Bringing Maps to Life

[DwayneA]

Someone complained about the last level I posted on Blood Freeminded, saying that it wasn't "alive". What does this mean and how can I bring a level to life?

[Krypto]

From the sounds of the comments it's lacking in enemies and most of the rooms are just for show.

[Daedolon]

That could mean so many things, from shading to filling out rooms with detail. I'm guessing it means something about detail in general, though.

[Gargoyle]

Interactive environment and fancy landmarks.

[DwayneA]

what makes the map interactive? And I think I've already got the fancy landmarks covered.

Also, I've been told that I need to "make the player work harder". How can I do this?

[Krypto]

Dwayne you should really pay attention to the comments left on your maps on the Blood Freeminded archive, because after closer inspection other more established mappers are trying to assist you with your flaws, how this will save the LOI Trilogy is another can of worms though

[DwayneA]

but what are my flaws as a mapper?

[Krypto]

Either your incredibly ignorant and egotistic or your not listening. Well from your early works such as Realms of Circe, Tchernobog in Time and The Search for Danile, you have a trend of deliberately stealing/converting maps from other retail games such as ROTT and Shadow Warrior, attempt to cobble together some acceptable palette and include completely arbitrary and out of place music to boot.

Also you seem to have a recurring theme of creating large architectural landscapes and impressive, imposing castles but their usually just for show, their are too many large, empty areas with little usage of enemies or any threat. Granted I played only 1 and 1/2 episodes of your LOI - Remake and I recall posting positive feedback in response to your efforts to reassemble it into something more acceptable! However I got stuck from the 2nd episode onward.

[DwayneA]

aren't you going to finish playing the remake of LOI1? Why are you stuck?

[Krypto]

I apoligize if I sounded rather rash, but then I noted that you can't edit posts in this sub-forum strangely enough

I was given over to University studies which is why I stopped, but it was somewhere around mid point on Episode 2 around the castle level with the Super Castlevania IV Credits theme playing. The reason I was rash is I recall playing LOI, at least the first part almost a decade ago and it was laughable from my experience and as noted by the wise Dreaming One, however the remake is a much more impressive rendition of your first project.

If you look to the release thread for 'Scourge of Humanity' you can see I left some positive remarks in response to the first episode over a year ago. I'll definitely get back to it as I should have some free time soon.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1846

[MoonStalkeR]

LOI is definitely on my to-play list. I originally had DwayneA confused for John "Dr. Sleep" Anderson.

[DwayneA]

I've only got seven levels left to go before the LOI2 remake is complete. Just two more levels in episode four and then all five levels in episode 5.

I've got one more regular level in the "fortress" levels and then a boss fight level after that. The last five levels will be set in the antagonist's sky palace. I have planned for the first level to have the protagonist reach the castle using a small fighter plane and jumping out before the plane crashes into a wall.

Right now, I've got someone playing all the other levels in LOI2 for comment and reccomendations.

[Daedolon]

I apoligize if I sounded rather rash, but then I noted that you can't edit posts in this sub-forum strangely enough

Weird, let me fix that.