PlatinumQuest Demo - Feedback topic

With the Demo released, it's time for you to tell us your thought about the game. You can give us feedback however you'd like, but if you can answer the following form (in as much detail as you can), it will greatly help us!
Please note that while suggestions are welcome, it is up to our discretion on whether to implement those.


1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels, Haphazard, Feeling Frictional, Sky High Circuit, Into the Deep, Having a Blast, Verticality, Chilled, Triple Action, Terrace Tundra, Work in Progress, Vibrancy Grounds, Scouring the Framework, Physical Activity, Polymorphism

it lags my computer so hard. I don't know why it does? also when I tried to change the controls some of the controls key binding won't work. over all it is still good.

1. The PlatinumQuest demo satisfies my anticipation and it has not crashed once and runs beautifully on my computer.
2. I absolutely love the outdoors feel of the game. The flowers and trees are superb and I like how I can roll on the trees. The water is wonderful as well, although it would be nice to have a splash when the marble enters the water.
3. Expert levels seemed a bit easy to me, the Platinum Times were quite easy to beat. The rest of the levels were appropriately placed.
4. The Par, Platinum, and Ultimate times or scores are well set and not too much of a challenge to meet.
5. I enjoy the challenge of moving gems and hazards; it is harder to get a better score. The water in multiplayer is also a very nice touch.
6. Cannons are wonderful, they add a great gameplay element. The Bubble Powerup is certainly creative but I think it is somewhat gratuitous. Quota mode is an interesting idea but what do you gain by getting five out of four gems instead of four out of four? Haste and Consistency modes are really good but only if they will be used in multiple levels.
7. Some levels were very replayable but others, like Scouring the Framework, were a relief to have done.
8. I like the new user interface. It will take some getting used to but I particularly like how it is transparent. The level end screen is a bit confusing and I think that if one gets the Platinum or Ultimate Time their score should be silver or gold on the end level screen and not green, so that they could more easily tell just by looking at their time how they did.
9. This demo was very good, although I hoped to see it built into the launcher with the new level select built in to the leaderboards. However, this is the only drawback.
10. I like how when you press Play it automatically goes to the last level that you played even if you are just opening the game. I also like how time penalties have red rings around them. I would like a feature that shows how much time a time travel has left like in MBPU but it's fine without it as well. I really enjoy the Ultimate Time hints and I like how the Easter Eggs are now called Nest Eggs. It adds to the outside feel of it. The new gems are immensely satisfying. Circular bumpers are neat because now it will be easier to do bumper hits, thanks for that. I enjoy the elegant combination of single player and multiplayer and love the large variety and amount of scenery to explore. The race mode will be extremely fun, especially if there are more race levels in the future. Overall this demo is excellent and will occupy me for a long time.

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far?
I find the levels for demo really nice. I have no issues with it so far.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?
I really like the designs of the gameplay and scenery implemented for the levels.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?
I think these levels are fairly difficult; all levels, except for Physical Activity, match the difficulty category they were set in.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).
The difficulty presented here is what I am looking for.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).
Same functionality here except for the 'blast' feature. Since I'm used to these kind of levels in Ultra/Custom levels, I tend to press the 'blast' key.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.
The Cannons take some time to get used to (I finished Having a Blast in about 3:00.000 on first attempt). I have no problems with Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, and Consistency. However, landing on the finish pad in haste mode is somewhat troublesome for me.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?
I think you guys met this goal presented here.

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?
One downside of this interface is that it takes some time to load the level previews, even after starting up the game.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?
I was hoping for a Level Editor and Replay Demos.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
One dislike on Chilled is that I cannot simply finish the level by falling/landing on the finish pad; I have to go down the slope. I understand that it gives me more speed.

Well i had lots of fun playing through the demo. Here are my thoughts and the answers to your questions.

1) I had fun, there are remnants of MBG in there. Nothing feels out of place, a tone is set for each level which is cool. Can’t wait for more levels.

2) Scenery is fantastic, especially in the hunt levels. I honestly didn’t expect it to look as good as it did, a perfect transition between the grass and the platform. Gameplay is also good. My only issue is sometimes, namely the level Polymorphism, the platforms move to fast, and to understand what to do, you have to pause the level to read the help triggers because the appear so frequently. When jumping in cannons, the same thing happens, the level doesn’t flow as much the first time through because you don’t know what to do, but hey, its a minor complaint.

3) Difficulty sorting was good, far better than how it was handled in MBP. A good improvement there. Expert felt a little too easy. I like having to overcome a challenge through several attempts. I know there were only 2 levels in the demo, hopefully they’ll be some more challenging ones in the full release.

4) The PTs and UTs are adjusted well for the casual player. I got close to PT several times on my first or second play through. UTs are pretty easy on the normal levels.

5) They are small and pretty. They can be a lot of fun to play just to chill. Not much thinking is involved, just go collect gems. The music sets a great tone here, which is fantastic by the way. Used nicely as well. The normal levels are more upbeat and the hunt levels are more peaceful. I love it.

6) Cannons: Great, aiming is a little weird, I thought they’d pack a little more punch, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
Bubble Powerup: I like this, it interested me to see how its used in other levels and it was fun to swim underwater .
Quota Mode: I don’t really see the point of getting 100%. If I can skip a gem, why wouldn’t I? This mode seems kinda like theres no point, and didn’t feel any different from the Normal mode.
Haste/Consistency Modes: Its fun to go fast, looking forward to more tracks.

7) I definitely had fun. It was enjoyable to play most levels for a second time. They are easy to get into. It will be easier to determine this as time goes on. Although it was your secondary goal, I think you pulled off originality and creativity off extremely well.

Main Menu is fine but Level Select is ehhh. It looks cool, but its not very practical. I just want to get into the level and play it. Its fine if the level picture takes up the entire screen but I don’t want to wait for the camera fly to start to actually play the level. I suppose its loading the level there, but it felt annoying to me. I also like the arrows and play button being closer, but thats just a preference. I think it needs to be tweaked in some way.

9) Yeah, it left me wanting more levels and excited for the rest of the game.

10) In Scouring the Framework, aiming the cannons can get a little frustrating. particularly the second one you have to actually aim. Polymorphism I felt like the platforms were moving too quick for the help triggers. I had to pause the game to read them so I could focus on what it was telling me. I liked all the hunt levels. Work in Progress might be my favorite level in the demo. Chilled is a really fun level too.

Extra Comments: Basically really fun. It left me wanting more levels to play, which I assume was your intention. I’m really excited for the release. Good job Platinum team. I also want to say I typed this before seeing the two posts above, and we seem to agree on a lot.
Bug: Sometimes when I was switching between levels in the level select frequently, and then playing one, it would switch me to a different level before the Ready, Set, Go sequence was finished.
EDIT: This is actually happening quite frequently, sometimes the level will just change. It's pretty annoying.

