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Apr 5, 2005, 11:55 PM
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I've come to several conclusions from the past so I'll just share them (assuming any of this makes sense--I should be sleeping now).

Players like levels they know they can win in. It's pretty obvious, but no one really thinks about this factor, nor do they really have to, while making a new level. To find out how well you can do in a level encompasses the process of becoming more familiar with it. And a player can often be hestitant to go through the hassle of learning a new level, especially when it has to be done in a short amount of time. To overcome that obstacle, a player has to be able to find some unique strategy in that level to his or her gain. If someone thinks he/she can get a certain advantage in a level, that person will want to play in that level more often--even if the event placement isn't that great, the eye candy is subpar, and the gameplay is lacking. This all happens without much thought in the process.

Another factor as to why a level might become popular is how organized it is. Good organization of events and passageways gives players a good sense of where to go and what to do right from the start. This can naturally be best seen in team games like JB and CTF. Each player has the objective to get ammo, get powerups, reach the enemy's base, take carrots, and move around as quickly as possible. A clear balanced layout with just the right amount of routes from base to base eases the pain of learning an entirely new level, plus it allows players to focus more on defeating the other team. Furthermore, organized layouts helps players to predict what others are trying to do and to possibly counteract them. This, as you probably already know, is often the key to victory. Also, if the events are spread out adequately across a level, it forces players to keep moving, making camping unwise. Movement means more action, tactics, and fun by all. And no one likes a camper anyway. Levels that accomplish all of this tend to be hosted frequently.

Personally, when I make a level, I try to place ammo and other events where they are particularly useful, and I usually avoid mixing two types of ammo together. This way players are forced to take certain routes to get what they need, allowing for more predictability and strategies and such.

With all that being said, let me now "try" to answer FS's last question. I wouldn't say frustration adds to the fun directly. I see obstacles in a level as something exploitable assuming you don't get entangled by it yourself. This is why people both hate and adore things like a powerup in a dead end. If you can get away with it, it's fine, but you'll want to take out anyone who falls prey to the trap. Anything potentially frustration could be the deciding point for whether something is overhosted or never hosted again (See Happy Semiconductor CTF). But if it's something small and fairly ignorable, it's not going to change the people's opinion on the level that much in the long run.

By the way, if you read all of this, I commend you.

Edit: So much for getting the first reply. This could be an especially interesting thread.
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Last edited by blurredd; Apr 6, 2005 at 12:11 AM.