time = T
points = P
score = (200-T)+P
The scoring is completely linear. Therefor, I can make and test parts of the level separately and as long as they are balanced the the whole level should be balanced (as long as there are no ways to jump into or out of a section half way though). Because of this, I was able to test more efficiently, only playing a small part at a time and I could really push various routes to get the highest possible score.
Once all the sections were complete and balanced, I tested the level as a whole and my method held up. The whole level was balanced.
I tried to make the level as interesting as possible for all perks so, for the best scores, players will have to be creative with their routing.
I included 2 different routes for the double jump perk which are both equally balanced so the player has more choice with how they approach the level.
The best scores also require the player to pull off a variety of tricky maneuvers so players will feel a sense of improvement as they start to get a hang of them.
The top score with any perk is 191. I tested the level with my friends and as long as they cannot beat 191 with any perk, the level SHOULD be balanced. No one got lost or asked me where to go so I think the level is readable.
I wanted the level to be fun even for less skilled players so even if you miss a tricky jump, there's always an easy way around it. Because of this, the level also works as a race vs other players if the game was redesigned to include this.
I made a couple of modifications to the code to aid the testing of the level:
(I didn't change any core mechanics)
- The player can quickly restart a run by pressing 'R'. This was to make it as easy as possible to try again if any testers messed up a run whilst trying to get a top score.
- The gems make a sound when they're picked up. This was because some gems are quicker to collect if the player jumps backwards into them and in testing we found that sometimes it was ambiguous to whether you collected it or not. The sound lets players know that they got the gem without them having to keep track of the score too closely.
My level is a little bit on the short side (takes just over 1 minute for a first run) but I make up for that with interesting routing and ways of moving around the space, alternate routes and strong balancing. Each perk requires a different approach to running the level.
