CAGD 270: Project 2

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Assignment: Project 2 - Create 2D MegaMan Levels

Publication - 10/30/24

The Goal

        To learn level design we had to practice with level design. As a class, we were instructed to use Megaman Maker to create levels abiding by our instructor's rules. The rules we were given ran along the lines of limited weapon and enemy usage, a certain theme, and certain function blocks. The rules might sound a bit constricting but they weren't that bad. Megaman Maker was vast in the options they offered to help create our levels, the features were nicely sorted so we could find the items required for the levels. The enemy usage was limited to only certain forms of Mega Man (1 and 6) and the basic weapon was only permitted until the second level where we could add two more. The first level consisted of a Jungle theme and the second was an industrial theme, the jungle was harder to incorporate as Megaman is much more akin to the industrial style. The function blocks required consisted of checkpoints, breakable blocks, quicksand, falling blocks, and arrows for navigation purposes, seems like a lot but these requirements were very basic allowing each student to fully unleash their imagination. Following similar instructions we made two separate levels.

Level 1

        The first level I created was Jungle themed and being new to the creator it was a learning curve to bring my idea to pixels. Before we did any work in the maker we had to create a paper concept that we would use as our template. My level 1 concept seemed a bit bare since I did not understand what I was exactly doing yet since I never used a level designer and when I thought 2D I thought Mario, which this was not. When transcribing it to the computer I realized I needed more tiles in the level so the end half was more of a last-minute addition to check off all the boxes. In the design itself, I wanted to have the player climb a lot to make it seem like they were climbing a tree, I used quicksand blocks to make it easier for newcomers while still being entertaining for more advanced players. I gave the player two options at the start with a fork that would end up taking them to the same destination which I thought would give a slight bit of exploration but this didn't really work. When designing the level in the first iteration I added some spots for pick-ups later as I thought we might have to add onto the level, this made things much easier down the line. The second iteration allowed more freedom but in the trade-off for the requirement of doors and keys.

Both iterations of Level 1 had their ups and downs with parts being either better or worse

    Version 1 

What was the biggest success in your level?

        -The biggest success that also surprised many playtesters was the sandtrap platforming allowing quick platforming with forgiveness if one missed a jump. It allowed players to test their platforming abilities without getting nervous or frustrated.

What was the biggest failure in your level?

        -The biggest failure in this version was the placement of some enemies where they would either startle the player once the camera panned or would trap the player and chip away at their health until they died. Additionally, the fork, in the beginning, was confusing as many thought they had to play the level twice to get the experience. 

What went right and wrong?

        -The beginning half of the level received many complaints and suggestions to critique for a better experience, and the end of the level received few complaints. This was surprising to me as the ending of the level was improvised last minute. The beginning with the fork was the wrong choice as it made players debate too much affecting their flow right off the bat, once they chose a path they would keep going but wonder for the rest of the level where the other path led to. The ending that used liberal use of the quicksand was very positive in feedback due to the quick platforming with little difficulty that carried the player to the Energy Element (Ending). Visually, I had an issue with the background blending in too much with the floor tiles making it very difficult for players to see where to stand.

    Version 2 

What was the biggest success in your level? 

        -The biggest success in this version was once again the quicksand platforming which I tweaked slightly to provide more difficulty which forced players to learn platforming skills while still having something to catch if they did miss a jump.

What was the biggest failure in your level? 

        -The biggest failure in this version was the arrows I placed to aid the player in finding the keys, the arrows were color-coded but some players still got confused about where to go. Many players became lost and had to stop moving for them to become aware of their surroundings.

What went right and wrong? 

        -The end of the level in which players had quicksand platforming I deemed too easy so I placed some enemies that would shoot in a pattern and it was the players' job to dodge them. This was received well as it balanced a really easy part with mild difficulty. Enemy placement as a whole was revised to prevent trapping. I also replaced the floor tiles and redid the background so they would not be confused with each other. The beginning of the level with the fork wasn't completely revised as I wasn't sure how to keep the integral design the same while trying to fix such an issue so I tried to provide a similar experience for either path to satisfy the player.

How did adding keys/doors affect the level? 

        -Adding the keys and doors to the level was moderately challenging, although I made places for the keys it required the players to take a certain way on the fork. The door placements were fine, it was the key placement I had trouble with. I color-coded arrows to correspond with the key but these ended up confusing the player to the point I had to point out where the key was. The level wasn't built for doors and despite my adjustments, I wasn't able to accommodate them completely.

Summary

        This level proved to be a good lesson in level design. It displayed that I needed to find the perfect balance of hard and easy within the level. The list of improvements for this level ranges from completely redoing the beginning to adjusting the placements of some quicksand. The fork at the beginning confused everyone, and the quicksand made the level a little too easy at times. Platforming while being attacked was a challenge every player had to learn. The flow during the level was moderate picking up the closer the player got to the end.

Level 2

        The second level was an industrial theme which was much easier to accomplish, my goal with this one was a fast-paced constant flow style level that was linear with only one path to travel. I also made the level stacked with gaps that linked them all together. So if you fell from the top you might end up at the bottom. We were required to add two additional weapons which I used to the most of my ability to make the level as smooth and fast as possible. Most restrictions were lifted for this assignment so I was using many items that had the goal of aiding the player. At the start the player immediately gets the oil power which allows them to platform faster along the trusses, the keys they grab for the doors are not out of the way and are easily accessible. The enemy mix was more balanced and required the players to be more strategic with whether they wanted to fight or not. The further they played the smoother the flow became with it ending with a strength of constant timed jumps while sliding until they reached the Energy Element. 

What was the biggest success in your level? 

        -The biggest success in this level was the way it was designed for players to either travel fast avoiding the enemies, traveling fast enough to kill them instantly, or taking it slow to prevent dying. It allowed for multiple levels of flow depending on how the players wanted to treat it.

What was the biggest failure in your level? 

        -The biggest failure in this level was the application of the power-ups, I gave them to the players during areas I deemed of good use but the players were not sure whether they could use them in different parts, some weren't sure if they could use the oil slider for example on the platforming parts, some deemed the kicking as useless as they weren't sure where it was best to use them.

What went right and wrong?

        -The flow of this level no matter what speed the player plays runs smoothly without difficulty, the placement of the power-ups encourages the players to use them in areas if they deem so. The stacking of the level's gaps made players aware of how much was at stake each time they fell as they had to climb back up each time. What went wrong was the application of the power-ups with players not being sure when they could use them or what abilities they had, I wasn't sure how to fix that problem. The placement of some enemies interfered with the flow of the player causing temporary frustration. 

How did adding keys/doors affect the level? 

        -The key and door system forced players to break the flow until the door opened. The keys were implemented easily to the point the player wasn't able to miss a single one but the opening of the doors took so long that players lost their constant flow, annoying and discouraging them.

What weapons did you add to your second level and why? 

        -The two weapons I added to this level were the oil slider and the kick. These two seemed the most qualified as they enabled Megaman to travel faster and across large areas which is what I needed for my fast-moving level. Other power-ups I tried did not meet my requirements.

How did adding weapons affect your level? 

        -Adding weapons affected my level by making it more fluid, instead of running across platforms Megaman was able to slide across them in a fraction of time making it more fun with the timing of jumps onto other platforms and laddders.

Summary 

        This level as an initial version was received far better than I expected. The first level definitely taught me a lot about how Megaman Maker worked. That allowed me to create a more complex level with fewer issues. However, the issues I had were mainly related to weapons, to fix this I would try to force players to use them instead of just making them optional. The main challenge of this level was to challenge the players' flow with the timing of jumps.