JamikKim's Level Pack 2011.04.27

[JamikKim]

http://www.mediafire.com/?rqmj9uu2e3h345w

3.66MB, .rar file

Here's my levels as of today, with best time replays and other replays I thought were amusing. Hope you enjoy them!

In case you are totally new to Elma and this is the first ever level pack you will download, copy all the file out of the "Levels" folder and into the "lev" folder in your ElastoMania. All files from "Replays" go into "rec".

btw, if you can't be bothered getting WinRAR and need a zip file, I'll make one for you...

Comments and suggestions welcome

[Bludek]

You should have put them as battles in EOL and THEN release them as level pack... Never mind now. I go check them.

edit: btw those recs are kinda useless. Most of the users of this forum will very easily make best time in few tries. Just telling you

[Lousku]

SIIIIIIICK!!! You're an artist! =D I'm really enjoying these.

[Lukazz]

in my opinion your levels are really good for a very first level pack! here a few things you could do better:
1. only very little of your levs have multiple styles. most levels have one main polygon or at least one route. what i mean is, that you see how you have to drive when you look at the level for one second. you should try to make your levels more complicated. not in a way, that it requires more driving skills to finish them, but that you have to think a bit, to find the fastest style. the most enjoyable levs are usually those, where not even the designer knows what the fastest style will be. i know this sounds kinda tricky now, but if you keep making levels and play many levs of other people to (you should really play EOL!) you'll be able to do it.
2. some of your levels are very long. these levs may be good for battles in EOL (there is one battle mode called "first finish" where not the fastest time is important, but the player who finishes first wins) but it's not very enjoyable in a levpack. i'd say about 1,5-2 mins should be the maximum for a normal lev.
3. vsync holes: this is hard to explain to a new player. most players, who have played for a while play with vsync off. vsync is a actually a graphics card setting. it's used because with vsync on (which is the default setting) you get 60 FPS (frames per second) usually. with vsync off you can get up to 999 FPS, depending on your computer. the differences aren't noticable for new player, but for someone who has played the game for years it makes really big differences. you get slightly better brake, you can do better bounces and brutals and so on. back to your levels: some of your levels have parts, where you have to drive through holes that are smaller than the wheel. (the start part in your 29th level for example if you don't know what i mean). when you are playing with vsync off you can't drive through these holes like you can with vsync off, so it is forbidden to have vsync spots in battle levs.

oh, and level 13 is missing.

[ROKKEBOL]

SIIIIIIICK!!! You're an artist! =D I'm really enjoying these.

lol yep, second CMc))

[niN]

I played some of your levels and the impression was good I will play some more tonight and give you the whole feedback!

Keep up the good stuff!

EDIT: oh, ye and do you have irc? I'd like to chat some. come to #across on IRCnet and ask for niN. I'll be there tonight around 9 GMT+1

[roope]

Generally nice levs, oldschool feeling to them. I just personally don't like all the hassle and tricking with the graphics: focus a bit more on the playability and less on the graphics o,o

Also, some of the levs are just plain unfinishable due to vsync like lukazz said above, for example. JkBEx07: Excalibur.

[Lukazz]

another point of criticism: some of your ends are very hard (or just annoying). especially when levs are 1 to 2 mins long, that's extremely annoying.

[milagros]

another point of criticism - you should have started 10 years ago

[JamikKim]

Thanks for the feedback - I started playing Elma about 8 years ago, but have been really on/off, only just coming here after a few years off... Most of these levels were in fact created a while ago.

Re: vsync: I didn't know that vsync off stopped you going through thin spaces - I thought those things were amusing, and a great way to get extra speed up certain hills (i.e. Jmk27). Level 29 is not finished, if you can get the flower, then well done!

Re: driving style: I was beginning to notice that I didn't have any "island" levels or labyrinth type levels etc., definitely something to consider.

Re: Length: I have this urge to exploit things in games, which is why there are some levels that are so big they only fit in ALE, or have 5125 vertices, which can't be saved without topo err. in normal editor. And hence the wheels squeeze bits.

Re: Hard endings: please list these levels so I know what not to do in the future

Re: 10 years ago: I didn't even know about Elma then, and besides, I sucked at games back then! (As in, if I did play Elma I couldn't finish half the levels )



OK, a few other things:

- How do I turn on/off vsync?
- Does anyone know roughly how much data is used for an hour of normal EOL? I assume it isn't that much.
- There is no level 13, all levels that aren't Jmk are more like "bonus" levels, which is why there are some crap ones like the freefall one. The "real" bonus levels are JkB prefix.
- I don't have the time to spend creating such pretty graphics with the vertices anymore, so something in your favour
- I have to get the internet set up on my own computer before I can do any multi, so, trying to look for something that is less than $20/month for more than 200MB of data, is slightly difficult to find. (Hate these time limit things)
- If you have any best times, please do share them, as I would be interested in seeing how you guys drive

[Kopaka]

You can turn vsync off in eolconf.exe ('force vsync off' box) if you have eol (if not get here http://beta.elmaonline.net/?s=help) and you can read more about vsync and fps here http://zworqy.com/elmawiki/index.php/Tuning

It should take quite little data yes, mostly depends on how many levels and replays you download through it I guess. But if you're still worried you can just check the 'play offline' box in eolconf, so you still have the new features like vsync off.

