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Author
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Topic: logical progression within a level?
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Gum Drop
Member Posts: 1414
From:England
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 01-15-2001 04:02 PM
   
Sorry to cram the board but I have come to a standstill with my level.It's based around a large L shaped cave half full with water,the idea was to have a temple face built into the rocks at one end which is clearly visible but cannot be accessed until keys are found and doors opened.I built caves and passages coming off the main cave to house the objects and a fiew traps ect...But now I'm at the temple entrance I don't know in what direction to take the level.I don't want to create rooms willy-nilly or turn it into a bog standard tomb\temple raid,how do you guys tackle mid-level mental block?All suggestions greatly received.Thanks and goodnight\day? ------------------
Made with orange and fine old cognac brandy! IP: Logged |
Trocinth
Member Posts: 122
From:Bronx, New York, USA
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 01-15-2001 06:39 PM
There's a few possibilities. You could enlarge the caves that branch off from the L cave, making the keys harder to find. Depending on how the rest of your level is structured, you could make it a very non-linear level. For example, if you need three keys to access the temple, you could allow the player to find those three keys in any sequence, with each "key hunt" presenting its own set of challenges in its own set of side caves. You'll want to be careful, though, to avoid making the level to expansive (remember the amount of aimless wandering on TR3?) Or, you could let the player enter the temple in the stone face and expand the level from there. For that, however, you'd be better off creating a separate level. You could use the same WAD file, but have a new texture set. This way, the player could leave the temple and go back to caves, so it would still feel like one big level, but you'd have the benefit of new textures. As to what sort of adventures you would have in the temple, it depends on your plot. IP: Logged |
Gum Drop
Member Posts: 1414
From:England
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 01-16-2001 07:39 AM
Hi Trocinth,thanks for the reply!I like the non-linear idea,I'm a big fan of finding secrets so I will be sticking some in the side caves.I might make it possible to only need one or two keys to enter the temple but there are three paths to chose from (each with it's own key reward,)an incentive to replay the level and try out different paths.
I don't want to make the level too adventurous though as it is only my first try.As for a seperate level for the temple?That will do nicely.Thanks again!!! ------------------
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Reb@Eidos
unregistered
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posted 01-16-2001 11:59 AM
Kick back and read the section in the manual 'Designing Tomb Raider' by Philip Campbell. While it may not address your specific problem, it will more than likely inspire a solution and definitely rid you of your 'mid level mental block'! :o)IP: Logged |
Raider of Tombs
Member Posts: 442
From: The mining ship Red Dwarf
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 01-16-2001 01:39 PM
I would do something like the desert level in TR3: Make some custom textures that say TNT in big letters, and make some boxes of them next to a dead end cave. have a corner of the temple poking out of the wall as a tease, and use a flip map to make it so when Lara pulls a switch it will "blow up" the facade, and reveal the entrance. Some interesting smoke and crater effects there too. Ohh, I'm going to build it right now! Bye.IP: Logged |
Gum Drop
Member Posts: 1414
From:England
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 01-16-2001 02:11 PM
Thaks Reb,re-read the section and gave me a fiew ideas!Great idea Raider of Tombs,but I want this level to be an undiscovered temple-no modern stuff for me.Funny how all these lost tombs in the official levels had shotguns ect...lying around! Anymore suggestions about how to combat the "trap rooms for the sake of it" syndrome? ------------------
Made with orange and fine old cognac brandy! IP: Logged |
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