The first (very early) preview of what I hope will become a massive level pack is now available for testing. You cen get the files below:

RAR part 1 RAR part 2

There should be a ZIP version of the archive soon.


To note:

!wanderlust.j2l is a readme level. It is also the only level that will appear on your home cooked levels list.

Level 1 is complete, but I am looking for comments, suggestions, and bugs.
Level 2 is in very VERY early stages. Comments welcome.


In regards to level 1, I am especially interested in any problems with layer scrolling or other eyecandy issues. The textured background should be scrolling LEFT. I am also interested in comments about the difficulty settings

Let the testing being! Post your findings here in this thread

I find one problem with the sea of flames level is that it does not actually force you to run much. I found I spend a lot of the time moving carefully. Plus the ground is bland. The second tileset, however, looks nifty. Good job so far, however!

Originally posted by Iam Canadian
I just completed DSM 01.j2l (what I assume is the first level) and...wow. The eyecandy is great, and there are lots of little secrets. My only complaints are there are too many fastfires and some of the floating platforms look out of place. I'm partway through DSM 02.j2l. I love the lava wall effect and layer 8. Unfortunately, some platforms in the BG layers look like they belong on layer 4, and are confusing. I'll edit this post when I finish the levels. Oh, and I assume the second level isn't finished, as it cuts off suddenly. Now to test the third level in the RAR file...
EDIT: Okay, upon playing, I learned "!Wanderlust.j2l" was just a readme level. I did like the readme tileset though. Excellent first level and tileset. I look forward to seeing this pack progress...

You may be right about the fastfires, but that's why I hid them all. The background platforms in level 2 are supposed to look like more distant areas made of the same type of stone as layer 4. I'll see what I can do about making that more obvious. Level 2 is definately very unfinished.

Thanks for the feedback!

Oh, and for a suggestion, I think you should make the lava instant kill. It has been done before, and it makes falling off more dangerous than before and makes the level more interesting.

Originally Posted by RSPSS FR

I find one problem with the sea of flames level is that it does not actually force you to run much. I found I spend a lot of the time moving carefully.

Unfortunately, with the enemies available in Jazz2, it's very difficult to force players to run without tons of poles and horizontal springs, short of filling the level with collapsing blocks, speed destruct blocks, and jumps that requre a lot of speed... and I have already done some of each

Running is encouraged, and most of the first level is definately designed for it (except for the couple of tricky platforming sections), but I can't really force it

Plus the ground is bland.

Sorry :\

Originally Posted by RSPSS FR

Oh, and for a suggestion, I think you should make the lava instant kill. It has been done before, and it makes falling off more dangerous than before and makes the level more interesting.

If I had fewer places to fall in, I might do that... except that I don't know how. Is there an article explaining how to make instant kill tiles?

No, but there are two people I can think of who have used it in a level- BlurredD and Strato. Strato used it in this pack- http://www.jazz2online.com/downloads...p?levelid=2725
I forgot where BlurredD used it.

Having the player get and return a CTF flag under layer 3 generally works nicely, although there may be a better way.

Originally Posted by Flamepanther

but I can't really force it

What about a huge swarm of witches or another annoying enemy or lots of collapse scenery? I know there's some trick with belts that can make scenery collapse faster than normal, like four blocks at a time.

Originally Posted by Radium

What about a huge swarm of witches or another annoying enemy or lots of collapse scenery? I know there's some trick with belts that can make scenery collapse faster than normal, like four blocks at a time.

I HATE witches!

Originally Posted by BlurredD

I would say everything in the Sea of Flames tileset looks awesome, except for the tiles that replaced the castle ones which I still don't like. Those tiles do look a little better than before, but they don't really fit in and could still look a lot better.

I'm afraid that's as good as they're going to get.

The textured background in 8-bit could've had a better palette, but it looks fine in 16-bit.

I've noticed that, but at least it works. I could try to improve it if too many people complain.

But I have to say, the tileset does look a lot better in action.

Doesn't it?

As for the Burning Cavern set, I liked that a lot as well, although the foreground that scrolled across the screen was a little irritating.

I was afraid of that. The level and tiles are still under heavy construction, so we'll see what happens to that.

Originally Posted by Radium

I know there's some trick with belts that can make scenery collapse faster than normal, like four blocks at a time.

More like thirty one blocks at a time.

Originally Posted by Unknown Rabbit

More like thirty one blocks at a time.