Jkk39 wrote: 3) Difficulty sorting was good, far better than how it was handled in MBP. A good improvement there. Expert felt a little too easy. I like having to overcome a challenge through several attempts. I know there were only 2 levels in the demo, hopefully they’ll be some more challenging ones in the full release.

Yes, there will be harder levels in the final release. If we put our hardest levels in the demo, then you'd be spoiled before the game is even done.

Also, thanks for all of the feedback so far everyone!

Nathan125 wrote: it lags my computer so hard. I don't know why it does? also when I tried to change the controls some of the controls key binding won't work. over all it is still good.

It's normal, first time you load a level it's normal for it to lag.

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

Didn't disappoint.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

It's obvious that you guys focused a lot on the gameplay for the levels so far, and I think you guys did a fantastic job! I love all the new powerups (my favorites are the cannon and the bubbles) and as far as the level design goes, it's very close to perfection. A few levels are more complex than others, but overall the design is very well executed!

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

Pretty good in my opinion. The only thing I find a little weird is how you still are getting used to a few of the features in the Expert category of the mod (most notably Physical Activity). Other than that I think that the difficulty is very consistent. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant when I heard Threefolder say "Most of the levels don't go over 2:00 in length/gameplay" but honestly the gameplay and difficulty makes all the levels that much more enjoyable.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

I think this definitely is easier than MBP. The only main Ultimate times I had trouble with were on Scouring the Framework and Sky High Circuit (unless there is a different path to get them, most likely.) I think the platinums and par's are all good.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

I think they are very well made! The different frictions/features are used very well and it looks very nice. The "platinum" gems (if not, the 10-point gems) might become a bit annoying when playing versus, but I like that they give an extra challenge and more competition when playing versus. I also like that the time limit was toned down a bit to around two minutes, so that it doesnt get boring after a while. Overall I think they work great.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

Cannons and Bubble I already mentioned, but I absolutely love them. I can see some very interesting custom levels coming out with all of these new features. If you are using Cannons in custom levels (if it's possible) will you be able to set the power and length, as well as whichever type of cannon you want? Quota mode is an interesting idea, I can see it used in neat ways for future PQ levels, however for levels like Triple Action that you can skip an entire part of the level the quota mode feels a bit pointless. Nonetheless, it's a very nice feature that I think could be used well.

The Haste mode is probably one of my favorite features in the mod so far. It's a very smart concept, especially as shown in levels like Chilled, where you have to use strategy to determine where you can build up speed and get the required speed to qualify. Consistency is also a neat feature, I can also see this used very nicely in future PQ levels (perhaps if you mix different obstacles in and add consistency mode). With a map as simple as Sky High Circuit however, I haven't really been able to see everything Consistency mode has to offer, but I'm really excited to see what all these new modes have to offer in the full version.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

And I'm glad you did that, because Gameplay > Design in my opinion. As I already said the replayability is a very strong point in this demo, so yes, I think you accomplished this goal very well. The creativity/originality is also very nice though, just like everything so far!

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

It's definitely great to see a new take on the old menu screen, I love the layout and how everything is placed on the screen, the camera viewings look fantastic in the background. Great job!

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

It did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded what I thought would be possible from such a small team like this. I thought platinum was a great mod when it first came out in 2007, and this has completely blown me away once again. Big props to all of you for sticking to a mod for so long, I'm really excited to see the full project released next year.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels, Haphazard, Feeling Frictional, Sky High Circuit, Into the Deep, Having a Blast, Verticality, Chilled, Triple Action, Terrace Tundra, Work in Progress, Vibrancy Grounds, Scouring the Framework, Physical Activity, Polymorphism

Training Wheels: A nice little level to start off the tutorial levels. Although there are a couple massive skips in the level (one with the superspeed and one with the superjump) that's not what the level is about. Although I usually don't like tutorial levels in mods that we all know how to play, I like that you got all the basics into one level.

Haphazard: Same as Training Wheels. This one gets a bit more advanced, and I like that there are seperate paths to take, usually one is more difficult than the other.

Feeling Frictional: Another nice, little tutorial level. I do feel it's a bit early in the mod to showcase the negative time travels, but I like the tiny bit of challenge in the level. The gameplay is very nice, and I like the fact that it gives you room to experiment a bit with the different frictions.

Sky High Circuit: So obviously this is a racing level, and also is the first level to feature consistency mode. I love the use of decoration and nature throughout the level, athough the level itself is very basic it's very fun to see what the fastest time you can get is.

Into the Deep: This is one of my favorites. The marble physics underwater can be a bit annoying at times, but I love the bubble feature and the gameplay is fantastic. This is another very replayable level to try out.

Having a Blast: I like the new cannon feature, and the fact that there are multiple different types of cannons to try out. I have to admit adjusting to the different ranges of the cannons took a little while, but after I got the hang of it the level was very fun to play.

Verticality: It looks like this level features both the disappearing blocks and the cannons. They both are used very well in this level, it's very fun to play. The time travel placements are nice and not annoying. Overall this is another one I really like.

Chilled: I already gave my big opinion on this level, but I love the new haste mode, and the gameplay itself is nice. The level structure is very nice aswell!

Triple Action: The one big issue I have with the level is in the loop at the end. There is a bug that if you jump from the outside of the loop and land on the interior, you will fall through and go OOB. And if you jump in an area where the gravity changes, the gravity of your marble will often go wonky and it will take a few seconds to adjust. Besides that the gameplay is very fluent, and although the design is simplistic it's very well made and executed.

Terrance Tundra: This is probably one of my favorite levels design-wise. It reminds me a bit of Zenith from MBP with it's style and stucture. I love all the little details like the fences, plants, buckets etc. I like that there are time travels inputted in the level to add challenge in getting them to increase your time and score.

Work in Progress: This is another one of my favorites so far. Threefolder is so good at both level design and creating unique and enjoyable gameplay. I love that the platforms move every time you move to a certain point in the level. It's perfect difficulty and length for an advanced level as well.

Vibrancy Grounds: To be honest, I couldn't even recognize this was made by Matan when I first played it . It's detail is fantastic, difficulty is perfect and has great design. All the little details work great, and I found it very fun to play.

Scouring the Framework: I love the structure of this level once again. The one thing I dislike about this level is the "zero gravity" section at the end, because I found it a bit confusing as for how you launch in order to make it through the two holes. Besides this, I love the use of cannons and marble spin challenges throughout the level.

