more ADOFAI experimenting
more ADOFAI experimenting - Playing With The Editor
This level feels like... someone's sketchbook? Like, you can tell the creator was just messing around with ideas. "What if I try this?" "What happens if I combine these?" It's not polished, but it's INTERESTING.
I was in that creative but overwhelmed phase recently - you know, wanting to make a level but not knowing where to start. Played this and it was like... oh, you can just PLAY with the editor. You don't need a grand plan.
The "blank canvas" terror of starting a new map. So many possibilities, so many ways to fail.
Yeah, that feeling. This level feels like the creator pushed through that terror and just... made something. Anything.
What's In This Experiment
Okay so it's not one coherent idea. It's like, three or four mini-ideas stitched together:
- A section with weird camera angles
- A part where the tiles pulse with the music (but not the beat?)
- Something with color changes that I still don't fully understand
- A finale that's... actually kind of beautiful in a messy way
The point isn't to create a masterpiece. It's to make a 20-second level that YOU find fun to play. And you know what? Parts of this ARE fun. Not all of it. But parts.
Creating a custom wallpaper from a screenshot of the most beautiful/cruel track segment.
There's one moment in this level - a color shift combined with a spin - that I actually screenshotted. It's not "good" design per se, but it's striking. Accidentally beautiful.
For Aspiring Creators
If you're thinking of making your first level, play this. Not to copy it, but to see:
- How ideas can be rough and still work
- That not every section needs to be perfect
- How to play with visual effects without overdoing it (mostly)
- What "rhythmic geometry" actually means in practice
I tried to make my first functional level recently. Complete a functional level in under 10 minutes, they say. Ha. Took me like 45. But playing this made me feel better about my messy first attempt.
The "eureka" moment when you find the perfect visual motif for a specific musical phrase.
This level has one of those moments. Around the 45-second mark. You'll know it when you see it. It's not perfectly executed, but you can SEE what the creator was going for. And that's inspiring in its own way.
Also, random thing I noticed: the physical sensation of different track types: spirals feel dizzying, sharp angles feel frantic. This level has both, back to back. Intentional? Maybe not. Effective? Yeah.
Random Questions I Had
While playing/thinking about this level:
How comprehensive is the ADOFAI editor? More than you'd think! Levels like this show it.
What are best practices for readable levels? This level breaks most of them, which is... educational in reverse?
How do you test custom levels? Play them a bunch, get friends to play them. This level feels like it needed more testing but... maybe that's the point?
What resources exist for creators? Discord, YouTube tutorials. But sometimes just... experimenting works too.
This level won't win awards. It's not super hard or super polished. But it's HONEST. It's someone playing with the tools, seeing what happens. And sometimes that's worth more than a perfectly crafted masterpiece.
Play it when you're feeling creatively stuck. Or when you need to remember that creation doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be... something.
The joy of introducing someone to the game and watching their first "aha!" moment. If I showed this to a new player they'd be confused. But if I showed it to someone thinking of making levels? They might get that "aha" moment about what's possible.
Experimental. Messy. Interesting.
