Why Creativity Matters in Marble Blast

[Buzz Carols]

For a while, I've been wondering why I consider creativity so important in Marble Blast level design. I mean, isn't the fun all that matters? In huge video games that have their own series, creativity prevents each game from feeling the same. Creativity also shows innovation. The same thing could apply for Marble Blast mods, but with individual levels, innovation isn't that important. I mean, even if a new powerup is introduced in a custom level, it's not like that's going to change the whole game or change how we think about Marble Blast (unless it's a really darn good powerup). So why do I care so much about creativity when I play an uncreative level?

An obvious reason is that repetition can get tiring. There are minor things like wall-hits and crossing gaps with helicopters that just never get old. But basing an entire level around rolling and jumping with nothing new added to the level is flat out boring. There's excitement that comes with playing a custom level that you've never played before. You don't want the experience to be the same thing you've been doing for however long you've been playing Marble Blast.

Another thing that can get irritating is when a lack of cleverness gets distracting. A hazard level that just uses a few unoriginal hazard challenges can be pretty fun, but because of how unoriginal it is, it can make you question how smart the level builder was while designing the level. It can give the level a mood of unprofessionalism, and that's an awful mood. The unoriginality doesn't affect the fun factor directly. Instead, it can make you think "Oh wow, he couldn't think of something himself, so he had to copy other level builders!" and that's what makes the level seem less polished and overall, less fun.

Compare that to No Jumping II. The whole level is already original due to the nature of not being able to jump which opens up tons of possibilities for challenges. But even then, the level could've still seemed lazy if the challenges were just about rolling through trails while avoiding bumpers, rolling up a rug slope, or getting shot up by a moving platform to reach the next platform. Instead, you avoid bumpers as you roll down a grass spiral, you roll around steep rug slopes that surround a tower as moving platforms act as obstacles, and you activate a moving platform that will bounce you up to another platform by going through a moving maze with multiple kinds of friction. The level did NOT steal ideas, it was NOT lazy, and it's objectively a very well-made level, and that makes you feel better as you're playing it.

Now, you might be thinking this: We use the same wall-hitting, edge-hitting, jumping, powerup, etc. challenges all the time and we don't get tired of them. What about THOSE simple challenges? Can't we at least use them?

Yes.

Ever played Choco Valley? Of course you have. Why am I even asking. The level uses so many Marble Blast clichés like the half-pipe, wall-hitting, regular jumping around, etc. But the whole level focuses on being simple and fun, so with the unoriginal challenges, it's easy to defend them by saying "Oh, they were just used for the sake of being used." Since the whole level has so much flow to it, and everything is densely packed in the level, nothing gets any build-up which makes almost everything seem used just for the sake of being used. If you're playing the level quickly, you won't even have time to think about anything because you'll be having so much fun bouncing around in these simple challenges. The challenges aren't bragged about in the slightest, and the fun is so strong that the whole level is amazingly enjoyable, and the lack of originality doesn't bring it down (Choco Valley is totally my favorite level of all time btw).

The fun factor of a level is the most important thing. Sometimes a level can be fun if it feels open, or maybe even fast. Sometimes a level can be fun with just some simple bouncing around and watching the game convey a sense of motion. Sometimes a level can be fun if it's hard and ultimately satisfying. Maybe even puzzling. A level is not fun when it's frustrating, cramped, overly simple, or sometimes, unoriginal. Marble Blast has very few limitations when it comes to level building. Do whatever the heck you want to do, but don't forget to be smart.

[IsraeliRD]

Pretty much that. I also think this is why everyone on the community tells people to work on custom levels, as the community prefers that over custom mods, and for a reason.

Most mods have some good levels, but a lot of pretty bad ones. You can see those in mod previews, or when they release. It's great that you have new features and cool items but they're pretty much useless without good levels to go with them. Most people don't realise that and therefore do not focus on what is the most important detail - the levels.