Physical Activity: Although I found this a very fun and interesting level to play, I feel it's a bit easy for the Expert difficulty. I know this isn't supposed to be as challenging or hard as MBP, but I found it a bit weird that you are still getting new features handed to you as you enter the Expert levels. I may be wrong on this if there are other levels that introduce these things. Besides this, I loved the gameplay and features in the level, as well as the creative design.

Polymorphism: This was definitely something I was not expecting in a demo! I found this fun to play. The big problem for me is the level layout. From my perspective when first playing the level, I didn't know what was going on in the level. The ending in particular was a big confusing for me. Despite this, loved the level and it was very enjoyable to play.

Overall, I loved this demo. Although there are a couple small issues, the new features and great graphics/levels overlap it to create a great experience for us.

I want to give you guys on my progress on PQ demo: I beat all the Platinum Times and 1 Ultimate Time! The last level I beat PT on is Scouring the Framework, which is probably the most frustrating level out of this demo!

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

Great in its current state, although 15 levels is a bit too small for a demo in my opinion.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

I feel like its amazing on its own merits. Its way different to MBP and thats what I like about it.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

I personally think the levels shown here are in their correct difficulty positions. Not much changing is needed in my book.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

I think the times are well-balanced. That is exactly what I was aiming for in Scalene, a level with an ultimate time easy enough for casual players.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

They do look explorative in my book as there are multiple ways you can go from one area to the next.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

Cannons are a really nice concept, although the aiming can be off at times. Bubble powerup is probably a very useful way to move out of the water. It has helped me in some instances. Quota mode is actually really cool. Not having to get all the gems is the best part. Haste/Consistency mode is like its trying to get me to go really fast. Shouldn't speed be a reward here?

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

For someone who thinks fun levels are a better priority than original levels, I think you've met that goal.

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

I think it is a lot more streamlined when compared to the old user interface.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

Yes, although I wished more levels were added. Fifteen feels to small, as I said.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels, Haphazard, Feeling Frictional, Sky High Circuit, Into the Deep, Having a Blast, Verticality, Chilled, Triple Action, Terrace Tundra, Work in Progress, Vibrancy Grounds, Scouring the Framework, Physical Activity, Polymorphism

Training Wheels: I liked this level's design and how it thoroughly explains the game's simple mechanics.

Sky High Circuit: My favorite level in the demo, mostly because you can speed through the race track and cut corners and the level is designed very well.

Physical Activity: I like how this level goes all out with the physics in this game and how it brings new ideas building on them.

Overall this demo is actually really good. I'm holding out hope that the Platinum Team makes this mod the mod of everyone's dream.

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.
Exactly what I would have expected, an excellent demo!

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?
The trees and plants give the game a really nice overall feel to the levels, and they don't impede gameplay which is nice. Apart from the scenery, the level design itself is very well done. I enjoyed most of the levels!

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?
Obviously the overall difficulty is easier than MBP, but I think that is a good thing. I have no issue with the level difficulty categories.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).
I also have no issue with the Par/Platinum/Ultimate times/scores. I only go for WRs anyways...

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).
These levels seemed to work well. I've never been the biggest fan of Hunt-based levels anyways so I can't comment too much here.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.
Cannons are probably my favorite new addition to this game. I like the new opportunities that are available for level abuse with them.
Bubble powerup is good, it seems almost necessary as an addition to work with water.
I have high hopes for Quota mode, it feels like there's quite a bit that could be done with this mode as far as pathfinding and level design. I like being able to pick which gems are the most efficient to skip.
Haste/Consistency both provide their own interesting level opportunities, which should be fun to play with in the near future!

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?
Yessir.

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?
Although I like the panning on the level select, it comes at the cost of not being able to quickly click through the levels. It would be nice if after you click on a level, and the level is loading, if you could then immediately click on another level and it would stop loading the previous level. Currently it doesn't look like you can click on anything else until the most recently clicked level has loaded.
Another comment I have on the overall design is on the fonts/buttons. The classic MBP fonts are used throughout, however now there is also an Impact-looking font for choosing the level difficulty, and additional font on the bottom of the level select. It would be nice one style could be picked and stuck with throughout. Personally I would stick with the font on the bottom bar of the level select, and make all other buttons have a similar feel. In the end I don't actually care that much about what the font looks like but that is just what I would have done if I were designing this same UI.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?
Definitely! I enjoyed playing through it and will hopefully record some paths soon...

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
One random thing I noticed is that when I press ctrl+space, I am sent to the next level. Then when I go to the level select and look at the little picture for the level, it has changed to a screenshot of the game from when I pressed ctrl+space. Not really sure what that's all about.
In Training Wheels, when you enter that section where the gravity changes as you go along the slope, for some reason if you go through that section backwards the gravity glitches towards the end of the curved ramp. I think it switches 90 degrees or something and it makes you fall back down the ramp a little.
Besides those minor bugs, one of the things I like about the levels are cannons! I like speedrunning with them.

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

Very enjoyable, left me wishing there were more levels.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

Scenery is amazing. Gameplay is good overall.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

Physical Activity is way too easy for Expert. Verticality and Scouring the Framework could be switched and I wouldn't notice.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

I thought the UTs were a bit too hard, Ultimate scores/PTs were fine.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

Terrace Tundra was too choppy, it was very difficult to get around without powerups. Vibrancy Grounds I thoroughly enjoyed solo, but it is small and kinda center-based, I would be afraid of it turning into a very campy level once in mp.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

Cannons are cool. The one thing I don't like about them is that it's sorta confusing about what kind of gravity you're about to enter i.e how much extra upwards space you need to give when aiming. Bubble Powerup was awesome, but I don't like that it HAS to be used when you use another powerup. Maybe have a special button for it? (B = bubble powerup). Quote mode is a very nice idea - I didn't see a Consistency Mode, but I ilke the idea behind the Haste mode. I think it could be a nice concept. However I couldn't find the par speed anywhere except on the meter itself, which you can't see at the beginning of the level.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

From my point of view the top focus was scenery & cleanliness of the level. Next was fun and replayable, then creativity.

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

As I said after matan's talk video, the level previews and everything are extremely cool, but the icons are very small.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

Yea definitely, I enjoyed playing it. Gameplay was overall good, the only thing I didn't like was a lot of the levels had very set paths and weren't open to much pathfinding.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels
Awesome starter level. I had a friend play it and it was just the right difficulty. (fell once on the jump near the start by bouncing off the next step and back into the hole).

Haphazard
Good hazard training level, not too hard.

Feeling Frictional
Pretty solid training level, annoying as a more experienced player though, due to the very set path and nitpicky jumps on the TMs.

Sky High Circuit
Fun level.

Into the Deep
The bubble powerup is a very cool concept and I think the water is executed very well.

Having a Blast
Great cannon level - however it is still rather linear, though less so than other levels.

