Core Level Selection

by **Drakona** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:33 am

I don't think so? The Fall 2014 news post was pretty short: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=206 It just says we replaced Nocturnal with Ascend with very little fanfare (this was back before people cared so much about core levels and . . . well, actually, the ladder in general

). The season before that, the list was was Vamped, Logic, Athena, Black Rose, Nysa, Fuzed, Neptune, Take2, Nocturnal, and Lurk. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=143

by **Drakona** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:41 am

You know what, though? To come back on topic -- I would love a hardcore random level generator that included such places as June Bug, Io, Untitled, Ugh, Raziel, wrath x4, Junior, Killbox, and maybe some thing gaussy like pyromania . . . I'd be uncomfortable requiring everyone to play those maps, but there's a pilot or two that I would sure love to roll that set with.

It's a distinct idea from Vainaic's original desire for a Something Else Good list, which also has merit, but I genuinely like the idea of being able to issue and accept a challenge to somewhere that potentially includes some of the more dangerous and nasty corners of the game.

by **roncli** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:59 am

I think I am in agreement, I'm pretty sure Morfod would LOVE hitting such a button, ESPECIALLY if The Minerva Shake's in there!

...

(Please don't actually put Minerva Shake in that list.)

by **Lady Silver** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:19 pm

by **Lady Silver** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:21 pm

Also, +1 the idea of a "something different" button.

by **Entropy** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:29 pm

But what goes under this 'something different' button?

Let me think... Wrath no missiles, Umbriel, no primary no secondaries Logic, June Bug with x5 everything, Io, Contessa, Wyndham...

What other terrib- I mean great levels and settings can we include?

by **organic io (formerly goldie)** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:35 am

All this talk about "June Bug" had me really curious, I wondered if I would get sickeningly disoriented in it... So I tracked down a video of Roncli playing Lothar

I don't really see what the big deal is, after a minute or two I had a pretty good feel for the layout of the level. It's just a relatively small area with 3 levels, and it even gives you color cues as to where you are.

Descent being an inherently 3d game, I always found it slightly odd that most of the levels would be entirely fitting for Quake.

I always wanted to see some crazy 3d stuff, something more along the lines of this....

Yesss.... That would be good

OK maybe not quite that large, if you consider each star like a bigger room and then twisty hallways to connect them, it would take forever to find each other in a 1 on 1, but you get the idea

Edit sorry image is huge, link to the whole thing --->

by **organic io (formerly goldie)** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:51 am

I'd also like to add that my previous post is not supposed to be a cocky statement of "I get it", more of just an observation. In fact now I'm genuinely curious as to why some people get it and some don't. I speculate that it has something to do with our brains' spatial processing. Perhaps those who "get it" are more prone to visualizing the entire level as a kind of cube, with holes between the floors like swiss cheese. Whereas those who don't "get it" are ... I'm not sure... Perhaps limited in their focus of where they currently are in the level and not doing as much subconscious visualization of the rest of the level at the same time?

At any rate, I find it really interesting. Tell me if I'm on the right track here or if I'm totally off base.

Edit: I'd also be curious to see if a player who doesn't "get it" could learn how to get it by training themselves how to visualize or perceive it differently.

by **Entropy** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 4:56 am

It's less about the physical layout of the level itself goldie and more about a pilot's flying style and sense of timing and how that relates to the level. whack-a-mole levels like Junebug with lots of spaces to use to move throughout the map emphasize more of a map-control playstyle rather than say a dogfighting one. Players all have their individual strengths and weaknesses and sometimes their performance on a level is indicative to how that level meshes with themself.

Timing is essentially the geometry of the level and players can have preferred timings as well as flying patterns.

by **organic io (formerly goldie)** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:07 am

I see. I guess I really can't say much since I've not actually fought in it. Indeed I am a dog for the most part so it doesn't look like the greatest level ever to me, but it does have an intriguing mindtrick kind of appeal.