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Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 211

TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

The scores do not inherently reflect the final verdict for some levels, just the initial interpretations. The discussion and comparison of ideas between the judges for the top levels gave each judge different insights of the levels that ended up helping decide the top levels for the community vote.

Preliminary Level Scores:

▼Lots of reading.

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World Name: Summer Run
Team: Creative Team

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was very good, looking past the negative parts of the level mentioned below that didn't influence the theme, it did a good job at establishing the season through visuals and parts of the story. There were some elements that could have been handled better, but the idea is a good start.

Difficulty:
Score: 4
Reasons: The difficulty had some tedious parts, and some okay parts, but it seemed inconsistent and didn't have a good difficulty curve to it, mostly because the gameplay had several unexpanded concepts strung together.

Gameplay:
Score: 3 x2 = 6
Reasons: Gameplay has tedious parts [the diagnol ladder climb for example]. It also seems like there are many different gameplays strung together and not expanded upon, such as the wind part showing up once, and then a fifty-fifty guess part out of the blue that didn't match the level or have any reason to be there apart from artificial difficulty. The level shows you that you can hold space on double jump effects, but instead of building off that immediatly, it throws other gameplays at you, then expects the player to remember that you can hold space on double jump effects later in the level. Pacing wise it causes some problems.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: The upclose art has a bit too much simplicity too it, the lack of decoration in several places for example. In some places the sand had multiple colors to give it interest, and in other areas it was all one color, creating some inconsistancy. The landscape design had some interesting parts, though nothing extraordinary. It did do a good job at visually showing progress in places, such as the thatched shops near the end leading up to the beach at the end.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: Although the level didn't have an excellent story, it does deserve this score because the variety of dialog the people had added to the atmosphere of the level and made the experience more enjoyable. There were some problems with it in my opinion, the windy part seemed out of place since it only showed up for a short segment and added nothing much than a quick obstacle. The end of the level being a playground to dive around and such was a satisfying ending too, made the journey have a good purpose.

Total: 29/65

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World Name: Natural Sandbox
Team: Sigma Crew

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: I love the giant sandcastle theme of this level, it's instantly recognizable for the classic summer theme. The only minor problem was the lack of theme in a lot of the closeup art of the minis, which could be mistaken for a generic cave level if out of context.

Difficulty:
Score: 0 [Negates all scores if 0]
Reasons: Tediousness, I've elaborated in the gameplay comment below.

Gameplay:
Score: 3 x2 = 6
Reasons: The gameplay lacked leniency in several places, including one block jumps after sideways gravity for example. There were good minis in the level that required enough thought to fit a comfortable medium difficulty. However, many seem to be tedious, it's a trend people tend to make, mistaking tediousness for difficulty. Another example I found in the level is that sometimes in order to complete a mini, you have to stat on a single specific block and gain momentum from there, making it seem that the mini is barely not possible if you attempt it the correct way but are standing one block to the left. It doesn't help that there are no indicators as to where you should stand to complete the mini, it's just guesswork unless you are an EE physics guru. There are many examples of lack of leniency like the ones mentioned, even I actually felt like I was trapped in an impossible mini. This is the minigame in question: http://i.imgur.com/lft6lnj.png. I shouldn't get stuck on a mini for over ten minutes in a medium world. Sure, I'm not as pro as many people who joined the contest, but the difficulty shouldn't reflect what the builder thinks is medium, since you made it it will be easier for you than anyone else, especially newer users. There's a reason I put example medium worlds, to guage how your difficulty is. Anyone who isn't fluent in the game and the generic difficult/tedious levels people tend to make would assume that this level is either impossible or not worth their time. If you take a look at the leniency in Megaman Dash, you may notice how it doesn't include one block jumps. It also indicates when and how you need to jump, instead of leaving it up to strict memorization. The rubric says "Tedious levels get a zero, even if the art is good," which is why this level will not be placing.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Although the minimap is great, it really is only icing on the cake in regards to the rubric. The upclose art, has some good parts to it, such as the use of fairytale background for water, the sand decorations and blocks. A redeeming facor is the ending when you reach the pearl, I just wish there were more moments like this or at least some build-up to the ending.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: There wasn't much of a story, but it did exist through visuals, which is what helps both the art and story score. Without the ending both the art and story would have suffered moreso. It certainly would have been better with more progression and pacing.

Total: 0/65 [Difficulty was a zero, negating the entire score]

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World Name: A Magical Summer
Team: Unnamed

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: Not only was it clearly a classical summer all the way through [except that small creepy cave gimmick later in the level], it has a great atmosphere that I can immerse myself into.

Difficulty:
Score: 0 [Negates all scores if 0]
Reasons: Unfortunatly this level gets too tedious in places, and toes the line of medium-hard in comparison to the sample levels.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Invisible portals with lack of indication in some places made it slightly choppy as well as difficult to understand from a less experienced point of view. Some parts were slightly tedious like when you climbed the bottom of the cloud and try rouding the corner for the blue coin. Another problem I noticed was when you obtained the trampoline, you had to hold down on the boost in order to make the jump. This is a problem because the game never tells you this, it's not common knowledge and less advanced users are left to wonder if that part of the level is even possible. Station 3.nex told you that you could do this trick, then incorporated the trick into different situations to solve. If there was something like that in this level it would be helpful to say the least. You can also solve the trampoline with speed control, which isn't any better. There are several parts in the level similar to the trampoline, which is why I bring it up. Looking past the fact that these problems as well as sometimes the minis feel like they get in the way of what shines in this level, it is a very enjoyable experience and I wish that the minis could have been made to be more simple.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The art is fantastic, great use of blocks and decorations with a variety of terrain and progression, all while emphasizing summer. It does have minor faults in some places, but not enough to lower the score by more than one point.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: I really enjoyed the story, it wasn't perfect, and it did seem out of place slightly in some parts, but it was fun and added to the level. The story told by the visual progression of the landscapes really helped as well.

Total: 0/65 [Diffuclty overrides score, though I would like to see this as an honorable mention]

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World Name: The Summer Life
Team: MLG Editz

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: Obvously a generic summer level, the simplicity of the theme allows it to shine. The use of two POV of the summer theme was a nice addition as well.

Difficulty:
Score: 4
Reasons: The difficulty of the level as a whole is certainly medium, the slight downfall being that some parts aren't as lenient or apparent as they could be. It's also worth mentioning that there seems to be a decent attempt of easing the player into the level.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The Soda Clerk section gameplay was simple, but it had its fair share of engaging parts. The story didn't interrupt the gameplay too much either. There are a couple of parts that seem unrefined, such as getting out of the fountin in one block deep water, and a sign at the beginning of the lifeguard story that is hovering and difficult to read. One of the lifeguard's minis required perfect timing, although the use of whipped cream decos to help with timing was in its favor, it isn't readily apparent to anyone who does not understand this convetion. Another mini required the use of holding up on a boost, though in the favor of the mini, there was substantial leiency. The last mini lacked leniency with the half block jump, but the use of the green flag to indicate where to jump helped. The use of two different gameplays with the two smiley sections was a fun idea and was worth playing, although it could have been refined some more. The gameplay was fairly fluid, no parts stand out as too clunky. Although the car part in the Soda Clerk section did seem slightly out of place despite being fun to play. The lever part of the level had good progression, showing how to use levers in multiple scenarios to open gates. The minigame section of the level was a bit less consistant, using multiple mini types instead of going with one and expanding it over the course of the second half of the level.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art is fairly average, though it does reflect the mood of the theme and level very well. The use of multiple sand colors placed to create a proper gradient is a nice touch, but isn't enough to bring the score up past 5.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story of having the level split into two different POV was a simple and effective way to show the theme from two different perspectives, and gave good reason to split the level into two gameplay types. I would have liked an ending that was a bit more rewarding, such as maybe provide a happy playground at the end depicting people enjoying the ice cream and a safe beach to swim at, which would show how both characters in the level made summer better for everyone.

Total: 38/65

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World Name: Ardent Ice Cream Run
Team: The GRULMs

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was well done, it had good elements that made it seem like summer, upclose-art wise, it hurt the theme score slightly. At least until the final part of the level.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: Had tedious parts and lacked leiency, see gameplay score reasons for more detail.

