Radiant
Level: Moderator

Rank Points: 142
Registered: 02-05-2003
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This is the level design challenge for September. The idea behind this contest is as follows: Mirror, Mirror. The left half of the level must be as close as possible to a mirror image of the right half, and vice versa; this includes players. The level's solution, however, does not have to be symmetrical.

You can download the levels here: http://crystalshard.net/zip/MONTHLY.ZIP

Please vote for the level you like best. Participants may vote (because turnout would be a lot lower otherwise also it's not like we can stop them or anything); however, I'd appreciate it if everybody did not simply vote for themselves

Thanks to everyone who participated!

____________________________
= Radiant =

Celtic Minstrel
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 12
Registered: 09-06-2008
IP: Logged

Wow. All three of these levels are pretty ingenious. I'm going to vote for Stew Boy's, though, because as far as I can tell, it's possible to ignore one player in certain dangerous situations and have it automatically get to the next safe spot.

Really, though, I like them all very much.

The Mystic
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 18
Registered: 09-20-2006
IP: Logged

I also voted for Stew Boy's level. It was a bit of a toss-up since the two I could vote for are really good, but the deciding factor was that I don't care that much for laser puzzles.

Celtic Minstrel wrote:
Wow. All three of these levels are pretty ingenious.

Yeah, for this style of puzzle, they almost have to be, otherwise the level could be unsolvable--or even unplayable.

____________________________
Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so.
If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you.
Oh well. Another day, another dementia.

B.J.Earles
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 18
Registered: 04-29-2009
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I voted for Stew Boy's level. I felt like his level was more fun to play; it also didn't have as many elevators in it .

Danjen02
Level: Roachling

Rank Points: 11
Registered: 11-08-2007
IP: Logged

Distorted Reflections - A very cool application of the fact that a symmetrical laser maze will in fact, not be symmetrical because of how the lasers deflect.

Mirror Mirror - This level received my vote. I especially liked the crate-pulling shenanigans at the start. The elevators were somewhat annoying, however.

Generic Two-Player Maze - The teal switches made the level seem very broken up, and felt somewhat gimmicky as a result. However, I do realize the point of them was to ensure the players were kept synced up, making it a crucial mechanic for the level. I also loved the cryo birds at the start.

Oh, and thank you everyone, for reminding me how inadequate my puzzle-solving have become lately.

____________________________
SubTerra
- Ultimate rank
- 2009 level design contest, 2nd place

The Mystic
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 18
Registered: 09-20-2006
IP: Logged

Danjen02 wrote:
The elevators were somewhat annoying, however.

That was kind of the point, especially as I was running out of time & ideas for the level. Once both players are below the horizontal expanding walls, you should be good to go.

____________________________
Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so.
If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you.
Oh well. Another day, another dementia.

Celtic Minstrel
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 12
Registered: 09-06-2008
IP: Logged

Did anyone else notice how one of the levels contained a cryobird in one half, but a firedrake in the other?

Danjen02
Level: Roachling

Rank Points: 11
Registered: 11-08-2007
IP: Logged

I did not. However, it would keep the monster movement symmetrical.

____________________________
SubTerra
- Ultimate rank
- 2009 level design contest, 2nd place

The Stew Boy
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 247
Registered: 05-10-2005
IP: Logged

Danjen02 wrote:
felt somewhat gimmicky

That's what my levels always do when I can't think of good ideas, although I've tried to avoid it as much as possible.

Danjen02
Level: Roachling

Rank Points: 11
Registered: 11-08-2007
IP: Logged

No worries, I'm kinda guilty of doing that myself.

____________________________
SubTerra
- Ultimate rank
- 2009 level design contest, 2nd place

The Mystic
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 18
Registered: 09-20-2006
IP: Logged

Celtic Minstrel wrote:
Did anyone else notice how one of the levels contained a cryobird in one half, but a firedrake in the other?

That would be Stew Boy's. I would've said it was against the mirror image rule, but I had said, "as close as possible to a mirror image," not "a complete mirror image," so it was more or less within the rule. Then again, it would've been hypocritical of me to say anything, seeing as my level starts off with both transmuters, 3 different color keys, and one of each color door.

Ben Earles' level is the only one that takes the mirror image rule literally, and it's still a great level. In fact, it looks like it's not only right-left symmetrical, but also top-bottom as well (minus players).

____________________________
Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so.
If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you.
Oh well. Another day, another dementia.

---

[Last edited by The Mystic at 12-08-2009 05:02 PM]

Radiant
Level: Moderator

Rank Points: 142
Registered: 02-05-2003
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The Mystic wrote:so it was more or less within the rule.

It's close enough in my opinion rules should be an inspiration, not something that can disqualify your level if you're not following the letter.

____________________________
= Radiant =

B.J.Earles
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 18
Registered: 04-29-2009
IP: Logged

The Mystic wrote: Ben Earles' level is the only one that takes the mirror image rule literally, and it's still a great level. In fact, it looks like it's not only right-left symmetrical, but also top-bottom as well (minus players).

You're almost right. If you look closely, you'll notice that the gems on the top half of the level are symmetrical with the gems on the bottom half except that the type of gem is swapped, that is to say that a gem that's a diamond on the top half will be an emerald on the bottom half. This mean the level itself is not top-bottom symmetrical, but the lasers are.

The Mystic
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 18
Registered: 09-20-2006
IP: Logged

File: Mirror examples.SUB (498 bytes)
Downloaded 38 times.
License: Public Domain

Radiant wrote:

The Mystic wrote:so it was more or less within the rule.

It's close enough in my opinion rules should be an inspiration, not something that can disqualify your level if you're not following the letter.

Precisely my point. To illustrate, I made a series of eight simple "mirror image" panels that show various interpretations of left-right symmetry (you'll have to zoom out to see them all); depending on a level's mechanics, any one of them could be considered "symmetrical." This is not a working level, merely a demo.

____________________________
Either I'm crazy, or everybody else is nuts. And I know I'm not crazy because the little man who lives on my shoulder told me so.
If people don't think there's something wrong with you, there's something wrong with you.
Oh well. Another day, another dementia.

---

[Last edited by The Mystic at 12-12-2009 08:21 PM]