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xlmhellsinki.j2l | Hellsinki | 10.77 kB | 31 Jul 2006 |
Ds_quake.j2b | Quake (DS) | 803.86 kB | 10 Dec 2003 |
This is my second CTF made in Darn2. It’s kinda small and made for duels, and I think 3vs3 is too much but we played a 2vs2 and it went very well.
There’s a turret in the middle-top to shoot stuff, but you can run through it and platforms to bombard the bases for anti-camping. On the left bottom is a spring, go a little bit to the right to get a PU. Same for the other side. Use the red spring under the bases to go up a suckertube to get the flag or score.
Thank you very much to Veg for the name (first it was Amsterdarn but Amsterdarned already exists), then all the betatesters and Gry for putting up with me and my spamming of OMGLUKMALEVEL. Hope it’s better than my other level, have fun!
EDIT: Removed coin warps, coin tunnels, refined the turret, replaced red springs with green springs in middle top, added a few gun9, tried to make the eyecandy look less detailed (walls are now for most part completely black), fixed a few tilebugs, fixed the RF jumping with the pillar.
I’m going to start off with eyecandy first since it’s the most noticable thing and I have a lot to say on it.
First, there’s a lot more eyecandy then I expected here. Which isn’t necessarily good. A lot of it (nearly all of it, even) is extremely confusing because you can’t tell what is solid and what’s just for show. Its nice that you tried to make the level pretty, but honestly, I have no idea what the hell is going on sometimes in the level because too many things crowd the screen.
There’s a lot of creative stuff I see though. Some things I know I used in my Chasm level before, while there are some which are fairly new and I haven’t seen before (the pillars at 41,48 for example). Of course, using this tileset and trying to be creative at the same time usually ends up with a load of tilebugs, but I’m willing to overlook them for creativity’s sake because I’d rather have a level that tries new things (minus the confusing eyecandy part and using solid stuff in layer 5) then a level which doesn’t and is extremely limited visual wise or is empty. Some of the tilebugs, however, like the layer 3 bug at 92,30 in jj2 should be fixed (same bug reoccurs in the same spot except on blue team side).
So basically, its creative and look cool in some areas, but too confusing since you used the same tiles in layer 4 and 5, and there’s too much in areas and it crowds the screen and makes it annoying if you’re playing.
As for the layout, it’s pretty much symmetrical. Spaz can quickly get to the bases by RF climbing and not needing to take the tube or extremely long route. Normally I don’t mention spaz biases because basically most people use spaz anyways and he is better in more situations online then jazz is (imo), but this one pretty much makes it seem like you either didn’t know about RF climbing or want everyone to be spaz here because jazz would get humiliated.
I had some trouble getting around too, but that’s mainly the fault of the eyecandy. The way this level is made, with all the layer 3 passages and sucker tubes and warps which are fairly hidden, makes it EXTREMELY hard for new people to learn it, and can lead to a lot of people losing fairly quickly in this level because they weren’t aware of a hidden warp to a powerup, or a sucker tube to the base, etc. If you’re going to have stuff like that, at least point it out. I had no idea about pretty much most of it until I looked in JCS.
Some passages are pretty much useless for the most part. You have a sucker tube, a very quick and effortless RF climb spot, AND coinwarps to the bases. Who would use the slow and vulnerable staircase passage on the far sides of the level aside from just getting loose ammo?
Gameplay wise, I don’t like how this level plays out all too much. It’s extremely easy to get to the base and you can get there in a matter of seconds, making it pretty hard to defend. I think the coinwarps could at least use some more coins to get into, personally. This level can also get pretty cramped and is chock full of very thin walls blocking your path which would make electroblasters at least twice as useful if they were included in the level.
The level includes 3 +1 carrots. I can’t tell if I like this or hate this. The level is definately too small to house a full energy with those +1s being there, yet I don’t really like having to always need 2 carrots to ensure I am not one hit away from death. It could work though, I guess, and I might prefer it to the One Full Energy method which so many levels used before and which basically ensures you’re screwed when youre at 1h and your opponent is camping the carrot (memories of snooze duels go here ;P).
Ammo variety is…limited. I would’ve liked some EBs here since they would kill in this level, and maybe even more loose ammo to make some areas seem less useless and dull. AFAIK there’s two powerups, found in warps which you probably won’t find unless you know where they are, or are just lucky and/or explorative. Powerup choice is well done, though.
