#littlebite-sizedplanet

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 02/16/24] 295 - DLC Dive: Metal Gear Solid

Well, we did it. A bit surprised; it wound up coming pretty much to the wire, but we did it.

The big takeaway is MGS remains a really great set, even played in LBP3 (wiv some caveats); but gosh do i ever wish they'd stuck wiv the scrapped Shadow Moses theme, instead of the vaguely Middle Eastern one we got.

Depicting real worldiness isn't impossible in LBP, i think, but it's always going to feel a bit uncomfortable if it's not done wiv a deft hand. There's a bit of the saccharine to SackThing, which, honestly, i love; but it makes things outside of strict deconstruction a little tough. Having iconography that is clearly invoking real war, that effects real people, and then putting SackThing in the midst, and it's a bit... but why tho'? Couple that wiv the story itself being tongue-in-cheek chiding on a completely low-stakes subject, and... like, they really should have gone wiv Shadow Moses.

All that being said, like, it's a good set. Probably the best of the lot for bang-for-your-buck, if you're asking me. The material set is incredibly solid, and super easy to build wiv. The decos look nice, even if they're a bit limited in the environments that support them (and even then, i shrunk those missile pods down and used them as braille strips in my train station hub, and they're a bit bumpier-looking than the real thing, but not so much as you wouldn't recognize what they are supposed to be). The stickers... well, the ones that work, work really well. The ones that don't (for me, the realistic branded ones), they just take up space.

All the levels are pretty much bangers, and don't overstay their welcome. The full lot probably takes 40minutes max to finish if you're really poking around. There's nothing that requires multiple players, so you're not juggling controllers, or feeling sol if you can't swing couch co-op. It plays a little worse in LBP3, but not so much that things are broken (except for the Super Sentry Turret you get as a collected object, that's just busted and nothing i tried could get it to fire properly).

i do recommend playing in LBP1 if you have the ability; it looks gorgeous, the Rex fight is a bit trickier and more tense, and you can still get 10 out of the 11 trophies.

All told, if they'd just gone wiv a different setting, and given us the "Middle Eastern" (actually probably Moroccan) materials in, like, the History set (they're all really nice materials, and that region doesn't really get any rep in the mainline LBP games), this would be perfect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

The way they handled the "cutscene" here was pretty neat, and i really liked that they gave an active reason to replay the level by changing it into a shooting gallery. It's a little confusing as to what you're actually supposed to be shooting to get the prize bubbles to drop, but the level's only about a minute and a half long, so replaying isn't so much a chore.

This one is really, really keen. Incorporating the tutorial into an actual playable level instead of shunting it into the tutorial menu (and having it be possibly not implemented in LBP3 and locking us out of the logic tools, like wiv the Move cursor and the Memorizer) was really clever. What really makes this one special, tho' is how different it is when you play it the second time. Even in story mode, we seldom saw really big changes like that (that one race in DaVinci's Hideout is the only one i can think of off the top of my head). i can understand why. Trying to do something similar wiv the scenic/challenge modes for the archives and flag level, and it's really a lot of work. This one being short and sweet probably made it a lot easier from a design standpoint.

The stealth in this bit was a real fun concept, and i wish they'd made that section of it a little longer. The level's a fun one all-around, but it probably suffers the most from the tone/setting mismatch.

This one has the same tone issues as Act 3, but is also a really solidly designed, fun level. i think this might be the first time we see secrets implemented in an official level, tho' i'm sure there were creators in the community that were playing around wiv getting that kind of system to work by this point. The use of the paintinator for platforming wiv those drop-down platforms was really cool, and something i wish i'd seen more of in community levels. While i ran into the paintinator a lot, it was generally limited to "kill thing/open door." i know Paczek132 (shoot... was it 132 or 123?) had a level that really leaned into paintinator platforming, but it only really worked in LBP1, because of how they changed impact physics on the paintballs.