Gameplay:
Score: 3 x2 = 6
Reasons: Some parts of the level could be better, what saves it most occasional hints [such as the message in the bottle] that help make the minis less tedious to solve for less advanced players. Minis generally lacked leniency, one blocks jumps weren't uncommon, and one required the use of three keys [<, ^, and space], which isn't possible on some keyboards without using WASD keys [Yes I use arrow keys]. There are also occasionally invisible blocks that serve no gameplay purpose and can confuse players as they attempt to fit into a space that they think they should, only to realize that an invisible block was put there after an attempt or two [http://i.imgur.com/l8YcC42.png]. This can be a problem since it makes the level seem less reliable and more confusing, at the expense of what looks like making sure the minimap art doesn't have any slight discoloration nor the upclose art have any odd blocks with no minimap color like that one block from jungle or industrial packs, both of which don't match the level visuals. The best way to solve this problem would be to design the level more thourougly to prevent issues like that. Or using the other invisible block that actually shows up when you collide with it would at least somewhat help. It's also worth mentioning that, on the same mini with the invisible block picture, the ending wall of arrows where the invisible blocks are, is impossible unless you hold up and left. The level does not indicate you have to hold up and left, and if you assume there are invisible blocks lining those arrows entierly based on the invisible block I found earlier, it would seem impossible. In the example level, Squareland, there are several examples of leniency, such as all platforms being well defined, and the ending of minis generally don't have a random twist at the end that you have to guess about [unless you're a guru at EE physics]. After that mini and the mini after that, I found that the next mini was a good improvement, only to be confronted with this [http://i.imgur.com/ertOgGW.png], when a regular jump would have done the same thing for the level. Having a couple of tedious parts once in a while is passable, but at this point it seems like the level is relying upon it too much. According to the rubric, this completely negates the difficulty score, and thus the score of the entire level. If the level had stuck to the minis that required some skill and dropped hints instead of mixing in tedious parts, it would have been able to have a score.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The upclose art suffered at the expense of the minimap art [which looked nice] in the minigames section. Some of the art at the boardwalk was well made and was redeeming.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story is pretty nice, though the pacing seems off, mostly because the level attempts to mix dialog/puzzle into a minigame level too, with most of the focus being on the minigames, making the parts of the level with story elements seem like they don't belong. If it had been expanded more that could have been nice.

Total: 0/65 [Difficulty was a zero, negating the entire score]

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World Name: Cute Summer
Team: Patrazzsasqua

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: This level was certainly simple, and in a good way. This was reflected in the theme, which was clearly themed after the classical EE summer. The only thing that reduced points was that there could have been a tad more diverstity than the occasional pool of water and palm tree, but it's nothing major enough to remove several points over.

Difficulty:
Score: 8
Reasons: Some low ceiling jumps and momentum jumps were slightly off, making the jump unaturally difficult, but for the most part the platforming was certainly within the difficulty guidelines.

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: What this level did was it kept it simple without, for the most part, removing key elements that would make the level seem simple in a bad way. The gameplay was simply parkour with some momentum jumps introduced as well. The platforms were clearly visible with bright sand, and the backgrounds had consistant texture that made it obvious throughout the level what you will collide with, even if you're moving at high speeds and not paying attention to the landscape too much. Another feature in this level that is favorable is leniency, there weren't many one block jumps, and all momentum jumps had multiple blocks you could jump from and still get the distance required to clear the gaps. The gameplay is also fluid, instead of being multiple types of minis tossed together, the level has a clear direction and does what it does good, being simple and effective. This is a theme that shows up in many aspects of the level too, making it all merge together cohesively. Deciding when to use momentum jumps or not is what added a nice layer of difficulty to the level. It's also worth mentioning that I found it fun when you complete a section in one fluid try, which is some fun incentive to learn how to time your jumps in this level. There are some faults in the gameplay though, such as a couple of jumps are a little bit tedious, and the level can get redundant at times, although there was some good effort at making each section feel unique from one another.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Although this level did not have minimap art [which wasn't required, so it doesn't count against it], it stayed true with the rest of the level and kept the theme simple and cute [thus the level name too], showing that some thought went into fleshing out that idea. It was mostly obvious what was foreground and background [I only messed up dark pirate background for the dark sand block once when I was speeding through one of the sections]. The art could have done with a tad less repitition, obviously the platforms had to be consistent, but it might have been cool to include some more parts like the palm trees and the lone ice cream stand.
Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: The story was told through visuals witin the level, but it wasn't supported too much. I did like the ending of the level being the nicely made sand castle.

Total: 45/65

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World Name: Summer Savory
Team: Summer Savory

Theme:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The problem was that there some arguably generic areas, which ended up lowering the score according to the rubric, but the overall mood and story helped a bit too.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: The level was within the difficulty guidelines, and it wasn't too tedious either. Most minis were the correct difficulty.

Gameplay:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The gameplay was very nice, with only a few problems: One ladder in the forest area requires knowledge of holding space to climb the double jump effect, for example. It also would be nice if you could tell whether or not someone got their ice cream yet. Maybe there was slightly too much back and forth with being able to only have one flavor at a time.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was really nice, though some parts are out of place, like the factory brick/plywood block isn't the best block for sand upclose-art wise. The minimap is a nice bonus too.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: Although it isn't typical to see a "pirate" sell ice cream, it is a fun idea to say the least [although selling ice cream is optional if you collect enough treasure]. I did like that the title of the level worked well with the level as well as representing the bonus flavor.

Total: 44/65 [I nominate this to be an honorable mention if it does not place.]

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World Name: Summer Egg Hunt...?
Team: Through the Fire and the Ants

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: It was summer themed for sure, but it seemed to lack some elements that could have made this shine some more. It seemed like it could have been any journey but happened to have a summer skin added, which subtracts from the score some, but not too much.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: The difficulty was enough, at least for easy-medium. It seems almost like it could toe the line and be too easy.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: It was okay as far as parkour goes, there are confusing aspects, such as the tutorial for the zipline and cannon, yet they never showed up after that, maybe in the interest of time? The level did have leniency, which definatly worked in its favor.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art was simple, and it made sense for the most part. The water area used basic and beta blocks for the most part, which isn't the best choice for a themed level, upclose art wise at least. Could have done with more decoration and a bit more lascape as well.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story doesn't add too much to the level, but it weaves it together enough to make it cohesive. Although eternal life is cool, the ending result didn't have as much impact as I had hoped. If there was more reason to collect the eggs and the level showed me how my work payed off more, it could be a more satsfying ending.

Total: 33/65

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World Name: Summer Scavangery
Team: Fruit

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: It is a great classic summer theme, with only slight trivial issues that may detract from the theme.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: The difficulty was within the guidelines and has pretty okay progression.

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The hunt gameplay was fun and worked really well with the summer theme. The first coin was the most difficult to find, after that it got a little bit easier. People who do not know some some trivia may find some hints difficult, though most are straightforward. It was also mostly clear what the forground was and what the background was. I'm not sure if I like that it is linear [although it does help with the hints and mightmake the level easier as a result], but overall it is a fun experience.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: The art looks nice, though there are some slight problems. When the boardwalk is in the distance, for example, it might have worked better to give it environmantal depth to make it look more distant. It's also worth mentioning that I appreciate how the minimap is organized.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story matched the level theme and gameplay and worked well overall. The ending seemed slightly anti-climatic, maybe there could have been a new area to explore as the prize for winning. [It was also a little weird to run into a doppelganger of myself at 'TOOP's Tea', but that doesn't affect the score].

Total: 48/65

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World Name:
Team: Toasted Spicy Ding

Theme:
Score: 1 x2 = 2
Reasons: Most of the level seemed generic and did not reflect a classic summer theme.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: The difficulty was okay, it had some tedious parts, and it lacked a good balance of calm and chaotic parts.

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: The gameplay felt slightly clunky, the gravity minis and spikes seemed to mot really match up with the world. and some parts seemed a bit too tedious, one block jump in the attic, and a part where you have to hold three keys to climb back up the well. Other parts seemed out of place as well, such as random hazards in the street in front of the arcade. There were some interesting parts, but they felt crowded out by other gameplay elements. The level unfortunatly feels unfinished and not properly planned out for a summer gameplay and theme.

Art:
Score: 4
Reasons: The art was decent, and the level did show how the doors worked properly as well. Part way through the level, doors stopped using invsible portals, causing some consistency problems visually. Some of the art seems unfinished, such as the background buildings, since they don't seem to match the forground buildings. Subtle windows would have helped with that. At one part a truck overlaps in front of a building, the use of items doesn't convey depth, making it look slightly confusing. [http://i.imgur.com/OG8Vmmd.png]. It seems that the art ,and the level in general, had troubled development and could have done with some more refining.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story didn't add much to the level, but it justified some parts of it such as the terrain.

Total: 20/65

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World Name: The Burj
Team: Phat Roast Ducks

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: It was certainly summer themed, and the waterslide twist added to both the gameplay and theme of the level nicely.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: Some parts were a bit too fast and clunky, but overall it had okay difficulty. Except the fact that it expected the player to magically know that you could jump on a double jump effect if you had double jump, why do people insist on doing that without showing that it exists as a concept first? Also the fact that a no-death mode exists seems a bit tedious to say the least.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The gameplay was fast paced and enjoyable, it had some clunky parts, but the concept was fun.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was well done, had good use of environmental depth, the changing colors of the slide added progression fairly nicely, and overall did a decent job while using minimal decorations. Some of the upclose textures could have been better, for the lighthouse and tree trunks for example, seems like those got sacrified for the miimap art.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The dialog was kind of wacky, it isn't that much of a problem in regards to the score, except there was one character at the end of the level that seemed fairly brusque, maybe because they could be mistaken for a radical Islamic? Other than that the story was fairly average, though the scarily dangerous waterslide helped create some sort of emotional impact when sliding through the level if you emmersed yourself. Also what's with that creepy sun that grins at you errily whenever you fail, with that one odd tooth and beady eyes? Adding to the discomfort of failing with some uncanny-valley facial features I assume.