[Perishingflames]

Great post. I disagree with Jeff about stickying this for now, but I think this is a good springing board for serious discussion about custom levels and their role as entertainment vs art and what makes a level good. At the end of your post, you say "The fun factor of a level is the most important thing." I agree with this and will explain why, but I also want to provide a slightly different take on fun factor: it being not a separate component from creativity or presentation, but a conglomeration of many different components flavored by visuals and uniqueness.

It's important to discuss what makes a level "good" and whether "good" is objective, but first let me relate excellence of a level in Marble Blast to excellence in other media, like film, music, and literature.

I think excellence is more objective in games such as Marble Blast than in other media. These other forms of entertainment/art have many purposes. Some movies are meant purely to entertain, like your average summer blockbuster, while others are meant to challenge our viewpoints. Some albums are meant to be catchy. Others are meant to display technical prowess and enjoyment might come from appreciation of the intricacy and how perfectly the instruments all fit together rather than enjoyment on the first listen. Some books are meant to be page-turner novels, while others are meant to satirize popular culture, or be innovative in the use of allusions or style such as the poem The Wasteland. Some food is meant to taste really sweet and fatty like ice cream while some is meant to combine different spices, textures and colors that may not be instantly as delicious as mac and cheese or a greasy hamburger but takes a refined palate to notice and appreciate nuances in flavors. That said, all food has to taste good. All movies have to capture one's attention. But, especially with movies and music, from person to person, what is enjoyable is very subjective. I could make an argument for works of art from both categories, entertainment-focused or art-focused being equally good, but the reality is that I want to experience both on different occasions, in different moods. Sometimes I like to escape into a (maybe cheesy) fantasy world in a movie--say Toy Story, while othertimes I enjoy the feat of "figuring out" a movie--say Primer or Memento.

A comedy might have the same rating as a slow-yet-rewarding drama, for example: one form of film isn't necessarily superior. However, if a film can combine entertainment and technical prowess (let's say an amazing score, writing, acting, and a unique plot)--that's when critics rave. But a movie that entertains one person might bore another to tears, and that's why a lot of what reviewers hone in on is, "did the artist achieve what his purpose was?"

In Marble Blast, that purpose is to entertain. Nobody buys Marble Blast so they can compare the idea and execution of the levels. Being a racing/platformer, that means most of the time the fun comes from traversing the course in a way that might encompass going fast, using powerups, and/or navigating hazards. Enjoyment doesn't come from appreciation of technical prowess: that isn't what marble blasters play the game for. Movie-goers might watch a movie like Upstream Color to appreciate the innovative style of filmmaking at the expense of a logical plot, but in Marble Blast the "plot" is everything. I agree with Buzz that Fun Factor is exactly as it seems - the quality of a level is how much you enjoyed playing it. But it's important to discuss what goes into that, since there are other things that factor into fun factor than the challenges themselves.

One of those components is originality. Originality has two divisions, the first is a measure of the uniqueness of the level as a concept; the second I'll discuss next. For example, is it a half-pipes level, a beat-the-clock race, is it a climb-to-the-top level, a fortress level, is it an open multiplayer-style map? Does the level have a memorable theme to it, like Marblaxia's Hideout? In my opinion, originality is definitely a component of the enjoyability/fun factor of a level: it determines whether the level leaves a lasting impression in my mind. I read about a psychology experiment a while ago that concluded adding a few minutes of wind-down time significantly increased patient's positive impression of a surgery. The group tested that did not have the wind-down time remembered a painful surgery, while those of the other group whose last few minutes of the surgery didn't hurt were much more pleased with the operation. Last impressions are huge. In custom levels, a unique overall feel of the level leaves a positive lasting impression that colors your overall opinion of the level.

The second level of originality, let's just call it creativity, relates to the actual construction of the level. It is how unique the actual challenges of the level are constructed. A climb-the-tower level with rolling, jumping, slopes, frictions, and powerups is not creative. Add some launchers to get to the next platform 100000 units above and maybe a little more. Make it so once you get to the top, you have to flip gravity and work back up and you're getting there.

