Description

This is a short collaborative event project wherein we create Ghost House levels in SMBX. I will then judge and critique the levels, and after a period in which we all work together refining the levels, I will compile the best levels into a game called Mario's Mansion.

Timelines
Initial Level Submission Period: October 4th - October 18th
People are free to sign-up and submit new levels for a 2 week period.

Level Refinement and Rejection Period: October 19th - October 26th
I (and any other volunteers) will play the submitted levels and make judgments and refinement suggestions (and rejections) over a 1 week period. We will collaborate together to make some decent levels! No new level submissions allowed during this time.

Compilation Period: October 27th - October 30th
I will take the final version of the levels and compile them into a single game.

Release Date: October 31st
Obviously.

Submission Rules
  • You must use SMBX v1.3 (the download link is in the Engines page if you don't have it already)
  • There is no limit to the number of levels you can submit. (But only the best levels will make it to the final game)
  • Rate the difficulty of the level on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being easy and 5 being hard.
  • If your level has a boss, let me know.
  • Most important rule: Have fun!


Level Rules
  • We can't all use the Ghost House music for our levels. Please, try using a different music track. (You can include MP3s with your submission)
  • The theme is Ghost House levels (if you don't know what that means, then play some Super Mario World and then come back). However, other spooky settings will be acceptable (assuming they meet the quality standards)
  • Traditionally, the end of the level in a Ghost House is the SMW moving bar. But feel free to use different level endings if appropriate for your level.
  • If you want to include secret exits, feel free! (But again let me know if you do this so that I can account for it when I compile the final game. Also, include a text file explaining how to get it)
  • The player can't enter a no-win situation. At any point where the player is safe they must be able to complete the level.
  • Multiple characters are allowed. (SMBX v1.3 allows the player to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach or Link.)


Refinement Period (Level Quality)
  • Levels that don't meet a minimum level of quality will be rejected.
  • Levels must be complete and level endings must be possible to acquire.
  • If you are creating an autoscrolling level please check the Autoscrolling Tutorial for a guide of how to do it. Using scrolling layers leads to physics and collision issues and levels with these issues will be rejected.
  • If a level plays like something you'd expect from a Kaizo-style romhack it will be rejected. Go start your own project if you want yet another impossible Mario game. We're shooting for fun platforming action Mario style that doesn't require precognition, time manipulation, or godlike reaction to beat.
  • Levels can't cause SMBX to reach a volatile or glitchy state nor can they cause level/section wide slowdown in SMBX.
  • Participants who submitted rejected levels will be notified of such, the cause of rejection, and a period to correct issues.



Details

  • 10/04/2011 04:52 PM
  • 10/19/2011 11:59 PM
  • kentona

Registration

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Posts

Yeah, I wasn't expecting to use Stars as level exits. I was thinking the SMW moving bars (or perhaps keys + keyholes for the secret exits).

On the subject of levels, there is no guarantee that all the levels will be playable from the start! I might make it branching! (it depends on what gets submitted and how creative I am when making the world map!)
Green exit orbs would be appropriate level ending.
Yes, there are a couple of minibosses.
arcan
Having a signature is too mainstream. I'm not part of your system!
1866
Yeah I was thinking of having 2 bosses in one level and the only suitable reward would be a star. Hmm maybe I'll just make it rain 1-ups.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
For the record, since RMN Bros. 3 will be star-driven like the rest, the other types of exits will simply be replaced by stars for the three levels that make it in. Also, secret exits won't be an issue, because I was going to allow them anyway!
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
Getting a run time error overflow for I Hope You Burn.
From testing, that appears to come from outside.
I'll see if I can fix it.
Just finished my first level, Turning Tricks, and DAMN I spent way too much time on it o.o Something like 20 hours including editing all the graphics. I tried to make sure there were no glitches and I knit-picked every area several times overs.

It's still not "finished" but all that's left is icing on the cake. The main progression of the level and design are DONE(I'm so sick of making this level now). There are a few things that aren't perfect that will be tweaked, mostly in the final boss section, but nothing to prevent advancing in the level. I still have some visual's to update - gonna edit the Racoon/Tanooki/Hammer suits along with the ammo.

I'd like to hear the feedback before I make any more updates. I'm thinking some parts will have to be either toned down in difficulty or better explained/presented. I'm sure I'll be defending some of my design choices, too. haha

I would like to put this forth
as a possible "Final Level" :D


It didn't start out as a possible game-ender but looking at the final product it seems like a good fit. I think it would have been cool to use this whole concept for the event(Mario on a solo quest through ghost houses to save the others) but I guess it's kinda late for that now.

I'll make a few more simple levels. Shouldn't take long since I already have all the graphics done.
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
It's not too late - I haven't started mine yet, and I think the current levels need some work.
arcan
Having a signature is too mainstream. I'm not part of your system!
1866
Is there some sort of tutorial on how to use custom graphics?
author=arcan
Is there some sort of tutorial on how to use custom graphics?

http://rpgmaker.net/tutorials/377/

http://rpgmaker.net/tutorials/381/
Howdy Kentona, I've uploaded my level, originally titled 'House of Death' (change the name if you desire...). It's only a 1/5 difficulty, depending on how hard people find the puzzle -no playing in the editor, kids!- so I guess should go early in the game. Muchos gracias.
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
I've always considered kentona a walking tutorial
Do you have to do a castle entry sequence or can it just start right up. Because if you have to do an entry screen I'm probably screwed...
Sry I'm new here so I dont really know how to use these things...
Naw, you can just do the level. We don't need any cutscenes.
author=Faenon
'House of Death'


Great level!


too bad playing it in the editor is the only option right now. it's given away before starting test play :/ you could copy section 1 into section 2 and erase sectoin 1 to fix that. but it wont matter later.
I uploaded my level.
But checking from other peoples levels there might be missing something from the folder. If there is please let me know so I can reupload.
Thx.
'I Hope You Burn' had to be completely remodeled, but the one I just made is now uploaded.
It includes a secret exit star.
Please read the 'Info' file included for more info.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
I have submitted my level, a "ghost train" level inspired by FF6's Phantom Train.

The level ending should *probably* be that you go down a pipe into the last car and fight the SMB3 airship miniboss. But I couldn't immediately figure out how to do that and didn't feel like spending an hour studying other games to figure out how events and crap work. If whoever assembles this wants to copy and paste that boss to the end of my stage (or tell me how and make me do it myself), that would be cool, since I'm sure it is actually super easy and I'm just an unbelievably lazy ass.

Since I've never used SMBX before and had no idea what I was doing while making this, I'm pretty sure I will get hardcore rejected due to quality, so the whole thing is probably a moot point anyway. (But the idea of using the Phantom Train as a Mario level is still neat regardless of how unbelievably shittily I did it.)

...You know, when submitting an item, there is no place to add notes or comments or anything like that. So when you say "rate the difficulty on a scale from 1 to 5," I guess I'm just supposed to do so in this thread? Mine is about a 2.5, I guess.
I dont make long levels, but I try to make them as good as I can