Total: 42/65 [I nominate this one to be in top fifteen]

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World Name: KJ - Summer Fever!
Team: The Kingly Jesters

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: Good theme, though the upclse art and gameplaydoesn't reflect it as much as it could.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: As much as I wanted this level to

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was average and used the typical minigame merged with art format, it does work well for this map, it just isn't anything new. The idea of exploring multiple scenes was a good idea and done neatly.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The upclose art is decent, though it slightly suffers from the focus of the level seemingly being minimap art. The minimap art, although not the focus of the contest, is really great.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: Although the visual story and the exploration aspect were great, maybe it could have had slightly more closure. The fly effect is a good reward, but I feel it needs to be coupled with something else to make it seem like something more was accomplished at the end.

Total: 0/65 [Difficulty reduces score, though I highly reccomend this for an honorable mention]

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World Name: The Forgotten Summer
Team: Gabriel Team

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme worked very well with the guidelines, with few parts feeling out of place.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: It seems as though it would be medium difficulty, but a couple too many tedious parts make it too challenging to fit into the criteria.

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: Although the level did have its fair share of fun parts, some of the minis were simply tedious. The first mini, for example, did not tell the player they can hold space to beat the mini, leaving people who haven't seen this technique of minigame completely lost. It's also odd that later minigames tell you to hold space whilst this one does not. This mini [http://i.imgur.com/GADFptx.png], did tell the player to hold space, but the design of the mini made it so that even if you were holding space, you couldn't make the first couple of jumps without perfect timing and was difficult to complete as a result. The idea of having the hold space minis was really good, and could have worked out better with more refining.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: The art was decent and simple, it was easy to tell where to go. The landscape design was also well done, the only problems being that there were places that could have done with some more detail, some parts, such as the plam tree trunks, could have done with anti-aliasing, and there was somethings off about the proportions and shape/shading of the apple trees. Other than some generic issues like that, the art worked well with the theme and idea of the world.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The dialog was a bit clunky, but the overall story was fairly nice and made the level have some more purpose to it. The pacing is also well done visually with the variety of landscapes. The ending cliche of it being a dream was okay, and as much as I like the cereal reward it might have been nice to be able to go outdoors too, even a small summery backyard room might have helped tie off the level slightly better.

Total: 0/65 [The reason this got a zero was because the difficulty negates all scores if it is a zero. The level doesn't work for the contest, but that doesn't mean that this team schould be discouraged from making more levels in the future.]

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World Name: Ice Cream Expedition
Team: Nobody Appreciates Novels Anymore

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The theme was okay, though as mentioned in the story section there were darker aspects that didn't support the theme too well despite adding to the level.

Difficulty:
Score: 2
Reasons: A couple of tedious parts such as the curse minigame made the level feel like a chore at some places.

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The minigame concept was fun and for the most part well executed. Unfortunatly some seemed slightly clunky, and I was unable to beat the "floor is lava" minigame for quite some time, due to the tediousness of it.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was well made, and the use of decorations and backgrounds was mostly done in a logical way. I'm not a fan of using invisivle blocks if they're not needed and can confuse people as to what you can stand on, like the pirate ship. The invisible portals on the pirate ship were also a problem in the same way.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story and dialog was mostly good, and it added to the level experience. The ending was also fairly nice and made the level somewhat worthwhile. The dark tone of the novel pages didn't really match the cheerful summer mood had in mind for this contest, but it works nicely for this level.

Total: 37/65

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World Name: Cascading Sanctuary
Team: Key to the Galaxy

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: It looked like summer and it felt kinda like summer as I went through the minis. What helped it a lot was the color scheme used for the city itself. Typically a generic city does not remind me of summer, and perhaps knowing this, you added more vibrant colors inspired by the season. Adorning a rooftop with a swimming pool also adds some detail to add to the theme nicely as well. Sometimes the upclose art didn't really feel like summer, which is why I feel this score is justified.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: Although the difficulty wasn't the best, it fit the criteria, and it also had some good examples of leniency: multiple blocks for a momentum jump, the redbuildingwithbluewindows mini only required < and > keys and gravity did the rest, which was quite nice.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay is fairly average. It doesn't provide a concept that it builds off of other than the general 'lets throw these minis together,' which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes to this contest what gives one level an edge over another is a more clear and refined game design. There are some problems when it comes to the design, such as some random invisible portals I found [http://i.imgur.com/5Dxpmu0.png], sure they get you back to the mini you were at, but the level doesn't show this. My best guess is that this was a sacrifice made in favor of minimap art, similar to how the rather flat pirate wood blocks make navigating the beach slightly confusing for the sake of how it looks when you hit the letter M. That being said, I love minimap art, and I really like the art here, it just feels like it gets in the way of the gameplay sometimes.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Some parts at the beach was difficult to tell forground from background. It would help if you didn't use the depthless pirate blocks that have no purpose being blocks [http://i.imgur.com/gvwk8lT.png]. Just because it is in the game doesn't mean you can use it however you want and expect a good result, because we have had a graphics in the past that did not understand the little consistencies in the game a bit more before making items for it. Point is, be careful how you use your items in regards to texture, depth, ect. Other than that the isometric art was well done and enjoyable, although more effort went into the minimap art, the upclose art was okay at parts too.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story, although there were no signs, was told fairly nicely with visuals. I liked the overall adventure of it, starting by climbing out a window [perhaps to avoid doing summer housework] and taking a detour through the rooftops to reach a summery happy beach. The story was simple and leaves a lot to interpretation, but that's okay with me, which is partially why I've been lenient on a lot of story scores.

Total: 38/65 [Honorable mention?]

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World Name: Summer Quest
Team: Svabci

Theme:
Score: 2 x2 = 4
Reasons: The theme felt too generic, and the story distracted from the idea of what the theme should have been for this contest.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: It relied too much tedious parts, the level itself wasn't bad, but it didn't meet the strict criteria of the contest. If there's too many tedious parts it negates the entire score.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was below average for me, relying on arguably tediuos challenges as substnce. Hook jumps and the tree climb were two parts that felt off to me. I also ran into a one block hover mini low ceiling jump. I can see how they have fun value [I used to play these all the time years ago], but they don't feel like they belong in a contest with emphasis on refined level design.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art was pretty good, you could tell where you were going and the landscape design was pretty good as well.

Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: The story didn't seem like it was summer, as interesting as it was. Evading a cannibal down a waterfall, randomly teleporting into a cave, and a UFO is certainly memorable and has some charm to it, but it seems out of place in regards to the purpose of the contest. The character Summer showing you the aspects of summer in cave form was slightly redeeming on top of being a fun idea.

Total: 0 [Difficulty score negates entire score. As a standalone level, it had good redeeming factors that made it worth playing, it just didn't fit with the contest as well as other submissions.]

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World Name: Splendid Summer
Team: Maybe this time?

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was very well done, especially once you reached the beach part.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: The difficulty was mostly spot on, although the surfing minigame was slightly tedious. The reason this fails though, is because it is impossible to beat. This is why you play through your level entirely after making it.

Gameplay:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The gameplay was very fun, the minis didn't get too hard [though there were some slightly cofusing invisible portals. It felt fluid and I could tell that it was based off of the difficulty of the sample levels. The minigames were also fun. Problem is, when you collect the ice cream, you get stuck.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was very well done, and looked good both upclose and on the minimap.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story was well made and justified the content in the level while supporting the theme.

Total: 0/65 [This should be an honorable mention probably]

_____
_____
World Name: Its summer 2016
Team: Pug Builders

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The theme felt lke summer, but it felt like it was missing several aspects, only providing sand and heat, with occasionally an aditional prop.

Difficulty:
Score: 4
Reasons: The difficulty was alright

Gameplay:
Score: 2 x2 = 4
Reasons: The gameplay was below average for me, the level relied on invisible blocks and portals for the challenge. It also felt jumpy/clunky as a result. The pacing wasn't quite right either, it just seemed like once challenge was improvised after another with not much to relate them. 

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: What art was in the level was below average, although there was some interest given to the sand by mixing in more color, which is nice. It just generally looks unfinished.

Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: The story was a little confusing due to the way it was presented. I personally didn't mind too much about the grammar, since English isn't everyone's first language. Yet, some parts felt out of place / not necessary, giving the finished result a more amateur tone, which isn't a bad thing at all. However, in regards to the strict expectations of this contest, it lowers the score.

Total: 24/65 [This level isn't the best suited for this contest, but that doesn't mean that Pug Crew should be detered from making levels. Like all of the submissions for this contest, there are redeeming factors in the levels, but the contest has to be strict in order to obtain the levels that fit the criteria and go above and beyond expectations.]

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World Name: Sand Castles
Team: Sensei's Supercute Sunshine Sensation

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: The theme was great, and all of the elements made it feel like summer, with only a couple of slight problems [such as maybe the enemy knights, but they do help with the gameplay and story somewhat] that don't end up taking away too many points.

Difficulty:
Score: 8
Reasons: Some of the underwater parts were slightly tedious with dodging spikes, and the final puzzle seemed a bit off as well, but in the end it was a very satisfying experience. The puzzle difficulties were spot on, this is certainly a medium level.