Verticality
I like the disappearing platforms but the spaced-out sections which can only be accessed via cannons make the level entirely linear.

Chilled
The ice shards are even better in SP than MP

Triple Action
A bit annoying but a solid level.

Terrace Tundra
As I said before it's too chunky, tricky to move on.

Work in Progress
Linear but fun.

Vibrancy Grounds
Definitely fun solo. It might work in mp too.

Scouring the Framework
Simple but enjoyable.

Physical Activity
Strange level, I enjoyed most of it. The anvil powerup is cool. Still quite linear though.

Polymorphism
Great idea. I was a little confused for most of it though, and I think that it could be executed better to create an awesome level.

My entire review here has a lot of constructive criticism, I hope you won't come off it with the idea that I disliked the demo lol, it was very fun overall - the main issue I had was the general lack of multiple paths. Other than that PQ is looking great

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.
Awesome. One word is enough.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?
The only two things that could possibly be better are: 1) weather in certain levels, like in Fubar, and 2) if the curves on the tiles actually matched. I don't know if it's intentional but it really annoys me how they don't match at all.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?
Physical Activity and Polymorphism seem more like advanced levels, and Verticality more like intermediate. Apart from that, the difficulty is well adjusted.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).
Platinum and Ultimate times/scores are well balanced. No complaints here.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).
It's awesome to have Singleplayer hunt levels, but I'd like the radar UI to be customizable like in Platinum. I find the MBU radar (with triangular arrows) much more legible than the default PQ radar. Also, I think hunt levels should have the blast ability. And lastly, when I press R on Hunt levels, it restarts the level entirely. I think it should respawn me back on the level, as if I just fell OOB.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.
Cannons are awesome, but the white screen glitch has to be fixed. Bubble Powerup is certainly creative, but I don't think the infinite bubble fits very well. Also, the sound should be different from the Marble Recoil. Quota Mode is great, but there should be a reward for getting 100% instead of just the gem quota. Am I missing it? Haste Mode is great, but only if reused (so that Sky High Circuit isn't the only circuit level in the mod). I don't know about a Consistency mode (was it the qualifying speed? Honestly I don't think it's the best idea).

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?
You did meet the fun goal, but I honestly think you should go for creativity instead. It makes the levels much less monotonous like the official MBP levels.

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?
The level select screen UI is excellent, much better than the original, but I have no idea why the Main Menu uses a different font than the rest of the game. Also, I have a suggestion: maybe make the background in the main menu animated, like in the level selection?


9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?
Absolutely.


10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
It bugs me that the duct fans 'stick out' in Triple Action, not fully attached to the walls. Maybe remodel the duct fans entirely to make them look more like the Ultra ones, since you already remodeled most powerups and hazards? I mean, for example in Timely Ascent in MBU the duct fans aren't attached to anything and yet they look OK because of their model, but in 'Ultra in Platinum' they look ugly in Timely Ascent because of their MBG model. Also, two things in general: I hoped for a new trapdoor sound, the original Platinum one really annoys me. And I think the Shock Absorber 'pillow' texture sucks, but I can't come up with an alternative.
Last thing: Are there actually easter eggs in PQ? I hope there will be, because I really like finding them.

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

The best mod I've seen.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

You nailed the scenery. I think that there could be more decals and tree types though. Can't say about gameplay.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

I love the overall difficulty, but I think Work in Progress and Vibrancy grounds should switch places with Triple Action and Terrace Tundra...Maybe.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

The par times are good, the platinum times are too easy for me but I think it's good for the difficulty level you're going for, and I think the ultimate times are perfect for my skill level with the exception of the UTs on the gem hunt levels which are too difficult.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

A few spawns in Vibrancy Grounds seem to have gems lined up where someone can easily grab even 10 points with little effort. Speaking of 10 points, I don't think the platinum gem is a good gem hunt idea.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

Cannons are a fantastic addition, same with bubbles (I just hope there aren't too many infinite bubbles in the game) and everything else. Quota mode looks like it will be great for pathfinding challenges.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

hek ya

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

I would recommend changing the font for small text like the level description to something that looks better at that size. And I'm assuming you'll change this anyway, but the settings and pause menu could use an update from the MBP style as well for consistency's sake.
By the way, I think the main menu could look way cooler with an interior of the logo sitting in level scenery with the marble and a few other objects scattered around.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

I wanted to have the LE and .mis files to see how things worked (like the freaking GROUPS of moving objects - I hope the full version will have .mis files). But yes, other than that it's for sure what I was hoping for.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?

- Triple Action is kinda weird with the fans (by that I mean they're too powerful in this level). There's even one set I can only get past by jumping behind. I think most of them should be on pillars outside of the path so they blow you from farther away making them weaker.
- Scouring the Framework's wall hit that the cannon right after the first checkpoint shoots you to seems finicky.
- I was hoping for dts reflections (if they're possible) and more interior textures with shaders.

Other things I'm hoping for in the full version would be the level downloader in the main menu that HiGuy posted a video of a prototype on, and functionality that loads either the MBP or PQ dts files based on what MB game the level was made for (including customs if possible - this could probably be implemented for those by checking for a "usePQdts" field in MissionInfo).

It says that it failed to open main.cs. How do I fix the problem?

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.
THE BEST MOD EVER!! I Am Accutally Adicted To This Thing

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said above, PQ looks like it will be really fun

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

I think the new UI looks a lot better compared to MBP/MBG, but there's a few things I noticed:


- The green box = wasted space, imo should be rearranged to either use this space for more info (extra level desc, more top scores, etc) or to make the level select window smaller
- The blue line = the columns start in different rows
- The red lines = inconsistent internal margins, should all be the same (and imo a little larger than 10 pix)

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.

I really like this demo. I enjoyed playing it and I'm even thinking about recording some videos with it.


2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?

The design is really good: graffitis, trees, flowers, grass, rocks. The level builders did a good job with the brushes on the terrain and decorations (spinning fans, adding depth to the walls etc). The levels don't look blocky and they're nice to the eye.
The gameplay is fun (which is all that matters for it in my opinion).
Gameplay and design go very well together in PlatinumQuest.


3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?

At first I thought Work in Progress and Scouring the Framework should be in Expert. But after playing them (and the Expert ones) a bit more I'm not so sure anymore. Into the Deep would fit better in Tutorial if there's no level to teach us the "water basics" there yet. Having a Blast would also fit in Tutorial better if there's no Cannon Tutorial level there yet. Triple Action is a bit harder than what intermediate says to me and I think it should be in Advanced. Other than that they all seem to be in the right place.


4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP).