As much as i like this fight, and it does remain fun in LBP3, it probably suffers the worst from the transfer. There's something gone screwy wiv the rotation of one of the firing pods, and it shoots downward a lot less often than it does in LBP1, so it's a lot easier to just stay stationary for chunks of the fight and wait for the target to open up. Which, the third-phase target doesn't drop down the way it's supposed to; you can still hit it, but you have to be just about under it to manage. One oddity, but i played the set for the episode in all versions 1, 2, and 3, and all the visible tags we see here? They're visible in 2 as well. i wonder if it was an issue where Mm couldn't push an update on it, because of it being DLC? It seems strange that they would have just forgotten about it. When 2 came out, the tags thing was a known issue, and there were only the three big level kits out at that time (this, PotC, and Marvel. Monsters, History, and Incredibles were all one-offs). Maybe they just didn't think it was a big deal. They stand out like a sore thumb, tho'.

i can't hardly stand survival challenges. i just get bored of them way before whatever goal that's been set, and this one's no different. i think the only one i've ever really enjoyed was chronos453's Virtual Return, and i was totally pants at that one. It was really, really good tho'. i mention in the gameplay bit of the LBsP episode, but you can see all the plasma balls have green tags on them, and i would love to know what those were triggering.

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It's weird being done wiv this after spending, what, 3weeks or so wiv it taking up the majority of my brainspace and available time. i'm glad to see the backside of it, to be honest. Glad in the good way. This is a good episode, right up there wiv the Chapter Zero one. But it was a lot of work, and it's good to be finished.

i don't know if i'll do another of these. None of the other sets really hook me like this one does, tho' i feel like i could make a decent go at a Move Pack episode, and i have a lot of questions about the Marvel set. i really, really don't want to do a PotC episode. There is just nothing about that set aside from the introduction of water, and a couple of materials that really interests me at all.

Whatever i wind up doing, it's going to be a good while before i even want to get started on it. Want to spend some time wivout anything more pressing than keeping up wiv the DLC archiving. Let me tell you, the Move Pack (i'm working on that right now) is some kind of pain in the butt.

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 03/22/24] 296 - Box o' Clocks

This was fun to put together, right up until i actually tried recording it; then it was a giant mess. We didn't even get to all the stuff i'd wanted to talk about, but i figured we were already pushing 15 just going over the two clocks.

The reversible clock really isn't all that, tho' it is fun. i like having logic & bits that can serve multiple purposes in different settings. Not sure how often you'd need a clock that can do both in just one level, but you set it up to go both ways, and now you have a timer for a race-type level, and a countdown for an escape room. Versatile!

For my own purposes, i like chronos' clock more. It's very elegant and easy to work wiv when you've got to set it to different times every episode. Wish it had a broader font set, but the fine-line looks nice in green. Looks nice for text too, but i feel like the line-weight isn't heavy enough to sustain longer passages.

i'll try getting around to the simple animations and kitbashed sequencer tutorials eventually. i do want to make them, but i don't really feel a lot of motivation for it right this minute.

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Things are well enough here. Wiv @soupum 's help i got the ps3 set up and on Beacon, and that's exciting. Honestly, Soup did a fantastic job guiding a very tech-skittish me through the steps. The soul of patience, that boy.

It's weird seeing new levels published in LBP1 & 2, even if a lot of the ones i've run into have been from the LBArchive, or costume tutorials/give-aways. So. So. So many costume levels. It's been a good weird, tho'. It's nice that there are still folx actively giving time and love to this strange little thing we've got going.

There are just four more episodes left in the LittleBig-Archives, and then that's that until the servers come back on line. That's weird feeling in the less good way. i'm sure the servers will come back. No telling how long; but it feels like Sony's giving it an honest shot. Which frankly surprises the heck out of me, but lots of things do, so that's alright.

[risu5waffles]

It Is Done

Well, i suppose it won't be done-done until the upload is complete, so... it will be It Is Done in 28minutes. My absolute chonker of a semi-lucid dive into the Metal Gear Solid dlc for LittleBigPlanet. Clocking in at a "ShareFactory can't render a longer file" fighting weight of 59minutes 59seconds. Easily my most complex set ever. PiPs, photo inserts. A fucking musical intermission.

i don't want to think about the MGSLBPDLC again for a very, very long time. i want to make a hobby of not thinking about it. i want to roll around in it, i want to rub not thinking about it into my pores while leering lasciviously at an imagined camera like a bad 90's mock Paula Abdul video.

i am so, deeply tired.

i mean, don't get me wrong, it was fun and all, and i'm proud of it. But stick a fork in me, i'm done for a bit.