Gameplay:
Score: 9.5 x2 = 19
Reasons: The level was very fun, the gameplay was well executed. I loved how the visuals showed what the gameplay was and enhanced it, instead of taking away from it for the sake of realistic art. No invisible portals made it confusing or clunky, the game showed you what was where in a very clean manner. The gameplay was consistent, instead of throwing random gimmicks together it had a clear direction, and built upon a single concept beutifully. By adding difficulty as it went along, as well as keeping it fresh with features such as underwater physics, it was obvious that this level was designed with the guidelines and game design in mind. Relying on well crafted challenges for difficulty instead of tedious jumps. It isn't perfect, see difficulty score above, but the amount of effort and attention given to how the game felt fluid and played well and was easy to understand is awesome.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: Lots of aspects were done great. There is clear thought and attention for the upclose art. Textures and colors generally make sense where they are placed, it is clear what is background. The backgrounds are typically simple and flat, and the foreground uses blocks with depth.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story, told through visuals, is nicely done. The pacing and terrain changes are not overdone and make the level feel more journey-like. The pacing and terrain also justifies certain gameplay elements, which helps the level feel more refined. Although the goal is not made clear until the end of the level [unless you pay attention to the minimap], it makes for a simple conclusion that brings closure to the level.

Total: 56/65 [I nominate this one for first place, due to the reasons stated above. It is certainly one of the best levels I have played for this contest]

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World Name: Summer dream
Team: The bros

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The level looked like a good start, the generally unfinished look hurts the theme score a little.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: The difficulty wasn't so bad, but gameplay problems ended up making the difficulty feel oddly inconsistant.

Gameplay:
Score: 2 x2 = 4
Reasons: There are some gameplay problems I would like to talk about. There's this part of the level that uses invisible action items: [http://i.imgur.com/7rhzFJp.png]. The invisible portals in the chasms always teleport you to the rightmost cliff, even if you're heading that way [you pass this part twice, in both directions], making falling actually benificial for that part? After that, everything gets confusing. You cannot collect the speed effect until you hit a lever, which you cannot reach unless you have the fly effect to go through the arrow wall. So I found the fly effect in the wind tunnel above, and flew back. I didn't get the speed effect though, because it turns out that the obstacle you needed the speed effect for was a wall of arrows, which you could also use the fly effect to get through. Even if you collected the speed effect it wouldn't have changed that since you didn't have fly disabled. This resulted in this situation: [http://i.imgur.com/rvCMSOt.png]. I'm assuming there was troubled development, especially considering that the level looks fairly rushed. To top that off, there is no trophy or win room. At least I thought so for a long time of flying around looking for any exit. It turns out it was hidden from me the whole time. [http://i.imgur.com/0JtPCCG.png]. Take a look at that, it may have partially been my fault it took so long for me to find it, but it really boils down to game design, so it really wasn't my fault that the design wasn't consistent or apparent. I understand the perks of invisible portals, but this just doesn't work for obvious reasons.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: It generally felt unfinished and barren, makes sense given the note at the nd of the level. It wasn't a horrible start though.

Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: The story generally felt out of place and didn't sit well for me, interrupting the gameplay and seeming not trusting the audience to make infrences by themselves. The end was okay, I appreciate the idea of adding humor there.

Total: 23/65 [I did notice that hovering in the win room was a note directed to me [how thoughtful], essentially it mentioned that the builders lost faith in the level and a quick finish was added to rush it out. It is kind of sad, though I find it reassuring that the team knew that this level was sub-par and acknowledged what went wrong. I really appreciate the honesty, and it helps explain what went wrong with the gameplay that had me confused for some time.]

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World Name: Sunshine Blast
Team: GCrew

Theme:
Score: 2 x2 = 4
Reasons: Other than the color sceheme and the sun in the win area, nothing realy seemed summery about this level.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: The difficulty was okay in parts, but there were too many minigames that were tedious and required numerous guesses/tries without requiring skill.

Gameplay:
Score: 3 x2 = 6
Reasons: The box-mini approach of the level was a risky one, but it didn't end up meeting a gameplay higher than the average expectation for this contest. There is no cohesive gravity skill needed to beat the gravity minis that is expanded upon, instead it seems to be a jumble of improvised minigames without regard to the arcing gameplay, which isn't normally so bad, but with the high expectations of this contest, it will cost points. Tediousness also cost several points to this section and negated difficulty.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: Other than the color scheme and the sun, it didn't seem summery. I appreciate the use of multiple colors in the boxed minis, but unfortunatly, boxed minis wasn't what was expected for this contest, and would be very difficult to pull off a good art score with it.

Story:
Score: 0/5
Reasons: Because of the somewhat generic box-mini approach this level took, it does not really have any story to judge other than abtract ones that I might be able to salvage from the visuals.

Total: 13/65 [I can't help but to feel that the makers of this level were confused by the expectations of this contest, which can make this a learning experience for future contests. It's also worth noting that the score of this level does not always necessarily reflect the skill of the builder. The strict expectations of this contest are meant to narrow down levels to only the ones that best fit the guidelines.]

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World Name: The Beach
Team: Beach Lovers

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The summer theme was well done for the most part

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: Tediousness. There's a lack of leniency, and all the challenges seem to rely on tedious challenges.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Also there's this problem I've found that is becoming a trend [http://i.imgur.com/KnSrDrS.png]. Shortly after that, I found a tedious mini [http://i.imgur.com/NbVLp52.png] Disclaimer, the red arrow path on the image is the wrong way to beat the mini, the correct way is to start on the bottom row of dots, not that it makes the timing any less tedious. I soon realized the level was pretty much composed of minigames that were all mostly tedious. I won't lie, difficulty is hard to nail, especially since tediousness can be easy to mistake for the type of difficulty that should be in a contest level. Leniency would help with the minis, just give some room for error, it doesn't even have to be a lot. A two or three block jump is better in this case than a one block jump, for example. It also doesn't help that there is no common gameplay other than this difficulty/tedious problems throughout the level. After spending over ten minutes swimming around not knowing where to go after opening the first chest, I found that the path I was supposed to take had been hidden in the same fashion that the entrance to the pirate ship had, only at the base of the cruise ship. Maybe I should have learned the first time how portals in this world work, but it still negatively affects the level if I cannot easily find a door that I should know about. Then after all of that, there's this: [http://i.imgur.com/E5uA0sZ.png]. I'm not even going to mention the top of the water tank, which is just as bad if not worse regarding this kind of trouble. You need to do both these parts to beat the level. I understand that invisible items are powerful tools and you want to use them because they can be so awesome, but there's times where you use them, and times when you don't. I'm pointing these out because I see it too often, not just in your level, but levels in general. Plus it says not to do this in the guidelines. All the reasons mentioned is why gameplay is getting a lower score.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The sun might not have been the best place to put the engines/systems visually, but the level has decent art overall. The grainy multi-colored sand is an example of something that looks nice. The use of invisible blocks partially hurt this score.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: If there's one thing this level does well, it's the story. I did like the idea of advertising your island, and having to collect a large sum of money to pay the advertisement company to get your small island some recognition. In doing so the level rewards you with a happy scene of everyone enjoying your island, which is a great way to end the level. The story is the most redeeming part, it is simple and has charm.

Total: 0/65 [Difficulty negates entire score. I was a bit harsh on he difficulty and gameplay, but the contest is a strict one after all. Even levels with great potential and talented builders can fall short [and many have, it seems].]

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World Name: Beaches in Space!
Team: Zero Is The Loneliest Number

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: The choice of a beach in space was a risky one, although it slightly reduced the theme score, it makes this level stand out nicely.

Difficulty:
Score: 8
Reasons: Other than a few slight difficulty problems [like the red and white striped speed control part in space was partially tedious for me], this level was spot on.

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: Although they weren't too original, the minigames were fairly fun and fluid and added to the enjoyment of the level. There was a good amount of leniency in the majority of the minis, making an experience that wasn't frustrating.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The art was well done, both upclose and on the minimap. It was mostly easy to tell block from background from action. The use of visible portals helped demonstrate what areas I could access [there were some invisible ones if you fell though, which is understandable in that situation for the most part], and the lack of invisible blocks helped keep things consistant and easy to follow. The landscape design is great, and adds a lot to the overall design, gameplay, and mood of the level. The variety among the NPC's made the place seem to come to life as well.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: As said earlier, this level feels alive. The amount of detail makes it feel more like I'm a part of the world instead of being a lone character in what should be a more populated area [assuming that I'm the only one online at the time]. The ending at the VIP spa was a good way to wrap the level up. It might have been cool to add some more side games and buildings to flesh it out even more, but I'm not complaining about the current situation of the level.

Total: 47/65 [I nominate this one for top ten, based on the levels I have judged.]

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_____
World Name: SWKD:Restore the Sun!
Team: SWKD Summer Kidz!

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: It was a nicely done summer theme, although the level included some other elements that arguably distracted from the main theme.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: It gets too difficult/tedious at parts, such as the final battle.