Overall, this is basically a small level which is an example of what happens and how confusing a level can get when it overused layer 4 platforms and tiles in layer 5 scenery and overdoes the eyecandy. It needs to be less author friendly (rather, not hiding nearly every useful thing in this level) and an eyecandy facelift, imo. I don’t like how easy it is to get to the bases either, really. Possibly taking out the coinwarps entirely would fix that.
However, the eyecandy is creative despite being confusing and some things are pretty cool. The level is small but isn’t another AYB or something where there’s only one full energy. I’m giving this a 7.2.
Download reccomendation, but mostly to see some creative tricks used in the eyecandy and a lesson to what happens when you overdo it and make stuff confusing and seemingly crowded.
And finally, a reply to Cooba because I half wrote this review for the sole purpose of debating on what he said when he edited that 6.5 review: I think tileset choice DOES matter when it comes to levels, really. Tileset choice affects what you can do with a level, what tiles you can use, and it can really determine whether your level is worthy of an 8 or over. Eyecandy basically depends on tileset choice: you can use a bad tileset and make something creative in it, but it would never really be as good as the eyecandy you can do when using a wellmade tileset. Also, limitations in the set can influence things outside of eyecandy. If there were arrows in this tileset, the warps and the sucker tubes need not be hidden which would definately improve the rating this level gets, but there aren’t arrows in this set so =P. Music choice can matter, but to a much lesser extent. I wouldn’t take marks off for it personally, but I would get annoyed and definately bring it up in a review if a music was irritating or completely doesn’t fit a level.
Well, this was kinda fun. HURRAY!!
~Blacky
Edit: Fixed a few wording errors that made one sentence pretty much not make sense. That’s what happens when you review while being half awake I guess.
I finally get reviews and they don’t even make sense :(
Pointless post: Helsinki is the capital of FINLAND, not Iceland. And it wouldn’t be that snow-covered anyway :)
Rating Hellsinki:
To start:
Very well Capture the Flag-level for lucky people and people who remember good.
Mysterious paths:
It seems that there are in this level many paths present… but that is not correct. You would THINK that it are paths, but it is background… Lucky people have no problems with that challenge… because if you choose a wrong platform, you’ll fall down… At people who much luck it will not happen often.
In fact also a type Memory, because you must really can remember: which paths are real and which paths not?
Strange Title:
The level is called ‘ Hellsinki ‘, probably named to the capital of Iceland. (Helsinki therefore) So, Peter and I thought that it was in the snow… but no, was in the shelter of Devan Shell, there was everywhere magma!
One thing is unfortunately:
It is a pity that the one flag left and other right in the level is. My favoriete Capture the Flag-levels are he where you really must search the flags.
Conclusion:
In spite of this disadvantage this is a very well Capture the Flag-level with a strange title.
Mark: 8,4
Download recommendation:
Poor level at all.
First, the Eycandy sucks. Too much of it or sometimes on wrong plases, it just sucks.
-1.5
Second, The mask positions sucks:P.
It’s better than other levels, but it still sucks. A simetric small level with 3-4 ways in it is not a good level
-3.5
Third, the tileset sucks. Bad tileset, bad usage… What can I say… Some lava, some masked tiles, some sulls…
-.5
GOOD POINTS
The ammo placement is good! Not too much, just enought ammo to make the game hard.+1
The warps and winds/sucks are good placed. Really cool idea to put a warp in the skull!+.5
Music is cool! Half point for that!+.5
CTF bases placement is good, but it can be better( I think it’s because the level is small)
+.5
My comment is that: If you like small levels with no area to walk, download it!
I like small levels, but there is no enought stuff.
Download recommendation? N/A…
I don’t like the level, but other people will like it. Download at will!
[Rating (6.5) clearance. The reasons provided were entirely irrelevant of the level quality, again. Do *NOT* rate music and tileset choices, thank you. ~Cooba]
Hey all!
First of all! This level is awsome! Perfect for duels. This level is a big step of leveldesign for you Arti!
Eyecandy
It’s perfect! Don’t add more or less! It fits the level, and you use a lot of different things. You also used all the layers, really good! Sometimes it’s a little confusing because they look like walls but that’s okay.
Gameplay
Very cool! Very nice idea to get to the base’s. I like the secret ways. It’s kinda Spaz based, but Jazz would get itself out of the jumping case’s. There’s nice flow but its kinda confusing sometimes like the tunnel with coins and the suckertube.
Ammo
Good placed, and enough ammo there is. Also when you need to go up to the base, you can use the ammo if somebody attacks you from below. They aren’t really in nice shapes but that not bad.
Overall: Your best level!
9.2
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Eat your lima beans, Johnny.
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