Custom Stages: Designing stages for Competitive Play

[Conda]

I can do that. Stage sharing will be a thing in due time but im gonna be making more videos in this series. Look out for them!

 

[grandgear]

I think walls will make dark pit the worst character to be played on that stage you made. just blocking the horizontal kill makes dark pit pure trash and unwinnable. also limits the recovery becoming more predictable to spike pit.

Im not entirely convince that walls really hurt Dark Pit's kill potential. :]

Spoiler

gfycat com/ClumsyAchingDanishswedishfarmdog

 

[Foozal]

Hey I think you should start doing a Custom Stage spotlight series! At least when Stage Sharing is finally patched in.

I do have a stage or two i'd like to "audition".

I've tried one out at smashladder.com and people seem to enjoy it, here's a preview:

The Platforms move across the entire stage border (from blastzone to blastzone)

Perhaps we can play together and do a bit of stage testing (I really hope competitive stages take off, they're very fun to design)

 

[MAGMIS]

Hey I think you should start doing a Custom Stage spotlight series! At least when Stage Sharing is finally patched in.

I do have a stage or two i'd like to "audition".

I've tried one out at smashladder.com and people seem to enjoy it, here's a preview:

The Platforms move across the entire stage border (from blastzone to blastzone)

Perhaps we can play together and do a bit of stage testing (I really hope competitive stages take off, they're very fun to design)

are you thefaised in smashladder? I played you lol as ike.

 

[Quinfordmac]

I made Battlefield clone #4675357, Yoshi's story! I prefer it to Battlefield though.

Since I posted the pic to Miiverse I've decreased the stage size and lowered the platforms.

 

[Quinfordmac]

I went out and made the Castlevania stage from PM

The stage starts out as above. The two platforms move to the middle and back.

Then, there are three platforms that come up from the ground

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE

Here's how it looks when the platform reaches the top

The only issue is that it sometimes creates weird moments like this

 

[Conda]

Platforms crossing is an issue as dropping down gets very finicky.

 

[Quinfordmac]

Platforms crossing is an issue as dropping down gets very finicky.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I haven't ran into anything thus far that would make it too much of an issue.

On the plus side, it prevents camping and leads to interesting combos.

 

[Foozal]

I definitely think we should have a new thread for this...Let's get to it!
-----
New thread so we don't clog this one with stages: http://smashboards.com/threads/custom-competitive-stage-compilation.384058/

 

[grandgear]

The question I gotta ask is what about any of these creations make them competitive? What issue are you attempting to resolve or why does it improve the stage list?
More stages doesn't necessarily mean a better competitive game. Without justifications I don't know how they're meant to be able to be used.
I do like some of these though as ideas.

Also just a nuance, but why is the music/background used relevant?

Finally, someone with questions

I think the user Cobbs wanted to explore what features/hazards a customized stage can bring to the competitive metagame.
I thought it was a great idea to keep the stages in a different thread while keeping the discussion to Cobbs's. I bet we even could quote stages we like from here into the original thread.

I also think, the one benefit that customized stages have over the default ones is that the features/hazards don't change from stage transition/transformations. If we put stages in tiers of complexity, I would place competitive customized stages above simple platform stages and below transforming stages.
Sorta like (omega -> battlefield -> customized -> transforming)

I think competitive customized stages can give a new dimension to the standard stage metagame. It would be like adding platforms to an omega stage. These platforms would be the new tools for someone approaching a projectile character while forcing that projectile character into thinking of different positions rather than to just stick to the edges and spam. But instead of doing what has been done before, we could explore different stage characteristics, and discuss how they improved or discourage skillful play.

Here are some examples:

Centerwall

Spoiler

Raised Ledges

Spoiler

No grab-able ledges

Spoiler

Small lava hazards

Spoiler

I also just wanted to say that I am against larges stage since they tend to turn into chasing matches. They're not fun to watch or play against. And sorry for how wordy this reply is :/

I'll repost this reply in the original thread so that we can try to keep the discussion there.

 

[Quinfordmac]

Also just a nuance, but why is the music/background used relevant?

What kind of s*** post is this? We may as well put every stage in goddamn space and have environmental noises play.

I'm joking, obviously.

 

[Rifick]

Imo lylat with tilting is part of what makes it non-redundant and a stage that adds variety to the mix. Part of why Pokemon Stadium without transformations is 'fine', yes, but boring and too safe. It is too similar to battlefield to be worth having in the mix, as it basically already is in a different form. In competitive play, when you want to strike BF, you'd have to also strike a pokemon stadium custom map if it was also in the ix. Same goes for Lylat without tilting - too similar and requires crossing each of the BF-likes when you want to strike BF.