While this is in context to something specific, i think it also sums up my general feelings on the matter right at this moment quite nicely.

Please finish uploading, video. i am so sleepy and i need to go to bed.

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 02/02/24] 294 - (頭を)ガブリもあるよ！大海遭難記 (Distress in Ocean)

Well, if this is the last community level review, i coulda done a lot worse for it. Honestly, wherever YAMAME3 is these days, i want to thank them for making their level copyable way back when. Distress in Ocean feels like it well represents a lot of the good of LBP, especially early LBP, and that's a nice note to go out on.

Just as a level itself, it's quite well done. Expansive, filled wiv interesting setpieces and some really, really nice mechanical elements. Largely maintains its pace, aside from the squid bit, which probably could have been a bit more cleanly presented to help wiv the flow. The use of the shark as a recurring element to tie the whole piece together, but also the inventiveness in how it was set up. There's really a lot to love here.

But also that YAMAME3 made this cool thing, and then showed everyone how they'd done it. So folx could make their own cool things. Of course, people being people, a lot of folx turned around and just copy-pasted it, and so you saw fewer and few copyable levels in a relatively short span of time. But that idea of sharing wiv the community would live on in helpful fansite members answering questions, and people like comphermc putting tutorials up on YouTube. Folx might have been wary of just giving away their creations, but they still wanted to share. Maybe it's schmaltzy, but it's kinda beautiful as well. Even wiv the servers down, you still have folx like AfrosackGP putting out some really amazing how-tos (seriously, check out GP's videos, they're fantastic)

So, yeah, a level that puts the Share in Play, Create, Share? That feels right if this does turn out to be the end.

Oh! Before i forget. i did silo off the backstage footage that's at the end of the LittleBite-sizedArchive episode into its own b-side, for folx who're just interested in seeing all the clockwork.

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i took the day off work. i guess, strictly speaking i didn't need to. Not physically, and my mental health isn't great, but it's not screaming "CRISIS." Still took the day off. Not that i'm going to do anything wiv it. But maybe not being on my feet for 8hrs of mind-numbing tedium will help something.

Just about finished up wiv the Metal Gear DLC look-at sets. However i decide to structure the DLC look-ats, i don't think i'll be able to do them on a weekly basis like we'd normally do for community levels. i'm not doing anything like a hbomberguy analysis or anything, but there's still a lot of building to be done, and the LBP2 DLC packs are *chonky*, like enough that i'm a little worried about getting the LBsA episodes out on a daily basis if i do them all as thoroughly as i did MGS and PotC.

Multiple playthroughs to get everything is one thing when a level is one thing when a level is just a couple minutes long per run, but i think all or almost all the Muppets and DC levels are level-linked to be double sized. i don't even remember the Move pack wiv nearly enough granularity to say what that one's gonna be like. i'm lowkey worried there'll be bits where you need multiple players all equipped wiv their own BrainCranes, and if that's the case, well, we're just proper buggered, aren't we?

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 01/26/24] 293 - A Totally Reasonable Response

So here we are. If this level is to be the last thing i publish for the community, at least it was something i could be really proud of (i realize, typing this, that it wasn't the last thing i published. That was the New Year's level, but that one hardly feels like it counts, since it was only up for five days).

Looking through the drawing board and making-of videos, and it's shocking how much it changed from the initial build. i'm happy wiv the work i did, and most all the gross ideas (that is to say, things like layout, presentation, and obstacles) were mine; but this wouldn't have been nearly the success it was if it hadn't been for the extra eyes and fine tuning suggestions from the community. Particularly chronos453 and @soupum who were invaluable sounding boards and support. It feels nice that this is my level, but it is also very much the Empty Room's level too.

One thing i wanted was for the level to be joyful, wivout being toothless or anodyne? Something to stand up against the common (and unfortunately often, at times at least, true) narrative of "oh woe, queer life is so hard and tragic." i think i managed it, but it's hard to say. It feels joyful to me, but i recognize it is also very much my brand of bullshite.

It seemed to resonate well wiv the queer/ally players who left comments, tho'. Those were all honestly very heartwarming.

