My First Sane SSB Stage (Update 2)

[Yota]

That other post regarding a stage idea inspired me to take another attempt at my own stage design. For once, it doesn't involve gimmicks falling from the sky! This is also the first one that I've modeled. So here it is.



To picture scale, imagine a tall character being slightly smaller than those two small rocks hovering over the center. This stage purposefully limits the effectiveness of throws to the left and right.

This employs ray-tracing, normal maps, 3D procedural textures, global illumination, and 17,571 polys. So I think it is safe to say that it would be very difficult to get it to look this smooth in the game. Modeled by Blender and rendered by Yaf-ray. If I were to polish this any more, I would just give each rock mass a slightly different tint, and add smaller grayer rubble.

Let me know what you think.

Update 1: Gave the outer rocks edges to grab onto and a surface that can be walked on, to make recovery actually feasable.


Update 2: Added player markers. Moved the small center platform up. Moved the floating rocks away from the center.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

To win, you smash your enemies to the sides... Those rocks on both ends doesn't seem grabable and looks quite hard to recover on to...

 

[Yota]

That would be correct. Think of those outer platforms as the clouds of the Yoshi's Story stage, only perminant. Hmm, would be neat if it could break in half though.

The only place to grab onto would be the outer edges of the center platform. But now that you mention it, it could be a bit tricky to recover if they manage to smack you over the outer rock. Could allow the platform to extend out the other side of the rock a bit, I suppose.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

The extension would make it a bit roomy... Reason why Hyrule Temple and Yoshi's Story was banned from tournament was its large space... We don't really want that now, do we...

 

[SSJ4Kazuki]

It would be hard to make it look that smooth in the game, but if that stage DOES make
it into the game, it would be themed and would most certainly be themed, look less pre-rendered, and have possibly a design on the white platforms. It looks good though, I can see you put a lot of effort into it, good job.

 

[Pit 42]

It's an interesting idea, perhaps as a harder stage, but I think it would be too easy for opponents to stay on the stage longer and too hard to recover. For a stage to work well, it has to be at least possible to recover. Still, it's an interesting idea.

 

[Mestro]

Nice stage, but I guess all the stages and characters are made, or at least, they prolong the game to 2008 or Q4 2007

 

[Yota]

Didn't realize just how difficult it would be to recover from that. I've finished the adjustment, but I can't seem to upload it to ImageShack just yet. I'll update it whenever I can.

I've flattened the top of the outer rocks and given them a bit of a lip. They can now be grabbed and make a decent hookshot target.

 

[Yota]

There we go! Appended to the topic post:

Update 1: Gave the outer rocks edges to grab onto and a surface that can be walked on, to make recovery actually feasable.

 

[Ensee]

I like the newer design better, since it would be easier to recover with something to grab onto. Nice render, btw.

 

[Bones0]

I like it overall but I am going to suggest two things:
1. attach something like that -> _/ and \_ to each side of the center stage
2. the clouds are too realistic, they are freaking me out XD

 

[Yota]

1. attach something like that -> _/ and \_ to each side of the center stage

I don't quite see that working out too well. They may help in some cases, but it would make it more cramped. Unless I'm thinking of something else.

2. the clouds are too realistic, they are freaking me out XD

That is because they ARE real clouds. Or at least a picture of them. Hey, I never said I didn't use outside resources.

You can find it here. I think I used the one fifth from the top, on the left.

 

[Bones0]

Lol, I knew the clouds were real, I was kidding.
Also, the ledges I described would just be little short ones. A little less wider as Bowser. I think they'd help recover lower since it would be harder to edgeguard a ledge your d-tilt can't reach. (imagine G&W getting hella easy KOs; extend the ledge out and down and it might help is all)

Edit: Another suggestion if you plan on making more of these is to put a little Mario on the map somewhere; maybe several places. This is good inspiration though, I think I'm gonna make my own. :D

 

[Yota]

Oooh. I was thinking that by \_ you meant something like the left outer platform. A rock preventing you from sliding off the edge. I see what you mean now, and it could be a possibility. Might seem a little awkward however.

I'll put a reference character in next time I make a change. Probably won't be Mario though. A: I'm not that good a modeler. B: Mario is relatively short. I would use a reference of someone with the height of Peach, Sheik, Marth, etc.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

And I'm still wondering about the function in those rocks in the middle of the stage other than a tech point for any smash attack (unless those thing break as someone get smashed into it if unable to tech correctly)... The size of the character is around the size of the rock you said, so the outer platform seems a bit to far off from the middle platform... Bring those outer platform closer a bit, that way it looks more easier to jump to and give a bit of extra open backgrounds on the side...

 

[Ensee]

Those rocks that are just floating there are background scenery, correct?

 

[FireBomb]

Hey that's pretty cool.. it's a better job than I can probably do. Now I'm tempted to make my own stage...At least it's something different from the original design with the main platform accompanied by 3 smaller ones.

 

[killbeast301]

I would have made the outer rocks have a ledge on the lower half to get onto more easily, but i guess that wuld make it too easy to edgegaurd.

 

[Micahc]

Yota, you win a cookie. But what's the point of those rocks in center? Seenms kinda random to me...

 

[ravenlance]

holy freakin' moly!

 

[Yota]

Oops. I had another update ready the night I posted the last update, but wanted to wait for the next day to post it. ...then I kept forgetting, then ImageShack starting giving me trouble again. So here we are, the next update finally.

Added four player markers (scaled to a tall character, not G&W), raised the small center platform up a bit, and moved the floating rocks away from the center a little. I was kinda hoping this level would put encourage players to use more aerial attacks and put less emphasis on throws and such, but those floating rocks could become more of a pain than I originally assumed.

Anyway, here it is.

 

[killbeast301]

Those characters should be about the height of the rocks on the side, if they're tall. They look just a little taller than kirby height the way I imagined it. Plus you should move the floating rocks higher, and the outer platforms a little further away. I'm not insulting you or anything, just a few mods i'd make.