Because "PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP)" I'll say it's ok. If that wasn't the case, I think they could all be a few seconds lower... Especially the Ultimate Times... After all, they're supposed to be the hardest to get and I don't think you should be allowed to make mistakes in your Ultimate Time run..


5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).

They work well. I enjoyed playing them. I expected singleplayer Gem Hunt to be worse, but it turned out to be nice and fun.


6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.

• Cannons are amazing. It's really fun to shoot out of them and use them for getting better times.
• The Bubble Powerup (especially the infinite one) will be really useful for the underwater levels that will come.
• Quota Mode has potential for multiple/cool paths on levels but I wouldn't like seeing it used in too many levels.
• Haste Mode has some potential for interesting paths too... depending on the levels. I like it.
• Consistency Mode is interesting and I like it. suggestion for it down below
• The Anvil Powerup is interesting... I don't see other uses than the one we see in the demo but I'm ready to be surprised.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?

Fun.......................✔
Replayable.............✔


8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?

I like the new level select screenI want all suggestions in one place... I hope that doesn't annoy anyone... . What I don't understand is... How will that work online? Will we not see the chat at all while in the level select screen?


9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?

Yes 90%... I hoped to see a 2D level and the portals level we see in the second PQ Trailer.


10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels, Haphazard, Feeling Frictional, Sky High Circuit, Into the Deep, Having a Blast, Verticality, Chilled, Triple Action, Terrace Tundra, Work in Progress, Vibrancy Grounds, Scouring the Framework, Physical Activity, Polymorphism

1. Training Wheels - I like it. I suppose we'll learn diagonal movement, wall hits and everything else in other levels.
2. Haphazard - I like it. I didn't see any Oil Slicks so I suppose there are none in the whole game... Good thing in my opinion... They're not so good of a hazard. Are the Fade platforms not a hazard? They're very similar to Trapdoors.
3. Feeling Frictional - Pretty good. The asteroids in the space chamber are nice.
4. Sky High Circuit - I like it (I keep repeating that but it's true ). It's fun and I like the Laps Mode.
5. Into the Deeo - (I'll stop saying "I like it") I think it's a good way of teaching the "Water basics". Again, it would probably fit better in tutorial if there's no such level yet.
6. Having a Blast - Teaches cannons well. Probably better in Tutorial (once again) if there's no Cannon Tutorial level.
7. Verticality - Good level.
8. Chilled - Good level for introducing the Haste Mode. (You can get a 30 speed units in 7.XX seconds i.imgur.com/4irC1OU.png . The path used is the one I used in the video I'll upload. I think someone may want to change the level a bit. EDIT: Threfolder just did.)
9. Triple Action - I don't know why, but I just don't like this level . It's a tiny bit too hard for intermediate.
10. Terrace Tundra - Yay, singleplayer Gem Hunt. I enjoyed the level. I also like all the decoration.
11. Work in Progress - I really like all the small details here. When platforms move up the bumpers (and shock absorer) that are on them, move a little higher than the platform.
12. Vibrancy Grounds - Another fun Gem Hunt level. I like how it has more... "themes"... There's the water, the construction part, grassy and mud places. The decoration (trees, rocks etc) is really nice once again. The idea of using cannons is good and I hope to see more in the future.
13. Scouring the Framework - It could use some OOB triggers on those grey blocks at the bottom.
14. Physical Activity - I like the way it "plays' with Physics.
15. Polymorphism - I don't like it so much because it's a moving platform level. If you fall you go all the way to the start. You don't have enough time to read some of the text messages in the game and it's a bit confusing when each of the 9 platforms move on their own.

Other "things"

• Fade Platforms are very nice and definitely better than trapdoors. I don't understand which ones respawn (like in Verticality) and which don't (like in Scouring the Framework).
• The white screen cannon bug... I encountered it on the cannon after the wallhit in Scouring the Framework but it doesn't "fix" after quitting and reopening the game. I tried setting graphics to low and even deleting the game and unziping it again (I did copy the mbpPrefs.cs to keep my times). I tried the level again the second day and it's solved...
• In levels with the new "Gravity Triggers" (Training Wheels, Triple Action), if you go in the trigger to "climb the wall" and then some back the camera will "glitch at 90 degrees" for a fraction of a second then come back to normal.
• Rotating objects still don't have proper physics... From what I understand that's impossible Is it true?
• Sky High Circuit only says "Consistency". So... Are Consistency Mode and Laps Mode the same thing? Will there be no levels only with Consistency Mode?
• I like the new design of the Checkpoints, Start and Finish Pads. I think it's a nice touch that the Start and End Pads change their colors like the gems.
• I like the new design of the Powerups (The Shock Absorber is funny, a bit exagerated but come on... it's a marble game... I think it's ok.).
• I also encountered a bug where the cannon (in Scouring the Framework) became solid and I couldn't enter it

suggestions are welcome

yay

• In Consistency Mode, after you reach the required speed, you should go OOB instantly after going slower than the required speed.
• The level select should show the time you have on Gem Hunt levels and the required speed for Consistency and Haste Modes.
• A Jukebox button like in MBP would be nice.
• An option to for the Speedometer to enable it "in all levels" or "Consistency/Haste only".
• [strike]Achievements[/strike]Probably already in there.

There's a problem with thousandths in the new PQ level select screen (in the top times section) when long usernames like mine are used.

1. It’s fun! I especially like the gravity triggers, and the Quota and Laps modes. The Bubble and Anvil powerups are cool, too. PlatinumQuest is also the first video game with fun water levels, which is a great achievement xD All the new stuff is great, though some more marble skins would be nice.
2. I think I answered that in Question 1 xD As for the scenery, it’s good. 6/10. Though definitely better than Platinum’s towers
3.Training Wheels could maybe be divided into 2 or 3 levels. Terrace Tundra could be in Advanced, and Physical Activity should stay in Expert, but make it harder. Not too hard, though. Treat it like Helicopter Monster Course, Speed Attack, etc.. Polymorphism was hard, but it’s in Expert. So no complaints (At least factual ones) there
4.Polymorphism is the only thing to really address for Par Times, though, like I said, it’s in Expert. No factual complaints there. Platinum should be how fast it takes to go through the level normally, but with no errors at all. Maybe some diagonal movement and jump/rolling required here and there. Cannons should take 1 second or less to aim and fire. Do what you want with Ultimate
5.Perfect. Just one word… Well, now 4…. Well, now 7…
6.Well now 10
7.Terrace Tundra, Vibrancy Grounds, and Polymorphism aren’t really that replayable. Especially the latter. But what’s a game without challenge?
8.Gr8 m8. I r8 8/8. No h8
9.Yaaaaas
10.*Polymorphism intensifies* …. I also found Chilled a bit boring. Not saying it’s easy, just saying it’s boring.

