World Theming

[Lupo]

Ahoy,

I suppose it goes without saying that the worlds of a game make a big part of it, it they are boring, chances are the game will be boring too, I suppose that is why we loves themes so much. One thing I loved about the Rare 3D Platforming Trio( BK, BT and DK64) was how unique the levels were. Sure they had some generic levels to start with, but then they hit some new ground. Like who would've come up with a ship in polluted water, a forest where the theme changes, a gritty corporation, a land above the clouds and more. They are just so unique and interesting. Which brings me to the topic at hand. What ideas do you have for different worlds? What theming would you include if it were your game?

Personally, I would love a gritty rainforest type level. Maybe not gritty, but not bright and vibrant, think Fungi Forest at night or A Walk in the Park (here's A Walk in the Park for those who do not know, please excuse poor commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9fHmmI-co4 )

I also want to see a return of dynamic worlds which constantly change, similar to Click Clock Wood and Fungi Forest (more night/day cycles haha)

What would you want?
Leon

[Taylor]

I remember reading an old Rare interview that claimed the levels in Kazooie were first picked from a generic theme, such as 'Christmas/Snow', and then filled with every generic thing you can imagine (Christmas tree, snowman, igloo etc.) until finally being injected with the oddball humour. Not sure if this is the same approach Playtonic will take, but if it's worked before, it should work again!

I think a night-time level as you suggest would be pretty cool. I remember being pleasantly surprised to see a dark sky at the end of Kazooie -- there were no levels set at night, so it added some nice variation.

I like magical-type levels. Click Clock Wood/Cloud Cuckooland were amazing last levels in the Banjo games -- I hope something equally as magical appears at the end of Ukulele.

[Lupo]

[Lazicful]

Variety! That's what we need!

Take a template.
Village.
Add some flavour.
Graveyard.
And then add some finishing touches.
High pitches.

The Japanese playtesters will love the worlds!

[Alucard]

How about a world in which the characters are as big as a mice and travel trough a giant bathroom with a giant bathtub which have pipes which are connectet with a sink, a washing machine and a toilet and the player must dive and travel through those pipes (like in clankers cavern) to reach those other areas ... and the world is inhabitet by rubber ducks and soap with google eyes.I could imagine a world like this could a spiritual successor to clankers cavern. It would have some water diving parts but mostly platforming parts that required some skills (click clock wood like). If this idea could be made by the playtonic team I could imagine it would really fit in a banjo kazzoie spiritual successor and would be also an very creative and unique world. The worlds name could be like "Bathtub Pipe Maze" which sounds really like a bk world. The bathtub could be like public swimming pool for the rubber ducks which are getting in trouble with the soap guys because they are getting burning eyes through the soup and the ukulele main characters need to do tasks for both of them or maybe the soap guys could be the baddys in this world.

[Lupo]

[Trixcalechat]

A world based on an amusement park would be awesome !

[Lazicful]

LEVEL ORDER
1. Forest Path Way
2. Water Ocean Sea
3. Scary Death Mountain Cave
4. Cold Ice Land
5. Bathtub Pipe Maze
6. Final Lava World

And then you fight the final boss, Big Bad Villain!

[Alucard]

A world which is a construction site with a tall skyscraper framework made of red steel beams and the player must climb up to the top and on top is an angry ape which throws crates on the player to keep him away to reach the top and get a pagie. Also a spiritual reference to the first Donkey Kong game. And I really loved the worlds where the player needs to climb up on top of the world like in clock clock wood, terydactyland or grunty industrys.

[Lazicful]

[Pgcrooner]

I mentioned in another thread if they had a world that was an homage to 3D platforming's roots. It would be cool if there was a world made of 64 bit graphics. Even better is if the two look like they were n64 characters for the duration of being in that world.

[Alucard]

[Nomonoke]

Gosh, I loved Hailfire Peaks in BT. And I'm not saying a level exactly like it, but levels that maybe have opposite themes meshed together really interests me.

I trust the developers a lot and I'd be cool with anything they make. Level ideas aren't my strong point.

[Viellain]

Freezezy Peak was just absolutely great. The color selection for the stage is what really made it the best. All the levels were outstanding except Clanker's Cavern never really liked that level. But Click Clock Wood was really awesome. And some of these beta locations like Giant's Lair look really good and I wish they were implemented into the game. What I hope for this game is that it has not 10 levels. They really need to have more levels like 20. Fungus Forest looked interesting.

Now as for Banjo Tooie. Love Jolly Roger's Lagoon's theme, but not its water gameplay that's what really screwed the level for me. Grunty's Industries was awesome. Cloud Cuckoland was kinda Meh. It was kinda like Click Clock Wood's but that level really needs some organizing. Isle O' Hags was an awesome overworld itself I prefer it over Gruntilda's Lair, but Gruntilda's Lair is still good in its own right.

To me the best thing about these worlds is the colors they use. I just love the mix of white and bright red in Freezezy Peak and the nice mix they use for their Bubblegloop Swamp.

It's the colors and they bright variations to mix with themes is what truly made it good and appealing.

EDIT: Forgot about Grunty's Revenge. I liked Spiller's Harbor the most, but it seems they kinda overused textures in that game.

[CGB Spender]

I think a snow environment in a snow globe would be cool. The first few objectives could be water based, where you are swimming through this glittery water in an underwater snow environment. The NPCs could all be fish and underwater wildlife, which you get to know through your adventures down there. Then, eventually you have to drain it to progress and let the NPCs stranded on the ice at the top return to their homes at the bottom. Considering they'd be polar bears and penguins and whatnot, they would eat all the fish you got to know once they got to the bottom. Then the snow environment would be a bit more typical and without swimming.

The snowglobe would act as a natural boundary for the world, and you could probably do cool things with the distorted view of the room the snow globe is in when viewed from inside the glass.

[John]

[Taylor]

I want to some some sort of laboratory level with a crazy scientist. POOP will live here.

[Alucard]

[Xellos]

I love horror themed levels, so I would like one to be in Project Ukulele, since it's only fitting that it would be in the game just like the good old Rareware games. As for an idea how it would look. Well, I would propose a giant graveyard with a huge cathedral set in the middle of it.

[Alucard]