It resonated quite differently, but apparently strongly, wiv a couple of bigots too. Those were... weird.

Now, i know that i'm old, and that's honestly ok. i'm not really current wiv how kids talk these days, and that's also ok. But there was something weirdly adult about some of the comments, that felt very different from the way queermisia would have been framed by kids when i was young-young (that framing, mind you, wasn't really better, but it was usually just the slur and an accusation). Which means, either the rhetoric adults are using now has trickled down into schoolyard discourse, or these were actual adults telling an open room of potentially children that, for example, queer folx were like that because they'd been sexually assaulted and decided they'd liked it. Which... you know... that's a real kind of problem. Both options are real problems mind you, but the second worries me a lot more.

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i still wonder if i shouldn't have done Distress in Ocean for this week's LBsP, and this one for next. We've not had any real word on the servers yet, which is unsurprising, but also disheartening. If LBsP as a review-focused thing is ending, it would have been nice to have ended it wiv this level. Ah well. You work wiv what's to hand, and i'd already done most of the recording for this by the time it popped into mind that i had Distress in Ocean to work wiv too.

i've spent the last few days up to my nipples in DLC to archive those, and if i never have to see anything Pirates of the Caribbean again it'll be too soon. i'll probably put up reviews here when all the episodes for the levels from a pack have gone live, but i have feelings.

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 01/19/24] 292 - You're Gonna Carry That Weight

Well, heck. Hopefully this won't be the last fresh (to me) level the we look at on the show; but if it is, i guess we get to go out wiv a bang. Or at least a chewy philosophical problem.

The level's an interesting one, and i feel like it ought to be viewed from two different lenses.

On a pure nuts and bolts side, it's a decent platformer wiv an interesting, elevating conceit. You've got this checkpoint, it's on wheels and you can drag it. You can choose to leave it behind at any time, and gamble on your skills. The earlier you leave it, but more ground you're going to have to go back over if you die. The tension there, if you're being a showoff like me and trying to ace the level wivout carrying the checkpoint at all, really adds to the trickiness of the platforming sections. There were a few times where i wound up getting myself killed because i was playing too conservatively, because i was thinking of having to do everything all over again if i got myself killed. That was really cool.

The gameplay bits themselves were fun once it got challenging. The ice bit, the gears, and that last monkeybar/lights section i had a lot of fun wiv. The first half, tho' does wear a little bit. i think that adds into the risk calculation i mentioned above, but after going through the level a couple dozen times (yes, like, actually a couple dozen times), i did wish i could hurry along some. Now, that's not really an issue most players will have, but it was there.

The environment felt the weakest to me. There are some definite standout bits. Guts, in particular, is a great setpiece presentation-wise; but mostly it feels very standard "this is an LBP1 cave platformer." i did, however, deeply appreciate the ability to select music up front. Song 2 really is the better track for the level, but @soupum well knows the copyright issues that causes for YouTube videos. i don't know that he was thinking specifically of me when he put that choice in, but i was very glad to see it.

So, like, on the level-qua-level it's neat. Definitely something i enjoyed playing, and i could really dig the gimmick.

But then, it's not just playing at being a level; it's also working a message, and this is where things start to get a bit dicey for me. Not that i don't think the message isn't one worth conveying, or is something that can't be conveyed in this medium; but i'm still not sure the level conveys it well or clearly, and it certainly feels like the form is (while honest, at least if i've read it right) ultimately more cynical than perhaps necessary? i don't know. i've got a lot of feelings about it still, and i'm still not sure if i well conveyed the message i was getting at in the video. At the very least i can say this is the most noodling i've ever had to do about an LBP community level, and more noodling than i do over most actually-published-by-studios games i play; and you can't say that's not some form of success.

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i have so much b-roll of this level, it's honestly made a bit of a dent in my PS4's storage space, so i'm glad the video's finally live and i can cull it.

