level building PROTIPS

hello freinds and gentlement of all ages welcome to my level building PROTIP thread where i will be posting level building PROTIPS for everyone.
here are my first two PROTIPS so you can get started right away




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As I posted in the discord server "random OOB triggers throughout the level make for a great extra challenge". This one is important to remember.

Also make sure to include so many big time travels in your level that you can make it all the way to the end without the time restarting

*cough cough Expert levels 7-11

Don't forget to hide the easter egg behind the finish sign.

in*
@Rozi

yeah, my protip is to use only one texture

Rosie wrote: Don't forget to hide the easter egg behind the finish sign.

Also make sure to include powerups intended for easter eggs that can be abused for WRs (*cough cough Winding Steps in WRR 2 LOL)

be like me:
(applies to mbstop I)

- dont fix any texturing errors
- just speedrun your creations
- create 10 levels a day or so
- get all defensive about your mods texturing
- realize its horrible and makes a new mod

oh yeah, i'll also throw in some bonus tips for mod makers or whatever.
- put eggs behind finish sign
- put any time travel, fake or not behind start pad
- random OOB triggers everywhere
- oh look i copied other ideas am i kool kid now
- split the map into 20 different difs if it wont convert for added measure

- If you build your level with enough care to the point where you remember to add a Bounds trigger, you're putting too much effort in.
- How good your level is depends purely on the amount of pie slice curves in it.
- Is the player able to get somewhere you don't want them to go? Who needs walls or otherwise good level design, just add an OOB trigger!

for scenery, try scaling down a level that already exists

From the master that put DA HOUSE together, it only makes sense that I may throw in a few bits of advice for y'all.

* Place a negative infinity time travel at the end of your level. If people are stupid enough to touch it, you can get your level played another time, and of course the more plays the better.
* Build levels with a construction theme, chances are you'll get instant platinum team membership
* Replace all powerups with random powerup boxes, this will add to the replayability of your level. You may also be lucky enough to see your level streamed by a speedrunner, who will whinge about RNG.
* Make your level a unique and fun puzzle by having the solution involve editing the .mis code itself! (someone actually did this)
* Don't use brown pillars in your level, because its racist.

• Everyone that will play your level is a speedrunning god, at minimum make sure that your level requires sideways edgehits and traplaunches to complete.
• Static levels are boring, make sure that you throw in as many moving platforms and items to spice it up. Bonus points if there is no way to beat the level that doesn't include jumping between moving platforms.

Xedron wrote: Also make sure to include so many big time travels in your level that you can make it all the way to the end without the time restarting

Adding something on from this, what about adding a 10,000 second TM into an incredibly long and irritating level? Makes finishing it much more satisfying in the long run!

Climb up a [strike]tall linear[/strike] tower.

Considering everyone else is sharing their advice I might as well too.

• Learn directly from levels by the experts. To start off, I would recommend checking out What way? and The Comedy Level.
• If you're running out of ideas, theme a level off of a meme.
• Cramped areas that test your camera movement skills are ideal.
• It's always fun when you have lots of gems, especially when most of them are in clusters. Try to make sure your levels have at least 40.
• This was said before, but unexpected Out Of Bounds triggers really add extra flair and gameplay to a level. So does start help text such as "Don't fall off" or "Get the gems quickly but watch out for nukes!" People can forget how to play the game more easily than you might think.
• Adding story, sadistic dialogue or conversation via Help triggers is sadly highly underrated nowadays. #MakeHelpTextGreatAgain!!!!
• Make sure you have looks down before going for gameplay. This is so gameplay elements don't get in the way of the aesthetics.
• Try setting the scale on a single axis of an interior to 0. This makes the collision go away and you can make cool traps with it!
• Look up how to change the marble's physics in a level. Lowering the gravity a lot or making MaxRollVelocity super high is something people don't usually end up doing in a level, so it'll make it more original.