Creativity **does not by necessity** make a level better. Creative challenges aren't by nature more fun. I think this gets back to your idea that gyrocopter challenges are trite but no-one minds some of it in a level because while not anything new, flying over obstacles and across gaps is pure fun. A creative course might make a level better on paper, better as a form of art, but getting back to the purpose of Marble Blast, it is not necessarily entertaining to play. You don't want to go back and play the level again to go for a better time, just since the challenges are unique. Replayability is the key term here and I think it is the most visible face of a good level.

Level building for most players doesn't play into fun factor and subsequently affect how "good" a level is. That said, things like misalignments can negatively affect gameplay, and things like stretched-out platforms may bother players. And more importantly, the presentation of a level is huge. Properly-plated food can subconsciously affect how much someone enjoys a dish at a restaurant. A variety of colors on the dish does the same. While the flavor of the dish might be the same, these visual cues affect our taste of the food.. the brain really is extraordinary. Presentation of Marble Blast levels is the same. Color scheme, scenery, and the skybox may not affect gameplay but they do affect fun factor. These affect our enjoyment in the same way that originality does: we as humans are stimulated by complexity. Marble Blast isn't all about controlling rolling, it's also about painting a pleasant scene. We prefer Pablo-style slopes with rounded bottoms and tops than flat slopes because they are more complex, we prefer wavy paths over straight rectangles and platforms with trim and sitting on top of a huge mbu_pattern_cool2 wall over untrimmed "floating" courses. Visual complexity subconsciously determines in part our enjoyment of a level even before "Go" sounds.

Take it to far and you have style over substance, however. The best level combines a fun course with a visually-stimulating interior. A flat-course of rectangular platforms can be fun if it allows for pathfinding, but an impressively-built, overly-technical level that does not let you go fast (as you mentioned, Buzz), improve your time (say, a course built around a moving platform where the goal is to stay on it through a hazard-filled map but your time is basically when the MP hits the finish) isn't a level you want to play again. So, style and substance both affect replayability, but I think style adds to substance, and not the other way around. The best-looking pie isn't one you order again if you don't like the taste.

Going back to creativity, I think it's style. It elevates a level that is already fun. It stimulates us with figuring out new ways to complete a level and makes us appreciate the innovativeness. But unless the creativity is also intrinsically fun, it's merely garnish.

[IsraeliRD]

PF pretty much is spot on and I'd like to add my point of view, but not in this paragraph. In here I want to expand on presentation. One of the most important aspects of presentation isn't just in the level, but it's also BEFORE you get the level. That means whether you're going to download the level or not. A level's name should indicate about its contents (or can be mysterious) but should not be something that is completely different. In addition a double-edged sword is providing a screenshot, as one may or may not download a level if the level appeals to them. That said, not providing one is probably worse as you have no idea about the level's contents beyond the name. "Classy Roll" means nothing to me except rolling around and that Classy indicates something of high class or stylish.

Onto the actual discussion, in my opinion there's also the balance of challenges and difficulty levels. Some people also remember levels because they're easy and fun, some remember them more because they're difficult and they found it fun, or they found them just too difficult and they remember them negatively. I'm sure if anyone was to think up of a level and think of its contents they would know why they enjoyed it more or not, and that's due to its difficulty. I know difficulty in Marble Blast is also a really hard word to define because every player's skills are different to, so what one may find easy another one might find hard.

This draws out also other features one might find in a level. Do checkpoints really make a level easier? Psychologically I'd say yes. The idea of a checkpoint means you're safe and if you mess up the next part 100 times, you don't have to do everything again. However it also means that perhaps the challenge is too difficult, in which case no matter how fun or technically sound the level was before, you can get upset and not want to play the level again. Therefore, what is the aim of the challenge of a level?


The purpose of the discussion thus far was to discuss creativity, fun factor and originality as to why they matter in Marble Blast for a level to be memorable and replayable. However as I touched, there is more to replayability than those factors. I'd like to discuss a bit further into the actual meaning of replayability as well as possible problems we are facing.

