A multi user map design project.

Team Multi Sketch:
Silverwind
Cheleball
Grey Shirt Ninja
Edwards
Tridash
Dogbert
Freq245
Pi Sketch
Conelight

Project Status: Complete!

The Rules:

Areas:

Each designer creates his/her own Area in the editor that begins at the adjoining space made by the previous designer. Each Area MUST have an adjoining space leading to the next Area. A designer must only modify his/her own Area, this can be as large as he/she wants, as long as it's not visible to the player when in another designer's Area. (so don't crowd it up to another Area's walls) Each designer's Area must be contained within it's own space and must NOT intersect with another designer's Area except for the adjoining space between one Area and another. At the beginning of each Area there must be a text sprite declaring the Area number and its designer.

Time Of Completion:

Each designer has an alloted time period to complete his/her Area of two weeks, the file must then be sent back to me. If a designer does not complete his/her Area in the alloted time it will be finished by me, and I will then send the file onto the next designer.

Extra 2 Values:

Each Area must contain no more then twenty different Extra 2 values, which are relative to the order in which you signed up to the project. For example if you are the sixth designer on the list and are therefor adding the sixth Area to the Project Multi Sketch, you can use any of the Extra 2 values between 1061 to 1070 and 1161 to 1170 but none of a higher number or less.

Sprite Names:

When giving a sprite a name, insert "A" for Area followed by the Area's number at the beginning of the name. Otherwise you might interfere with another sprite in somebody else's Area that has the same name. So instead of naming a sprite "Lava Rock Cluster" name it "A1 Lava Rock Cluster" or "A7 Lava Rock Cluster" if you're designing the seventh area.

Area 10

Area 10 has a different layout to that of Areas 1-9. It's composed of a series of Bosses each contained in a room/arena designed by various Project Multi Sketch participants. When a Boss is defeated, a door to the next Boss room/arena will open. The rules for Area 10 differ slightly from the rules governing Areas 1-9. When giving a sprite a name, insert "A10" for the Area's number followed by a 2 letter abbreviation of the designer's name. So instead of naming a sprite "A10 Turret Boss", I (Silverwind) would name it "A10SW Turret Boss", "SW" being an abbreviation of Silverwind. Extra2 rulings have not been confirmed.

Any exceptions to these rules must be approved by me first. Either PM your request or reply to this topic.

Table Of Contents:

The following are the current tables for the distribution of special objects.

Distribution Allowances For Pickups And Upgrades:

Area 1: Nothing
Area 2: Beam
Area 3: Dual Fighter Edition Ship Upgrade
Area 4: Homing
Area 5: Shield Upgrade 1
Area 6: Wave
Area 7: Trinity Turbo Ship Upgrade
Area 8: One of any of the S. weapons
Area 9. Shield Upgrade 2
Area 10: One of any of the S. weapons

Distribution Allowances For Weapon Colours:

Area 4: Red
Area 6: Blue
Area 8: Green

Distribution Allowances For Bosses And MiniBosses:

Area 4: Mini Boss
Area 7: Boss
Area 10: Boss2

Distribution Allowances For Missiles:

A designer is not allowed to place any Missile Packs in his/her Area.

Distribution Allowances For Stars:

A designer is not allowed to place any Stars in his/her Area.

If anyone has any suggestions on the Table Of Contents or feels like there's something else we should add to it, please say so in a reply to this topic or a PM.

Attached File(s)

• Project_Multi_Sketch_Part_5.SketchMap.zip (28.98K)
  Number of downloads: 3

This post has been edited by Silverwind : 29 November 2007 - 01:56 PM

If the quest is to be "Race to the Goal", then I see no reason to limit the use of stars. After all, they won't be "real" stars, just sprites set to pickup and given an extra2.

Also, I don't know if I can commit to this if the one-week deadline isn't flexible. I'm in school and can't drop everything to make a deadline for a hobby project. For reference, Shooting Gallery took two weeks of stolen spare moments to make. If the deadline were two weeks, I'd feel more able to join.

Area 1 now up.