Suggestions:
-Blast, Ultra Blast, and Mega Marble from MBU
-MBU-style powerup models, as well as the inventory.
-MBU SFX? At least the jump sound effect. Dunno if you can do the powerup SFX. Matan's fine anyway #JamBoos (No offense)
-Now… This suggestion is really picky, but… MBU style graphics…? I doubt it’ll happen, but it’d be cool if it was. Still, Undertale and Minecraft are GREAT games, and THEY have kinda sucky graphics. Same with MB Gold and Platinum. Not every game's gonna have absolutely perfect graphics
-And XP system like Fubar?
-More marble skins. MBG, MBU, MBP, and MBF marbles. As well as, obviously, some new ones. Like maybe the Firefox and Google Chrome logos.
-Friction powerup? Also, maybe one that upgrades your speed and/or jump height. Less effective than the Super Jump/Speed, but about the duration of a Super Bounce/Shock Absorber.

Comments:
-I keep having a bug where the music cuts out, and only plays in place of a sound effect, and only for a split second. Like, when you hit the ground hard, or select something in the menus. I even had it play the fan sound effect on the menu instead of the music.
-PQ HERe!

1) Overall, how do you find the PlatinumQuest demo so far? Try to sum it in a few words.
Insanely well done.

2) PlatinumQuest aims for some of the best level design seen yet in terms of gameplay and scenery. What's your opinion so far on these values?
PQ's gameplay is very well polished, and the scenery is only really topped by Fubar. However, it's still so much better than brown pillars.
In terms of specifics, I had a lot of fun with consistency mode and cannons in particular.

3) What do you think about the overall level difficulty presented in the demo, and whether the levels presented match the difficulty category they were set in?
Most of the beginner levels are more like tutorial levels (except Verticality) and the expert levels seem to show two different opinions on difficulty level. I have a hard time beating almost any expert level in MBP, but I was able to beat Physical Activity on my first try. On the other side, Polymorphism is incredibly difficult and requires you to memorize the platform's patterns to beat it. Personally, I think that expert levels should be more on the level of Polymorphism to give players who like more of a challenge that option. However, it would be best to find and stick to one difficulty for "expert" levels.

4) What is your opinion on the difficulty presented in the form of Par, Platinum and Ultimate times/scores? Take note PlatinumQuest aims for more casual-player (easier than MBP). With the exception of Polymorphism, Par times were a non-issue because the difficulty was more casual anyways. Platinum times were quite fun for me to try and achieve. I am not skilled enough at getting ultimate times, but they look quite reasonable.

5) How do Terrace Tundra and Vibrancy Grounds work for you as Hunt-based levels? Compare them if you can to the current Ultra and Custom hunt levels you have had experience with (I understand there is no versus mode here, yet).
The two hunt levels were very well-done. They were better than most previous Hunt levels, and the aesthetics were top-tier.

6) What's your opinion on the following: Cannons, Bubble Powerup, Quota Mode, Haste/Consistency modes.
Cannons: Insanely fun to use! I particularly like instant-fire cannons and how they were used in Scouring the Framework.
Bubble: Makes sense, but as a level creator, I would wish for a trigger of some sort that could remove an infinite bubble. That way, you could have the bubble set as infinite in one lake, but as you move to the next, you no longer have that ability.
Quota: We haven't really seen quota mode in its full action, as it seemed pointless to include in Triple Action. Another thing of note is that there is no incentive to collect 100% of gems in terms of speedrunning. As a way to make them more worthwhile to collect, maybe they could subtract time from the clock, or perhaps a special time (like UT or PT) could not be achieved unless you have 100%.
Haste/Consistency: I personally love going really fast in MB, so these modes are really appealing. I look forward to seeing Consistency mode used on higher difficulties as well.

7) PlatinumQuest aims for Fun and Replayable levels first, with Originality and Creativity second. Do you think we met this goal in the levels presented in the demo?
Almost all levels achieve all four points!

8 ) PlatinumQuest introduces a new concept for User Interface, part of which is seen in the Main Menu and Level Select screen. Can you give feedback/your opinion about it so far?
I like the aesthetic and the loading period doesn't bother me much.

9) Was the demo what you hoped to see?
It was almost everything, with the exception of 2D mode.

10) Can you give us any specific details you like/dislike about the levels?
Levels available: Training Wheels, Haphazard, Feeling Frictional, Sky High Circuit, Into the Deep, Having a Blast, Verticality, Chilled, Triple Action, Terrace Tundra, Work in Progress, Vibrancy Grounds, Scouring the Framework, Physical Activity, Polymorphism

Polymorphism: Difficulty was much higher than that of Physical Activity, and the text boxes didn't last long enough to read and remember.
Work in Progress: My favorite level of the demo. This level has a great appearance on top of a fun and replayable set of rather easy challenges.
Sky High Circuit: Very replayable level! I love trying to go as fast as possible through the course.

Other Suggestions:
More marbles!
Please make sure to have tutorials out on the forums about all new level design mechanics when PQ releases so we can make custom levels for it ASAP.

Guys, keep in mind this is a demo for a new version of MBP. Things like the jukebox and more marble skins aren't being removed.

TL;DR awesome positive feedback and this is very appreciated from everyone on the Platinum Team. It's been a continuous pleasure to read the reviews!


Loads of feedback to go through, so let's dive into it:

Nature_Freak wrote: Expert levels seemed a bit easy

Jkk39 wrote: Expert felt a little too easy.

When we mentioned PlatinumQuest is easier than Platinum's, we weren't kidding. Our internal stated goal was mid-expert of Platinum (Sand Storm-ish), with an allowance of several levels to go through as harder than that should they still meet our criteria.

Nature_Freak wrote: Platinum Times were quite easy to beat

Platinum Times should not be a problem for a fair amount of the community, but some of the less-advanced players we have should find those Platinum Times appropriate to their skills. We aimed the Platinum Time to be roughly the equivalent of MBGold's Gold Times.

Nature_Freak wrote: what do you gain by getting five out of four gems instead of four out of four?

Jkk39 wrote: Quota Mode: I don’t really see the point of getting 100%. If I can skip a gem, why wouldn’t I?

RadiantVibe wrote: it feels like there's quite a bit that could be done with this mode as far as pathfinding and level design

FK99 wrote: Quota Mode is great, but there should be a reward for getting 100% instead of just the gem quota. Am I missing it?

It should be noted that the text on the bottom left actually changes for getting all five gems. An indication for certain challenges to come
The level that actually introduces you to Quota Mode has far more gems and is very pathfinding based for those who want top times. /spoilers

Nature_Freak wrote: their score should be silver or gold on the end level screen and not green

This is indeed green for the time you achieve, but the top final time still is coloured appropriately. I have noted this for further discussion with the staff.

