Zeta Flow

Currently in the Editor there is a Save function with the ability to toggle Public vs Hidden

I'd propose a change to that : add a Publish button

Keep the Save button, but now it defaults to Hidden so you can build / test your levels until you are happy

Once you are happy with the level, then hit Publish, which would immediately pit you against your level

If you complete the level successfully it shows a splash screen saying congratulations and it goes public

If not it takes you back to the Editor with a message along the lines of your level was too difficult please try again ... of course there's nothing to prevent you from hitting publish again and giving it a second go if you really think it's ready for the public

This would prevent the super-ultra-death-dealing-undefeatable levels that really serve no purpose IMHO

But even I see a fault in the system as proposed, my own art level (Whiplash) can't be defeated as it's entirely invulnerable, and simply allowing the Art tag to bypass the Save vs Publish issue would defeat the whole purpose of it's implementation (everyone would merely tag their levels as art) ... unless to have an Art tag there can be NO weapons present on the blueprint ?

Just chiming in on the recent slew of super-ultra-death-dealing-undefeatable levels ...
Questions ? ... Comments ?

This is exactly what I think should be implemented. Perfect description. As I read through this, I came to the same conclusion, though; that art levels would be in trouble. Your suggestion that art levels can't use weapons wouldn't entirely work, as some art levels are weapon art. Maybe the only solution I can think of is that art levels usually have to have no weapons, but if you try to submit one with weapons MD would have to review it before letting it into the public. This would require a lot of work on MD's part, though. I can't think of another solution to the art problem, but otherwise an awesome suggestion for the game. I really think MD should look at this.

This is an excellent combination of some ideas that a lot of us have asked for previously. MD doesn't have a ton of time to add features, but here's hoping that this one will happen sometime soon.

I agree that the art levels could be a problem, but perhaps the wins/plays statistics could be disabled for art levels? If all the "I made a deadly level, look what a REAL MAN I am" people couldn't see if the rest of us were even playing their awful levels, maybe they'd be discouraged?

Another idea would be to make an "untested" category that people could use to release levels without having to go through the publish process you describe. The rest of us would know to avoid those levels; any designer who really wanted to make good levels could use the publish process, and then we'd know their levels were at least worth a try. Maybe name that category something as un-masculine as possible, like "cowardly designer", or "I am wimpy", just to annoy these people who keep spamming the gallery with levels they obviously can't beat themselves.

Maybe the simplest thing would be to just let people do whatever they want in art levels. Sure, there would be a lot of crappy art levels, but the rest of us wouldn't need to play them. Those who were doing real art levels would get rated high anyway. The simpler the solution, the more likely MD will have time to code it for us.

I don't want to put a work load on MD for monitoring our levels, we pretty much do that with the ratings
But, even with a low rating, if I haven't played it (or remember playing it) I'll take a look at it

I'd rather have MD fomulating new ideas / features for the game as time allows

One simple possibility would be to change the one Art tag into 2 ...
(1) Virtual Art - no weapons at all
(2) Martial Art - allows weapons (nice play on words there)

Ratings aren't always correct.
For example: my best levels (the Ultimate Defence series) have the lowest ratings ;)

I've already suggested this somewhere, but I think it should be so that by default you only see levels that have been beaten and then there would be a list of all levels somewhere if you want to see them.

But still it is rather difficult to find all the interesting levels. Maybe there should be a hall of fame for each level category and the levels in there would be added by hand by someone reliable (MD maybe) and we could give suggestions for levels on the forums :)
It wouldn't have to be updated so often.

There is a forum topic for posting good levels; maybe we could start using that. You're right about the ratings not always being a good guide. The highest-rated levels of all are only around eighty, which boggles my mind. The only explanation I can think of is that too many people have too many different ideas about what makes a good level. Which stands to reason, I suppose; people like different things, and a level that is nicely challenging to some might seem impossible to others, who might rate it down because of that.

Also, sometimes it looks like somebody is going through and maliciously rating all new levels with a zero regardless of what's in them. I can't prove it, but I play all the new levels nearly every day and quite often when I submit a rating, the average rating that comes back is exactly half of what I put.

I know what you mean about the ratings (Maze was doing ok (3-3.5) there for a while, now it's a 2)
I'll admit Maze is tough, had to do it a few times myself, and I built it.

Anyone know if the ratings are simply an averaged total or another average function ?

I do like the idea of a Completed / Unbeaten / All view toggle ; that would be a good one for the Filter box.