Some tips of my own that I've learned will make you a super great level:

• If it's easy enough that you can beat it every time, it's too easy. Make it harder. Everyone else is better than you so of course this won't be a problem.
• Quality of level is directly proportional to number of hours spent in Constructor. This includes time lost to crashes so forcibly starting over is actually a good thing.
• Auto generated levels are a sure-fire way to success. People love stuff that has nothing to do with marble blast, but in marble blast.
• One second time travels everywhere. Seriously. People don't like getting low times, they like picking up time travels.
• Time travel on the trim behind a platform or underneath a thing. Sneaky, out of the way, and will guarantee that you always get the best time.
• Don't have other people test your level, since the only thing they'll say is "it's good." That's useless. You are your own best tester.
• Be sure to leave a super convenient shortcut to the finish so that the entire level can be completely bypassed by someone who knows the secret.

Weather wrote:

• If you're running out of ideas, theme a level off of a meme.

F*k that's exactly how i came up with idea for this level.

Weather wrote:

• Adding story, sadistic dialogue or conversation via Help triggers is sadly highly underrated nowadays. #MakeHelpTextGreatAgain!!!!

>Bonus points for extra long texts so that you have to reenter trigger multiple times to read it. Makes player more engaged into story.

Here's mine

>Making level is like painting canvas. You have only one chance to get it right so testing and fixing level is not allowed.
>Authors way is only way to play level, so make sure you block of all the shortcuts with OBB triggers. Bonus points for adding ''YOU CHEATER'' helptext to punish those who even dare to play level differently.
>Intentional shortcuts are great, everyones a speedrunner so people love when there are intentional edgehits and small hidden superjumps scattered around level.
>If gameplay isn't fun during playtesting don't worry. Anyone playing level won't feel the same way you did.
>Nobody uses checkpoints and they are boring. Save some time and don't add them at all.
>Out of ideas? Why not opening cla interiors pack and spamming some random interiors arround to make ''find the finish'' level.

Kurt wrote: * Build levels with a construction theme, chances are you'll get instant platinum team membership

This deserves it's own post.

This level is great _____________________=Level is great
Gameplay was meh____________________=Level needs more tightropes
Level was impossible to beat_____________ =Level difficulty is perfect
There were too many tightropes__________ =Loves your level, wants you to add more tightropes to next level
This level sucks_______________________=This level is amazing
It was not fun to play____________________=Needs more time travels
Level could use more checkpoints_________ =This player is beginner at the game, ignore him

My only tip:

- If the level looks nice it's probably garbage

Finally, after reading the tips that the community have provided, I have made the greatest level that has ever made. It took me an hour (yes, 60 minutes) of dragging shapes in Constructor single-handedly, using the best textures, and exporting it with the rarest software in the world.

This level provides players the best gameplay they have ever seen. It has 5-star level design rating, top-of-the-notch and interesting storyline, and the world's most exquisite diamonds you have ever seen.

I present to you, the "BEST LEVEL EVERRR".


www.mediafire.com/file/2qsytd3n89hq2ow/t...tlevelintehworld.zip

you can actually finish this level

I was thinking of doing something like this myself haha!!

And, uh.. "exporting it with the rarest software in the world"

make sure that your level can't be beaten unless you hit terminal velocity!
hide your nest egg in an area that requires extremely extreme precision, skill, and timing (looking at you niahhat)
add a platform that moves randomly to add an extra challenge.
try placing random gravity triggers in your level to surprise players!

Ahh, where to start?

