Smash Wii U Custom Stage Builder issues and workarounds

[Geno9999]

Since we've had the chance to devote several man-hours into the new Custom Stage builder, I'm sure we have a relatively good grasp at how it works and what we can do with it. However, it's far from perfect, as even the littlest details can change how the stages behave, from spawn locations, cannon behaviors, Magma, or overlapping platform quirks. As such, this thread is to compile all of the known issues with Custom stages, share some guides on how to work around them, or tips on how to construct and playtest a stage before showing it off to the world.

What this thread is not about: This is NOT a place to share stages, as we already have at least two threads on that (one for original works, another purely for recreations of past stages,) and while this may be a useful resource on how to make a stage for a competitive scene, this isn't the place to submit those either. However, this is a bit of a guideline rather than an rule, since it is helpful to provide stages and/or pictures as an example of certain concepts, such as proper cannon placements, or how to manipulate how the game creates spawn points.

Guides: (WIP) Below are some links to some handy guides that have already been posted about custom stages. You can help keep this up to date by providing links to guides that cover different topics or details or have simply been missed before.

• Bunch0fMoron's Youtube playlist of blueprints to past stages. While people have already posted their own versions of past stages, either here on these boards or on Miiverse, this provides a way of creating a stage that's as close as possible to being the same as the original incarnation.
• Cobbs Games Custom Stage playlist. This focuses on creating a competitive stage that's not a copy of a past stage, as well as providing tips about how to design stages in general.
• Bob's Miiverse guide to manipulating spawns. This guide provides an easy way of controlling where the game decides to spawn players.

 

[clydeaker]

I'm glad you made this thread, This will come in handy. thank you.

 

[Mochamico]

How can I use more lava on a stage without wasting a lot of space? I see videos and images of stages with nothing but a giant ring covered with lava on the inside, but when I try anything like that, even if it's on Large I can't use enough.

 

[Hyruleslink]

How can I use more lava on a stage without wasting a lot of space? I see videos and images of stages with nothing but a giant ring covered with lava on the inside, but when I try anything like that, even if it's on Large I can't use enough.

Make sure you take your time when using the lava tile. If you overlap lava on top of lava it will take up much more space.

 

[Geno9999]

How can I use more lava on a stage without wasting a lot of space? I see videos and images of stages with nothing but a giant ring covered with lava on the inside, but when I try anything like that, even if it's on Large I can't use enough.

Make sure you take your time when using the lava tile. If you overlap lava on top of lava it will take up much more space.

You can also try minimizing how much lava there is on the blocks by trying to get only as little as you can on the surface. Lava that can't find anything solid will just disappear, and not take up any "weight."

 

[Saikyoshi]

I'll share some of my own tricks of the trade.

• If you want a decoration to appear on the upper layers, draw a bunch of thin platforms spanning under where it's going to go until one appears over the existing pieces. Make sure you extend them far enough to delete safely when you no longer need them. I've used this on too many stages to list.
• If a Lylat Cruise-esque ledge is giving you trouble due to the wonky auto-placement of shapes, draw a subtle slope on the parts below it. I've used this on Melee: Yoshi's Story (E3 2001), Panel de Pon: Flower World, and PaRappa the Rapper: Cooking Show.
• A periodically-opening trapdoor is easy to make with a moving platform. I've used this on Brawl: Pirate Ship.
• If you can't draw a complex shape in one fell swoop, or need to adjust a complicated stage section that you don't want to have to figure out all over again, draw the negative space around it. Basically make a "stencil". Make sure to extend it far enough so you can delete it when it's no longer needed. I've used this on most if not all of my stages.
• Remember that you can change the Test character by pressing Start and then one of the Z buttons. Check if it's possible to navigate the entire stage with , the least mobile character., along with , whose recovery is the most likely to be affected by the stage. (Thanks for reminding me, IvanQuote!) I try to hold to this rule whenever I can; I think the only stage of mine that's NOT Mac-compatible (no pun intended) is Dissidia Final Fantasy: Dream's End, where lowering the hilt of the giant sword to a Mac-reachable height would have affected the look of the stage and defeated the point.
• Six blocks is the standard height for a thin platform above the ground. Six blocks is the standard height for a thin platform above the ground.
• Thin platforms are seldom less than 8 blocks horizontally, generally speaking.
• If you need to make a "grid", instead of worrying about individual squares, make it in two pieces; one is the left side, top, and horizontal bars, and the other is the right side, bottom, and vertical bars. Or some variation. I've used this in Mario Kart 7: Neo Bowser City.
• If you need a multi-block pattern to appear at the edge of the stage, put them on a higher layer (see above), then subtly stick a thin outline under them to stop fighters from accidentally getting caught inside. I use this in Brawl: WarioWare, Inc. and Brawl: Sample M: Bath.
• If you need a moving platform to move offscreen, try to remember to put a cannon pointed at the blast zone outside of the camera boundaries to make sure that you can't infinitely camp.
• Periodically check if any complex structures can be reduced into fewer shapes without affecting the stage. Use the stencil trick above to help with compressing them.
• Ladders, which are useful sometimes, can be sort of replicated by stacking two-block-wide, thin platforms vertically. I use this in Palutena's Garden.

