too not user friendly but i get what you're saying
ask me if i give a f*ck...
editing a rom is by definition not vanilla if we want to get into semantics here. the way we define it is completely arbitrary which is why contests like this will always need very specific rules.
Originally posted by leod
Yes to both. Don't do those!


Aren't vines eating blocks intended though? They are used this way in Gnarly.
If an edited ROM that has a lot of restrictions placed is vanilla, then wouldn't an unedited ROM just be the vanilla plant seed?

Originally posted by AbuseFreakHacker
Is the difficulty okay in my level?

I agree with Galaer that the lightning at the beginning was a dick move, and so was starting from the midway point (that quite easily felt like the hardest part for me). Entering the pipe into the underground area feels unnecessarily awkward but not really hard, tho shooting out of the pipe afterwards propels Mario into a Muncher. I'm sure it would still be decently challenging even if you took out at least a few of the Pitchin' Chucks.
At least it doesn't really feel like Kaizo aside from those think-fast moments. I would feel daunted by the Dragon coin collecting, but I never really cared about those anyway since most of the time you just get a simple 1-up.

Originally posted by Minimay
Aren't vines eating blocks intended though? They are used this way in Gnarly.

Spinning turn-blocks and coins maybe. I don't think Gnarly ever put solid blocks immediately above the vine blocks.
Legacy custom music
A site with a non-useless dislike button
SMW hacking channel

I like how most of the submissions have 105 level files, I hope they are enjoyable.
I got a couple of questions regarding the rules:

- Are vines allowed to eat through rope and cloud tiles?

- Are we allowed to use method 2 for placing entrances in #lm{1door}, and can we use the seperate midway point settings?

- Are we allowed to select "not used" music or SFX in the music bypass setting in #lm{music}?

- Are we allowed to overlap layer 1 and 2 (when there is no layer 2 sprite). An example of this would be coins or item blocks over watertiles.
Originally posted by Minimay
Aren't vines eating blocks intended though? They are used this way in Gnarly.

When you activate a vine block, the vine will eat the block right above the vine block no matter what it was, even if it was a cement block. That's what was asked about.
You can have them cut through ropes, coins, anything it can actually eat through if you want. It's intended and used as such in the game.
Although SMW only ever did this with you coming from the bottom anyway so it didn't "open a pathway", I think that's fine anyway, it's the same mechanic.

The same thing isn't allowed for the mushroom scales cause honestly, they're trying to uphold an illusion of growing and shrinking back down, as a kid I would have expected a scale to remember what block was behind it and put it back when it shrinks back down, much like how the mushroom blocks in SMB2 worked.

It's a really iffy line here I suppose. Scales leave a clear cut when they grow back down that doesn't make any sense, vines sort of make a bit of sense to overwrite blocks since there's an eating piranha face at the top.





Originally posted by Blue Leaf
- Are vines allowed to eat through rope and cloud tiles?

Yes.

Originally posted by Blue Leaf
- Are we allowed to use method 2 for placing entrances in #lm{1door}, and can we use the seperate midway point settings?

Yes.

Originally posted by Blue Leaf
- Are we allowed to select "not used" music or SFX in the music bypass setting in #lm{music}?

People yelled at me for saying that this setting is allowed at all, but it's kind of too late to undo now, so yes.
The issue mostly was the time anyway.

Originally posted by Blue Leaf
- Are we allowed to overlap layer 1 and 2 (when there is no layer 2 sprite). An example of this would be coins or item blocks over watertiles.

Yes.
Your layout has been removed.
Can I use Reznor in my entry, since I need a boss? Is there any sprite tileset header that includes it?
My Mode 0 guide.

My Discord server. It has a lot of archived ASM stuff, so check that out!

Originally posted by MasterSkodwarde
Can I use Reznor in my entry, since I need a boss? Is there any sprite tileset header that includes it?


You need SP3=25, so I don't think a custom Reznor is allowed
Originally posted by Galaer

LOLIPOP1136 entry: your link in Rules and Submissions doesn't work. I downloaded it directly from your Profile Bin. Also I get "The patch is not intended for this ROM" info when I try to use your bps.


Oh, really? Oops. How do I post a download link then? I've never really tried before...
As for the patch...
I could have accidentally used a slightly edited ROM while making my level? I'll try to re-upload the files then, thanks for telling me!
Originally posted by LOLIPOP1136
[Oh, really? Oops. How do I post a download link then? I've never really tried before...

In the file bin, search for your file and then simply copy the link et voilà, there is the link you should get.
Originally posted by MarioFanGamer
Originally posted by LOLIPOP1136
[Oh, really? Oops. How do I post a download link then? I've never really tried before...

In the file bin, search for your file and then simply copy the link et voilà, there is the link you should get.


Thanks! Made a new patch with a new ROM, hopefully it works now?
Going to start working on my level, it will be water-themed. Should have it done today.
Working on "A Mario Hack".
Another portion of pointless feedback.

Minuy600 entry - overall very good level. Coins row in the cave looks like there is a secret meaning behind it (like being blockade or platform for secret door, but there is nothing there). Also unlike cannons and chucks placement of Banzai Bills is uninteresting. They are all too easy to avoid.

MarioFan22 entry - secret exit cries for another section with guide lines, platforms and saws. Like it is is quite dissapointing.

Celestial Seraph entry- after getting midpoint I can jump over wall to the right and die. And I did that.

Gloomy entry- didn't you write in your txt that your secret exit isn't shitty? Well, you lied.

NeXuS15 entry - your link in Rules and Submissions doesn't work.

Luks entry - level could be really enjoyable if your gimmick haven't broken. By gimmick I mean throwing blue blocks into thwomps. At the beginning it works and after a while blue blocks going through thwomps without killing them. I tried every possible angle. I even tried second emulator - zsnesw. 1st run goes like dream and every thwomp died, but at 2nd run it went back to not working stuff. I even tried pacifist run with no success. Luckily killing thwomps isn't nessesery for beating the level. But if you are going after dragon coins then 3rd dragon coin is protected by thwomp and throwing blue blocks most of the time doesn't work at that moment. The only other way is to tank it. The only powerup is at the beginning of the stage so you need to do perfect run. But it's not that hard. If you are small then you still have a very small chance. Mad dash to the midpoint, avoid the thwimps and another mad dash for dragon coin, tank it and if you were fast enough you can barely avoid death trap. It's very hard to do but it's possible. Other than that is good level.
Originally posted by Galaer
Another portion of pointless feedback.

Hi! So I reuploaded my level yesterday after you pointed out the patch didn't work, can you verify if it works correctly now?

EDIT: By the way, since I'm not familiar with this site's contests, are we allowed to update our levels until the deadline?
Originally posted by LOLIPOP1136
Hi! So I reuploaded my level yesterday after you pointed out the patch didn't work, can you verify if it works correctly now?


Both link and patch works correctly.
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