This image makes no sense without an explanation, but I'm writing up how the level will go and will post it soon.
Also, here's like...6 seconds of a song that I think would go well with the sky level.
Edit: HERE.
Here's a level mockup that makes no sense without an explanation. First, an overview of level gimmicks used, with the laws of real world physics handled liberally:
1) Spring: Everyone knows what springs do! When Heavy Bertin uses a spring, he goes higher than Light Bertin. Represented on the mockup with a black circle.
2) Beehives: When Heavy Bertin runs fast enough, the ground shakes and he knocks over a beehive, causing angry bees to chase him. The bees only dissapear after Bertin has been stung, when he dives into honey, or runs into a flower. Depicted as yellow circles on the mockup.
3) Honey: Honey has a few different affects depending on location and whether or not the forest has been lit on fire. If the honey is on the hill, it flows, and Light Bertin will be carried by the current similar to how Bubsy is moved by water slides; Heavy Bertin can plow through it unphased. If the honey is on a wall or another even surface, Light Bertin will stick to it and be able to walk anywhere on that surface, including up walls; Heavy Bertin just falls. Both types of Honey are shown as lines of yellow.
4) Stretchy sapling: There's only one of these in the level, serving as a cannon of sorts. that launches Bertin regardless of weight. Heavy Bertin flies in a straight path, destroying all obstacles in his way, while Light Bertin flies in a higher arc. It's pretty obvious what this is on the map.
5) Switch: The switch in this level can only be activated by Heavy Bertin.
6) Trees: Impassable obstacles that need to be destroyed; if he's running full speed down a hill, Heavy Bertin can just crash through them, but Light Bertin needs to find other ways. If a tree has a platform on it, that platform will fall down with the tree. Another gimmick that's pretty obvious when you see it.
7) Flower: If Bertin manages to have the bees pollinate the flower, he can use it to fly. When it touches honey, he falls to the ground. You'll know what the flower is, too.
8) Axe: When Bertin attacks the axe, it will destroy all trees and enemies in its path.
9) Giant Beehive: If the Giant beehive is hit, it will roll and kill basically everything before getting wedged between two platforms and getting honey everywhere. If it is not hit, it can be entered to get *great items*. Marked as "a beehive with stuff in it" in the level concept.
10) Vine: Light Bertin can swing the vine to the goalpost and look pretty awesome doing it. Heavy Bertin can *try*, but the vine will snap. Indicated by a vine-looking whatsit.
11) Beartraps: Comparable to spikes from Sonic, only because whoever created them wasn't very skilled at metallurgy or engineering, they only go off and do damage when Heavy Bertin steps on them, or if Light Bertin stays on one for too long. My beartraps are hideous, but they're still recognisable as beartraps so ok! Awesome.
12) Honey Tobaggon: Just like a homemade slip 'n' slide, but with no shampoo or tarp. This isn't on the map at all, because drawing it in would be impossible.
Gimmicks I wanted to include but didn't for one reason or another:
1) Light Bertin can climb trees: This just wouldn't work with that level setup, maybe another level could use that well.
2) Only Light Bertin can platform on the upper path's canopy: for reasons that should be obvious after the image is posted, I couldn't do this without a serious reworking of the level.
3) Scales: Scale-related puzzles shouldn't be in a level like this, since they stand out.
4) Rainstick: I wanted to have a rainstick in an area only Light Bertin could access that would summon a storm and coat the whole level in faster-than-normal honey, but that seemed too contrived so I dropped it.
6) Bee Exploitation: Using bees to coat platforms/slopes with honey sounded like a cool idea, maybe one that should be used in the other honey hills level. But not this one since I couldn't make room for it.
7) Duel Katana Wielding, Sniper Rifle: I tried man, I tried.
Here's how the level flows, with the main paths outlined in sequence:
(1) Heavy Bertin can reach the higher platform by using this spring to get some goodies, while Light Bertin gets a slightly lower route (2). The tradeoff is that Heavy Bertin can't continue on the string of platforms (3) and reach the sapling like Light Bertin can (9). There will be a way to change forms from 3-9, so that the sapling will launch Bertin two different ways depending on his weight. This is a major diversion, and as such Bertin's paths will be seperated by weight.
*Heavy Bertin*
Heavy Bertin crashes through the trees and *wrecks* them before a cushy landing on a canopy that causes LOTS OF BEEHIVES to fall. Bees chase Bertin to the Giant Beehive, but then sort of lose interest. There are items in the giant beehive so it's not a total waste of time, and Heavy Bertin can just jump back onto the canopy. At (19), Bertin can attempt a difficult jump to vault over an overhang of shrubbery and get...something for the effort. From there, it's a short walk to the goalpost.
*Light Bertin*
Light Bertin slams into the first tree and is knocked down, causing the rest of the trees to fall like dominos and croquet the giant beehive down the hill and up the ramp (14), bridging the gap between the two ramps and felling every tree in the area before seconds later breaking apart and falling into the area below; this whole time, it's leaking honey. If the player is quick, they can hop onto a tree that's been knocked down and use it as a toboggan; this ride will carry them to the fine, which they'll use to swing to the exit, barely avoiding getting clipped by enemies. Otherwise, they'll need to progress through the bottom section, either going onto the platforms or taking their chances crossing the bear traps for goodies (17), eventually reaching a spring that sends them up and lets them walk to the exit.
*or*
Continuing from (1)...oh no, a beehive! Heavy Bertin has to RUN FOR COVER and reach the honey on the slope or pool beneath it, or take damage. Light Bertin can just sort of chill. At (5), Heavy Bertin can choose to climb up the hill of honey or enter an enclave, but Light Bertin is relegated to taking the lower path.
*Heavy Bertin*
Once he clears the hill of honey, Heavy Bertin comes to a line of trees...and an alluring switch (11). When he jumps on the switch, the whole forest catches on fire...as previously noted, only Heavy Bertin can start forest fires. All the trees and beehives are fried, and the honey crystalises over the gap to form solid, though slippery, platforms. Sucking at platforming brings you to the area around (17); otherwise it's a straightforward treck.
*Light Bertin/Heavy Bertin entering the alcove*
If Heavy Bertin is careless, he'll fall through a pit concealed by plants and miss out on some solid items (6). Light Bertin, meanwhile, is dragged onto a honey slide and forced to follow its path (7). An enterprising Heavy Bertin can make the jump at (7), and reach a concealed alcove with things worth getting, using the spring at (8) to return to the honey slide (or alternatively jump to their death at the pit marked "warning! do not jump here because this is a bottomless pit"). A Heavy Bertin reaching (10) will be able to pollinate a flower and use it to fly, fly, fly! until he gets below the giant honey hive and is grounded. Instead of flying, Light Bertin has to scale a few honeyed walls, though this is not without its rewards because at (12) there's an item in a small tree that only he can enter. At (13), Heavy Bertin needs to jump down and plow through some trees, getting the items on top if he's patient enough to wait; Light Bertin needs to jump back and forth between some sticky platforms, sometimes even upside down (blame Galaxy for the idea), before reaching an axe that he must attack to destroy nature. Like Heavy Bertin, he can wait for the items on the tops of those trees to fall. Then things happen and you reach the goalpost.
Comments?