Thanks for informing me Cheleball, I'll try to find a solution to the time predicament, perhaps by simply extending it as you say. Keep in mind however that an area need only be a set of rooms if that is what the designer wishes. The goal of this project is not to make a professional level that's huge or impossibly hard to complete or anything like that, it's to make sure that anyone who wishes to try their hand at level editing can do so. If someone made a small level that was nice to look at but only a room or two in size, it probably wouldn't be too great a level when released. (take area 1 for example) Whereas if everyone was to pitch in with a room or so, it would be substantially bigger! And enough to make an enjoyable level. Although the bigger the better is certainly true, nobody need be under pressure if all they are required to make is a small portion, made to the size they feel comfortable with.

By the way, if the need for extra time is required at the time, as long as it's only an extra day or something I'm sure nobody will have a problem with it. That goes for anybody.

This post has been edited by Silverwind : 26 February 2007 - 03:58 AM

By the way, if anyone wishes to drop out of the project at any time for any reason they only need to either PM me or reply to this topic saying so. Nobody needs to commit themselves by saying they'd like to participate, even if you're half way through editing an area. As I mentioned in brief before, I'll round up any unfinished area and you still get your name in the readme credits

Quote

The goal of this project is not to make a professional level that's huge or impossibly hard to complete or anything like that, it's to make sure that anyone who wishes to try their hand at level editing can do so.

Of course we're not professionals here, but I do like a challenge. And I think our target should be more on the side of excellence than mediocrity.

We could do much more with a little more time. Patience is important here; I can see this as an ongoing project over several months. Maybe others are eager for a chance to make their section, but I'm content to allow each participant at least two weeks. A better product will result. And since the sections will be released as completed, we don't have to worry about never finishing or releasing because the map as it stands at any one time will be playable, enjoyable, and "finished" - for the moment.

(I'm arguing so stubbornly on this point because I really want to participate, but again, can't if the time is too tight.)

Oh, and I just played your first section. Nice design as always from you, but I think in an effort to make the difficulty medium you actually made it easy. Also, this is just a personal preference, but I think each release of the map should be self-contained. IOW, it should be capped at the end and have a race goal. That way, each release can stand on its own while people take their two weeks designing new ones.

I'm going to join. What zone should I do? Is it in the order of the list you did?

This post has been edited by FireFalcon : 25 February 2007 - 03:58 PM

Shooting Gallery was indeed a great level, with all the perfectly positioned walls and switches I can see how it took so long. But keep in mind also my good friend that you were trying to compress greatness in a very small space, giving huge amounts of detail to every inch of the level. Whereas here you have as much space as you want at your finger tips, and not nearly as much curvy slurvy walls to consume time. (unless that's you areas design of course, in which case I'm entirely wrong) The reason that I'm reluctant to increase the alloted time is that I'm eager to see it finished, but I suppose there's not much point in trying to finish it if nobody can actually meat the requirements. I'll consider this more while we wait for the participants to rack up.

I'll give two days for anybody who wants to take part to say so and then the project shall be passed to the first designer. Pi is in fact free to make his area as soon as he wants, since he's the next designer on the list. But I'm afraid you won't be able to place any upgrades in it if you want to begin before all the participants are listed, for the simple reason that we don't know how many areas there will be and therefor not how frequently upgrades should be distributed. Although you could always make the level with an upgrade and then wait and see wether or not you can place it in the finished version. That way you'd have it almost complete, and even if it turned out that you weren't able to place the upgrade, you could simply take it out or replace it with a switch you need to press or something.

By the way Cheleball, I made area 1 in less than two days. Because I couldn't use many Extra 2 links I decided not to bother with them at all, and simply focus on visually nice surroundings. Oh yes, about the difficulty. I decided to make the first area fairly easy considering that it may be quite a large level when it's finished. Best to learn how to swim in the shallow end before diving into the deep end as a wise man once said... in fact I think that was me, anyway, the point is that I think the difficulty should progress slightly throughout the game. The level should be able to be played by anyone, even the most inexperienced player. Even if they won't get very far without practice, it's good to have at least a small portion that they can win. Dying at the very beginning might turn people off the level as well, even though they'd have to be pretty inexperienced players not to win area 1 after a few tries. So now that the level contains an easy section, designers won't have to worry about that and can feel free to move on to the next step.