The biggest problem of replayability is just how much will you really replay a level?
For a younger audience who might have more time and just casually go through the levels, there are a few levels that are more attractive and hence will be replayed. Mature audience do not have all this spare time, so beyond getting really good times on a level, there is little point to replay one.
I think the levels we view as the best are probably never replayable as we never go ahead and casually play them. That means even No Jumping II has a similar replayabiliy factor to that of
Platforming Movables, DESPITE the fact barely anyone has heard of the latter but everyone knows the former.

As such, is the first impression we get from a level also the last? Arguably yes.
Is that why when we say about a level something like its awesome, do we actually mean it's replayable or do we just recommend to another player to try the level out? Likely the latter.
Why so?

I mentioned the replayability value of getting really good times. This can occur when one may enjoy a level a lot and not find that speedrunning it is too hard/frustrating, or alternatively it is hard/frustrating but the technical feat of the end product is worth the bother. Sometimes a level is too boring that it does not warrant a speedrun as there is nothing special about it or interesting. If no one else has heard of the level, it is also unlikely to be speedrunned. If there's an awesome video of a level, who says other people would? There are videos out there of the same level done in 5+ different videos, and some only one video.

I think the core problem of replayability is that we're in 2013, and not in 2007. There's a massive problem that current players of this community are facing: there are over 2000 levels, customs or not. Let's be honest, currently the levels that attract the most attention are the ones with the word "official" in it. That means 100 MBG levels and 120 MBP levels. DC levels from MBP are barely played, but they are. We are also seeing customs from MBP Leaderboards. Perhaps people think these are "official"? They definitely have more attraction as they are there for people and they don't have to download them, which means effort into downloading, extracting in proper place, and finding them in the horde of hundreds of other levels and hope for god's sake nothing is missing.
Compare with MBP's leaderboards. It's there, functional, and ready without any problems whatsoever. Therefore, we end up with ~340-360 levels for people to play, 220 of them are official and 120-140 customs.

And another thing regarding mods, are we shooting ourselves in the foot by saying we want custom levels instead of mods (that will die or have partial release) since clearly replayable levels are in those?
No. Despite that it looks so, in reality only good ones are replayable and you see them in videos. A few others get some technical feats so they're features maybe once or twice, but the large majority are not good whatsoever, and often we hear how bad the levels were, which only impacts negatively on a mod, its replayability and reputation, and after seeing so many mods die or have crappy levels, it is of no surprise why the community asks for custom levels, which means that we're in a replayability loop we cannot get out of.
Or can we?

Does the replayability problem lies in that we have too many custom levels? Lack of innovation? Lack of creativity? Lack of proper challenge? Or perhaps it's the lack of exposure via the leaderboards?

Have we reached a limit of some kind? Lack of creativity, challenge, exposure or innovation?
Nah. I don't think we met the actual "limit", what with new features, codes and mods that are produced. However, we are having an actual problem in proper level management. That is the ability to make a well-presented level with challenges that meets people's requirements. I don't think we necessarily need to have innovation or creativity to make a good level, but instead make it properly flow and present it in such a way that the ideas that you, the level designer, have thought of are passed properly to the player. That most definitely means the theme of the level, and the ideas behind it. Isn't that what all the old levels were about?
Sure, we saw SOME creativity and innovation, but they used mainly MBG interiors but they PASSED the ideas and executed them properly. Some were felt open and big, without scenery to stop them (A Walk in the Park). Some were enclosed under an idea of a plot or something (Marblaxia's Hideout). They interacted with the player. Those that failed to do so or are too difficult or are currently forgotten about, but becuause a fair bit actually managed to pass on (and in fact are FEATURED in the Leaderboards) perhaps mean that what we see are the GOOD levels and not the crappy ones nobody likes or remembers. Henry must have made over 150 levels. How many did anyone here play?

So what should go in a good level?
That is up to you. What we think is a good level is different for each person. Watch the replies in this topic and you'll notice many different people saying different examples of levels and no one is ever in agreement.