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: Brenda's house takes you to two random loacations when you exit, making it confusing, as well as the invisible portal on the roof that is not indicated in any way. It also had some partially tedious jumps, such as this one: [http://i.imgur.com/D6n5BEN.png]. Hover minis show up later in the level too. When you open up the back yard after the exams, the invisible portals and the invisible blocks below the gate make it seem not as obvious/fluid as it could be, though it isn't as bad as it could be either. The final battle is also kind of tedious too. The mini puzzles were a redeeming factor in concept, but adding tedious elements to them wasn't the best choice for this contest.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Although the art was above average, what dropped it down a point was the use of invisible portals in places without indication sometimes, it just makes it harder to navigate. Still, the art is nice to look at.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: Starting with what seems to be a normal last day of school, the level suddenly takes an odd twist as an evil mysterious man steals the sun like a supervillain. Stealing the sun like this makes no sense in reality, which gives this level has a fun oddity. It has its fair share of clunky parts, but it is a memorable story even if it isn't perfect for a summer campaign.

Total: 0/65 [The difficulty score negates the entire score. To be honest, other than the difficulty/use of tedious parts, this was a well rounded level.]

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_____
World Name: Summer Coin Hunt
Team: Music Man

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was done nicely, especially the beach part and swimming pool.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: The difficulty was within the category Easy-Medium, and for the most part it worked very well. The only part that's slightly off is the traffic light part, at least the way I beat it required momentum jumps on the single yellow block at the the top of the traffic signal.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was simple, though it dodn't feel as refined as maybe it could have. As mentioned in the art score, the invisible portals take a few falls in the road to get used to. It might have helped the gameplay to make the hunt feel less linear, although some good attempts were made, I feel that it could have been emphasized a little more.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art was simple and fairly average. The level seemed to be stylized to be simple, which worked well in my opinion. The invisible portals on the streets seem a bit clunky for a while at first, but once you get used to them it's passable. My favorite part was the beach [the house comes in a close second], the great use of items there is a very nice redeeming factor.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: There wasn't much of a story other then the visual one, which isn't a bad one. It feels like you're just exploring random places that are interconnected, which I guess is the point of a hunt so it works for this level. The fact that this level is made to be simple makes the lack of an actual story other than leaving it to the imagination make sense and feel justified.

Total: 40/65

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World Name: the weird mountain
Team: Peace and Bahar

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The theme was certainly summer, but it was mostly caves and such, more outdoor parts would have made it more summery.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: There are a lot of tedious parts and lack of leniency, negating entire score.

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: Some parts lack leniency, such as this: [http://i.imgur.com/QyGTeRf.png]. After visiting each chamber, I've concluded they are all too tedious, sadly. It would have also been nice if there were quiet moments where you weren't always avoiding spikes, such as maybe make the main inside room of the mountain just some simple parkour, it would also emphasize the danger of the other chambers.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: I feel that the platforms insie the mountain should have been brighter than the background, making the sand yellow background into canvas yellow could have helped make the platforms stand out better and give more depth to the level visually. The chamber doors did imply an invisible portal, but that is because I'm conditioned to knowing what a dark door usually means in a level, a newer user would be confused. Maybe a sign that informs that you can jump into those kinds of doors would help.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story was okay, and it justified what was happening in the level, except maybe the tedious parts.

Total: 0/65 [Difficulty negates score]

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World Name: NSFW: Summer Palace.
Team: Trix RIP

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was handled well, the colors and materials used for the palace and the sky itself was very reminicent of summer. There were some parts that didn't quite match the theme, but they didn't do much trouble to the theme. Although a typical summer doesn't usually invlolve traveling to a demon, it still works for the most part.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: As mentioned below, the difficulty was too high.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Most minis were a mixed bag, as in they had good examples of leniency mixed in with some mediocre parts, here's an example: [http://i.imgur.com/NYXBqBL.png]. In this mini, you perform a momentum jump off of the fisherman's head, which is only one block thick, making the timing more exact than perhaps it should be for this contest. After that, there's a barrier that lines you up with the drain you need to go through, which is a good thing. Although the minis were well designed, they seemed for the most part to get too difficult for the given guidelines.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art is very good, it is heavily inspired by the retro style of EE maps when there were fewer textures and items in general, and it blends in newer elements in nicely, creating a good cohesive stlye. The landscape design and how the art flows into the minigames is very nice, and all action items are visible. That and the fact that all the blocks are clearly in the foreground reduce potential confusion. Although the upclose art isn't as good as the minimap art, they are both great.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: Although the story was derivitive of EX Crew Odyssey, it was simple and it made since with the overall design and style of the level. The choice part of the level was a nice touch, and added some value to the story as well. What could possibly have improved the story a little is if the choices could have greater influence to what happens in the level.

Total: 0/65 [Unfortunatly, the difficulty subtracted the entire score. The level was still a very strong one, thus I nominate this as an honorable mention.]

_____
_____
World Name:
Team: The Defenestrators

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons:

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: There was tedious aspects with the level that made it too difficult.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay is great, though there was a problem. Because I didn't bother toggling the minimap and looking to see if there were other rooms, I had no idea that there were hidden rooms that were madatory and thought the level was too tedious the first time through. Later I realized that invisible portals were used. This is exactly why you need to think before you use invisible portals. Other than that, the gameplay was very fun and very well done, though the portal problem will cost some points.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was really nice, it could have done with some more detailing, but other than that it was well made. Also the invisible portals could have easily been visible or indicated better.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons:

Total: 41/65

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World Name: days in the summer
Team: wmX10

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was done well, the concept, story, and art reflect the theme pretty well.

Difficulty:
Score: 1
Reasons: Once you figure out what to do, it gets very easy, almost too easy for this contest.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The concept is very ambitious, and although it was clunky, I really appreciate the idea and effort put into figuring it out. There were some problems, such as the sun lotion being mostly useless until you did the parkour parts, mostly because of the landscape design having everything in such close quarters. The amount of time was lenient as well, almost to a fault. It would be cool to see this concept with different activities taking up different amounts of time, arranged in such a way that the player would have to carefully manage their time. It's a good skill to learn too. The idea of the level by itself is what made this one stand out in a good way, and it has a whole lot of potential.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: The art isn't the best when put to the same high levels of scrutiny of this contest. The art does serve a good purpose in the level, and there were some clever parts that I really liked, like using the team effect for wheels.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story works really well for this level, and it justifies the gameplay a lot. 

Total: 32/65 [I would like to see this in honorable mentions if possible]

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World Name: Fearless sand castle
Team: The Fearless Five

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was great for the minimap, but upclose it was slightly off, resulting in this score.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: Got too difficult/tedious to fit the guidelines.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The minis are pretty good, but sometimes they have tedious parts. You jumped around a bit much with portals at some parts, making it feel slightly less fluid. There were some neat ideas using effects and boosts, which was enjoyable. I will also say that the way the minis are organized in the shape of the castle is well thought out.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Although the minimap art is excellent, the upclose art has a couple of problems, such as the use of the carnival stripes looking out of place [although the splash of red from the stripes makes it more vibrant, on the plus side]. 

Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: There wasn't much of a story, the visuals didn't lend themselves to be anything above abstract, though the use of the minimap can inform me that I'm climbing a sand castle, the upclose visuals don't seem quite as cohesive without the context.

Total: 0/65 [The difficulty subtracts the entire score because it is a zero, though I'll consider having this an honorable mention if it can fit in.]

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World Name: Travel to the Sun
Team: Jakub321 and the Nublets.

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme is well done, visually it looks like a summer level, though the gameplay istelf doesn't reflect summer, it doesn't hurt the theme score too much.

Difficulty:
Score: 4
Reasons: The difficulty was medium, though some parts being tedious drop the score a bit.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Some one block jumps make platforming slightly tedious at parts, and the cloud part after you got the fly effect was kind of tedious when you failed and had to replay parts of the level. Other than that the gameplay was fairly average, though the change of pacing when you obtained the fly effect added to the level.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The upclose art is what brings down the score the most, since the guidelines specify that upclose art must be good, minimap being icing on the cake. Some of the pirate wood blocks blended into the background due to the lack of depth in the blocks near the beginning of the map. The upclose art isn't as good as the minimap art, but the minimap art looks really nice, though the clouds and birds seem to be spaced out too perfectly, normally it would be less balanced in nature, making the cloud spacing feel artificial and out of place design wise. The contrast in the building and palm tree helps it pop visually, and overall the color selection is good.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story is mostly non-existant other than a visual/one up for interpretation, which isn't a problem. The pacing of the level is decent, though it seems that having slightly more time on the beach and slightly less time in the sky might help with that some. I like the change of pace when you collect the fly effect, and I would have like to see minigames based around the fly effect in the sky some more as well as more focus on some minigames/challenges on the ground.

Total: 37/65

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World Name:-Tropical Paradise-
Team: Sticky

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme is pretty much spot on, with good colors and atmosphere to it. The caves, since they could do with a little more summery aesthetic, lower the score by about a point.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: [See gameplay reasons]

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was average, but I noticed that even though the minigame design was done fairly well, there were tedious parts introduced across the level. Even if you mark the one block jumps with stars [which saved me a lot of time of guessing around], they're still tedious because the timing has to be just right. Underwater, there were a couple more tedious parts, including a second one block jump part. The mini where you find the artifact was my favorite part of the level, but shortly after that, when you get the fly effect, you reach another tedious part of the level, though thankfully it is brief. This level was very close to making the difficulty mark, but the ambiguity created by the several tedious parts throughout the level leave me no choice but to give the difficulty score a zero. Other than the tedious parts, the gameplay was done very well.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art was very nice for the most part, only some minor issues like the palm trees blending into the other foliage too much.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The visual story and pacing of this level was really good, the sudden boost from the upper waters to the seafloor was a good part, so was the part when you find the artifact.

