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Collab. planning thread

Collab died because we were busy, but now we're slightly less busy. So let's discuss.

Basically, the entire point of the collab is that it's not vanilla. The previous incarnation of the collab contained several additional mechanics that required a different approach to level design, and some really cool levels were made that used them. I'd like to do that again.

So here are my questions:
  • What new global mechanics would you be interested in designing a level for?
  • How long should the hack be?
  • Are there any particular world themes you'd like to see?

Short post, I know. But pretty much everything is still in the air right and we're looking for some input.
1) Never followed the original. What types of mechanics did it have?

2) You should aim for at least 50 levels. Preferably each level would contain one exit, because if the VLDCX has taught you anything, hunting for them is more of a chore than it is enjoyable.

3) An abstract world would be interesting. I don't think I've ever seen one be done in a chocolate environment.
Layout by Erik557
Hi.
Rather than limit the hack's themes to three or so worlds, I suggest making a hack of the same length with "micro worlds" essentially, as short as one level or as long as four or five? Doing something like that has the potential to bring the overworld even more to life with vibrant themes, as well as allow for much more focused world themes (like ruins).

I also suggest tying the entire thing together with a focused story, 'cause that kind of thing can be done really well. If we're looking for new mechanics to make it be not vanilla and stand out as a different game to super mario world, the occasional npc dialogue or similar could go a long way towards that.


If you wanna go for replayablility/something interesting, preventing the player from backtracking in the overworld, and offering diverging paths (perhaps based on story choices =? not necessarily dialogue based, for example, a player could get different exits for killing no enemies, some enemies or all enemies, undertale style) could make for a super unique mechanic. However, this idea in particular isn't without flaws.
So another thing I've been thinking of regarding level design is that a lot of the unique abilities (like from the power ups patch) could make for really interesting new level design, but one of the main limitations using them is that if you take damage, you lose your powerup. This prevents levels being designed around the use of a specific powerup normally, but why not make it so that power ups are kept until the player gains a different one, and have a hitpoint counter for the player character instead?

A hitpoint counter could also open the door to enemies with more challenging attack patterns or similar, as there would be a larger margin of error for the player.