CylinderKnot's Pack 8 Contenders Commentary

Inspired by Doomblah's post, I decided to write my own post explaining my Pack 8 stances. It would give me an opportunity to really sit down and play all the levels while increasing activity on the forums. Right now, there are 112 levels on the sheet, so I will divide this into four parts and take care of the first 28 levels in this post.

I will be rating levels based on the following criteria:
1. Do I enjoy playing the level?
2. Do I think the level is good for the leaderboards?
3. Are there any noticeable issues?

I will not be rating my own levels.

1. A by A-Game
Enjoyment: I hate the fan. Upside-down trapdoors were unpredictable.
Leaderboards: Nah.
Noticeable issues: Impossible to go OOB, forcing players to restart manually (also the fan)

Verdict: -1

2. A Concise Course by Jkk39
Enjoyment: It's meh. I like the aesthetic, but in practice, it's a bit cramped.
Leaderboards: I think it's good to put a level like this on the leaderboards. It's not my kind of level, but other people seem to really enjoy it.
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +0

3. Angelic Flight by Connie
Enjoyment: Fun level! While I am biased toward longer levels, I have no problems with short levels like this.
Leaderboards: I wouldn't have a problem.
Noticeable issues: Not really, just a minor nitpick - lots of help triggers, but those may have been more suitable in the context of Platinum Coniferum

Verdict: +1

4. Azure Artifact by Ignas
Enjoyment: For such a short level, I enjoyed figuring out a proper path to get faster times.
Leaderboards: It would serve nicely as a short level to include.
Noticeable issues: Players can go out of bounds really easily by going too high, but in practice, this isn't too much of a problem. Why do you have to spoil the AT in the description

Verdict: +1

5. Basin Hill by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING

6. Beneath the Waterfall by NaCl586
Enjoyment: Navigation is needlessly difficult at times. I got the impression that powerups like Super Speeds and Super Jumps were missing. As the sheet mentions, it would work best as a quota level, but neither quota nor 100% would be fun in its current state. I even felt confused at some points.
Leaderboards: Pathfinding levels are nice to have on the leaderboards, but one with better execution would be preferred.
Noticeable issues: Occasionally confusing and awkward, felt like a lack of powerups

Verdict: -1

7. Big Blue: Drift Highway by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING
I do have to say that I would gladly rerelease this level with smoother curves and proper lap counting.

8. Blasted's Skill Course 3 by Blasted
Enjoyment: It's quite fun and has some pathfinding. Teleporters make it less dependent on moving platform cycles, but the ending is cycle-based.
Leaderboards: Wouldn't be a bad fit
Noticeable issues: It's too dark.

Verdict: +0

9. Blood Gulch by Endy
Enjoyment: I would probably enjoy it more if I got a better feel for the level (you can call this a skill issue), but learning the level was frustrating. Some challenges felt like trial and error, and I had to cheese one of the challenges by jumping on the edge of a sloped platform. Navigation is confusing to learn at first, which isn't helped by the final checkpoint indicating one way when you should go the other way for a gem.
Leaderboards: Despite my lack of enjoyment, it feels like a level that could work as a leaderboard level.
Noticeable issues: Confusing to navigate, trial-and-error learning curve; I can't be the only one who missed the tenth gem at first because I went the wrong way.

Verdict: -1

10. Caminho Simples by Connie
Enjoyment: I found the level fun to play, but I needed some trial and error at parts. I thought I was supposed to go straight from the fan to the finish, so I was surprised when I saw a fence blocking the way. I slid under, however.
Leaderboards: Sure, why not? It would be even better for the leaderboards with a couple improvements.
Noticeable issues: Not enough wiggle room in some challenges (such as the Super Speed)

Verdict: +0

11. Carbon by QwertyQwertz
Enjoyment: I thoroughly did not enjoy trial-and-error gameplay that occasionally put me at earlier parts of the level. I get the impression that it's not tested very well.
Leaderboards: Too clunky in my opinion
Noticeable issuess: What to do next is often not obvious despite the start help text saying that the path is obvious. Learning the level requires a lot of trial and error.