Just remember, you don’t need the leaderboards to have people remember your level. They just need to play it, and enjoy it.

[Emil]

Levels are like movies: They're good for different reasons. Some levels may not be fun, but (At least I) appreciate the levels for the skill in building. This applies to the expert level Trigonometry. It is a beautiful, extremely built level, and I would say that for itself it is a perfect level. However, the challenges are pretty annoying (to me), and I do not enjoy playing it. This is how I felt watching old movies as a kid. They were boring to me then, but now I have appreciation for them, as I would some of those levels. Some levels re-use other's interiors, aren't well aligned, etc, but they are some of the funnest levels. Obviously the classic mbg custom levels, and some of my favorite levels like this are Henry's custom levels such as Noobs island, Warped course, etc. Although they use some old interiors and have some flaws in the creating, they are some of my favorite levels and are extremely fun and repayable. These offer a sort of Fast and Furious experience. Although they aren't perfectly built, and have some holes, they are very fun. And the best levels are the ones that are well built and fun such as cgl 8, Skyebird's trail, A day at the links, No jumping 2, etc. These have the best of both...They're creative, well built, and most important fun. And these levels are some of the true master pieces in levels. These offer an experience like watching Goodfellas, The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, etc. They are fun, while they are also very well built.

Now, when making levels, I don't think of them as levels in a video game. I think of them as pieces of art. This is the reason I try to add scenery, color combinations, etc. A very well built level does not have to offer anything new to be a masterpiece. For example, Phil's section in Skyebird. I believe that section is one of the best interiors ever made. It is simple, just a well built curved track. A level does not have to be complicated to be a masterpiece. But, complicated levels are very good as long as they don't get out of control. For example, Okay's section in Skyebird's trail. The section has many challenges, and some puzzles (I spend like 10 minutes trying to get up that bouncy sphere), however, it does not go overboard with it's challenges. The same applies to No jumping 2. The other levels (this is mostly challenges) that I admire are the challenges that look like a hard, frustrating challenge, but with thought can be passed easily. This applies to Matan's section in Skyebird's trail. It looks like a difficult part that could force you to restart the level, however, if you position your marble under the closing door, it stops it from closing, and you have all the time you want. Difficult challenges with hidden loopholes are creative, and are very satisfying (if you find the loophole).

So, in the art of level building, I do not believe there is one thing that makes it good, except making it playable, and not extremely frustrating or bad on purpose. My favorite levels are all of different genres. I like Phil's simple but perfect levels. I like Okay's unique and original levels. I like the puzzle 'doors' levels by Andrew. I like the noobs levels by Henry. The creativity in levels doesn't matter, but at the same time it is all that matters. There is no one thing that makes a level good. You can make any type of good level into a good level (even tightropes), as long as you make it good.

[J@ckrb]

Aug 12, 2013 23:48:06 GMT IsraeliRD said:

Most people don't realise that and therefore do not focus on what is the most important detail - the levels.

This. Times a million. Times a million again.

Most posters have already nailed down the idea about originality/creativity and why it is important.

Fun is the most important thing. It's the level. The 'plot'. And in MB, that, is pretty much everything compared to everything else. Sure scenery helps, sure perfect alignment and well textured levels do help enhance a level, but what's not to say a Level Editor Level can be fun. The plot and creativity can pretty much outshine anything else that a LE level could miss, if executed correctly.

So, for making a good level. Fun Factor > Originality > Everything else (generally).

Of course any argument is flawed because everything is pinned on subjectivity. A 'good level' is subjective. Comparing levels is generally 'subjective', especially across different genres. I could go on but you should get the point.

I haven't really added anything to the thread here, but basically Buzz Music, PF and IsraeliRD have pinned down everything that there really is to say.

Of course, in 2013 standards are a lot higher than ever before, and currently, this will continue it's increase. This may incite some nostalgic LE levels again, but for the most part, standards are very high (comparable to say, 2007). This does drive creativity and the top level builders will continue to aspire to be the best. (again subjective, but whatever). Currently, due to nothing really coming out to influence the game, only the best can still make something out of an old game. Of course, this will all go out the window when PQ goes out, and the explosion of creativity will outstrip, possibly, more than any other time.

