9 - Pyramid of giza by pineapple (me)
STORY IN DESCRIPTION :
Released on approx December 26th 2014 | GD update at the time : 1.9
The goal of this level is to be some sort of maze as if you are exploring a pyramid. There are multiple traps, fake paths and some extend longer than others. You're supposed to play this in practice until you know the right path then just complete the level as it becomes way easier.
I thought it's a really cool concept. Now funnily enough there are as many people who absolutely love this level than others who hate it with a passion
A lot of people feel the level is unfair, unbalanced and just bad overall while others think it's creative
Which leads me to a pivotal talk about gameplay. Gameplay is a very abstract concept.
Some people think that easy gameplay = boring because they completed all the official levels + harder demons and are looking for a fair challenge so they can keep improving their skill. Some others can't complete too hard levels so too much difficulty = bad.
Some people think that gameplay = sync and clicsync, while others believe that the level is supposed to be perfectly synced in every aspect or that it should feel like a metronome. And then there's people who think it must be a balance or have more mixed opinions. I personally think there are tons of ways to make a gameplay interesting than just "sync" or "difficulty". Obviously songs in geometry dash levels are very important and so is sync. But I personally think levels are much more than just a rythm vibe thing or a gut feeling. And this particular level is supposed to feel like an adventure where obstacles could feel like puzzles (like the weird dual wave, and like how you have to click that reverse gravity orb in the last ship)
Of course it could have been executed better and I know of the balancing problems but just reminder I was clueless about the editor (you can easily tell by the non existent deco).
Another problem is people judge levels by difficulty. This is rated insane. Which is the least popular difficulty because it's the less rewarding. You have 0 reason to play an insane when you can just play 2 hards in 2 minutes and get more than 8-9 stars. Demons the higher difficulty on the other hand give you an additional demon completion on your profile on top of 10 stars. So people are going to be more forgiving if the level is rated higher which is natural but also unfair since the creator has literally 0 control over what ratings the levels get. Some people told me the level would suck even if it was demon and that it had "AI generated gameplay" but then again the only valid criticism I can accept here is how it's unbalanced and could have been executed better with maybe more exciting "gameplay puzzles"
So at the end of the day all I see is kids throwing tantrums because a non demon level has a pseudo maze-like structure that will make them waste an unreasonable amount of attempts in practice mode
I can't really tell to play this level as if you were playing an adventure because at the end this is just a geometry dash level so just keep in mind people are not open-minded in general especially when your level get a rating that doesn't satisfy the endeavors you are going through to complete it (which while it can be justified, the implications are insane and extremely limiting or taxing if you care about how your work is seen)
Overall I'm pretty happy with the level after all is said and done. Hopefully you can see it the same way I do
Take home message :
Avoid timings, blind transition etc the usual (altho for this level, you are actually supposed to learn the right path)
Try to somewhat have a balanced difficulty through the levels
If you're gonna make unfair stuff you could compensate by making the level engaging enough to be a reward
Really try going for the demon rating when you make unconventional stuff
Gameplay is an abstract concept : for some good gp is sync, for others easy is bad/boring, timings are bugs etc there are really infinite opinions about it out there but it's good to scout out what is preferred and understand the truth behind these opinions in the first place : don't just rush and break any attempt at making creative stuff just take the time to reflect and think about what really works. Chances are not only can you be creative with your gp but also make it enjoyable.
The audience of GD is mainly kids and there is an everlasting influx of new players meaning it will never truly mature : IT'S NORMAL however be prepared that most people aren't openminded about new/different things or everyone's different learning rate, also be prepared for them going with trends and getting tired of them the day after : the world is ever changing and you need to be flexible (which again, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your creativity just adapt better)
Level info :
Level name : pyramid of giza by pineapple
ID: 3815496
Song: egyptian panorama by inoni-bird
#geometrydash #gd #gd19 #gd2014 #gdlevel #gdlevels