[Lousku]

Shit recs =D Got many better runs but I always die like an idiot.

Both of these levels have the sort of ending Lukazz was talking about.

[Lukazz]

here are a some of my recs

[JamikKim]

[quote="Lousku"]Shit recs =D Got many better runs but I always die like an idiot.
quote]

You were expecting more from a 1hr TT Kuski?

Thanks for those replays; also,, I found out how to have vsync off in my graphics card settings, and it makes a difference! Now I have to learn how to use it properly... :


Example: With vsync on (Jamik34c), I could never get the first part of Internal 34 right, now get it right every time in Jamik34d. I always wondered why the WR replays I have looked so smooth, now I know why!

[Lousku]

Shit recs =D Got many better runs but I always die like an idiot.

You were expecting more from a 1hr TT Kuski?

I meant my own recs. If they don't seem shit to you, you'll need to join EOL, start playing battles and see that players with actual skills would make near-perfect runs in these levels in maybe 20 minutes.

I really hope you do start playing EOL and making battles. Play others' battles, see what they've done and develop your own style. Ez GAA 2011 Rookie, Designer & Art. BTW, keep these points in mind: http://zworqy.com/elmawiki/index.php/Le ... _Etiquette, they'll come naturally after a while.

[Kopaka]

- If you have any best times, please do share them, as I would be interested in seeing how you guys drive

People have been playing them online, so you can see the times on eol site by searching here http://beta.elmaonline.net/?s=stats&p=level for example http://beta.elmaonline.net/?s=stats&p=level&l=89452

If you want you can create a levelpack there with your levs so you can see them together and tt ect. http://beta.elmaonline.net/?s=stats&p=levelpack

[JamikKim]

Shit recs =D Got many better runs but I always die like an idiot.

You were expecting more from a 1hr TT Kuski?

I meant my own recs. If they don't seem shit to you, you'll need to join EOL, start playing battles and see that players with actual skills would make near-perfect runs in these levels in maybe 20 minutes.

I really hope you do start playing EOL and making battles. Play others' battles, see what they've done and develop your own style. Ez GAA 2011 Rookie, Designer & Art. BTW, keep these points in mind: http://zworqy.com/elmawiki/index.php/Le ... _Etiquette, they'll come naturally after a while.

Ok so I actually beat Lukazz's time in one of my own levs after many tries, L probably did that in the first try...And, all that changing direction (both of you guys who sent me recs), I guess it works when you do it right, but sometimes it seems like wtf? style I'll have to learn reflexes

About EOL - what do I put in the team name? And I can't find the D/L. Maybe I have to register first.

Also, "exploiting bugs" in the rules - you can't accidentally exploit these I hope...

Ez GAA 2011 Rookie, Designer & Art <-- Looks like I need to play EOL to find out what these are?

[Igge]

Ok so I actually beat Lukazz's time in one of my own levs :D after many tries, L probably did that in the first try...And, all that changing direction (both of you guys who sent me recs), I guess it works when you do it right, but sometimes it seems like wtf? style :wink: I'll have to learn reflexes

Nicely done. 1.1x.xx is actually a pretty damn decent time on that level; I got 1.03.96 as my second finish. To be perfectly honest though, people won't be willing to spend much time trying to improve on this level. These days pros want technical levels with many routes and special tricks such as bounces and brutal volts (*). Just driving in a straight line back and forth is pretty boring, and when the ground is dented like in this level it just tends to become annoying. Of course there's no way for you to know this in advance, and if you like levels like this one, then by all means keep making them.

I also have to say your visual style is quite stunning. I like it when someone puts that kind of effort into a level. The red "mushrooms" really caught my eye as they are a brilliant usage of pictures.

About changing the direction quickly and immediately switching back (i suppose that's what you mean): If you throttle while perfectly still in the air you'll notice you start rotating. This phenomenon is applicable while being on the ground as well, when driving on one wheel. If you are on your way to fall backwards while on one wheel, turning quickly and gassing will give your front wheel some extra force downwards, which will keep you from falling over.

About EOL - what do I put in the team name? And I can't find the D/L. Maybe I have to register first.

If you have no team (which I assume you don't since you just joined the scene), you can leave it empty for now. I think there is some dl link hidden somewhere, but whatever. I'll just upload a rar with the EOL folder instead. You can find it here.

Also, "exploiting bugs" in the rules - you can't accidentally exploit these I hope...

Hm. There is basically no way to purposely exploit a bug. However, sometimes bugs will occur, but if you finish a bugged run you should just ignore the time you get, however good. The chances of getting one of these "illegal" bugs that works in your favor is extremely slim though. The most common one is called a "bug bounce", which is a bounce that gives you abnormally much speed. I'll attach a rec showing one. You shouldn't worry about this though.

Ez GAA 2011 Rookie, Designer & Art <-- Looks like I need to play EOL to find out what these are?

The GAA, or the Golden apple Awards, is an annual gala where we award the achievements of the past year. There are several categories, among them there is a reward for being the best Rookie (joined the scene recently), the best Designer (makes the best levels overall), and the best Art (can be anything from levels to videos to music etc).

The GAAs are held at the end of the year, and if you stick around and keep making levels like these, i promise you you will get nominated for Rookie at least. :)