Lastly, mods should be rarely started. Not to say, never, because look where MBP got, as well as other mods e.g. Emerald + Advanced. But most releases have come from mod deaths e.g. Future + Revived. So, through experience and lack of releases is why the community craves new levels instead of new mods. Because new mods take a lot of work. Most don't realise that until the start one themselves.

Wow did I manage to write way more than I was intending.

[Perishingflames]

Agreed completely with Matan on presentation. It's like buying CDs. Albums with cool cover art or unique names are much more likely to grab my attention and I listen to them.. It's just a good way of narrowing down the infinite universe of music into a listenable catalog of albums. Those more superficial details don't have much of an effect on my enjoyment but without them I probably wouldn't have decided to check out the album in the first place. Marble Blast is the same: the screenshot and name might not affect gameplay but they sure as hell determine whether I'm going to check out the level in the first place. Levels from level builders I know I like this is less true, but is especially important for new builders.

People wonder why they post a level and get no responses. You have to glitz it up. Building a level from ground up is rewarding in itself, but you have to convince others that yours is special. As Matan said there are thousands of levels out there, why is yours redeeming? Tease the release. Insert big pictures inline and wrote an interesting description. And (arguably) more important, post a video with your top time, challenging people to beat you.

I compile the monthly level packs and have taken over CLA. I used to play every level to make sure there were no missing interiors. Now, I automate it. I have a script to automatically detect missing interiors, to batch replace interiorResource references to marble/, semi-automated making skybox paths relative to prevent missing skybox errors. Most new levels I don't play. Part of that is due to me being in the MB community for some 7 years now and just not being as interested in the game, but I wager a lot of people on this forum are like me.

I play levels that receive no/little feedback because I know that just one positive comment can make others download the level. And as I mentioned, a good one to get the ball rolling (pun intended) is to post a video because MB is about competition. MBP has a platinum and ultimate time so players of both abilities can challenge themselves and be rewarded once they succeed. If you can get some competition going for your level, you'll get much more plays (not to mention more publicity from videos on YouTube.. I know I've played levels I otherwise wouldn't because I saw a run on YouTube and liked the look of the level or wanted to try to beat the time).

My thoughts as an extension to Matans part about challenge/replayability. I agree completely that the best levels (on paper) can be the least replayable. No Jumping II is a fantastic work of art. It is somewhat unoriginal but huge in creativity. Almost every part of the level commands you to think in new ways. The interior is excellent and right off the bat you like the level more. But is it fun? That is dependent whether you like being challenged immensely because the level is haard. It may not intrinsically be that fun to play, more frustrating than rewarding, but as a work of art it is extraordinary. It brings so much new to the table. The difficulty is what kills the replayability. A mod that was themed around levels like No Jumping II may easily be less fun than MBG. No jumping II is like pinball bonus--a great concept and execution but not that replayable. Hop skip and a jump and siege are the type of levels you come back to and play again and again, and for a mod to be good, the levels have to be replayable (looks at MBA...). MBG is great because it's levels are incredibly original, even if you picture all custom levels ever created as coming before MBG. Each represents a different concept: falling, using fans, skiing, or climbing styled simply but memorably. Slip n slide isn't a mega course of mud challenges: it is a simply built mud circuit that allows for going fast, pathfinding, and doesn't have any fluff. Siege isn't a level of twists and turns, climbing slopes with launchers to send you up, it is just one tower, "balconies" on the side that contain gems and launchers spaced out. It just works.

How No Jumping II (and highly creative but not the most replayable) fits into all that, levels can be great for different reasons. Some are good cause they wow us. Others are good because we play them again and again. The ones we play again and again don't have to be creative. We play them because they are fun, not innovative. If I had to pick one to play from now on, it'd be the second type. The first type are worthy too because they express a unique idea by the level creator and from a technical standpoint are great, and spice up Marble Blast. But the fundamental type is type II. You base a mod off type II, not type I. Your representative level is Hop Skip and a Jump, not No Jumping II.

