This is currently a featured map and well-deserves it.
So few maps are really about gameplay. Dota maps are about showing off abilities and effects through an established form, Unit war maps are about narrowing the standard melee game, and TD maps are about unit composition ratios and often garden design. Level Up Bound has taken a simple idea, little more complicated than Frogger, and made a cerebral and challenging 25-stage puzzler.
Despite having to make a frantic dash through explosions, this is not a click fest nor a test of reactions. To succeed, the player needs to identify the explosive patterns and determine the proper path. As a playthrough makes obvious, this is not for the easily frustrated. Despite being so simple, the game has kept this reviewer entertained over at least 7 games, and it's not just because of the difficulty.
The terrain(tiles) are very clean and do not distract from the game. Their appearance (though not custom) is reminiscent of a lot of 'hidden temple' shareware games which fits perfectly with both the mysterious and exigent music and the map's genre. The explosions, too, are of an appropriate size and style that they give the game a clean and professional look: there's no cluttering of the screen nor distraction from the game.
The game just seems planned and honed even now, in its first release (afaik), with very few flaws. This is not a Final Fantasy Epic. This is not a modified melee game. This is the Starcraft toolset being used to make an entertaining puzzler.
Bravo. Since it became featured, 95% of the people that join make comments like "This is stupid" and quit before level 5. Not that you really need more than one other person to complete the game (and I'm sure there are plenty of people who can complete it by themselves), its frightening to see so many people that don't know how to enjoy a simple yet adrenline-pumping game. I usually find myself giving tips to the few players that remain in the game til the end. A lot less people played bounds from SC1 than I had thought.
I'll review this map, for sure. It's one of the few maps on my to-do list that I actually played before going to college, where I have no access to a computer capable of playing SC2. (This will be my last review until the weekend.)
I think you review might be too generous. It's a good concept but suffers from a few issues... first, it's clearly been tuned in single-player mode, and becomes unplayable very quickly as your latency rises. With battle.net's default latency even on a perfect connection your latency is significantly higher than when testing a document from the editor, so there's a valuable lesson here - ALWAYS test on battle.net if latency is going to be a factor.
Second the map suffers from a lack of feedback. When you die sometimes all that happens is your unit disappears without a sound or message or anything. Similarly when the level changes there's no message or sound or anything. It could be that the sounds are drowned out by the explosion sounds.
The select-zerglings minigame can be exploited by clicking randomly everywhere on the screen, I did this every time I played and always got the maximum number of bonus lives. Also, again there's a lack of feedback here, the only notice that you've selected the correct one is a tiny, nearly imperceptible text tag.
It's a good concept but needs more polish. Some extra minigames and perhaps some more mutations on the basic game type would be nice.
I have a nice suggestion for the author also, since now we have the select unit function. Whenever the zergling die and create a new one, immediately select that one for me so I can start right away.
I'm glad you guys liked the map. I loved the original on SC1. I actually haven't been able to make any updates since i left my dvi cable at home before moving to college, but it has finally arrived and my computer is up and running again. I'm open to all the suggestions you guys have.
I actually intended to add multiple minigames, but I had to put SC2 on hold to get adjusted to college. Same goes for the amount of levels. After I get settled in, I'll start adding more to the map.
I have a nice suggestion for the author also, since now we have the select unit function. Whenever the zergling die and create a new one, immediately select that one for me so I can start right away.
I helped Chrinux do a little testing and (he can correct me if I'm speaking out of turn here) that feature was originally in the map but was taken out partly at my suggestion. What can happen sometimes is that the prior level's commands can transfer over to the next level, causing you to run to your death inadvertently. Even removing all actions from the unit's queue can't properly prevent this as well as deselecting the unit can.
The music information is on the loading page. It's called Last Hope by ChaosDragon004. I found it on the newgrounds audio portal.
I'll be sure to add in the defeat screen in this update this weekend.
Regarding the unit selection when a unit respawns, I'll put that in as well. The original problem that Azoth mentioned was that the move queues carried over when a level was finished, but I managed to correct that by having each zergling issued a stop command and then made uncommandable for .2 game-time seconds.
Sorry, but in every game I've been in, no one has complained about the same problem and the same goes with my testers. The game probably isn't suited to your taste. A lot of people quit the game since it's made for a small audience and they don't like playing such genres. Also, you're the first person to mention such a problem and I highly doubt that if it were that obvious, no one would mention it until now. Surely, such a bug would prevent the map from being featured seeing as how the map is dependent on clear distinctions between each tile.
I would love if you could upload a replay so I can see what you're talking about. I've been unable to replicate the problem in any possible way.
Ok this makes more sense after testing it. It looks like its actually people completing the level that makes me think i got killed, Its pretty annoying when my unit just dissapears
This is the real Mp(U). The above post is nonsense. Thanks for the kind compliments about my old, old map. And thanks for bringing it back to life in SC2, Chrinux!
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This is currently a featured map and well-deserves it.
So few maps are really about gameplay. Dota maps are about showing off abilities and effects through an established form, Unit war maps are about narrowing the standard melee game, and TD maps are about unit composition ratios and often garden design. Level Up Bound has taken a simple idea, little more complicated than Frogger, and made a cerebral and challenging 25-stage puzzler.