Nature_Freak wrote: I like how the Easter Eggs are now called Nest Eggs

PlatinumQuest's additional 'Egg' challenge is indeed the Nest Egg. However these are unique for PlatinumQuest and for Ultra/Platinum (in the full version) this will continue to be Easter Egg. This is something some people might get tripped over on.

eNetroQuest wrote: except for Physical Activity, match the difficulty category they were set in.

Frostfire wrote: Physical Activity is way too easy for Expert.

Compared to all the levels in PlatinumQuest, we worked hard to figure out which level belongs to which category and attempted to sort them by difficulty within that category. We took into account the level design, the skill requirements, and overall difficulty of the level among other tidbits.

This ended in a very interesting result where you'll find levels towards the end of one category and the beginning of the next one to be very close in difficulty and we had to make decisions which ones belong where.

eNetroQuest wrote: interface is that it takes some time to load the level previews, even after starting up the game

Jkk39 wrote: but I don’t want to wait for the camera fly to start to actually play the level.

This is a perfectly normal function. Currently the way all mods, Platinum included, work is this:
1) Select a level
2) When pressing play, go to loading UI
3) Load all game objects etc while in the loading UI and show a progress bar
4) Enter level, show all items, finish things up

PlatinumQuest removes the loading UI altogether by having the actual loading take place when selecting a level. This load is then indicated by the circle and is identical to the amount of time you'd spend in the loading UI had you done it that way.

The advantage we get from this is show the level preview while loading, and post-loading we can show the camera path, giving you insight about the level. The disadvantage is being unable to quickly go through levels.
Since both ways are the same, we chose our method for being advantageous and better looking, however we do have an option to load when pressing play and skip the camera paths, which is for slower computers as well as Multiplayer.

Jkk39 wrote: Bug: Sometimes when I was switching between levels in the level select frequently, and then playing one, it would switch me to a different level before the Ready, Set, Go sequence was finished.
EDIT: This is actually happening quite frequently, sometimes the level will just change. It's pretty annoying.

Can you make a video of this, please? (and send a console.log!) This is a bug we knew of and thought we actually fixed completely, so it would be good to see why it persists.

Xedron wrote: If you are using Cannons in custom levels (if it's possible) will you be able to set the power and length, as well as whichever type of cannon you want?

Absolutely! Cannons have Low, Medium and High powered states as seen in the demo as Green, Blue and Red respectively. We also have options for you to set the yaw/pitch the player can move the camera (while inside the cannon) at, which cannon type (charge, aim and instant), and lastly the amount of power the cannon has (from very little to like 9001). I will mention right now that any cannon that uses a non-standard power (Green/Blue/Red) uses a grey/white band instead.

Xedron wrote: There is a bug that if you jump from the outside of the loop and land on the interior, you will fall through and go OOB.

Can you make a video of this, and send in a console.log file? This will be very appreciated.

Xedron wrote: I found it a bit weird that you are still getting new features handed to you as you enter the Expert levels.

The funny fact is that the demo shows features all over the place, rather than show the actual progress. The Tutorial and Beginner levels show all the features and the next levels start using them.
As such, in the demo, you actually missed out on all the levels that teach you those game-modes, powerups and features.
The only exceptions are the three tutorial levels, Into the Deep and Having a Blast. Verticality actually doesn't teach you those disappearing platforms (a level before it does).

BlastedMarble wrote: 15 levels is a bit too small for a demo in my opinion.

It might seem small, but even 20 or 30 levels will be too little for some people. We wanted to show some great levels and hype things up as we're gearing through development, as well as receive feedback to implement. If we don't consider the Bonus category, then 15 levels is actually a fair bit that works for a demo.

BlastedMarble wrote: Cannons are a really nice concept, although the aiming can be off at times.

Gravity is a thing and you have to get used to it. We figured that when users get hit with the cannons it will be a bit to get used to (our beta testers had the exact same learning curve) but once you understand them, it's a lot easier. They are an integral gameplay element in PlatinumQuest, so better up your skills

RadiantVibe wrote: fonts/buttons

FK99 wrote: different font than the rest of the game

Weather wrote: I would recommend changing the font for small text

We had a World War within staff regarding that. You have no idea.
Torque is also extremely bad with fonts, so that some fonts that looked fantastic in concept were impossible to pull off because Torque goes "Screw You!!" and blows things up in your face and it looks so terrible it's stupid. This is especially true with anything that needs to be small.
We resorted to using static images for some fonts so things would look nice, but there is no "one font to win them all" as far as we learned from Torque.

RadiantVibe wrote: if you go through that section backwards the gravity glitches towards the end of the curved ramp.

El_Robert wrote: In levels with the new "Gravity Triggers" (Training Wheels, Triple Action), if you go in the trigger to "climb the wall" and then some back the camera will "glitch at 90 degrees" for a fraction of a second then come back to normal.

Torque is fun like that. Likely not possible to fix.

Frostfire wrote: I didn't see a Consistency Mode

Sky High Circuit introduces it. Get below speed of 15 on normal play

Frostfire wrote: However I couldn't find the par speed anywhere except on the meter itself, which you can't see at the beginning of the level.

Good point, and we'll see how it can be resolved, if at all.

FK99 wrote: I'd like the radar UI to be customizable like in Platinum.

It is, though. Press Tab button or whatever key you binded it to in the Options menu.

FK99 wrote: I think hunt levels should have the blast ability.

PlatinumQuest was designed, back then, without Blast. Adding it would actually have the opposite effect for these levels.

FK99 wrote: maybe make the background in the main menu animated, like in the level selection?

Extremely unlikely to happen as that's the actual level on the background.

FK99 wrote: remodel the duct fans entirely

We have not had new shapes for alomst 4 years now. When we got RDs we hoped to get new stuff but he played TF2 for 2 months straight instead so.......... whenever he feels like actually doing things.

FK99 wrote: Last thing: Are there actually easter eggs in PQ? I hope there will be, because I really like finding them.

Called Nest Eggs, and look harder! There are 4 in the demo.

Weather wrote: with the exception of the UTs on the gem hunt levels which are too difficult.

Terrace Tundra is reachable with some good spawns, and Vibrancy Grounds was actually based on Jeff.

Weather wrote: A few spawns in Vibrancy Grounds seem to have gems lined up where someone can easily grab even 10 points with little effort. Speaking of 10 points, I don't think the platinum gem is a good gem hunt idea.

*coughhorizoncough* and the Platinum Gem is actually there to stay. It's actually a rare gem to get, and in Multiplayer Versus we can easily decrease the chances of which a Platinum Gem spawns.