Verdict: -1

12. Cavern of Cannons by Nockess
Enjoyment: IT'S SO FUN! I have a soft spot for levels that enable me to go really quickly.
Leaderboards: Add it already!
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

13. CGL 2: The Ascension by various people
Enjoyment: It's nostalgic, but it's hard to enjoy this level when I can skip most of it.
Leaderboards: Nah.
Noticeable issues: Too skippable

Verdict: -1

14. CGL 8: Master of Friction by various people
Enjoyment: I don't even need to get past the second section before concluding that this level is garbage. It's overly cramped and feels poorly tested.
Leaderboards: Heck no!
Noticeable issues: Everything

Verdict: -1

15. CGL 10: Building It Up by various people
Enjoyment: It started out quite fun, but I lost patience pretty quickly. Some areas are overly precise. It's also so laggy!
Leaderboards: Nah
Noticeable issues: Too long and laggy

Verdict: -1

16. CGL 11: Old School by various people
Because I contributed to this level, I will not be considering my part in the evaluation.

Enjoyment: I'd have more fun if checkpoints were placed more liberally.
Leaderboards: Nah
Noticeable issues: Way too flew checkpoints - I got stuck in a tube right as I approached the finish, so I had to redo the Hilbert curve again...

Verdict: -1

17. Challenging Collection by Lucilla
Enjoyment: I like the concept. It's confusing in places, but because of how the level is set up, that doesn't matter much unless you're going for 100%.
Leaderboards: I see how it could work for the leaderboards.
Noticeable issues: No bounds trigger (you have to manually restart/respawn if you fall out)

Verdict: +0

18. Clotilde's Dusky Galaxy by Ralph
Enjoyment: It's frustrating to learn. The level relies too heavily on lightning fast reading skills for help text. At many points, it's not clear whether a slope has gravity changes until you roll onto the slope. This manifested in a rather nasty way when I was going for the last gem in which I was provided no indication to stop after a high-speed section. I assumed that the slope served as a quarter-pipe because I needed high speed to reach the platform in the first place.
Leaderboards: It seems like a level that would fit the leaderboards if improved.
Noticeable issues: Too reliant on being told what to do, no clear indications of gravity on slopes

Verdict: -1

19. Cone Hopper by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING

20. Control Master by Buzzmusic
Enjoyment: I had no willpower to get through the first few parts of the level. I don't like levels that rely on help text. Help text should gently point you in the right direction or make you aware of something important, not provide an instruction manual. Besides, the gameplay was not fun.
Leaderboards: Maybe? I don't think so.
Noticeable issues: Too reliant on help text, too confusing, gameplay not fun

Verdict: -1

21. Cosmic Escape by Connie
Enjoyment: While rough around the edges, it's a pretty good level.
Leaderboards: Sure. I think it would work well.
Noticeable issues: Maybe too many hazards, but that's more of a minor thing anyway.

Verdict: +1

22. Deca Deca Lengthy Corridor by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING

23. Deeply Relaxed by Connie
Enjoyment: Not only is it fun to play, but it is also brilliant from a level design perspective. When I started playing, it felt like a standard skill course with a relaxing aesthetic. I saw pathfinding potential at the top, but when I looked down at previous parts of the level, I quickly realized that there was a lot more potential for fast paths. Deeply Relaxed is a mostly linear level on the first attempt and more of a pathfinding level after that.
Leaderboards: Heck yeah!
Noticeable issues: Minor nitpick - the Super Speed gap at the start is a bit tight, but that doesn't detract from the overall level quality.

Verdict: +1

24. Easy Peasy Street by Ralph
Enjoyment: I personally felt encouraged to go fast. Additionally, it felt like an MBG level.
Leaderboards: An excellent choice for a short level in my opinion, but others may find that it's not noteworthy enough for a leaderboards spot
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

25. Efficient Ascent by QwertyQwertz
Enjoyment: Short and quite fun - would gladly keep speedrunning it.
Leaderboards: Great fit for a short level
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

26. Elevation Entwinement by Nockess
Enjoyment: It felt like playing MBG as a child all over again. Minus the wall-hit, this played like a level taken straight from MBG.
Leaderboards: It would be an excellent fit for the leaderboards.
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

27. Endy's Skill Course by Endy
Enjoyment: This level had a nice length but also felt quick and snappy. Challenges were unique, and I appreciated the overlapping level parts. Some challenges felt like a small puzzle that was rewarding when solved.
Leaderboards: I think it fits well.
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

28. Equality by Lee
Enjoyment: I remember the 10x10 challenge. This level feels like a MUCH easier version of Cherry MX Sundae, which was also done for the 10x10 challenge. It doesn't seem to have much going for it or against it.
Leaderboards: Not noteworthy enough to say yes, not offensive enough to say no
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +0

That is all for part 1. Part two will cover levels 29-56 on the spreadsheet. Stay tuned for more!

