SMB2 Map: World 1

[Linnie]

I wanted to learn how to create textures, so a couple weeks ago I made an SMB2 World 1 texture set. After I did such, I decided I might as well make a map out of it.

Screenshots:

(click to show/hide)

Link to the current draft (v1b):

http://www.sendspace.com/file/uk9w03


If there's an interest, I may make maps based off World 2 and beyond. I'd appreciate whatever feedback anyone feels to give me on this map.

[FTX6004]

Well i gotta try this.

And theres one thing i want you to fix i just the door/teleporter is making you fall down.

[Caprice]

I never knew how much I wanted this until I saw it. Pretty wonderful job you did here!

[xColdxFusionx]

...You, sir, get a slow clap and a nostalgic tear.
Downloading

[Ceridran]

Sue me, but I never played Super Mario Brothers 2.

This is looking good, though.

[Russel]

I played through the map.
I like it, it's simple and understated.
I do have a suggestion for the doors, though.
Instead of using teleport, there is a linedef action that you could use called Line Teleport or sometihng similar (215) that can be used to teleport directly between two linedefs. I do like that you were suppressing telefrags in your current build, though.

[Kapus]

I can't believe this is only your second map attempt.

[ZeStopper]

It's so dang bright and cheery! I like it!

[Kapus]

Okay, so..a couple of suggestions.

(click to show/hide)

These vines look kinda weird the way they stretch into the sky like that. I suggest making them only appear on the wall.

Aside from that, I think it would be cool if you could get on top of the high ledge where the shy guys are walking around. It'd help expand the map a little bit. Maybe make the underground portion lead up there as well. That would be nice.


Also, I was planning to make a map based on this game for the Lakapack. Once again, you beat me to something I was too slow to do.

[Linnie]

Heh, sorry Kapus. I swear I am not doing it on purpose. Can you tell me what your next goal is so I won't accidentally do it?

I'll get to working on fixing those errors. I had originally had the teleporters on the ground, but I changed it to falling from a height because of that telefragging scenario. I'll try Line Teleport and see if that works better.


Now, what should I do with the Shy Guys if I were to make that top area accessible? Should I have them damage players like the vehicles in Turbo Man's stage, or should they just be solid and able to be walked on?


As to the vines, I was already told by someone that they looked weird, but I kept them as is anyway because I personally liked it. Since there's more than one opinion that they should be adjusted, I'll do such.



Thank you all for your feedback. It seems like there's an interest, so after I modify this map a little I think I'll get to starting a map for World 2. Maybe I'll end up having a map pack by the end of it.

[SmashTheEchidna]

Definitely let the Shy Guys be solid and rideable.

[leoalex50]

wow it looks great i would like to see more of it and the other levels as well maybe even smb3 maps as well

[Shade Guy]

Hey, good job on this! I'm again impressed with your work, what with this being your second map and all.

Since it looks like you're using this map as a visual experiment to practice using custom textures, decorate and such, I'll try and provide some tips on polish, both visually and in regards to the mapmaking in general. Note that I'm being excessively picky, so don't be disheartened because I've written up a wall of text, it doesn't mean there are heaps of major problems with your map or anything. Also note that since most of this is visual stuff, feel free to disagree with me on it; telling someone what looks good and what doesn't is much more opinionated than gameplay and map functionality.

-Part of the pit outside is not deadly, on the side near Crash Bomb.
-Make sure to tick the 'block monster' flag on the linedefs surrounding pits; this will ensure bots won't fall into pits. Bots aren't really self-aware, so without block monster linedefs they kill themselves willy-nilly.
-It looks like you've used the 'block everything' flag instead of the 'impassable' flag for the boundaries of your map, which means weapons like Crystal Eye will explode and divide into smaller pieces when they hit the boundary, instead of disappearing once they hit the line horizon. Visually, this looks odd as it doesn't look like the Crystal Eye projectile hit anything for it to split.
-Personally, I'm a fan of pit teleports, used in maps like MM5CRY and MM8AST. Perhaps those could be worked in somehow instead of line teleports?
-Instead of giving instakill pits sector special 115, consider using something like the following ACS script:

Code: [Select]