And that's all that comes to mind at the moment.

 

[FabianM]

Alright, I consider this to be relatively important. I wanted to make this post because a lot of the design has to be decided before making the stage, and there is no way to look at the avaible textures beforehand. This is also good to see how the different materials behave (shading, shadows) and to see how it affects the 3d model (everything is a square, but the edges are different, look at picture #4). This does by far not cover everything, but it´s nice to come back to this and check what design you choose.

 

[FabianM]

Short question: Does anybody in here know if the overlapping mechanic is bound to the texture or if there is actually some kind of algorythm I don't understand..

 

[IvanQuote]

I'll share some of my own tricks of the trade.

• If you want a decoration to appear on the upper layers, draw a bunch of thin platforms spanning under where it's going to go until one appears over the existing pieces. Make sure you extend them far enough to delete safely when you no longer need them. I've used this on too many stages to list.
• If a Lylat Cruise-esque ledge is giving you trouble due to the wonky auto-placement of shapes, draw a subtle slope on the parts below it. I've used this on Melee: Yoshi's Story (E3 2001), Panel de Pon: Flower World, and PaRappa the Rapper: Cooking Show.
• A periodically-opening trapdoor is easy to make with a moving platform. I've used this on Brawl: Pirate Ship.
• If you can't draw a complex shape in one fell swoop, or need to adjust a complicated stage section that you don't want to have to figure out all over again, draw the negative space around it. Basically make a "stencil". Make sure to extend it far enough so you can delete it when it's no longer needed. I've used this on most if not all of my stages.
• Remember that you can change the Test character by pressing Start and then one of the Z buttons. Check if it's possible to navigate the entire stage with , the least mobile character. I try to hold to this rule whenever I can; I think the only stage of mine that's NOT Mac-compatible (no pun intended) is Dissidia Final Fantasy: Dream's End, where lowering the hilt of the giant sword to a Mac-reachable height would have affected the look of the stage and defeated the point.
• Six blocks is the standard height for a thin platform above the ground. Six blocks is the standard height for a thin platform above the ground.
• Thin platforms are seldom less than 8 blocks horizontally, generally speaking.
• If you need to make a "grid", instead of worrying about individual squares, make it in two pieces; one is the left side, top, and horizontal bars, and the other is the right side, bottom, and vertical bars. Or some variation. I've used this in Mario Kart 7: Neo Bowser City.
• If you need a multi-block pattern to appear at the edge of the stage, put them on a higher layer (see above), then subtly stick a thin outline under them to stop fighters from accidentally getting caught inside. I use this in Brawl: WarioWare, Inc. and Brawl: Sample M: Bath.
• If you need a moving platform to move offscreen, try to remember to put a cannon pointed at the blast zone outside of the camera boundaries to make sure that you can't infinitely camp.
• Periodically check if any complex structures can be reduced into fewer shapes without affecting the stage. Use the stencil trick above to help with compressing them.
• Ladders, which are useful sometimes, can be sort of replicated by stacking two-block-wide, thin platforms vertically. I use this in Palutena's Garden.

And that's all that comes to mind at the moment.

Regarding the usage of Little Mac, that works most of the time in testing...except in cases like this:

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAADVHiLInkJbA

In stages with closely packed columns (eg. Saffron City), Ness can and will get stuck without safety measures (even Little Mac can wall jump out of there). So keep that in mind.

 

[clydeaker]

Here are some neat youtube videos I found on the subjec of stage builder tips, tricks, techniques, glitches, guides, etc.

Spoiler

 

[FabianM]

This has been dead for quite some time now...