• NEVER test your level. Testing a level wastes time and does not allow for people to find shortcuts organically.
• It is very difficult to tune a moving platform level so the platform moves back to the right position when you respawn at a checkpoint. To save time, just remove the checkpoints!
• MBP's scenery is held in high regard by the community. Always remember to fill in as much of your level as you can with those beautiful obelisks.
• Not many people know this, but it is possible to get up a 3-trim or 4-trim high wall with the right combination of jumps. Be sure to have several of these in a level to provide players with an original challenge.
• When making tightropes, you can change the texture to ice to add more variety to your level. Be sure to make the sides of the tightrope ice as well!
• If you don't want your level to look bland and repetitive, you can spice things up by including textures from several different mods. MBG's textures work great alongside MBP's, though be sure to throw in some of PQ's textures as well.
• When making a map, be sure to separate it into multiple segments so Map2Dif doesn't crash. However, be careful when putting them back in the level editor. Two faces on the same plane can cause strobe-like effects. To avoid causing seizures, you can adjust the coordinates of the segment by .1 on all axis.
• People prefer quantity over quality. More levels means more stuff to speedrun, after all!
• If you have too many levels, you should consider making a mini-mod or even a full mod.
• Aligning textures makes your level look too fake. Leave misalignments as they are for a more natural feel.
• The Random powerup is great for making your level more replayable since it gives players a new experience each time.
• Be sure to add enough time travels to your level. If you can't make it through a level without the time restarting, you're doing it wrong!

Also,

Weather wrote: Adding story, sadistic dialogue or conversation via Help triggers is sadly highly underrated nowadays. #MakeHelpTextGreatAgain!!!!

Do I have anything to do with this?

Lol, obelisks are so not cool anymore. Remember making a ton of levels using obelisks You also have a great point about the 3-trim/4-trim wall stuff - I always look forward to those sorts of things. I assume you're not talking about wall tricks, this is about using slopes and stuff right?

Weather wrote: Adding story, sadistic dialogue or conversation via Help triggers is sadly highly underrated nowadays. #MakeHelpTextGreatAgain!!!!

Technostar wrote: Do I have anything to do with this?

No, not intentionally at least. Seriously though, I actually do like help triggers with that kind of content.

Remember to name your level something very creative! A color and a brief adjective works nicely.
Some examples: Green Garden, Pink Parkway, Red Raceway, Blue Boulevard. You can never go wrong with a bit of alliteration!

IMO names need to not be cheesy, although NF does have a fair suggestion (unless he was being sarky, I can't tell). I also wouldn't go overboard with finding funky adjectives etc, there's no need. Just keep it simple and slightly telling.

Be sure to name a level after a girl you love and try using one of her photos as a texture!
See: Anissa's Golden Gates Bridge Imitation, litterally the best level I've ever made in my life.

Ralph wrote: Be sure to name a level after a girl you love and try using one of her photos as a texture!

Happy 18th Birthday, Matan!

None of my levels have ever gotten any negative feedback (all 0 of them). I will now pass the knowledge of the Derp King onto the plebeians so that they too can make awe-inspiring levels.

• People like surprises. Don't give any of your levels a name and don't upload any screenshots or videos of them.
• If you go against my advice and still decide to upload a video, at least make sure that it shows your speedrun PR so that it intimidates everyone.
• If your level doesn't have at least one custom-coded powerup, it's garbage and you should just uninstall the game.
• If your level is too short, then people will get bored of it. Aim for a minimum possible time of at least 10 minutes and make sure to include no fewer than 40 gems. This is a 4-to-1 gems-per-minute ratio and ensures that, at the very least, players will need to get a gem every 15 seconds.
• If you're making a PQ level and there isn't at least a 50% chance of it crashing someone's computer, then you haven't lived up to PQ's standards and need to rethink your life.
• Use a looping 15-second metal track for your level's music. This will get people's adrenaline pumping and if the track gets stuck in their head then they'll have no choice but to think about your level.
• Speed Boostairs are for casuals who can't speedrun. Don't bother with them.
• Same goes for Time Travels. Seriously that's basically cheating.
• Also don't use Gyrocopters if you want your level to be realistic like PQ because marbles can't fly.
• And speaking of realism, marbles can't jump either. Don't use Super Jumps.
• Super Bounces are OK though because marbles can bounce.
• You know how I said people like surprises? Make sure to randomly make some platforms and walls non-solid so that they surprise people. They'll spend more time playing your level too because they have to actually figure out where they're allowed to go.
• Put ads in each level which advertise your other levels. This will get more people interested in your levels and it's realistic because the real world is full of ads.

That's all for now plebs. Thank, comment, and friend request for more exclusive level building tips.