Design Tip: Using Inclines

One of the most under estimated and under utilized tools in the Brawl
Stage Builder are inclines.
Inclines can radically change the outcome of almost any match. How?
Here's a simple example: On Final Destination, (a perfectly flat stage
with no gimmicks) Pit could shoot an arrow clear across the stage
without being interupted. But if there was a slight incline in the
center of Final Destination, the arrow would hit the incline instead
of your opponent. This one slight incline has made using all range
attacks, on the shorter side of the incline, completely useless.
But inclines do much more than that. Here's another example. Two
players are an equal distance apart on Final Destination, both are in
pursuit of the Dragoon part in the center between them and (assuming
they both run at the same speed) they would reach the Dragoon at the
same time. However, if there was a slight incline between them, the
player who has to climb up the incline would take longer to reach the
Dragoon.

And this is just one slight incline we're talking about. Imagine how
much damage a few more of them could do! Inclines force players to add
additional strategy towards the way they play the game.

Now you will notice the one incline you are able to use is at a steep
45 degree angle. But what if you don't want your incline to be at that
sharp of an angle? Well, adjusting the size of an incline doesn't just
make it bigger, it changes the slope too!
As with most other parts there are 3 sizes to choose from: small,
medium, and large.
Small inclines have the steepest angles at 45 degrees with a slope of 1.
Medium inclines aren't as steep with a slope of 1/2.
And large has the smallest angle with a slope of 1/3, even though it
occupies the most room on your map.

Sorry, if that got a bit too technical or confusing for some of you.
But inclines, even though they seem as if they are relatively simple
parts, can actually get quite advanced and deadly when used and placed
properly. I would recommend playing around with inclines until you get
the hang of using them effectively.
__________


The Brawl Custom Stage Collection is made possible by GamersCast: Video Podcasting.
GamersCast, gives you the latest in video game news, discussions, game reviews, EXCLUSIVE game previews, and even lets you compete in a few video game tournaments!
Check them out at: GamersCastPodCast.com
And on iTunes at: http://iTunes.GamersCastPodcast.com

All files from the Brawl Custom Stage Collection are hosted by GamersCast.

Design Tip: Saving Free Space

Most of you might keep pushing the Consecutive button straight across
the bottom of the stage to make a floor, but wonder why you ran out of
space by the time you're close to finishing your stage.
I too found myself in this predicament when making the DK 100M Stage.
So, what can you do? Well, adjusting the size of your building pieces
actually saves space, whether you believe it or not. In fact, after
removing and resizing the floors in my 100M stage, I found that not
only did I have enough space to finish making the stage, but I also
had loads of room to spare!
But of course, like I said in my other post, just because you have
room to spare, it doesn't mean you need to use it all. Just make what
you intended to make, and end it!
Of course, this resizing tip works with more than just floors, it also
saves space with almost every other part you have available to you.
However, also take note that changing the sizes of parts may not have
the same effect on some parts as it does others, like ladders and
inclines.

__________


The Brawl Custom Stage Collection is made possible by GamersCast: Video Podcasting.
GamersCast, gives you the latest in video game news, discussions, game reviews, EXCLUSIVE game previews, and even lets you compete in a few video game tournaments!
Check them out at: GamersCastPodCast.com
And on iTunes at: http://iTunes.GamersCastPodcast.com

All files from the Brawl Custom Stage Collection are hosted by GamersCast.

Design Tip: Keep it Simple

The Brawl Stage Builder has loads of content you can add to your
stage, but just because you have all these tools available, that
doesn't mean you have to use them all!
Most often, stages with gimmicks won't have as much appeal as simple
arrangements of basic floors and panels. Yeah, the gimmicks are fun
for a while, but they won't last very long.
From looking at all the stages I have seen come through here, I've
found that a simple inclined floor can massively change the outcome of
an entire match. Actually, inclines can effect matches so much, that I
made an entire post about them!

Also, on the note of keeping it simple, don't just fill up a stage
with crap, just because you can. Courses filled entirely with
structures can become annoying, as it will become increasingly harder
to die, to the point that almost all strategy is taken out of the
game, and the outcone of the match is entirely in the hands of luck.
So when making your stage, leave openings, so that players will have
to use strategy to get the KO. Sure, go ahead and block off the sides.
This will cause players to have to adjust their strategy so that they
will have to use either an upward smash or meteor smash to KO their
opponent.
Just make sure that there is always some kind of opening, or some way
that opponents can die.

__________


The Brawl Custom Stage Collection is made possible by GamersCast: Video Podcasting.
GamersCast, gives you the latest in video game news, discussions, game reviews, EXCLUSIVE game previews, and even lets you compete in a few video game tournaments!
Check them out at: GamersCastPodCast.com
And on iTunes at: http://iTunes.GamersCastPodcast.com

All files from the Brawl Custom Stage Collection are hosted by GamersCast.

Design Tip: Tweak your Friend's Stage

You ever notice how your friend might sometimes send you a really
awesome stage, but there's that one annoying thing about it? Well, now
there is a way to edit your friend's stage!
Usually, you can't edit stages your friends send, but there's a really
easy way to remove the edit lock from the stage. All you need to do is
copy the stage from your Wii to your SD card. Now just edit the stage
from the SD card and you will find that the lock on the stage is now
gone.
So, go ahead, tweak the stages and send them in! Just be sure to give
your friend credit for the stage too!
All the stages downloadable here also have the lock removed as well,
so you can even tweak the stages you download here and send them in
again. Think of it like an open source program that anyone can
contribute to!
__________


The Brawl Custom Stage Collection is made possible by GamersCast: Video Podcasting.
GamersCast, gives you the latest in video game news, discussions, game reviews, EXCLUSIVE game previews, and even lets you compete in a few video game tournaments!
Check them out at: GamersCastPodCast.com
And on iTunes at: http://iTunes.GamersCastPodcast.com

All files from the Brawl Custom Stage Collection are hosted by GamersCast.