Level Design Tips

[Zipper]

166. Unfair levels will make people hate you faster than you can say "IT'S JUST A PRANK BRO"

[Angelus]

Should all the enemies from the stage be introduced before the checkpoint, or it's ok to introduce new enemies/ideas after that? Also, how many different enemies should be placed into a stage before it gets "all over the place"?

[Valtteri]

Should all the enemies from the stage be introduced before the checkpoint, or it's ok to introduce new enemies/ideas after that? Also, how many different enemies should be placed into a stage before it gets "all over the place"?

You can have new enemies after the Checkpoint. I don't see a problem in this. How many different enemies should you have? I would say pick two or three per level. If your level has different areas, say, an underground room, you can change the set for that area to have Buzzy Beetles instead of Goombas for instance. If your level has "special" enemies like Lakitus or Hammer Brothers I think it's fine to have them as a fourth type of enemies as they're more rare.

[Radiance]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

[Enjl]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

Why avoid the less obnoxious one?

[Radiance]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

Why avoid the less obnoxious one?

Which is "the less obnoxious one", stacked Goombas or stacked Shy Guys?

[Enjl]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

Why avoid the less obnoxious one?

Which is "the less obnoxious one", stacked Goombas or stacked Shy Guys?

The one you're telling people to avoid.

[MECHDRAGON777]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

Why avoid the less obnoxious one?

(Unless you make them have "NPCblocktop=1" then) it serves no point except to have multiple health and massive score/life income. AS for Shyguys, they have "NPCblocktop=1" by default.

[Radiance]

167. Avoid stacked Goombas, but in some cases, stacked Shy Guys is a great idea.

Why avoid the less obnoxious one?

(Unless you make them have "NPCblocktop=1" then) it serves no point except to have multiple health and massive score/life income. AS for Shyguys, they have "NPCblocktop=1" by default.

Well, getting multiple lives in stacked NPCs is sometimes annoying.

[Mable]

If you stack only 4 at a time and have the next npc be something else you don't get infinite lives..

[Radiance]

If you stack only 4 at a time and have the next npc be something else you don't get infinite lives..

Oh, sorry for that.

[underFlo]

Also lives are pretty irrelevant anyway.

[ShadowStarX]

Also lives are pretty irrelevant anyway.

Well, not really if the level is 15 minutes long but has like 4 checkpoints.

[Mable]

I think Spinda was talking more about Sinlge standalone levels. Of course a real Episode is something different.

[HVMetal]

If you stack only 4 at a time and have the next npc be something else you don't get infinite lives..

Oh, sorry for that.

Wow, I tought you were talking about this:

Spoiler: show

Video by bossedit8

[Electriking]

168: Mainly for episodes and based on an earlier post about the annoyance of tracking down missing stars, because of this, you should create a level at the end of each world to show the stars that have been collected on that world (if stars are used in each level), so players know where to look if they desire 100%ing the game and/or looking to progress down a path that requires more stars than they have. I know Airship Attack 2 does this.

169: Also episode exclusive but if you have a large world map then add a few shortcuts so it is easier to get around the so players don't have to travel long distances to travel between earlier and later levels.

[Enjl]

168: Mainly for episodes and based on an earlier post about the annoyance of tracking down missing stars, because of this, you should create a level at the end of each world to show the stars that have been collected on that world (if stars are used in each level), so players know where to look if they desire 100%ing the game and/or looking to progress down a path that requires more stars than they have. I know Airship Attack 2 does this.

Alternatively you can show it when on the level space ^^

Anyways, what King of Eterity said doesn't justify putting stupid secret exits in your level. Make them reasonable and add something to the level that isn't frustration.

[Electriking]

Alternatively you can show it when on the level space ^^

Wouldn't that require LunaLua? And I don't understand where it shows the star counter.

[Enjl]

Bottom center and yes

[ShadowStarX]

Just a random advise:
You should never make your level cheat-proof. You should make the player not want to cheat.