Script 1 OPEN
{
delay(1);
SectorDamage(1, 255, "Falling", "BeatCallCheck", DAMAGE_PLAYERS);
restart;
}This would mean the pits use the 'player fell too far' obituary instead of 'player died'. In this example, any sector tagged 1 would act as a death pit.
-On the note of pits, I feel like you shouldn't be able to fall down and die in this spot, since every other point around these platforms is safe to walk across:

(click to show/hide)

-In the above screenshot, it looks like the texture SMB2WFL2 shouldn't be used on the 16-unit long walls.
-Also, the use of 3D floors in this spot: personally, I feel using 3D floors solely for visual effect (instead of using them to enable floors over floors) is unnecessary. The same 'platforms over a pit' visual effect could be pulled off using an additional custom texture. For example, look at MM3SNA and how textures such as SNAKEY1 are used.
-You could try pushing back the line horizon and the 'back' of the waterfall (that is, the point where the waterfall is cut off so the line horizon works properly) on the side with the Pidget for two separate reasons:
First, the position of the line horizon cuts off part of the Pidget's carpet when viewed at a certain angle:

(click to show/hide)

Second, the back of the waterfall is visible while standing on some of the more higher up ledges:

(click to show/hide)

-The Pidget's animation looks a bit jagged to me; looking at the decorate, though, it looks somewhat intentional, so I dunno.
-Consider using a solid blue texture for the ceiling of your skybox; having clouds run across the ceiling of the skybox doesn't look that great.
-You could try giving the texture SMB2WFL1 a splash effect when you land on it, like other water floor textures. It would be a good way to learn how to define terrains.
-On the note of water, perhaps the outside pit could be changed into a pit of water, instead of solid blue? If so, the word 'falling' in the ACS script listed above would have to be replaced with 'drowning' so the pit uses the 'player can't swim' obituary.
-Your use of 'edge textures' along the floors outside looks good, but with the various SMB2HIL# textures, you may want to keep each texture at 32x32, if possible. Although not visible in gameplay, it would make the linedefs neater and whatnot. For example, look at MM1BOM and how textures such as BOMFLOO4, BOMFLOO5 and so on are used.
-Also consider including edge textures for sidedefs. For example, look at MM3SPA and how the textures SPAMET1X, SPAMET3X and SPAMET5X are used. Glancing at a gameplay video of SMB2 1-1, there are definitely tiles for the edges of what is used in your map as SMB2HIL1; doesn't look like there are any for SMB2WALL, though, so I guess the use of those textures is fine as is.
-On the note of including additional tiles for textures, you could also include the tops of the vine in the vine textures; I recall the vines were also animated in SMB2, too. Following what Kapus said about not having the vines extend into the sky, you could make the vine midtexture work similarly to how WIL2GATE is used in MM2DW1: an incredibly tall texture, but the vertical offsets are altered so the height of the texture can be changed accordingly.

Making a map for each world of SMB2 does sound like an interesting project, if you do choose to continue making SMB2 maps.

[Hallan Parva]

After seeing you made a map topic, I can only echo the sentiments of my fellow Cutopans.

It's so dang bright and cheery! I like it!

...You, sir, get a slow clap and a nostalgic tear.
Downloading

I can't believe this is only your second map attempt.

I'm honestly impressed without even playing the map at all, and I'll probably have time to dig into it tomorrow or Monday.

Keep up the good work!

[Linnie]

I did some work on it, and now have v1b of the map.

Changes:

(click to show/hide)

-- Made the upper area reachable to players; added weapons, health and energy, and two teleports to the upper area as well as platforms and ladders. (the Shy Guys aren't really rideable, unfortunately. You can jump on them and they're solid, but you don't move with them.)

-- Slightly expanded the underground area to include a teleport to the upper area.

-- Fixed the vines; they now only go up the walls. Added tops that extend slightly over the tops of the walls for visual effect.

-- Added a castle wall texture to the northern border and added edge textures to the walls of the hills.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/uk9w03


I'm considering submitting this map to CSCM, after Kapus asked me/suggested it to me. Does anyone have a positive or negative opinion on that act? Also where do I find the CSCM page? I've looked everywhere but can't find it.