Still no word on the servers, or much anything aside from StevenI's announcement of his departure as community manager. i'm going to record the DLC levels to fill in space in the Archive, and i'll be looking at my flags level on the 26th, and Distress in Ocean on February 2nd since both of those are on my moon (Distress was a copyable level, and i don't know why i copied it, but i'm awful glad i did). But eventually we're going to hit a spot where the rubber meets the road, and there's just nothing left for me to Archive.

i can still do LBsP things, behind the scenes looks at sets and things like Create Mode goofing around, but if the servers don't come back relatively soon, i think the DLC will only last... i'm not sure. Not super long. i didn't get every pack, even tho' i did get a bunch. i'm feeling some kinds of ways about this, and none of them are very good.

[risu5waffles]

[LBP - LBsP 01/12/24] 291 - Librarian's Mansion 2: Basement of Death

i really like this version of the LBsP title card. Understated, leaves a lot of room to show off a still from the actual level wivout getting in the way. The borders on the rings are thick enough colour changes to indicate different episode types are clear. Yeah, this works. The level also works, which i was honestly expecting, seeing as it's a follow-up and all. It would have been weird if it were significantly worse than part one. But it's not, and that's pretty nice.

The environment is, once again, looking good, and more cohesive than last time around. Material choices are really nice; i don't think i've ever given the chiseled wood nearly the respect it deserves, but it's used real well here. The enemies fit in a bit better (even if i'm still not entirely sure if the rats were actually dangerous). The level is pretty fun, in a largely unchallenging way, and that's always a nice thing to be able to say. Goof-Master98 did a real good job here. The downsides are, unfortunately, also a lot of the same that we covered last level. The platforms are just too wide for the gameplay.

You can still just dodge around the enemies wivout needing to engage wiv them at all; and while it does cause fewer complications this go, you can still wind up missing jumps (or in this case, grabs to climb) and dying because you've jumped from a layer you really didn't need access to in the first place. Like, is that an earthshattering problem? Not really, i guess? But it's also a pretty easy one to avoid, so, like, why not?

i do hope we get the chance to see more in this series from Goof-Master, what wiv the whole server thing going on. i'd really like to go and give his stuff more attention. As a bonus, i took a stroll through his hub The Power of Memories (that'll show up in LittleBite-sizedArchive episode 285), and all the levels in there look like they could be a good time for a stream.

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Not much to report in meatspace. It'll probably be an all Create Mode LBP3 stream tonight; i'm feeling a touch tuckered from work, and i don't think i really have the focus for Risk of Rain 2.

[risu5waffles]

Nothing like listening through a review/breakdown you recorded while strung out on exhaustion and realizing you'd somehow managed to hare off midway through on extended bit as to why Pumpkinhead is amazing and everyone needs to watch it.

Which, you know, that is the honest truth, but i'm supposed to be talking about this LBP level? Wouldn't be much fair to the level creator to leave it in, seems like to me. Which means i had to do a whole new recording, so go me, i guess.

[risu5waffles]

Finally! Finished, uploaded, scheduled (for January 5th)! Let's gooooo~~~~~~ooooo!

But seriously, it's gonna be awhile before i do anything this chonky again.

And since i stumbled over this while i was going through my images folder, have a CHAD.

What a cutie.

[risu5waffles]

The good news is the whole first week of January's LittleBite-sizedArchive episodes are recorded, edited, and uploaded.

<whew>

It was a whole job of work. 'cause apparently i don't know the meaning of "easing back into the swing of things." We're going to be looking at chronos453's Chapter Zero, and it's a pretty important project for me.

So that's the good news. The not at all good news is ShareFactory decided that all my un-exported projects don't exist anymore. Which means the "only needs the b-roll edited in" LittleBite-sizedPlanet epsiode needs putting back together again. Luckily i have all the raw footage for it, so i don't need to record anything new, but wivout the b-roll it's still 12chunks of footage to string together and slap overlays on and fiddle wiv trimming. i know the clock during the takeaway is going to be buggered, 'cause i know i won't be able to get the cuts exactly where they were, and all those extra seconds will add up. i don't even want to think about it.

The whole episode works out to almost 59minutes, and i haven't done anything so chonky since i was doing the old review show. And this is twice the size any of those episodes were. Wiv twice the number of levels i needed to record impressions of, come to think of it.

Maaaaaaaybe, we'll do another biggie like this in June. Provided the servers are still around. And i'm super glad to be doing this one. Chapter Zero's pretty special to me, and so is chronos, and i want to do both of them justice. But i do think something of this scope is just outside of my energy and ability to make into a regular thing.

