Marble Blast STOP II - Certain Errors and Clarifications
With every game comes trial and error, even if someone has to point it out.
I realized I overdid it with the levels, and I know I'm not the only one who has. People create new levels just for the sake of having levels, and thats exactly the trap I fell into when making this mod. If I wanted to make more levels, I should've released them all way later - one at a time without rushing anything under a time crunch.
It was my fault to release on July 6th. I was going to be on vacation for a week and wanted what I could get done, released. It may be playable, but it must have many fixes if it needs to go where it wants to go.
As of the many features that did not release with STOP II, there have been other games that have fallen into this trap, not just mine. (Pokemon GO for example when they didn't release trading for TWO. FREAKING. YEARS. Where's freaking PVP?!) I understand how it makes you feel, and using PoGO as an example makes me feel I fell under that trap. When we develop 1.01, we will release all that's intended for a true full-release of Marble Blast STOP II.
That falls under the category of unfinished mods. It was finished as could be, but still technically unfinished in many different directions. However, it doesn't fall under the category of incomplete mods since it will still get updates and has had a current release that is (mostly) fully playable, game wise for now. Not polishing it was my fault.
This goes for play-testing. PQ went through eight years of development, overhauls and play-testing along with feedback they had to critically take under thought. That inspires me in one way: to allow more time for play-testing through everything, even if it means people waiting impatiently for release. Game before the players from now on, sorry folks.
The Level Editor. Yes, I know I should've thrown in a substitution for the LE before the game released, and I screwed up by doing that. Never fear - the Level Editor is returning and will be combined into the "Pathfinding Mode" feature.
Textures. Although the levels were above 90% textured properly, the textures were unoriginal, boring-MBG glossier textures and I rushed with those to get back to building. Nevertheless, we have eblu on our team now and he's doing the new textures for Marble Blast STOP II, which will override every single MBP and MBG texture currently on the game. They will be STOP II Exclusive.
There's many more things I've errored on, but I'm so exhausted that I can't really process what I'm thinking next. Take a look at the feedback thread and write what needs to be changed for STOP II.
Marble Blast STOP II has so many skill courses farther along the modification (end of Intermediate, lots of Advanced and Expert levels.) I overdid it with the skill courses. Sorry folks!
However, I know I was on a good roll with the Beginner Levels by making only like three skill courses, and I was on a good roll with Intermediate by making challenges everyone'll enjoy and creating cool themed-concepts, like "Pencil Attack," and "Canopy Jumping." Such concepts that received well in Beginner were things like "Bumper Invasion," which completely focuses on bumpers and a nice space-theme, and "The Lava Landfill," which was, you know, a factory of lava you're not supposed to fall in. It also falls into the "Puzzle-Themed" level category, which is also well received by many of our players.
Now that a lot of levels are removed, the next step is to create 10 to 20 levels with interesting concepts and two-parter concepts, like Margyptian Pyramid for example. That was extremely well received by our community, and I intend to do more. Any ideas? I'm currently thinking of building an "Ice Temple" two-parter themed level with the level before the Ice Temple involving using Sucky Fans to skip gaps and reach certain areas, including escaping them with the Dynamite Booster. That's a good example of a "level with concept," but it has to be well built.
Creating the Discord was a great idea including HiGuy creating this sub-forum exclusively for the modification. Not only does it make things organized, but there's much feedback everywhere to help me out with STOP II 1.01, so I appreciate that from HiGuy and all of you sending feedback that's actually helpful, well written and respectful...not to mention very constructive.
Releasing the first Marble Blast STOP made me learn from hundreds of mistakes I've made, but not all of the mistakes I've made. That's what I have the community for - to help me in my journey to make Marble Blast STOP II (1.01!) a success. To learn is to gain feedback from others.
However, I must admit, I wasn't very accepting of some users' non-constructive critical feedback! To those who write thoughts (whether bad or good,) take my advice on this. What I appreciate is nicely written, good information on what needs to be better rather than not playing the modification and writing something about it that may not be true. I've seen this happen a lot on this community. To be a professional critique, which I fear some of you aren't that sort, you should play something (a game)/watch something (a movie) before you release your feedback.
This is common sense to those who wish to critique something. Not only is it more honest, but its constructive and you earn more respect from the creator(s.)
Lets talk about unoriginality. We see many unoriginal ideas surface everywhere on the internet. Although I went to this hole, who is to truly blame? We're all aspiring level makers, mod makers and marble blast players. Everything that we modify from the MBG Client is all unoriginal - the engine, the hazards, the power-ups, many different things. Sure, we all create new content for Marble Blast, but in entirety, the honest truth is nothing Marble Blast any of us create is truly and won't be 100% original content, and the same goes for PlatinumQuest. As fantastic of a modification it is, this is the truth. It makes no sense to single me out for unoriginality when many other modifications and (lets say, Retro Courses in Mario Kart) have done the same thing. I created sequels and remakes to existing concepts and levels to give people not only a sense of nostalgia, but to try and make something that once existed better than it was before, and with that goal, I know I've reached that.
But with compromise from the community, at least on the Discord, the levels will be taken down and moved to DLC to play optionally.
If someone could answer my question: Why do you seem okay with remakes and sequels to other games, movies, etc. from different places...and, well, why not mine? What do you have against me?
To clear up another thing I received this morning, I’m not trying to disregard your critiques and feedback. In fact, a lot of stuff on my to-do list is all from you guys.