Weather wrote: settings and pause menu could use an update from the MBP style

things that are known todos

Weather wrote: I wanted to have the LE and .mis files to see how things worked (like the freaking GROUPS of moving objects - I hope the full version will have .mis

A bit of a let-down for you: the official PlatinumQuest levels will keep using mcs.dso, as they are now compiled scripts. Grouping of moving objects is done via parenting. Using Level Editor in the full version will produce .mis files as normal.

Weather wrote: Triple Action is kinda weird with the fans

I'll look into fixing this by lowering their force, but needs to find a proper balance.

Weather wrote: dts reflections (if they're possible)

Not possible, sorry.

Weather wrote: level downloader in the main menu

Should be there, no guarantees

Weather wrote: functionality that loads either the MBP or PQ dts files

Already does that depending whether you're playing PQ or not.

El_Robert wrote: would fit better in Tutorial if there's no level to teach us

Tutorial teaches you the basic gamemodes and some features that are the most prominent throughout the game.

El_Robert wrote: After all, they're supposed to be the hardest to get

Expert/Top players will receive their own dedicated challenge, which won't be revealed before release. I can count a few players in this community who might be up for it.

El_Robert wrote: Rotating objects still don't have proper physics

It hates us, still.

El_Robert wrote: I also encountered a bug where the cannon (in Scouring the Framework) became solid and I couldn't enter it

Can you reproduce it? If yes, please let us know which, and how to reproduce it. Video/Console.log will help.

El_Robert wrote: In Consistency Mode, after you reach the required speed, you should go OOB instantly after going slower than the required speed.

There's a grace period of which the level designer can decide on where you can go below the speed requirement before you OOB. Easier for beginners, and will piss you off a lot less as well.

El_Robert wrote: A Jukebox button like in MBP would be nice.

Will be there, was removed for the demo.

El_Robert wrote: An option to for the Speedometer to enable it "in all levels" or "Consistency/Haste only".

Only where the level designer enabled it. Not for all official levels.

El_Robert wrote: [strike]Achievements[/strike]Probably already in there.

In final

Yoshicraft224 wrote: some more marble skins would be nice

This is the demo, so needless to say we haven't shown everything. Fubar has its own marbles and won't be included in Platinum.

Yoshicraft224 wrote: Treat it like Helicopter Monster Course, Speed Attack

Community feedback over the last few years was very much against these sort of levels, so this won't happen.

Yoshicraft224 wrote: Terrace Tundra, Vibrancy Grounds, and Polymorphism aren’t really that replayable.

I'd like to hear how come you haven't found these levels replayable? For polymorphism, I sssume you found it too difficult? The other two would be nice to know as well.

Yoshicraft224 wrote: Suggestions:

You basically suggested to have MBU replacing this entirely, so no.
There will be no Blast or Mega Marble, there won't be powerup models from MBU, there won't be MBU SFX, no MBU style graphics (the shaders are already there though).
Friction powerups won't happen.

Yoshicraft224 wrote: I keep having a bug where the music cuts out, and only plays in place of a sound effect, and only for a split second. Like, when you hit the ground hard, or select something in the menus. I even had it play the fan sound effect on the menu instead of the music.

That happens in Marble Blast Gold from time to time. it's the old OpenAL driver and how torque implements it's audio stack. Nothing we can do here.

Technostar wrote: Personally, I think that expert levels should be more on the level of Polymorphism to give players who like more of a challenge that option.

Expert levels become more difficult as you move along them. Physical Activity is very early Expert, whereas Polymorphism is just about the middle.

Technostar wrote: I would wish for a trigger of some sort that could remove an infinite bubble.

I will forward this and we'll see what comes out. No promises.

Technostar wrote: As a way to make them more worthwhile to collect, maybe they could subtract time from the clock, or perhaps a special time (like UT or PT) could not be achieved unless you have 100%.

We already have something implemented, but I will forward these suggestions as well.

Technostar wrote: Please make sure to have tutorials out on the forums about all new level design mechanics when PQ releases so we can make custom levels for it ASAP.

We have an internal document on how to use the new features, but it definitely needs a touch up. We'll see how it goes.

Yoshicraft224 wrote:
Suggestions:
You basically suggested to have MBU replacing this entirely, so no.

Sorry :T But like I said, I doubted the graphics and sound effects would happen. I just really like MBU xD Nostalgia much

IsraeliRD wrote: ]
Can you make a video of this, please? (and send a console.log!) This is a bug we knew of and thought we actually fixed completely, so it would be good to see why it persists.

Yeah so I saw somewhere on this thread something about Ctrl-Spacebar which switched levels. Turns out I just kept pressing Ctrl along with jumping. I tend to press random buttons for no reason I have no idea why. Sorry about that, should've cleared that up in my post. Will it be removed in the final release? As well as a next level button at the endgamegui would be nice.

I wound up actually beating Polymorphism when I approached it in exactly the same way I approached Undertale bosses: Memorize the pattern and replay until I get it. It certainly is the hardest in the demo, but at least I can beat it (unlike Space Station).

IsraeliRD wrote:

Weather wrote: with the exception of the UTs on the gem hunt levels which are too difficult.

Vibrancy Grounds was actually based on Jeff.

☐ Not rekt
☑ Rekt

Yoshicraft224 wrote:
Terrace Tundra, Vibrancy Grounds, and Polymorphism aren’t really that replayable.
I'd like to hear how come you haven't found these levels replayable? For Polymorphism, I assume you found it too difficult? The other two would be nice to know as well.

Going back to the 2 Gem Hunt levels, they are actually pretty fun. And yeah. Polymorphism was too hard. I don't get how you're supposed to save the Super Jump until the end to get to the finish. Unless some insane spin control and diagonal movement is required to jump to the high platform after you wall-hit to the button.... Unless there's some way to get to the finish without Super Jumping. I didn't see anything to wall-hit on, though.

A few things I forgot to mention (noticed them later on)
1. In the description of the Gem Quota mode, it says: "Grab the required amount of Gems, or go for 100%!". Actually, it should say "number of gems", not "amount". It really isn't difficult to change it. I know it's hard to notice and nobody would care anyway, but please, correct English.
2. In Work in Progress, the Shock Absorber powerup rotates at first, as it should, but when it's moved along with the platform after you push the button, when it respawns, it no longer rotates, like a TSStatic (the "fake" version). This is probably unintentional and I have no idea whether it's a glitch in the game or the level. It's pretty annoying though.

At the end, the platform lifts you up. So you can either save the Super Jump for a faster finish, or use it immediately at the 5 gems part. (Just watch some PQ videos, there are a lot of them!)

I didn't see the "Make 3 laps around this track to unlock the finish" part. Thx