zodiac
Green Marine
Posts: 43
Registered: 02-12 |
Just played the alpha. I agree with Fiend-o-Hell's review and wanted to add a some constructive criticism:
Map01/Kildeth:
This was a great way to start out. I love how the rooms interconnect, especially the jumping through windows. My biggest gripe was how restricted things were. A level like this makes me want to explore, or maybe deathmatch, but the keys force a stricter route. Excellent use of small spaces, the allmap secret was clever.
+Ideas:
* Give some way out of the deep slime trap. I had the radsuit and saw the lost souls, so I jumped down looking for loot. It sucks restarting, and I wasn't going to wait for the 1-minute timeout. The off-texture walls also beg for a secret.
* You can rush-grab the blue key without lowering the monsters. I rather liked this, but I don't think it was the intent.
* In the triangular slime room I'd nix the chest-high walls and rework the space. As it is there's slime, but it's not easy to see and nearly impossible to fall into.
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Map02/Arjak:
The flow was the best part here. Fun as it is, but I see a lot more potential in it.
+Ideas:
* In lieu of more ammo, more strategic barrels and/or a berserk are also an option.
* The slime immediately in front of the blue key does not damage you.
* 10% damage is too much for the rest of the slime tunnel, especially when it's the only way out. I'd also nix the pain elemental in there. Between the floor damage and getting blocked in, I died even with 200/200!
* Following this, if you didn't have to cross the slime to get the radsuit I'd be more understanding.
* Great opportunity to have the far wall of the blue key room open up to something, especially with the metal light section.
* The red key chamber computer is suspicious, a switch to something would be interesting.
* I would make both key rooms larger. The red room's thin tunnel and steep stairs make it hard to even see the chamber before you get there, and it doesn't change the difficulty. The blue room is just more interesting if you run into it to fight, but the modest size and enemies at the door mean you probably won't. A shame since it's a fun room, the barons behind the door are more fun than the original occupants.
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Map03/Fuzzy:
I REALLY don't like pure linear maps. If you threw in a few loops or branches it would be a lot more interesting. You have a good feel for encounter balance, but without harder encounters or breathers it all blends together. Tension should ebb and flow.
+Ideas:
* You could have another large room in the middle of the level. The first was an interesting way to get started. This leads to
* Look for potential in rooms you have. The raised "ring" around the first room made me want to loop it and look for a secret in the rear, but the lamps stopped me.
* Think of the Nightmare! This was practically impossible since the monsters clog up the only hallway. A rocket launcher secret would fix this, the encounters are PERFECT for it. IDKFA and see what I mean.
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Speaking of criticism, is this the appropriate forum to discuss design theory?
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02-08-12 12:40 