[FruBlox]

To add onto all these essays, I really think that more level-builders should utilise the power of coding new features onto the mission file. Reading through the MBDK's code section clearly proves it has a lot of potential for new gameplay, and could certainly add to creativity and originality by opening new doors for making challenges and just general level building.

Even if you're not a coder, there are still plenty of threads where the code for a new feature is clearly posted, and there are almost always clear instructions on where to put it and how to use it. However, I really haven't seen mod-makers (much less custom-level builders) utilise this to its full potential. The code resource in particular should be used simply because there aren't that many coders on this forum to begin with, and most of them are already working on their own or other projects.

Even after writing that, I suspect I do have an idea why most mod-makers haven't used the MBDK to its fullest. Essentially, most noob mods were created to, in a way, 'make their own MBP'. It was to be something that the mod creator could call their own creation and take credit for, even if in many cases the mod creator contributed little or none to the mod. Since there's been a little history amongst mods of 'stealing work' (mostly code, by the way), many mod-makers were reluctant to use resources created by someone not of their staff. Unfortunately, this mentality of 'my work and not yours' causes them overall to lose focus about actually making a quality mod, and is one of the reasons many noob mods haven't generated any worthwhile content.

Sorry if I went a bit off-topic there, just wanted to put what I've been thinking lately into words.

[Xelna]

Fun factor is indeed the most important aspect of a level, but what helps it being fun and replayable? Creativity of course. That's why in each of my level, I tried to think about news ways to approach challenges. For example, take my level ''The Bathroom''. The main idea behind it is that it's a bathroom. While the idea itself isn't that original (it has been done several times), the challenges offered to the player are really creative and looks just like a real bathroom. Ok maybe not, since this level was done in the level editor, but you get the point. Also, my level Eliminatives Over the Rainbow has a neat little twist and it's that the main yellow Platform is separated into 9 small yellow ones. But it looks like one big platform.

Why MBG is so good, and why do I prefer it over MBP? Because levels aren't as long as Helicopter Monster Course, Recoil Ultra Course, Battlecube Finale, Bouncing Fun, Speed Attack, etc. with a bunch of Time Travels along the way you need to collect facing boring and repetitive challenges. Levels like Pinball Wizard is one of my all time favorite because up to this day, I don't think anyone made a level in the style. A level like Eye of the Storm, based on a very simple idea, just a tornado in the middle of a pit with slopes, is one hell of a fun level and in my opinion, very replayable, despite its difficulty for some players. If you look at MBA, the levels are fun the first time around because, well, it's the first time you play them. But then, you don't really feel like going through all of them again, because they're hard, repetitive and the creativity is... is not. There's no creativity. Literally half of the mod is just climb up and around a tower or a path going upwards.

If you want to make a good mod, here's something. Think about a level idea that has never been exploited before in Marble Blast. Doesn't need to be funky. Levels in the style of Arch Acropolis, Don't Jump, Thrill Ride & Freeway Crossing.

This thread is a wall of text Oh Mah Gah! But I like it.


Anyways...

Xelna signs out.

[main_gi]

Here's why I enjoy making Marble Blast levels. I usually settle for Puzzle or Skill, but it was more for fun. The level I have recently released was a Puzzle based one. I think that the only reason people prefer Gyrocopter levels is because of the sense of motion. A sense of progress. I mean, come on! It's freaking flying!

Here's a tip. Unless you're doing mods very quickly or something, don't hide a gem behind the start point. I accept End Pads and speed-boosting powerups, but not something that you need (putting a gyrocopter at the start of the level that becomes needed later on is just like putting a gem behind the start). It's annoying and would only be done if there were other challenges behind you, maybe for Time Travels.

[Pablo]

I have really enjoyed reading everyone's opinion on this thread. I think you'll find we took these lessons to heart in making PQ!