Yep Fire Falcon, I'd be absolutely delighted if you participated. ^_^ Yes it's in the order of the list, so you'll be working on area eight.

EDIT:

By the way, the order can be changed if participants agree. For instance, Crono would like to finish his current project first, or so he said. So if when the time comes for the file to be sent to him and he still isn't ready for it, he could offer to switch areas with --- who's next in line. But if designers agree to this, make sure that it's mentioned it in a reply to this topic so that everyone knows.

This post has been edited by Silverwind : 25 February 2007 - 04:35 PM

I guess I can help, I just don't know how much time I can devote with school and all. I really hope this turns out great! I am relatively good at creating bosses out of existing sprites and would love to lend a helping hand.

Quick Edit: I just checked and I'm not so sure I can participate as much as I wanted. I will still check on this project and offer some advice when possible.

This post has been edited by shishkabibal : 25 February 2007 - 05:02 PM

K. Let me know when it's my turn. Hopefully that will be sometime after I finish TToTP.

Updated Area 1

No problem Shishkabibal, thanks for showing interest and I'm glad you like the idea.

Pi, if you do decide to start making your area early, make sure you continue from the updated download.

I'd actually like to move myself down in the list, as i don't know if i can do much now. Maybe move me the the end of the list? I'll let you know ifi can work sooner.

Pi

Sure, no problem.

I think a reorganization of the list should take place before the project begins. If everyone who still wants to participate in the project would reply to this topic declaring which area they would like to take charge of, then nobody would be rushed into things. Also, Cheleball's request for the time period of completion to be extended has been accepted, as quite a few people have projects they would like to finish before starting this one as well as needing extra time. (but if a designer finishes it a one week that's great! ) So, assuming that there is a designer who is ready to start work on an area in two days time, on 28 of Feb in Ireland, the project shall begin. If however nobody can begin at that time, the project shall be put back until the first designer is ready to make his area.

Hm. With Pi moving himself back that puts me next in line. I have midterms this week, until Friday (the 2nd). If you can wait four days instead of two, I'll take the next section. However, if there's someone who can start immediately, I wouldn't mind getting bumped.

I think you can add me to the list as well. I was after Grey Shirt Ninja, right?

@ Freq245: That's right, sorry I didn't add you earlier, but I wasn't sure if you were actually participating. Glad to have you on the team

@ Chelleball: I've no problem waiting four days as long as nobody else steps forth and wants to start before hand. The two day thing is when the participant list closes and nobody can be added to it thereafter, but as for when the level is handed to the next designer, that all depends on who the first person willing to take it is. Even if it's someone at the very back of the list, if he/she is the only one ready to add an area than he/she's the one who gets it. So even if GSN and Edwards were both desperate to add their areas at the same time, Edwards would get it first because he's higher up on the list. If however Edwards wasn't ready to take on the job when his time came, but GSN was, GSN would get it. Also, anyone who has begun work on there area will have their name moved up to just behind the last designer on the list who completed their areas, in this way we can keep order.

By the way, the current list is also the current order it's in, so if the time comes for your area and you're still not ready just say so in this topic or PM me or something and you'll be moved back. And if the designer who's been moved forward because of the other designer moving back can't begin his/her area either, simply reply saying so and the process shall occur again until a designer is able to begin his/her area.

This is looking to be a fine project, and we seem to have a great team already

If i sgn up can i get taken off the list? Cause i may not have time to work on it when my turn comes up.

Of course, people can decide not to participate whenever they like, even if they're half way through editing an area as I mentioned before, and if that's the case I'll just round up the area and you still get credit in the readme. I'm trying to make it as clear as possible to everyone that nobody is committing themselves to anything by adding themselves to the participant list. If anybody feels interested in the idea and would like to give it a try then they're free to sign up, but they can drop out again at any time.

In that case put me on the list.

Glad to have you onboard!