Total: 0/65 [The difficulty subtracted the score, though I nominate this one for an honorable mention]

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_____
World Name: Sunken Summer City
Team: Dank Memes

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons:

Difficulty:
Score: 6
Reasons: What lowered this score is sometimes there was a tedious part in the level.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The level is mostly fluid, though once in a while [not too often] there is a tedious part, like this obstacle in this corridor [http://i.imgur.com/5r1qPSc.png]. Or this jump [http://i.imgur.com/gkRmBm1.png]. The ending mini was also fairly difficult. What works really well in this level is that the level/landscape design is well thought out and both memorable and fun to play through. There was also enough variety to keep things interesting, but not so much variety that it would feel like a bunch of gimmicks mixed together. The underwater parts break up the level nicely, so that you aren't always playing one mini after another. Quieter moments in the action makes it more engaging. It comes a little close to being too tedious at times, lowering the difficulty score a bit, but overall this level feels like the difficulty that was required.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: The art isn't perfect, but it is good enough to add to the quality of the level. The minimap art is decent, as is the upclose art. The composition of the landscapes is aesthetically pleasing, especially the iconic underwater tower that serves as the climax of the level. The colors go well with the level too, and serve as a good reminder as to what season of the year this contest is all about, especially the land, sky and water. The minimap art and perhaps the upclose art too could go with more depth, with the cliffs and city having another murky layer obscured by the water looming in the background. It would help make everything feel more connected and in the same environment too. I suppose the city itself looks a bit bright, especially at the lower depths of the water, and adding the depth that I just suggested would make this issue seem more trivial than it does now. The art doesn't get in the way of the gameplay either, so that's a big plus.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story is really good. The pacing and changes in terrain provide good variety and keep the level interesting. Although the majority of the level takes place at the sunken city, it feels justified not only because that's what the level is named after, but also because it has moments in the gameplay when you're swimming inbetween the submerged structures, keeping the pacing interesting. Once you got near the end of the level, you reached the beach opposite of the town. From there you could see the pary boat where all the winners would go, and then you take a nice dive to the climax of the level, a nice peaceful moment before you have to do the most difficult minis in the level. After that, you reach the forcefield where the trophy is and shut it off by collecting the blue coin. Then you get to swim back up and gloat about your victory on the party boat. Pacing wise, it's a really good way to wrap up the level, as it builds anticipation for the climax and then after you get the trophy provides you with a nice resolution.

Total: 40/65 [I think this level deserves a spot in the top fifteen]

_____
_____
World Name: SUMMER CONTEST
Team: guy

Theme:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: Although the outdoor parts worked with the provided theme requirements, the majority of the level was indoors and didn't feel much like summer at those parts.

Difficulty:
Score: 1
Reasons: There were several tedious parts that made the level lose difficulty points.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Lots of text at the beginning that could have had visuals or been explained as you went through the level. Parts of the level weren't very lenient, such as the endurance test and the fly effect parts were especially tedious. The part of the level where you collected money was arguably the best, gameplay wise. It would have been nice to see the level focused on that gameplay, instead of introducing it only to have it never become relevant after that part was over.

Art:
Score: 4
Reasons: Although the outdoor parts were nicely decorated most of the indoor parts looked off [the part with the safe looked decent though]. At least they generally had a variety of texture. Unlike some parts, which seemed rushed [http://i.imgur.com/whT6UMm.png]. Although the outdoor parts were some of the best art wise, there could have been more depth instead off all the objects seeining to be on the same plane.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The pacing in the level was mostly good, and the story did have an interesting twist at the end.

Total: 26/65

_____
_____
World Name:
Team: Cake Team

Theme:
Score: 2 x2 = 4
Reasons: Immediatly greeted by disaster, it really didn't feel like summer, more like summer was more of an afterthought to a volcano themed level, unfortunatly.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: One block jumps, hook jumps, and you can get yourself trapped here by pressing the lever twice: [http://i.imgur.com/uwGI7Ol.png]. Ultimatly this ends up getting the level a zero based on the rubric.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: In addition to the flaws mentioned above, there are invisible dots required to climb back up after collecting the blue coin that are only found by guessing that they are there. Invisible blocks in the sky area make invisible barriers that make the level less fluid, and there are other generally tedious parts.

Art:
Score: 4
Reasons: The art was generally decent, though the drop shadows looked slightly off, maybe some anti-aliasing or making them a darker color of the background they overlap would make them feel more in place. I liked the use of items in places, such as the boarded up windows at the beginning of chapter two.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: Although the story wasn't very summer themed, it was a good attempt and it did have some good parts to it. The pacing was good, and made the level feel a bit more adventerous. The ending also gave a good reward for the efforts of beating the level by showing how it affected the village and everyone in it positively. It had a fair share of problems, but generally it was nice for what it was.

Total: 0/65 [Although the difficulty and theme did not work for this contest, this score does not reflect the skill of the builders so much as it reflects how the level matches the guidelines. In response to the apology at the end of the level: The level was good for what it was, and you should continue making levels.]

_____
_____
World Name: Iter Aestas
Team: Pizza

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The theme was very summery, although some parts seemed more generic, as if they could have been spring too.

Difficulty:
Score: 6
Reasons: Although there was an attempt at leneincy, there are parts that don't quite have enough. Fortunatly, most of the level was the correct difficulty.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The gameplay was mostly fun, though the gameplay itself was typical minigames, they did have some order to them. All action items were visible, leaving no ambiguity over whether or not there is a path in places that I cannot see. There were a few parts that took a break from flying arround using arrows and boosts, though I felt there should have been a little more of that to make the level feel more balanced. The valley with the broken staircase at one end was a good part because it felt like what you were doing was a part of the environment, whereas most other parts feel like challenges thrown into nooks and caves with no justification visually as to how that ties into the actual journey your character is presumably enduring, which slightly hurts thie score of this level's gameplay and most other of this genre too.

Art:
Score: 8
Reasons: The art looked good both upclose and on the minimap, the colors were good and for the most part nothing blended into the background that shouldn't have. Some uses of the pirate wood background didn't feel too justified, in the valley with the two staircases it might have looked better if a different background had been use for the cliffs, so that the wooded man-made structures would stand out more.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The pacing was generally done well, with good transitions and memorable areas. The story told by the visuals was mostly up to interpretation, which worked for this level. The ending could have been slightly better to perhaps make the gola of the level a little more triumphant, even something simple like having devorative flags hung around the house and maybe a small picnic where the bucket and shovel are. That's only a minor issue though.

Total: 41/65 [I nominate this level to be in the top fifteen]

_____
_____
World Name: FW - Tropical Trip
Team: Fire Wolves

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was nicely done, most of the level felt as though it was a part of a summer theme.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: Some minis like the delivery part and others were slightly tedious, but it wasn't enough to bring down the score all the way.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The gameplay was good, I especially liked the gameplay idea of having to save up money for an airport ticket to a tropical island. Some parts felt clunky because of how the action items were arranged. It might have felt more fluid had there been engines that sorted whether or not a door was unlocked, instead of having a wall of purple doors.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Some parts need more depth, like background buildings partially hidden behind the foreground ones, with smaller scale depending on distance, and environmental depth by tinting them the color of the atmosphere, background buildings would not stand out as much as the foreground ones, but would make the world seem more complete. Although invisible blocks were used on top of the background trees, at least you mentioned it with a sign beforehand instead of leaving it to guesswork. Also worth mentioning that the organization for the minimap is nicely organized.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story was generally nice, some parts felt awkward and don't feel as though they belong with the overall mood and syle of the level, like the carwash owner's funeral he had to attend, which might have been a little better if he had to run some errands instead. The end of the level made it seem to be worth beating, although it isn't as easy to immerse myself into a story that puts me into the POV of someone that I only somewhat relate to due to the specifics, but that's only a minor qualm.

Total: 42/65

_____
_____
World Name: cool yourself down
Team: The Campaign masters

Theme:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: The theme at the beach to cool yourself down works well with the summer theme, although the part where Nou directed the players to earn gems at the campaigns didn't quite match the summer theme.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: The difficulty was alright, although it relied on confusing use of invisible items to pad it out, otherwise it would have been too easy.

Gameplay:
Score:  2x2 = 4
Reasons: The excess use of invisible portals and action makes this confusing to navigate, maybe a jab at the tediousness of the campaigns, but it still hurts the gameplay score nonetheless.

Art:
Score: 3
Reasons: The level generally looks unfinished, unfortunatly.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: I loved that what started as a premise to cool yourself down ended up mixing into the world of EE to parody the campaigns. It could have been a done better, but the premise is a fun one.