It used triggers? Hm, I'd forgotten how it worked. I'm just saying how if blocks collapsed quickly you'd have to run, and four at a time seemed... quickly.

Actually to preform the insta kill trick you need to make the player be hurt at the exact moment (s)he scores a point, usually executed with a spike boll, but possible with enemies or hurt events. Maybe possible.

---(BB)S
       |
     (RB)

BB = Blue Base
S = Spike
RB = Red Base
- = Sucker tubes.

Here's how to make instant kill tiles. It's actually very easy. Put a row of CTF bases (parameter 0.) Then, put a row of CTF bases parameter 1. The player will die. Of course, you'll want to cover it up with foreground layers.
EDIT: Whoops, got beaten to it. Dang.

Does everyone think insta-kill lava is a good idea? I could try it out on the next test release to see how it goes.

I assumed it was insta-kill. Having it any other way seems kind of messed up.

If it will be ready totally, will it be uploaded to J2Online?

oh btw, for the instant death:
http://www.jazz2online.com/jcf/showp...41&postcount=9
http://www.jazz2online.com/jcf/showt...=Instant+Death

I havent read the full thread yet, your problem may be solved already :P

OK, I played the first level :P

It generally looks nice, but here and there tiles are out of place and I don't like those hovering foreground lavafalls. I mean, real water/lavafalls don't move around constantly either. I think a instant-kill lava would be better too. The big fireballs seem to move a bit slowly, but that's probably because you wouldn't be able to pass them otherwise.
The level seems to be quite jazz-biased: it gets way easier when you have the posession of your uppercut (kill all those sparks with one move when they're all at the same place next to you) and helicopter ears (simply fly over those big lava pits). You might want to add a few invisible masks or winds to stop a Jazz-using player from doing this. Also, those sparks come out of the lava without any warning, which is quite unfair. You should always have a way to spot the danger and avoid or destroy it. One last thing: the blaster powerup at the start. I think you should put it in another place, because all thos ravens and sparks are way easier to kill with a poweredup blaster; Maybe put it in a secret area or something, it's way to easy to get it now.
The readme level sucks, but I've never liked readme levels, I prefer fancy html readmes >)

Or make the level a spaz-only with one of those kick-ove-the-sucker-tube things.

Originally Posted by Radium

Or make the level a spaz-only with one of those kick-the-sucker-tube-wall things.

But then it would be spaz-biased! And bad for Jazz players!

Originally Posted by Agent Cooba

If it will be ready totally, will it be uploaded to J2Online?

Yes... in a very long time.

Re Jazz vs Spazz issues:
The Launcher powerup is easier for Spazz to get. He'll probably get more balanced attention over the course of the pack. I've already made the level less helicopter-friendly than previous versions, but I might add some more flying enemies to give Jazz a hard time.

Re insta-kill lava:
It occurs to me that I can't do this without messing up certain things, which brings me to...

Sparks in the lava:
They stay. If you don't dawdle around, you won't ever have to deal with them

Those things in the foreground aren't "lava falls". If you'll notice, they're flowing upward, and the wandering fire storm pillars in the background are a shrunken version of the same graphic...

Originally Posted by Flamepanther

Sparks in the lava:
They stay. If you don't dawdle around, you won't ever have to deal with them

Actually, you are more likely to hit them if you are running around quickly, since you have less time to react and if you dawdle around you can easily grasp their pattern.

If you run right past them, they don't have time to come out.

Blaster powerup:
I put that there so that the player can do more running in the level, with less need to stop while shooting, but I suppose it's not necessary to have both the Blaster powerup and the fastfires. I could limit one or the other to easy mode.

Quick question. Why's it called "Wanderlust"? Dictionary.com defines the term as a "very strong or irresistible impulse to travel", which I don't think fits a bunch of lava levels. Are there going to be other enviornments in the pack?

Originally Posted by Iam Canadian

Quick question. Why's it called "Wanderlust"? Dictionary.com defines the term as a "very strong or irresistible impulse to travel", which I don't think fits a bunch of lava levels. Are there going to be other enviornments in the pack?

Many other environments...

Ah. That makes sense.

Originally Posted by Flamepanther

Yes... in a very long time.

OK. I'll wait for that or, at least, at ZIP archive here. The RAR seems to be corrupt.

Originally Posted by Agent Cooba

OK. I'll wait for that or, at least, at ZIP archive here. The RAR seems to be corrupt.

The RAR is not corrupt. It is a multi-part archive. You have to load both files as one archive to decompress them.