Despite having to make a frantic dash through explosions, this is not a click fest nor a test of reactions. To succeed, the player needs to identify the explosive patterns and determine the proper path. As a playthrough makes obvious, this is not for the easily frustrated. Despite being so simple, the game has kept this reviewer entertained over at least 7 games, and it's not just because of the difficulty.
The terrain(tiles) are very clean and do not distract from the game. Their appearance (though not custom) is reminiscent of a lot of 'hidden temple' shareware games which fits perfectly with both the mysterious and exigent music and the map's genre. The explosions, too, are of an appropriate size and style that they give the game a clean and professional look: there's no cluttering of the screen nor distraction from the game.
The game just seems planned and honed even now, in its first release (afaik), with very few flaws. This is not a Final Fantasy Epic. This is not a modified melee game. This is the Starcraft toolset being used to make an entertaining puzzler.
9/10
Bravo. Since it became featured, 95% of the people that join make comments like "This is stupid" and quit before level 5. Not that you really need more than one other person to complete the game (and I'm sure there are plenty of people who can complete it by themselves), its frightening to see so many people that don't know how to enjoy a simple yet adrenline-pumping game. I usually find myself giving tips to the few players that remain in the game til the end. A lot less people played bounds from SC1 than I had thought.
I'll review this map, for sure. It's one of the few maps on my to-do list that I actually played before going to college, where I have no access to a computer capable of playing SC2. (This will be my last review until the weekend.)
I think you review might be too generous. It's a good concept but suffers from a few issues... first, it's clearly been tuned in single-player mode, and becomes unplayable very quickly as your latency rises. With battle.net's default latency even on a perfect connection your latency is significantly higher than when testing a document from the editor, so there's a valuable lesson here - ALWAYS test on battle.net if latency is going to be a factor.
Second the map suffers from a lack of feedback. When you die sometimes all that happens is your unit disappears without a sound or message or anything. Similarly when the level changes there's no message or sound or anything. It could be that the sounds are drowned out by the explosion sounds.
The select-zerglings minigame can be exploited by clicking randomly everywhere on the screen, I did this every time I played and always got the maximum number of bonus lives. Also, again there's a lack of feedback here, the only notice that you've selected the correct one is a tiny, nearly imperceptible text tag.
It's a good concept but needs more polish. Some extra minigames and perhaps some more mutations on the basic game type would be nice.
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ModeratorsI really liked Level Up Bound. I used to love that map back in SC1, by Mp(U)... A member of my old clan, ;).
I have a nice suggestion for the author also, since now we have the select unit function. Whenever the zergling die and create a new one, immediately select that one for me so I can start right away.
I'm glad you guys liked the map. I loved the original on SC1. I actually haven't been able to make any updates since i left my dvi cable at home before moving to college, but it has finally arrived and my computer is up and running again. I'm open to all the suggestions you guys have.
I actually intended to add multiple minigames, but I had to put SC2 on hold to get adjusted to college. Same goes for the amount of levels. After I get settled in, I'll start adding more to the map.
Thanks for the feedback.
@Chrinux: Go
It's so hard, I couldn't win any point :(
My suggestion is to add a game over screen when all players get 0 lives.
I helped Chrinux do a little testing and (he can correct me if I'm speaking out of turn here) that feature was originally in the map but was taken out partly at my suggestion. What can happen sometimes is that the prior level's commands can transfer over to the next level, causing you to run to your death inadvertently. Even removing all actions from the unit's queue can't properly prevent this as well as deselecting the unit can.
@AzothHyjal: Go
Then put on a wait or delay before selecting it. You should know your zergling just exploded to not spam move commands right ?
Anyone know what the music which plays in this game is?
The music information is on the loading page. It's called Last Hope by ChaosDragon004. I found it on the newgrounds audio portal.
I'll be sure to add in the defeat screen in this update this weekend.
Regarding the unit selection when a unit respawns, I'll put that in as well. The original problem that Azoth mentioned was that the move queues carried over when a level was finished, but I managed to correct that by having each zergling issued a stop command and then made uncommandable for .2 game-time seconds.
@SouLCarveRR: Go
The explosions can't affect you outside the tile because the killing trigger depends on a region, which matches the tile size exactly.
All of you complaining about random stuff.. has anyone here even played level up bound on brood wars?
This bound is nice, need more levels though. 100ish would be good(like the original one) A bit too easy i think atm.
@SouLCarveRR: Go
Sorry, but in every game I've been in, no one has complained about the same problem and the same goes with my testers. The game probably isn't suited to your taste. A lot of people quit the game since it's made for a small audience and they don't like playing such genres. Also, you're the first person to mention such a problem and I highly doubt that if it were that obvious, no one would mention it until now. Surely, such a bug would prevent the map from being featured seeing as how the map is dependent on clear distinctions between each tile.
I would love if you could upload a replay so I can see what you're talking about. I've been unable to replicate the problem in any possible way.
Ok this makes more sense after testing it. It looks like its actually people completing the level that makes me think i got killed, Its pretty annoying when my unit just dissapears
Thank you for remaking my map, i had been shown this by a friend who came across it and said someone had done it.
Props for the original map made by me and Akira.
Still unable to actually play the map but the feedback makes it sounds like you did it great justice.
For people looking for my original - http://renaka.com/post/2009/05/04/SCMOTD
:) once again thank you.
This is the real Mp(U). The above post is nonsense. Thanks for the kind compliments about my old, old map. And thanks for bringing it back to life in SC2, Chrinux!