Part 2: The list was shortened to 103 levels, so this post will go to only 51 levels. Additionally, some levels from my first post were removed from the list while I was typing this, so I had to renumber things here a bit.

25. Fan-tastic Speed Course by Connie
Enjoyment: The hardest challenges happened first, which meant that I needed to repeat less every time I failed. I'm personally not a fan of fans, so that diminishes my enjoyment a bit.
Leaderboards: I think it would be a good leaderboards level despite this.
Noticeable issues: Landings are sometimes not evident.

Verdict: +0

26. Frame by Endy
Enjoyment: I like the mixture between "MBP skill course" and "construction level." Speeding through is quite fun, and all of my initial gripes can be explained as a skill issue.
Leaderboards: Sure, why not?
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

27. Frost Ravine by Nockess
Enjoyment: Going through this level felt like an adventure. I sometimes had to figure things out, which is something to be expected of an adventure-feeling level.
Leaderboards: Certainly
Noticeable issues: None (maybe performance issues on lower-end machines)

Verdict: +1

28. G1gabyt3 Ga1axy by SummerArmy
Enjoyment: Overall, it's quite clever. The color scheme actually enhances the gameplay by requiring players to be careful. Puzzles involving switches and doors felt satisfying, especially the first one because I completely missed a well-hidden button! My only complaint is the Qualifying Time, which does not really enhance the level.
Leaderboards: Perhaps
Noticeable issues: Qualifying Time

Verdict: +1 (would +0.5 if I could)

29. Grand Castle by Connie
Enjoyment: The level is overall "meh" when not considering the confusing layout and hazards that are very difficult to notice.
Leaderboards: I have a feeling that some might like it on the leaderboards, but I'm against it.
Noticeable issues: Too dark, too confusing

Verdict: -1

30. Grassp by Blasted
Enjoyment: For some reason, I thought there was a Qualifying Time. I suppose that makes sense because the level is clearly made for me to go fast. It's simple, fun, and colorful.
Leaderboards: Definitely
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

31. Gravity Tower by August
Enjoyment: I liked the gameplay, but it doesn't seem to have anything special going for it.
Leaderboards: Feels like a typical MBP Intermediate level, so I'm leaning toward no
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +0

32. Grey Stroll by Connie
Enjoyment: The level lends itself nicely to shortcuts, and executing those shortcuts properly feels amazing.
Leaderboards: Why not?
Noticeable issues: The challenge times are WAY too tight. Grey Stroll feels like a level in which hPerks set the challenge times for his skill level. The PT feels like a UT from MBP.

Verdict: +0

33. Ground Absolute Zero by Walgrey
Enjoyment: Not bad. I expected there to be nukes because the name seemed to reference Ground Zero.
Leaderboards: Neutral
Noticeable issues: None (but it wasn't on Marbleland for some reason)

Verdict: +0

34. Heavenly Garden by RandomityGuy
Enjoyment: Nothing is remarkable. It's middle of the road.
Leaderboards: Neutral
Noticeable issues: Too much time?

Verdict: +0

35. High Finance by SummerArmy
Enjoyment: I got bored of High Finance very quickly. It didn't help that the background scenery was disorienting.
Leaderboards: Nah
Noticeable issues: Boring, disorienting

Verdict: -1

36. Hit the Deck by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING

37. Hunter's Magnificence by Nockess
Enjoyment: The odd thing about this level is that I initially did not have much fun, but as I explored and found powerups, I started really enjoying it. As NF said on the spreadsheet, I would prefer this as a quota level.
Leaderboards: Great pathfinding level to include.
Noticeable issues: Lag

Verdict: +1

38. Intimate Insolitus by SummerArmy
Enjoyment: Half the level is a boring autoscroller with little danger in such sections.
Leaderboards: No
Noticeable issues: Too much waiting for platforms

Verdict: -1

39. Invasive by Endy
Enjoyment: There was a bit of a learning curve, and at some points, I wasn't exactly sure of where I needed to go. However, I figured things out rather quickly. Overall, the gameplay was great.
Leaderboards: Sure thing
Noticeable issues: Nothing really, just skill issues on my part

Verdict: +1

40. It's Invisible Now by CylinderKnot
NOT RATING
If I could rerelease this level, the final gyrocopter would be MBG-themed, and the TTs would be shorter.

