Re: Level Builders needed for...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:10 pm
Yeah, there are too many reactor cubes. The level won't load. I never did figure out exactly what the limit was, but it seemed to be somewhere around 50.
I don't know how technically feasible it would be to raise that limit in future versions of Retro, because I don't know why it happens in the first place. It probably won't be necessary, though; the next version should have full blown obs mode, and these obs levels are just a stopgap until then.
In the mean time, I think you can probably use the reactor cubes you do have more efficiently.
- I see you have the cubes stacked in a 3-layer deck. If you could make that 1-layer everywhere but vertical transitions, that would save you a lot of cubes that need to be covered! If you look at my obs levels, there are a lot of areas where the cubes (from a side view) do what I've pictured here. You really want to keep things a single layer as much as possible, to save on both reactor cubes, and the effort the system takes rendering the level for the observers.
- I see you mostly put reactor cubes above walls, so they don't interfere with spawning in the lower level -- good! Sometimes you can't help it, though, especially with as many open spaces as Black Rose has. If you have to sometimes put a reactor cube adjacent to the lower level to cover a bunch of the upper level . . . well, it's better than not having an obs level! I had to make this compromise a few times in Take2.
- If you can't cover the entire upper space with spawn interdiction, that's okay, too. If you leave the uncovered spaces as far away from the entrance as possible (ideally 15-20 cubes), they are less likely to be hit.
- A few missiles will probably spawn up there no matter what you do. If the algorithm can't find a good place to spawn a missile, it panics and picks a RANDOM cube. What I've done is include a "missile return" somewhere in the upper space: a long tunnel you can shoot missiles down (so they're guaranteed not to lock onto players below), somewhere near the entrance to the area (to increase the odds of the missile spawning below, rather than above.) Observers have to return missiles sometimes, though it's best to keep this to a minimum!
On the whole, it's awesome that you did black rose! That's been needed! I bet you can get it functional with another revision. Impressive work so far, though! Making obs levels is very technically demanding, as level-building endeavors go!
I don't know how technically feasible it would be to raise that limit in future versions of Retro, because I don't know why it happens in the first place. It probably won't be necessary, though; the next version should have full blown obs mode, and these obs levels are just a stopgap until then.
In the mean time, I think you can probably use the reactor cubes you do have more efficiently.
- I see you have the cubes stacked in a 3-layer deck. If you could make that 1-layer everywhere but vertical transitions, that would save you a lot of cubes that need to be covered! If you look at my obs levels, there are a lot of areas where the cubes (from a side view) do what I've pictured here. You really want to keep things a single layer as much as possible, to save on both reactor cubes, and the effort the system takes rendering the level for the observers.
- I see you mostly put reactor cubes above walls, so they don't interfere with spawning in the lower level -- good! Sometimes you can't help it, though, especially with as many open spaces as Black Rose has. If you have to sometimes put a reactor cube adjacent to the lower level to cover a bunch of the upper level . . . well, it's better than not having an obs level! I had to make this compromise a few times in Take2.
- If you can't cover the entire upper space with spawn interdiction, that's okay, too. If you leave the uncovered spaces as far away from the entrance as possible (ideally 15-20 cubes), they are less likely to be hit.
- A few missiles will probably spawn up there no matter what you do. If the algorithm can't find a good place to spawn a missile, it panics and picks a RANDOM cube. What I've done is include a "missile return" somewhere in the upper space: a long tunnel you can shoot missiles down (so they're guaranteed not to lock onto players below), somewhere near the entrance to the area (to increase the odds of the missile spawning below, rather than above.) Observers have to return missiles sometimes, though it's best to keep this to a minimum!
On the whole, it's awesome that you did black rose! That's been needed! I bet you can get it functional with another revision. Impressive work so far, though! Making obs levels is very technically demanding, as level-building endeavors go!