I made another speed level while I was waiting for some bug reports on Basilica. I actually spent several hours on something rather nice, but ended up having to axe most of it because the lighting skews were infernally irritating, and I was way over the 100 kb attachment size.

But here is a small sabers level for some personal enjoyment called Penumbra - if you know the meaning of the word, it should be obvious why. This level is completely black and white, or rather, shades of gray.

Here are some screenies:





So go ahead, play my little munchkin multiplayer and tell me what you think!

hmm.. not very much to it.. room wise.. it has no weapons, which I'm sure was intended, since u called it a sabers level..... the lack of textures is odd, but a kinda cool idea... lighting was good, no 3dos except the blue crystal... also the stairs are really hard to walk up....

That would be my analysis

I might play it this evening. Meanwhile: try to stay away from symmetry.

I[/i] Like the symmetry

Well, it certainly looks good, but gameplay usually suffers.

Guys, just fyi this was a short little level I cooked up that was meant to be provide small snippets of fun, and to be artsy. I just wanted to make a really tiny level (less than 100kb) that actually looked semi-attractive.

If you give me some suggestions for improvement, I may release it at Massassi just for the heck of it.

Usually symmetry looks tacky but plays well. Here I think it's beautiful.

QM

I just submitted a tweaked/improved version of the level to Massassi. It should be great for dial-uppers, at only 50KBs.

Not a lot of people understand art. Point in case . This was made awhile back, but people still complained how it wasn't textured. Hopefully, you have better luck with it than I did. Atleast yours is looking better than mine did.

Thanks for the comment Trige. I agree, art in this form can be undervalued. I just downloaded your level and tried it out. It was quite fun, and I liked your concept (it was pure conincedence that I decided to do the same thing btw). I think the level would make for a fun Saber duel. There were quite a few lighting skews though, although my level seems to have a number as well.

But all in all, point taken. People need to look past the established norm sometimes, and appreciate something for being unique.

I don't appreciate things for being unique. Just because something's different or experimental does not automatically make it good.

I've stated my opinion on this before, but this late in JK's life, level editing has become a pure artform, and gameplay should take a backseat to achieving something magnificent. I will never play this level multiplayer, I will never see how well it actually flows; if the battles are fast-paced and saber-tastic, or just annoying grip and destruction fests. However, just fiddling around with the lightsaber's light and the fieldlight, I quite enjoy'd messing with the darkness, and seeing how JK deals with shading on a flat texture set on flat surfaces, or stairs and whatnot.

I'm still chipping away at Basilica; it's beautiful both in form and should be in function. I have no idea what stupid thing is going on with it, but I may just sodomize the JKA COGs and see if it's really them or something else that's screwing stuff up.

QM

All points well taken, Quib - I agree, a level isn't necessarily good, just because it is different. Although I didn't phrase it properly, what I meant to say was that a level should not be looked down upon simply because it does not blend with the "standards." One of the fundamental rules about any art is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and thus such a level as mine or Trige's should not be compared with, say Canyon Oasis. :p

Canyon Oasis set the standard (there's that word again) for JK MP, and gameplay-wise, it is at a pinnacle. However, this level is not going to win any awards for redefining visual appeal, nor does it stray too far from what has been established with almost every other multi-player level (although it does have traps). From a gaming perspective, I'd reckon Canyon Oasis is vastly superior to my level. In fact, it is probably an overall way better level. However, it does not share this level's artistic simplicity, and subtle symbolism. There's not much to my level at a glance (and I did, after all, only spend a couple of hours on it), but it is only trying to re-invent a much-loved concept in a basic environment. Maybe it will shed some light (pun intended) on alternative aspects of gaming in JK.

Yippee! My level has been released. If you want an updated version, go here - http://www.massassi.net/levels/files/3075.shtml

You are right, I kinda keep forgetting that.

I just mentioned the symmetry, because it is also present in Basilica and Proelium. Two levels with great detail and design, but bored me after 3 Minutes. I don't know, I always hated perfectly symmetrical levels (especially when it was point symmetry). Playing them, I always asked myself why I was running around when all corners looked the same anyway. Then I usually got hit by a conxplosion.

Yeah, you got a point. Maybe I just don't have the creative capabilities/willpower to create a layout such as, say this:

I always enjoyed playing in symmetrical levels (not necessarily talking about JK here) because you learn them quickly, and people don't get an advantage simply by knowing every nook and cranny of the level.

QM

Thats a remake of a quake level. Blood_Asp didnt come up with the design either. :p

Oh, yes . . . silly me, I forgot about that! :p

That's what I was going to say.

Edit: Doesn't mean he's not saying he can't match the quake designers?

Double Edit: I OK'd this file at the hub.

Thanks. Could you possibly edit the spacing though so that this:


says this instead:


Thanks.