So I've had something floating about in my head for a while now and I want to unload it: my ideas for an extensive, yet user-friendly level editor.
I'm going to start with the broad stuff: It's a 2D platformer. 3D customization is extremely difficult once you start handling the finer points. Anything past Minecraft level is too fiddly for 3D.
So we've got the genre sorted, but how are we going to handle the actual level editing? Well, we'll separate customisation into 4 tiers: basic, normal, advanced and complete.
Basic level editing is like the Smash Brothers Stage Builder: you select large blocks of various types and a selection of hazards and NPCs and then place them along gridlines in your level area.
Normal level editing is somewhere inbetween Minecraft and Super Mario Bros X: you can place terrain and hazards according to smaller guidelines, and place NPCs with certain characteristics.
Advanced level editing is like LittleBigPlanet (a comparison that everyone knew was going to be made at some point): you can paint terrain onto the field, modify behavior for NPCs with distance limits, modify hazard damage types and reaches and place switches that do various things when activated.
Complete level is like Advanced level, except you can customize terrain and NPCs completely. Want a terrain that slowly engulfs the player if they stand still for too long? You can do that. Want it to look like cake? Go ahead. Want the player to still be able to tunnel underneath the surface of the cake by moving normally (presumably eating the cake as they go)? Anything's possible.
Now I'm going to ask you a few questions. What would you want to customize? When do you think the customization would start being overkill? Is there anything wrong with my template that you want to address?
Bear in mind that you won't be able to customize the player-character himself. This character is customized by the player in a different part of the game.
I'm going to start with the broad stuff: It's a 2D platformer. 3D customization is extremely difficult once you start handling the finer points. Anything past Minecraft level is too fiddly for 3D.
So we've got the genre sorted, but how are we going to handle the actual level editing? Well, we'll separate customisation into 4 tiers: basic, normal, advanced and complete.
Basic level editing is like the Smash Brothers Stage Builder: you select large blocks of various types and a selection of hazards and NPCs and then place them along gridlines in your level area.
Normal level editing is somewhere inbetween Minecraft and Super Mario Bros X: you can place terrain and hazards according to smaller guidelines, and place NPCs with certain characteristics.
Advanced level editing is like LittleBigPlanet (a comparison that everyone knew was going to be made at some point): you can paint terrain onto the field, modify behavior for NPCs with distance limits, modify hazard damage types and reaches and place switches that do various things when activated.
Complete level is like Advanced level, except you can customize terrain and NPCs completely. Want a terrain that slowly engulfs the player if they stand still for too long? You can do that. Want it to look like cake? Go ahead. Want the player to still be able to tunnel underneath the surface of the cake by moving normally (presumably eating the cake as they go)? Anything's possible.
Now I'm going to ask you a few questions. What would you want to customize? When do you think the customization would start being overkill? Is there anything wrong with my template that you want to address?
Bear in mind that you won't be able to customize the player-character himself. This character is customized by the player in a different part of the game.