41. Jessica's Blue Lava Haste by Ralph
Enjoyment: It's a high-speed level that you're not supposed to play like a high-speed level. The curved walls are very low, so jumping will likely lead to going out of bounds. An important detail when making high-speed levels is to make sure that exiting a curved wall angles the player inward if the next turn is in a different direction and/or the level loses its guardrails. Otherwise, the player will spin off the level. JBLH is also a catch level if you're fast enough.
Leaderboards: No
Noticeable issues: Catch level, lacks important design features for high-speed levels

Verdict: -1

42. Jester's Jumps by SummerArmy
Enjoyment: It's okay.
Leaderboards: I don't mind either way.
Noticeable issues: Too much help text

Verdict: +0

43. Levitation by Ralph
Enjoyment: It's definitely unique, but the level suffers from needing to read the help text as an instruction manual. Some challenges feel poorly tested.
Leaderboards: Probably not
Noticeable issues: Help text as an instruction manual, feels like a lack of testing

Verdict: -1

44. LFAS: IS by Pablo
Enjoyment: Fun level! I enjoyed finding the GT path and executing it. Getting the GT felt rewarding.
Leaderboards: Like other short levels on the leaderboards, it isn't about just going straight with slight deviations. I see some nice optimization potential.
Noticeable issues: None

Verdict: +1

45. Light Headed by EvilTaco
Enjoyment: I found this level mostly enjoyable. The ending really kills it, however. Not only do holes and platforms appear suddenly, but your access to the finish pad depends on a long rotating platform cycle.
Leaderboards: It's a bit too laggy for the leaderboards in my opinion. The background decoration is distracting.
Noticeable issues: Lag and the ending

Verdict: -1

46. Lil' Purp by Endy
Enjoyment: It's a nice technique level. Speedrunning is fun after getting past the learning curve. I had to pause a lot to read help text. Unfortunately, there is a softlock.
Leaderboards: I'll +0 it if the softlock is removed. (Hit the gravity modifier right after a checkpoint and respawn.)
Noticeable issues: Lots of pausing to read help text, softlock exists

Verdict: -1

47. Maneuver by BPXRockU
Enjoyment: It feels very poorly tested. Due to a lack of level knowledge, I kept going out of bounds, so I found myself restarting a lot. Trial-and-error learning is not fun.
Leaderboards: Nah. I disliked this level so much that I decided to move on before finishing. I don't want other people to be subjected to this.
Noticeable issues: Poor testing, trial-and-error gameplay

Verdict: -1

48. Marble Marquess by Nockess
Enjoyment: Figuring out each challenge felt rewarding, but that was outweighed by the fact that failing a challenge could require over 30 seconds of retracing my steps. Most egregiously, there were a few unindicated speed-based sections *right* before a checkpoint, which I would inevitably fail because I was trying to learn the level. I lost several minutes partially because of these.
Leaderboards: Maybe if the kinks are ironed out
Noticeable issues: Steep trial-and-error learning curve mixed with very few checkpoints

Verdict: -1

49. Marble Mini Golf: Smorgasbord by ChezzNF
Enjoyment: It's beautiful, but the fact that playing the level involves reading a novel of help text gets on my nerves. Once I got over this, speedrunning became fun.
Leaderboards: Maybe
Noticeable issues: Too much help text, and when the help text isn't offered, the level is confusing

Verdict: +0 (would do -0.5 if possible)

50. MBG: Under Construction by Connie
Enjoyment: I like the concept, but the level feels poorly tested. I couldn't be bothered to get past the halfway point because I kept falling OOB for stupid reasons.
Leaderboards: Nah
Noticeable issues: Poor testing

Verdict: -1

51. Meandering Cove by Technostar
Enjoyment: Clunky but beautiful and plays well once I learned the level. That being said, the learning curve is quite harsh and requires a lot of trial and error. Technostar did address the confusion in the comments on the spreadsheet, saying that she will add and adjust the help triggers if this level is to be added.
Leaderboards: I think a level like this would work well for the leaderboards.
Noticeable issues: Learning where to go next and how to get there often requires restarting from a checkpoint multiple times

Verdict: +0

Halfway there! In part 3, I will cover levels 52-76 or something like that.