Ooof... i just had an ugly thought, but. This was on my side account, but what if i lost the ShareFactory data on my main as well (i haven't needed to check yet)? Yiiiiick... i don't even want to think about it. i don't have any current, unfinished projects there, but i do have a whole heap of bits and pieces lying around waiting to be tied into something else (might never happen, but i kinda pack rat these things).

Well, we'll fry those eggs when we get to them, i guess.

[risu5waffles]

A nice enough level, but so, so, so very short. Like, a minute and a half short. Which, don't get me wrong, what's there is well done, and i had a good time wiv it, but it didn't leave me all that much to talk about. i wound up having to toss in a bonus review of the follow up to pad things out a bit, which was a mistake, 'cause i did mix them up a touch (the crane arms are in 2, not 1).

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Pretty ugly day at work, but i'm too shagged out to play anything that would require focus, like Risk of Rain 2, so we're probably going to have another LBP3 stream, even though we did one last night. Which is fine, i'd like to work a bit more on that flag level. A riposte should be at least relatively close on the heels of the insult. We'll probably have the stream be an [After Hours] instead of an [Addams Family friendly], 'cause i might be a little sweary. It was that kinda day.

[risu5waffles]

Meatspace-y Things

Just a heads up that i'll be taking December off from reviews and archive work, 'cause a girl is beat-bone-tired. Streams will continue as normal, so no worries there!

[risu5waffles]

You know, Five-Ate-Five really is a great creator. i played through a bunch of their levels to get a feel for their style for the review, and every one was a banger.

You got Western Warrior, a fantastic little bit of LBP1 goodness. Save the Mayor's(?) daughter from bandits wiv the help of your trusty paintgun and physics. They nail the feel of an LBP1 story mode level here, and there are some pretty neat tricks they've pulled to make it look like you're shooting through bendy pipes. V cool.

The whole of the Epic Purple Lion series was a hoot (despite having forced level links). Starting wiv a solid wall jump level in The Story of Epic Purple Lion and You and its neat environment, fun gameplay, and really nice puppets. Continuing through Welcome to the Inside of the Checkpoint; which, while overbright, was very inventive, and super interesting. Winding up wiv Huge Inspiration Stealing Lazors, which has one of the best "platforming up a falling tower" sequences i can remember.

LittleGardenParty! felt a little weaker, but it was clearly built for full-party play, and it was just little ol' me. Even then, the level could be played just fine wiv one player. i had a great time, and the whole setting was very charming.

And those are just five out of 33 levels on their planet (maybe not counting two adventure maps full of old levels, i'm not sure how those get tracked). If the other stuff is half as good as what i played, they'd still be very good levels indeed.

And, amidst that bounty, that cornucopia of bangers, i managed to pick The Garden in 1 Hour.

Which is deeply, deeply, poop from a butt.

And the worst part is, i can't even really review it, because (as far as i can tell) it is supposed to be poop from a butt. A jarring, twitchy, over-loud troll level. i mean. i guess that makes it a success, in a sense? i don't know. i stopped caring about halfway through my second play for pips.

You fart when you jump, tho'; there is that.

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So very, very busy. i know the TENspot is late. Like, really late, and i hate it, but it's just going to have to be later. i've got too many pots on the stove, and not enough arms to keep them all from burning.

i've been thinking, once we hit episode 365 of LittleBite-sizedArchive (a milestone rapidly approaching) i may take a two week break to rest a bit, build a backlog at a leisurely pace, and maybe rethink how i'm spending the limited resources of time and energy i have. i want to keep doing what i've got on now, but i need, i think, to incorporate a more set production schedule, instead of just doing things when there's time? Like, set aside two or three mornings, and make those the recording sessions? i don't know. i've been feeling like i'm spread way too thin, and i need to find a way to address that.

[risu5waffles]

This one's a fun enough little level for what it is. Some nice environmental choices, as far as materials and decorative elements go. Pretty cruisy in difficulty, it feels like an introduction to a series the way it goes out of its way to explain game mechanics (this is not, mind you, a knock; i do appreciate that there are levels that ground the player at step one. They make for good points of entry for new players, and can still be fun for more experienced ones). The ghost sack character was cute, and all in all i had a good time wiv it.