Total: 28/65

_____
_____
World Name:
Team: Torbes and his...

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was mostly good, though some parts could be mistaken for themes other than summer.

Difficulty:
Score: 5
Reasons: It had some tedious parts, though not enough to ruins the difficulty score.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: Lots of reading at the beginning, but the concept of survival itself was done decently, especally the thirst mechanic using curse. There were some tedious parts though; hookjump in the jungle, and climbing the vines over the bog was sort of tedious too, ect. It wasn't too tedious as to zero out the difficulty score though. If you find the hidden boss, unfortunatly it breaks once you take off the second hit, trapping you.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art was nicely made, though it isn't as refined as it could be, it doesn't negatively affect the play experience.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story was decntly made and justified most of what happened in the gameplay and leve itself.

Total: 34/65 [Honorable mention if it does not place]

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_____
World Name: Waves
Team: The Plebs

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: The theme was certainly summer, and not much distracted from that other than the gameplay slightly.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: Has too many tedious parts throuhout the level. Hook jumps, single block jumps with gravity dots on top, and more.

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: The gameplay, due to the tedious parts mentioned above, seems as though the creator of the challenges in the level took inspiration from levels that don't have the leniency required for this contest. The level did pick up in quality at the water slide part, though it was a bit choppy, it was a fun part to play.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: The art looked decent, though some colors were off, such as the neon magenta surrounding the sun instead of it blending into a gradient. Upclose wise some parts could have done with improvement, though the win room looked really nice. The treatment to the corners of the minimap is a neat effect too.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story was good and made the gameplay feel mostly justified, at least other than the tedious parts. Pacing wise, it is a bit odd that once you collect the treasure there's no journey back to the island. The ending once you saved summer did wrap up the level fairly well.

Total: 0/65 [Because difficulty was a zero, the entire score was subtracted.]

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_____
World Name: Daybreak
Team: 200 Summer Minigames

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was based off of the classic summer, the only things that slightly lower the score is that the cave parts weren't too summery, but they did help give the level better pacing/mood.

Difficulty:
Score: 7
Reasons: Other than a couple minis near the end being arguably slightly too difficult, all of the minis were the correct difficulty and there were few tedious parts.

Gameplay:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: The gameplay stood out in a good way. Some minis have helpful hints that really help. The fighting gameplay was extremely fun, and was well refined. A minor complaint is at times it felt like spamming regular attack would win fights, though later fights use some more tactic. This doesn't reduce the score by much at all though.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The upclose art and minimap art was really well done. Other than bonus content, the action items were visible when they needed to be allowing the visuals to reflect how the game should be played. Also, each area had it's own design that still felt unified with the others, and the artwork for the boss cards was even more icing on the cake.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story was well made and gave all the activities in the world some more meaning beyond slaying bosses for fun. The way the level was divided up into different summer biomes made the pacing work well.

Total: 54/65 [I nominate this for first place]

_____
_____
World Name: IceCream Quest
Team: TheSurv$ hyti

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons:

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: There were some really tedious jumps, one was in the woods before you got the vanilla ice cream. And on the way back was this: [http://i.imgur.com/j0qMjd2.png]. The several tedious parts left ambiguity, resulting in a zero.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was average, but the tedious parts ended up tainting this level, unfortunatly.

Art:
Score: 7
Reasons: The art generally looked good, with some nice inclusions such as a city skyline faded behind the beach area, and good uses of half blocks and decorations for art.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story was nice and matched the theme of the contest well, it was simple and appealing.

Total: 0/65 [Although the tediousness of parts killed the score, I'm considering this for an honorable mention.]

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_____
World Name: Castle Contest
Team: Happyeditor

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme works really well for the summer contest requirements.

Difficulty:
Score: 9
Reasons: The minigames all had good amounts of leiency and were medium in difficulty. The level was a good length too, not too short, but short enough not to be enduring.

Gameplay:
Score: 6 x2 = 12
Reasons: Although the gameplay was the common gravity minigames, they had great flow and leniency that makes the level enjoyable for people who like to play minis but don't like tedious ones.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: It was very clear what forground and background were. Though the art was simple, it did have consistency. It would have been nice if it had more of a background though.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The story wasn't much, but it did have some nice moments such as the timed minigames and the ending was nice.

Total: 47/65

_____
_____
World Name: Sandy Summer
Team: The Nubs

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was handled well, though it felt like it was slightly missing some elements, it seemed very compatible with the theme provided.

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: It started of as a good medium level, but then it became tedious. After skipping one of the minis because I simply could not beat it, I ran into other problems such as these: Two one block momentum jumps [http://i.imgur.com/fpp6L9q.png], A jump that would have been way less tedious had there been just one block of leniency [http://i.imgur.com/6AYVGsx.png]. And then this too-difficult-to-be-medium mini too [http://i.imgur.com/0nZeuPw.png]. Though these weren't all of them, they are examples.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The minigames were slightly above average and pretty fun at first, until you hit the part where they started to use tedious aspects in the design.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: The art looked pretty nice, [the minimap sun looked awkward to be honest]. The upclose art of the buildings was consistent and you could tell what was forground and background, with details like the flowers in the ceramic containers adding extra little dots of color.

Story:
Score: 1/5
Reasons: There didn't seem to be much of an implied story other than the setting, especially since the ending was kind of within the same area as you were the entire time, making it seem less like something was accomplished.

Total: 0/65 [The difficulty score subtracts the entire score.]

_____
_____
World Name: Ethereal Ground
Team: We Gonna Lose

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme is handled nicely, especially the contrast of the theme in the minigame section to the theme in the peaceful section once you finish the level.

Difficulty:
Score: 8
Reasons: [see gameplay reasons below]

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The minis were well designed and had interesting flow to them, with hardly any tedious parts. Though there were a couple of parts that wouldn't be quite so clear to users that don't know the general design style of minis like these, it doesn't hurt the score much. The helpful signs throughout the level really help with leniency, which is why the gameplay scores above average.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The art was great, lots of details that made the level feel very complete. Blocks stood out from the background, and action items had a darker background behind them to make them stand out more, which is a good way to make the level more clear. The variety in areas is done well, and the outside part at the end looks very well done.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The pacing is great, and seems to tell a story of its own without any text or explainations needed, which works well for this map. Once you step outside and it becomes a peaceful playground is a great ending, and seeing how bright and lively the outdoors are after you've escaped the underground area really makes the ending feel like you've accomplished something once you reach it.

Total: 50/65 [Despite the ironic name of this team, I reccomend this to be in the top fifteen.]

_____
_____
World Name: The Summer Cave
Team: The Turbo Builders

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons: The theme was mostly good, with only a few small factors going against it.

Difficulty:
Score: 1
Reasons: Some minis lacked leniency.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay was fairly average, though several of the minis were tedious, one cave in paticular with the double jump felt as though it could have done with a second checkpoint. Other than that, the level was short and enjoyable.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: Other than the one slightly off invisible portal part, the level seemed easy to navigate. The way blocks were mized to create texture/interest was good, and despite feeling slightly disjointed, the level layout was mostly good.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story of the level was mostly okay, the pacing could have been better, but some parts such as when you exit the cave were well done.

Total: 36/65 [The level was a really good one, though the score reflects that it didn't quite match up to the strict guidelines as much as it could have]

_____
_____
World Name: Summer Night
Team: Eggz

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was mostly good, though it has a hint of generic aspects to the level as a whole.

Difficulty:
Score: 4
Reasons: It has a few tedious parts such as a one block thick water to climb out of, and one block thick platform you have to land on after adjudting your momentum for example.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: The gameplay is average. For the most part, other than some tedious parts, it had good difficulty and the progression was decent as well.

Art:
Score: 5
Reasons: Although the minimap art is really good, the upclose art suffers from the problem that without the context of the minimap it isn't as cohesive, such as the foliage being made of halloween brick, and the soil made almost completely of factory pack metal. Other than that the art looks nice.

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: There wasn't much story, but the level did have an interesting mood and style to it that was interesting.

Total: 35/65

_____
_____
World Name:
Team: Elite Artists

Theme:
Score: 8 x2 = 16
Reasons:

Difficulty:
Score: 0
Reasons: [See gameplay reasons]

Gameplay:
Score: 4 x2 = 8
Reasons: There were tedious parts; without any warning touching the octupus teleports me back to the beginning, forcing me to hit the checkpoint and start all over again. I found that several of the minigames were too tedious for the guidelines as well, unfortunatly. Level is broken, the crowbar doesn't work. After bypassing the crowbar system to see how the rest of the level played out, I found that you couldn't collect all of the fire flies either, making a second impossible spot. Other than that the level played well.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The art looked really good, and I liked the fact that the house you start in is the same as the one for this team's spring contest submission with some minor redocorating.

Story:
Score: 4/5
Reasons: The story was really good, and using different paintings to capture different summer themed moments is a great idea.

Total: 0/65 [If this level gets repaired, I think it would make a great honorable mention.]

_____
_____
World Name: The Sun's Fade
Team: The Megatronz

Theme:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The theme was summer, but it felt a little bit off for the theme, since it could also be an exploration theme for example.

Difficulty:
Score: 2
Reasons: Although the minis generally were well designed and not very tedious, there were several parts that seemed almost too difficult.

