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Little Big Planet

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Little Big Planet. This small bag of wonder, coming out in a few weeks. It's so cute it hurts my eyes, yet so lovable that I don't want to stop hugging it with astral arms. We've been playing the beta for a while now, dreaming about release - it is one of those games that just can't be released soon enough, since the beta will end fairly soon and I hate the limbo that it is hanging in right now.

I have given building my own levels a go, but so far I can't say that I have done a very good job at it - my experiment at building a giant squid with waving tentacles didn't go too well and my first try at creating a virtual insane asylum didn't really work out either. But despite sucking at level building myself, I thought I'd share some thoughts on a couple of points that prospective, and current, level builders should think about. This list is all based on many hours online, checking out what other people have done and indulging in my latest fetish - collecting community created objects.

Anyway, here goes...

- Less is more. Choose a couple of materials, perhaps as few as two and three, and stick with them. Don't go crazy and try to include all materials in one level. It's distracting.

- Try out your own jumps. Over and over again, if need be. Only a few pixels can ruin a whole sequence of well-timed jumps. You can make things hard, of course, but make sure that someone that's really good at platformers doesn't feel cheated by the fact that you made a particular object too high or too far away.

- Make sure your level is never frustrating. This includes making sure that the player never gets stuck and have to press the "try again"- or "restart level"-buttons. If the level doesn't have a really interesting concept, if I get stuck at some point I am more inclined to return to my pod than restart your level. Remember, there are currently hundreds of levels to try out - if I am annoyed by something, it's so easy for me to just give up and move on. I will have forgotten about your level in a few minutes and I won't put a heart on it.

- Don't make stuff break without a reason. I know, the dynamite is a lot of fun to play with and shocking the player with blowing up what they thought would be a rocket ride can be hilarious. Trust me, it isn't - at least not for me. Make sure that if you are going to make something break, or explode, it does so for a reason, that it brings the level forward. Otherwise, skip it completely.

- Checkpoints, checkpoints, checkpoints. Place them fairly close to each other. Not after every jump, of course, but do not place them too separate from each other. If you have a hard passage, make sure that there's a checkpoint right before it starts, so that if I die I won't end up far away from where I was. It's annoying, which brings me back to the point about having thousands of other levels to try out...

- Gifts for everyone! If I've played through a really hard level, I love being awarded. Even though most of the stuff I've collected is crap and I'll probably never use it in a level I make myself, I love seeing the "new object"-icon pop up over my head or see that I get something from finishing the level without dying. Don't include your objects in every level you do, especially not short or easy levels, but if completing your level is a challenge, the joy of collecting that reward at the end can really make your level stick in my mind.

There, six points that I think makes for a better Little Big Planet-level. If you got anything to add, or don't agree with me, feel free to leave a comment below. If you're not in the beta, I pity you. Don't worry, release is soon upon us and we can shower each other will ill-concieved levels. My squid shall conquer the world!

(No, it's not my squid on the picture above. I wish it was, though.)

Little Big Planet

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