That being said, while the environment was nice to look at, it does interact a bit poorly wiv the expected gameplay. Thanks to the width of the platforms you're on, there's never any reason (except the very end) to really engage wiv the enemies in the level. Like you can just go back or forward a layer and go around them, and that feels like an unusual design choice. Like, why, ultimately, even include them? You could have replaced any of them wiv a static obstacle and gotten the same effect in the end.

This did wind up causing some small issues wiv the bounce pads about mid-level as well, where i kept being pushed out of layer when i tried to run directly on them, instead of keeping a smooth flow throughout that section. It wasn't, like, a huge deal, but just making those bits one layer deep would have solved it nicely. Well, that and insetting the pads into the platform itself wiv a physics tweaker.

Still, yeah, it may not knock your socks off, but it's a fun little one, and you can tell Goof-Master98 put some effort in its creation. It clocks in at around 4~5 minutes, so it's hardly a strain on playtime if you're looking for something nice and quick.

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i gotta rush and transform the curry, 'cause my silly butt forgot Friday was the day we do that.

[risu5waffles]

This is a really, really nice one, yeah. The gameplay isn't pushing super hard, but the presentation is just fantastic.

i mention in the review, but i think this highlights what felt off about Adventure in evening that we looked at a few weeks back. Everything here feels so dynamic, while still not getting in the way of the readability of the gameplay environment (that is to say, the actual platforms you'll be interacting wiv, and the jumps you'll need to make). It's all just a delight.

i'm not certain it's quite steampunk, all the gears and pistons here look like they actually have a function and serve a purpose after all; but i still loved it.

The only thing that was getting to me as i played it more times for b-roll and just to have fun wiv it was i could not find the 20points in the level that would tie me for first. i looked everywhere presented to the player. i aced the darn level. But no dice. Not a single point. And yet, when you pull up to the scoreboard you can see one player, and only one player is sitting pretty at the top wiv 20, and everyone else tied beneath wiv 0. What's up wiv that? Surely no one would God Mode glitch the scoreboard just to tack on a measly 20points. Usually folx who do that go for at least 4mil.

----------------------------------------------- Things are good. i feel busy (even if i'm not, actually, busier than i usually am), work is... way too busy, and i'm worried about just about everyone (but that is, frankly, a bit of a base state for me); and still i feel good. Happy even. It's kind of a trip, i'll tell you what.

[risu5waffles]

Dev Diary #??

[ed.'s note: due to really bad sound balancing, risuko has chosen to re-pub this one. it ought to be better now]

This isn't so much a current dev diary as a look at some of my old hubs.

i did all of these in the same... i dunno how long it was and i'm not digging out the right notebook from the pile of wrong notebooks... anyways, the same however many weeks sequence that was the unstitched in time bit from the old show. i need you do understand, except for the End of Time hub, which got used twice, i was making a new hub, roughly on par in difficulty, every freaking week. i'm pretty sure this was when honeybunny had moved out, but before we'd actually gotten divorced (that whole story's just messy, so we'll leave it too the side for now); the dates seem roughly right, and i figure that's the only way i would have had the time to devote to it.

i really liked all of these hubs, tho' i feel like the Infernus one is the weakest of the bunch. They were all me trying new things, learning limits, both in-game and personal, and pulling off some cool effects. Buuuuut.... they were all. Such. A. Pain. Just, absolutely miserable to put together and test and retest and fiddle wiv and then test again. Like, once i'd got done wiv the episodes, i pretty much never wanted to use them again. i think Infernus and End of Time showed up in title cards, and i know i tried working Marinara into a functional hub for LittleBite-sizedPlanet, but even for those limited uses, they were just a big ball of no-fun. The faux-LBP level hub... it was so bad.

i don't know how well my explanations in the video come off; they were all recorded under a fair amount of stress, and, like, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night? i needed to get a bunch of stuff deleted off my profile 'cause it'd been on one of those "crash every time you look at it" tears, and i'd been kicking around doing this episode anyway, so, like, ok let's do it sez i. One take quick and dirty for each sequence and then delete the hub. Hopefully the video's a good last show off for them, 'cause they do be gone now.