Gameplay:
Score: 7 x2 = 14
Reasons: The gameplay was really good, it didn't have too many tedious parts and the minis were designed fairly well. I also liked the non linear aspect of it too.

Art:
Score: 9
Reasons: The art style is very unique and has a good contrast, depth, ect, even when not factoring in the excellent minimap art. Memorable landmarks were used nicely [It also made me happy that you put in the extra effort to stay true to the architecture and styles of the countries].

Story:
Score: 5/5
Reasons: Although there was a lot of reading at the begining, the story part had background visuals, which is nice. The pacing and story were really well done on this map, the different areas really helped emphasize the traveling aspect of the level. The endings were also well done.

Total: 44/65 [If this does not place it gets an honorable mention]

_____
_____
World Name: Island
Team: 43jj~jj<

Theme:
Score: 9 x2 = 18
Reasons: The theme was mostly unique while still fitting under the general theme that was expected.

Difficulty:
Score: 1
Reasons: There were several parts that felt too tedious, but the rest of the level was certainly medium.

Gameplay:
Score: 5 x2 = 10
Reasons: Sometimes the minigames felt like they lacked enough leniency. My favorite part [gameplay wise] was when you picked up the ice cream and had to hurry before it melted. It was a fun way to make the curse timer more meaningful. Your level broke I think, when I had almost finished the purple popsicle part I failed, but the fail portal sent me partway through the ice cream cone part. It only ended up causing two missed coins, but still an issue.

Art:
Score: 6
Reasons: The art was really nice, though it could do with more background elements and some anti-aliasing. I did like the outlined style of the art too, it looked good upclose and on the minimap.

Story:
Score: 3/5
Reasons: The story was good, though what really helped it was the melting ice cream part and the end of the level at the sun.

Total: 38/65 [I was greeted by an apology letter about the quality of the level. I really appreciated the honesty to add this to your level.]

_____

Some reoccurring things I generally found in the submissions. Some of these are not bad things, some of them aren't the best.
-Save the season
-Ice Cream
-It was all a dream [to be fair, this only happened about three times]
-Failure to use invisible portals/blocks in a cohesive manner
-Challenges that lacked leniency
-Lots of genuine effort from the submitted teams

Next Contest:
Looking back on the previous contests, I've already started planning the next contest and how to make it even better, here are some elements I am highly considering [not confirmed]:
-A less strict theme.
-Merge registration and building period, once you get the green light [a cleared level], your team gets added to the list and can start building immediately.
-More time to build.
I'm open to suggestions as well

Kira

Guest

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

So Basically you've chosen the top 15 based on points? That's some great judging there.

Kaleb

Formerly Kaleb123

From: California of America

Joined: 2015-02-19

Posts: 1,263

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

Thanks for the Constrictive Criticism!

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Play one of my old worlds !!

SmittyW

Member

Joined: 2015-03-13

Posts: 2,085

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

The point system looks wack. Gameplay and Theme scores are x2 and Story is x/5? Like Norwaygal said maybe get rid of points and decide by comments since that's what generally happens in the end anyway. You could just pick top 15 and sort from there OR have elimination judging where you compare levels in pairs and pick a favorite of the two until 1 remains.

From Toop's Review of "The Burj"

Story:
Score: 2/5
Reasons: The dialog was kind of wacky, it isn't that much of a problem in regards to the score, except there was one character at the end of the level that seemed fairly brusque, maybe because they could be mistaken for a radical Islamic? Other than that the story was fairly average, though the scarily dangerous waterslide helped create some sort of emotional impact when sliding through the level if you emmersed yourself. Also what's with that creepy sun that grins at you errily whenever you fail, with that one odd tooth and beady eyes? Adding to the discomfort of failing with some uncanny-valley facial features I assume.

I laughed

...I've already started planning the next contest and how to make it even better...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Luka504

Member

From: Serbia,probs never heard of it

Joined: 2015-02-19

Posts: 2,934

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

Nice reviews, but the middle structure doesnt have a forcefield, just a large glass ball, and we give you the blue coin so you can go to the party boat thing
(And yeah the final minis could have used more work)

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How long will it take me to get banned again?
Place your bets right here.

AsurcH

Member

Joined: 2015-02-16

Posts: 823

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

Great work! I am really glad all of the judges have posted their reviews and the fact that this contest seemed like a huge improvement.

I would also like to point out in a certain concern about that amongst all three of you, you kind of have some extravagantly opposite ideas here and there. While diversity is more than welcome, these signs of opposite views amongst the judging display a certain lack of unity in scoring ,and thus leads to a lack of credibility.

If you want feedback or suggestions, I have sounded my opinion here. It is just like 7-8 lines. Or if you are too lazy to click a link i will just quote it here

I agree that these contests are a huge drama dump every 3 months, but it isn't necessarily because of the contest, but because of how rewards are presented. You are designing a game for children and then compete them with each other and basically select a privileged little group and give out the message to all others "You suck" which I believe is just another way to lose more of your audience for this game. Instead, what you could have done is to set up a threshold score limit, and give any level that has passed that threshold a reward. After that point, give out extra rewards if a group has successfully scored more points. After all is done, you can announce who won most points, and people won't even be this mad, because you are inherently taking precautions on 90% of the cause of all these discussions, which is why people think their level has not been rewarded.

Keep up the good work, I hope it will be ever better on the next contest!

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Royal Flush Crew
Royal Flush Forum Topic

Norwee

Formerly NorwegianboyEE

From: Norway

Joined: 2015-03-16

Posts: 3,773

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

I would also like to point out in a certain concern about that amongst all three of you, you kind of have some extravagantly opposite ideas here and there. While diversity is more than welcome, these signs of opposite views amongst the judging display a certain lack of unity in scoring ,and thus leads to a lack of credibility.

I disagree. Having more variety in judging will give more attention to levels that might be differing from one individual judge's expectation of a "good level."
If all judges were alike it would create bad contest results. A level may be liked by a big chunk of the userbase, but because all judges have the same opinion they would only give a good score to levels that fit their narrow viewpoint of good level design. Therefore i believe that a melting pot of different judges will be the solution that benefits us the most.

Relevant quote:

I was supposed to be judging this contest but I'll be away during the judging, so I thought I could suggest Norwegianboy as a judge because he imo has an interesting and not mainstream taste in level-design, which would give some new perspective to the judging.

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★              ☆        ★        ☆         ★
   ☆    ★                     ★

Kirby

Member

Joined: 2015-04-04

Posts: 4,307

Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

why does my level have very few reasons o_o

iPwner

Member

From: CaliforNYAN Land.

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 1,514

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Re: TOOP's Summer Contest Reviews, Notes, Etc.

The dialog was kind of wacky, it isn't that much of a problem in regards to the score, except there was one character at the end of the level that seemed fairly brusque, maybe because they could be mistaken for a radical Islamic? Other than that the story was fairly average, though the scarily dangerous waterslide helped create some sort of emotional impact when sliding through the level if you emmersed yourself. Also what's with that creepy sun that grins at you errily whenever you fail, with that one odd tooth and beady eyes? Adding to the discomfort of failing with some uncanny-valley facial features I assume.

I made it so that guys supposed to be merely Arabish! I can only assume your sunrejected buns has never crossed paths with someone of Arabish origin! Get those buns in the sun Hons, they aren't going to "brown" sittin' in your apartment. There is life outside your apartment.
I know it's hard to conceeeeeive~
but there's life outside your apart-ment!~
and you're only gonna see it if you leeeeeeeave.
There is cool shoite to do, but it can't come to you~
And who knows dooh you might even score!~~
There is life outside your apart-ment,
but you GOT... to O-pen THA door.

Just chiding.

The sign reads: "Whoaaaaaaaa ma'aaaaaaan me and Allah heard that splash all the way here from my flying cah'pet! Allahu arama'a'åta hindu." All this sign I wrote indicates is that this is an Arabish person funnin' on the beach who happens to be friends with Allah! And if you read the signs you'd note that the entire level is an expensive and wasteful production that's actually ran by southwest Scandinavian male wannabes!-- they're simply mimicking arab culture (Note the word "Arabish" :3) and the water-slide is called "The Burj" as a knack to this nod and a tango in my bonnana if you will.

When we look at The Square is just the EPITOME of emotion, rhye? ;0 I WORSHIP BOREDOM! :3 More bore, oh bore me more, oh baby bore me more you ***re!! ;3 Chiding, chiding! But truthfully, I don't think any other level on EE has actually made me feel as LITTLE emotion as those "story" levels. Litrally just WALKING through a boring faketown with a bootleg poptropica "plot"? Many would say "larger than life", but to describe The Square, it's a mind-birthed creation that actually manages to be "BORINGER than life". Litrally the emotions invoked would be akin to running a pencil in a square and retracing the same line again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again like a rainbow horizon stretching OUT of my bukaka INTO the horizon and into a rising sun. A RISING. F***ING. SUN!!!!! ;3 But yeahLol, criticism bedside... good-ish pix beb! :o You got that white puss! :3

CHI-DING!!!

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EPIOOOOOUUUUUUuuuuuu   IUO0O0oooooooooooppi

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