Mega Man Level Project - Clockwork Canyon

 Clockwork Canyon v.1 Feedback - 3/6/2023

        Moving forward in our level design journey, we now venture into the realm of 2D platformer design. Our medium for this creative exercise is a community-driven application called Mega Man Maker. As the name suggests, Mega Man Maker allows users to create their own custom Mega Man levels using recreated assets from a number of entries in the series. Though I had yet to play much of any Mega Man game, I was nonetheless hyped to finally dive into some true video game and level design.

        Our prompt for this exercise was to create a Western-inspired introductory level to teach new players the dos and don'ts of Mega Man using a limited assortment of enemies and mechanics. Assuming many people would think of making a cowboy desert town, I decided to take the aesthetic, spice it up with the techno/sci fi design of Mega Man, and drop it in a ravine- as inspired by the Call of Duty Zombies map, Buried. The result: Clockwork Canyon.

        With Clockwork Canyon, I tried to create an intriguing environment with a brisk pace and engaging use of enemies. Among my five playtests, only one player was unable to complete the level within 10 minutes. The first difficulty with my design was finding natural and efficient ways to guide the player through the level. I first present them with an enclosed space with the only way to go being downward. Despite my expectations of the path down being clear and obvious, it amazed me that every playtester was so conditioned by the left-to-right gameplay of 2D platformers, that every one of them started by running into the right wall. Although this player to level interaction would be undesirable anywhere else in the level, I feel this introduction does a good job to establish the vertical layout of the level and convince the player to trust me as the designer by taking a plunge into the unknown.

        This same strength becomes a detriment in the next room as an oddly textured wall convinced several playtesters that the unusual barrier withheld a secret, though this was simply an oversight of visual cohesion on my behalf. These blocks even blend with the background, furthering the notion of it being a passage. In the next iteration, this wall's unmoving presence will be made much clearer.

        The next hiccup posed a glaring issue. When I published the level, I had set the corner barriers to be rigid, preventing the enemies from their respective cells to spawn and attack, but to my surprise, the barriers were marked as dynamic, allowing mid-level enemies to absolutely decimate the player early in the level. This is definitely an issue I will look into for Version 2.

        The following room included a 'mining' section utilizing the breakable blocks introduced earlier in the map. I thought the addition of spikes would make the room feel cheap, but no testers died to them and one player noted that their presence added an element of excitement to the otherwise boring level. The effectiveness of the illusion of danger is duly noted for future designs.

        After the sandtrap came a short descent into my attempt at a chase sequence. Though the drill would deal very little damage if hit, its nearing presence and pointy demeanor was able to get an expletive from two of my five playtesters. Only one player tried attacking the drill, so the 4:1 rate on my intended interaction bodes well for the section. Either way, even if the effect fails to build dramatic energy, players who attempt to attack will not be unreasonably punished for their interactions with the drill. One of my playtesters claimed to enjoy the chase sequence, though I wish Mega Man's mechanics lent themselves to better flesh out the sequence.

        Throughout my level, there are several instances of the barrel enemy. Not once did any of the five players enjoy their encounter with them. Almost all of them will be removed from the next iteration of the map. The removal of this barrel enemy in the next room will greatly improve the gameplay experience here.

        After a brief flying platform section, the player encounters a fork in the road, allowing them to choose one of two paths, both leading to the final room. Going up would lead them through a densely packed saloon of unsavory individuals while the rightward route takes them on a quick trip through a hectic logistics annex. Three out of five players were aware of the choice and those unaware all chose the right path- likely a result of previous platformer conditioning. Next time, I'd like to find a better way to convey the choice. As for the paths, both are way too tough and killed the players several times over. I'm removing a good chunk of the enemies for the next iteration.

        Lastly, our players face off two bouncing enemies in the final room. There is simply too much visual clutter here, the second enemy makes the platforming next to impossible, and the distance between the platforms means every jump must be almost perfect to successfully escape. All this culminates in a level well beyond introductory difficulty. All these issues should be resolved in the next iteration.

Thank you for following my process!