Like the custom tile feature, I think we're also going to have a custom character feature too, where you can pick and choose all of the options and properties you want.

Ugh!  That'll be confusing.  On the level loading screen will it show all the character properties?

yeah we're thinking of coming up with a way to show you the custom properties. I'm thinking of making a button on the load-level screen which will show you any custom properties. and then that same list will be accessible through the pause screen too.

Don't say things like "wall-jumping will make traps cheatable". That's really silly. The game isn't just HatPC with new features. It's a new game. So if there is wall-jumping, you'd test to make sure nothing can be cheated yourself. As for wall-jumping itself, I've always liked it as a gameplay element, and I think if we had wall-jumpable tiles (with vines on them or something, I dunno) it would be great. I think we've already approved it, actually.

I also still think we should completely ditch the idea of having multiple characters, but everybody seems to disagree with me, so eh.

But yes, properties sounds great. It'll definitely add some extra depth to the game.  

wall jumping would completely ruin not being able to jump 4 tiles. I REJECT wall jumping.

not if it's only for certain characters. then you can just design the level exclusively for that character

We could have one character the same as hannah/normal and the others could have different skills, but yeah you have to design the level around the character which is what we do for hannah so I don't see why it's a big deal.

The maker of the level picks the character, not the player. If you don't want anyone to walljump, just make a level with a character that can't walljump.

And I personally think this costumization is perhaps going too far. I was never really fond of it to begin with.

I think we shouldn't do that, either.

If I'm using a lot customizations, then it'd be my responsibility as a level designer to make sure that everything intuitively behaves how one would expect them to, or, at the very least, that they're explained to the player. These explanations could be given in-game, via a message crate (or however you do this), or in the level's description. If you're just making a single level, then you'd probably not want to have too many customizations, but if you're making a large series of levels or even a whole game's worth of them, then you might want to be able to take full-advantage of everything provided to you to give your game it's own look and feel.

Does that make sense? It's similar to what happens in ZC, where, if you just stick to the conventions of the original game, then you don't have to explain much of what's going on to the player, but, if you start changing the rules all around and implementing all these crazy scripts, then it either needs to make sense or be explained directly. All these customizations and things could definitely be cool, for sure, but whether or not you actually go ahead with them is a different matter. Do we really want to make "Puzzle-Platformer Classic"? Should we instead play it "safe" (obviously, relative to "PPC", that is) and just make an HATPC knock-off? I honestly don't know.

that's right, but for some reason I don't feel like we can trust people to explain everything, especially younger members and maybe newcomers if they're first level has custom crates in it. but still, I'd expect good levels to present custom tiles well.

it could be that I'm just going crazy with this idea and thinking too big. or maybe this could be everyone else just wants Aeon to be done already...

I don't see why younger members would have trouble explaining stuff. I'm a younger member and I wouldn't take too much time to type a message saying what a certain crate says. Could you please clarify and explain why?

I mean that, especially if it's their first level, most probably wouldn't think of explaining or introducing it well. But we could force them at least post a description, then things could get easier for them and us.

A younger member would be something like Kro, or Ced (both are 9).

It's not just the younger members. Do you think you will put a message next to every crate saying "This crate has a falling speed of x"? It will be too annoying if you are in the middle of a speed trap and suddenly one of the metal crates doesn't fall down, but up, ruining your entire plan of beating that trap. If I look at the HatPC levels of these days, I see that such features will be abused for the worst.

not really. such a thing wouldn't have to be explained. and if every object that has advanced properties is defined as a custom object, then it'll show up in the list of custom objects in the jump-to-start and pause screens. The player will get an overview of the custom objects in the game, with descriptions written by the user. I don't see where there could be so much confusion.

Instead, it would be possible to hit a certain button to pan the map. On that menu, if you click on a crate, it will tell you about the crate. There could be also a way to this on the preview screen, where custom crates appear as a different color.

I'm not talking about the custom crates, but those advanced costumisation options. You can't know how they will react and that will be too annoying to deal with.

But the looking around the level would ruin puzzles and other levels.  You would know what's going to happen.

I mean in the level itself. It will be bloody annoying to see crate suddenly fall twice as fast as you expected. It will be impossible to plan ahead, all you could possibly do is try each trap until you know exactly how everything is going to react. Seeing how in HatPC that is already incredibly difficult, I don't want to think how it would be in a game where everything could react in any way possible.

I've made some good progress with my book. I learned a lot about the interface of the program and the basics of drawing vector images. I should be able to create some basic graphics now, such as the crates. Another 2 chapters and I should be able to create advanced graphics and 2 more chapters after that and I should be able to make advanced animations.

but that's only if the creator of the level made that custom tile look exactly like its surrounding crates. Most people would at least make it visually different.

But you still wouldn't know what it would do.

that depends. If you took the time to look through the list of custom tiles on the jump-to-start page. Or you could press pause, and there's the list again, for quick reference. Or maybe the person who made the level designed it so that you were introduced to the tile already; then you would know.