Thanks everyone!
I realized I overdid it with the levels, and I know I'm not the only one who has. People create new levels just for the sake of having levels, and thats exactly the trap I fell into when making this mod. If I wanted to make more levels, I should've released them all way later - one at a time without rushing anything under a time crunch.
It was my fault to release on July 6th. I was going to be on vacation for a week and wanted what I could get done, released. It may be playable, but it must have many fixes if it needs to go where it wants to go.
As of the many features that did not release with STOP II, there have been other games that have fallen into this trap, not just mine. (Pokemon GO for example when they didn't release trading for TWO. FREAKING. YEARS. Where's freaking PVP?!) I understand how it makes you feel, and using PoGO as an example makes me feel I fell under that trap. When we develop 1.01, we will release all that's intended for a true full-release of Marble Blast STOP II.
That falls under the category of unfinished mods. It was finished as could be, but still technically unfinished in many different directions. However, it doesn't fall under the category of incomplete mods since it will still get updates and has had a current release that is (mostly) fully playable, game wise for now. Not polishing it was my fault.
This goes for play-testing. PQ went through eight years of development, overhauls and play-testing along with feedback they had to critically take under thought. That inspires me in one way: to allow more time for play-testing through everything, even if it means people waiting impatiently for release. Game before the players from now on, sorry folks.
The Level Editor. Yes, I know I should've thrown in a substitution for the LE before the game released, and I screwed up by doing that. Never fear - the Level Editor is returning and will be combined into the "Pathfinding Mode" feature.
Textures. Although the levels were above 90% textured properly, the textures were unoriginal, boring-MBG glossier textures and I rushed with those to get back to building. Nevertheless, we have eblu on our team now and he's doing the new textures for Marble Blast STOP II, which will override every single MBP and MBG texture currently on the game. They will be STOP II Exclusive.
There's many more things I've errored on, but I'm so exhausted that I can't really process what I'm thinking next. Take a look at the feedback thread and write what needs to be changed for STOP II.
Marble Blast STOP II has so many skill courses farther along the modification (end of Intermediate, lots of Advanced and Expert levels.) I overdid it with the skill courses. Sorry folks!
However, I know I was on a good roll with the Beginner Levels by making only like three skill courses, and I was on a good roll with Intermediate by making challenges everyone'll enjoy and creating cool themed-concepts, like "Pencil Attack," and "Canopy Jumping." Such concepts that received well in Beginner were things like "Bumper Invasion," which completely focuses on bumpers and a nice space-theme, and "The Lava Landfill," which was, you know, a factory of lava you're not supposed to fall in. It also falls into the "Puzzle-Themed" level category, which is also well received by many of our players.
Now that a lot of levels are removed, the next step is to create 10 to 20 levels with interesting concepts and two-parter concepts, like Margyptian Pyramid for example. That was extremely well received by our community, and I intend to do more. Any ideas? I'm currently thinking of building an "Ice Temple" two-parter themed level with the level before the Ice Temple involving using Sucky Fans to skip gaps and reach certain areas, including escaping them with the Dynamite Booster. That's a good example of a "level with concept," but it has to be well built.
Creating the Discord was a great idea including HiGuy creating this sub-forum exclusively for the modification. Not only does it make things organized, but there's much feedback everywhere to help me out with STOP II 1.01, so I appreciate that from HiGuy and all of you sending feedback that's actually helpful, well written and respectful...not to mention very constructive.
Releasing the first Marble Blast STOP made me learn from hundreds of mistakes I've made, but not all of the mistakes I've made. That's what I have the community for - to help me in my journey to make Marble Blast STOP II (1.01!) a success. To learn is to gain feedback from others.
However, I must admit, I wasn't very accepting of some users' non-constructive critical feedback! To those who write thoughts (whether bad or good,) take my advice on this. What I appreciate is nicely written, good information on what needs to be better rather than not playing the modification and writing something about it that may not be true. I've seen this happen a lot on this community. To be a professional critique, which I fear some of you aren't that sort, you should play something (a game)/watch something (a movie) before you release your feedback.
This is common sense to those who wish to critique something. Not only is it more honest, but its constructive and you earn more respect from the creator(s.)
Lets talk about unoriginality. We see many unoriginal ideas surface everywhere on the internet. Although I went to this hole, who is to truly blame? We're all aspiring level makers, mod makers and marble blast players. Everything that we modify from the MBG Client is all unoriginal - the engine, the hazards, the power-ups, many different things. Sure, we all create new content for Marble Blast, but in entirety, the honest truth is nothing Marble Blast any of us create is truly and won't be 100% original content, and the same goes for PlatinumQuest. As fantastic of a modification it is, this is the truth. It makes no sense to single me out for unoriginality when many other modifications and (lets say, Retro Courses in Mario Kart) have done the same thing. I created sequels and remakes to existing concepts and levels to give people not only a sense of nostalgia, but to try and make something that once existed better than it was before, and with that goal, I know I've reached that.
But with compromise from the community, at least on the Discord, the levels will be taken down and moved to DLC to play optionally.
If someone could answer my question: Why do you seem okay with remakes and sequels to other games, movies, etc. from different places...and, well, why not mine? What do you have against me?
To clear up another thing I received this morning, I’m not trying to disregard your critiques and feedback. In fact, a lot of stuff on my to-do list is all from you guys.
Thanks everyone!
STOPX Creator. Getting better by every release.