I'm with you. I think original stages designed purely with competition in mind are a better option than remaking stages. 1 to 1 remakes in this stage editor are pretty lifeless.

 

[Rajikaru]

Finally got around to taking pics of all of my custom Comp-focused stages, after getting inspiration from Project M stage redesigns.

Fountain of Dreams knock-off

Spoiler

Came up with this earlier when I was thinking about Fountain of Dreams not being in Sm4sh, and remembered how much faster the moving platforms are in the custom stage editor. Also wanted a unique gimmick that Fountain of Dreams lacked, so I threw in the floating horizontal platforms at the bottom of the stage: they come at as soon as the opposite floating vertical platform does, and are out for a very short time. A lot more potential for recovering, especially for guys like ROB that ain't got **** to recover with.

My only almost completely original stage so far:

Spoiler

Name: Meteor Crater
Originally based off the "Example stage: Hole" custom stage in Brawl, I tweaked it a bunch to make it more visually interesting. The main gimmick is the hole in the middle of the stage, which is big enough to accommodate a recovering Ness, but not so big as to detract from fighting on the entire stage, and force everybody to one side.

Jungle Japes knock-off:

Spoiler

Tried making Jungle Japes without it being too vertical and also without it being too slanted, I think this is a pretty good vertically-oriented map so far. Nothing much to say about this stage, other than I'm disappointed at the DK Rap being so short this time around.

I'm hoping to eventually test these in Friendlies and get some CC on Smashladder.com, I have high hopes for the FOD knock-off and Meteor Crater.

 

[Teh Sandwich]

This could be the best thing to happen to smash!
Community voted tourney stages.
Just have a thread on here for all the downloads.
They do it in mlg halo. This would be so awesome, and make tourney play better.

 

[webbedspace]

I'm curious about the potential of stages which play with blast-line location. For instance, a battlefield clone whose top blast line is Halberd-low. Or, an asymmetric stage where the right blast line is noticeably closer than the left, necessitating control of the right side for offense, and retreat to the left for defense.

 

[Captain Norris]

Sorry, but I do not have a screen shot that I can show. But I do have a video in the spoiler below.

Spoiler: Hades' Lair, Not Layer xD

Sorry for the quality and mediocre explanation, but if you watched, you got the point. Smooth bottoms on the stage, as well as two stationary platforms and a vertical moving platform in the center.
The big factor in this stage is the slight elevation in the middle of the stage. This stage may favor smaller characters and projectile users in a sense. The vertical moving platform can also be a good thing for more vertical kos and attacking strings.
Little elevation patches and stuff are going to be things that I will start incorporating in more of my stages, as well as the other ideas shown in this thread.

 

[b2jammer]

I collected data on the various objects and posted it on ssbwiki.com, but I'll post it again here for reference:
Small Spring: 2x2, bounces players 17 units from bottom of spring to character's feet.
Large Spring: 4x3, bounces 32 units.
Weak Cannon: 4x4, launches players 25 units from cannon bottom when aimed upwards. Launched players deal 4% damage, regardless of weight or size.
Strong Cannon: 4x5, launches 43 units. Launched players deal 8% damage.
Small Moving Platform: 6x1, moves 3 units/second.
Large MP: 18x1, same speed.

 

[David_give]

Does anybody know how the game decides where the spawn points are or if there is anyway to change them? The default spawn points are often unfair.

 

[Rifick]

Does anybody know how the game decides where the spawn points are or if there is anyway to change them? The default spawn points are often unfair.

The game will not allow players to spawn where two walkable surfaces are layered directly over top of eachother. By layering a fallthrough playform on a solid surface you can manipulate spawns, but you won't have full control. Be warned, without some extra effort this may also lead to glitches. Link below explaining.

Reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/2rw8lx/custom_stages_and_the_mechkoopa_glitch/

 

[b2jammer]

Here's a stage I just made:

Spoiler

Very much a vertical stage, with the moving platform just high enough above the cannon to where you can tech the impact when the platform is in the right spot.

 

[N0J0HN5]

Im not entirely convince that walls really hurt Dark Pit's kill potential. :]

Spoiler

gfycat com/ClumsyAchingDanishswedishfarmdog

Why is something like this illegal in tourneys?

 

[Floor]

I like your stages. Only problem is i think you need more stages with stage spike options and no wall clings, like smash will and battlefield

 

[N0J0HN5]

I like your stages. Only problem is i think you need more stages with stage spike options and no wall clings, like smash will and battlefield

Hmm, I suppose but they are good already. What can go wrong with them?