Do test levels make you a better player?
 

What are your thoughts on this? Do test levels have any relevance on how good a player is? Is it a direct or indirect correlation or does it make no difference? Are a certain subset of test levels useful?


I'm a huge fan of test levels and don't know of a better way to waste a few minutes. (Thank you for hosting all the test levels TSF!) But I'd say that beyond being able to pass the most basic of tests it's irrelevant to overall playing. The only useful skill from test levels is the occasional RF jump and high jumping tests.

i dunno bobby, i sure hope there isn't too big of a direct corelation, cuz i seem to be very bad at test levels. Sure i think they're dull and I prefer a ctf any day, but the fact remains i stink.

Now we all know you are one of the better jj2 players, depite the fact you've probably become a bit rusty over the years. And the fact that u've finished loads of these levels, or could have finished them if u so wished, does not bode well for me.

What i'm saying is, that I know a lot of good players who are also good test players. And I know from personal experience that having a steady or unsteady hand can make all the difference when u'r nervously running to your base with your opponents flag, and u miss that doublejump or something else.

Steadiness for example, is another fine skill you need in test levels and everywhere else.

While playing through test levels certainly does improve your game by a small amount (people who are regular test players are likely to be more dexterous and able to maneuver more quickly), there are many other facets to online play, including (but not limited to) resource management and domination, using weapons, and basic environment manipulation (using springs, etc).

Tests give a rough information about a player's level imo, but there are still exceptions. Some players just got more interest on either versus-games or tests. One example is NY00123 who used to be in this community for a while. He quite made a bunch of test-levels, but didn't play at the full level in duels/whatever as other good test players.

You can dodge bullets like Neo did minus the slow motion.

Test levels give you the determination to keep doing essentially the same thing, over and over again, maybe twenty, fifty times, until it finally pays off.

Skill in test levels is a part of a Jazzer's overall ability.

I never had the patience or interest to finish most tests (though I have finished some pretty hard ones like eagles and mikes). I am going to have to bring up names, one that comes to mind is Defost, a self proclaimed "test master" and then someone who has stated once before that he plain sucks at tests, Blacky (you said it, I didn't come to this conclusion ;P).

During most competitive gametypes it's obvious that Defost would lose most matches to Blacky, simply because playing against other people is not like avoiding static blocks. A good player has to make judgement on the other player(s), and chose a way of attacking and dealing with situations that won't reveal themselves like a test would. Test levels make players more "attuned" but anyone can get that way. It takes like zero talent to beat tests, and no that is not meant to be offensive.

I'd crack a joke about MMORPGs at this point, but I just don't have the heart in it anymore.

Well, u do need SOME talent, FS. Tests are mostly about patience and dedication though. I believe tests do influence players in some way, yes. Good test players should have very good control over their character. You'd notice that in any team game/duel as well. Easier for them to do certain stuff/be fast/dodge bullets.

I agree with Vegito; when you have full control over your bunny, it's just way easier to run around smoothly in any level. And I do believe you can train that smoothness by playing test levels.

Test levels have hardly noticeable influence to anything else, while CTF/battle and even more so duels/team games in general determine a player's level.
I'd consider tests just another, individual, alternate game type.

Of course, character movement skill slowly improves while playing both.
...And both require it.

It's more of a question of opinion really.

They may show you some unusual or new posabilities at first, but a very few off them are used in the battle field. I do not really have a real answer to this question though.

The best way to achieve skill in Jazz2 is like any other multiplayer game, playing serious matches all day long and you will slowly master every aspect of the multiplayer experience. :p

I dunno (I think I am a sucky player anyway :r), but for sure it improves the rabbit movement skill.

Good test players have an edge over me... in CTF-levels where you have to jump through passages the size of a needle hole. I'm so glad those don't exist^___^

I shall prove you wrong :)
Just you wait.

Haha, I was just thinking the same, Wallace. "hm. You give me baaad ideas" ;P

I suppose it helps a bit to get the gist of moving around levels smoothly. Personally I have ruined countless opportunities in CTF games, either for myself or for an entire team, because of horrid miscalculations of jumps I had to make. So yes, I'd say test levels can contribute something to a player's skill.

Just run arond in the leevbl you wanna learn

And before that, you should play a test level for some minutes.;)

The skills required for tests are generally different from the skills needed for battle and CTF. Tests generally require precision movement, slow and cautious progression, and skill with jumping puzzles. I'd say that tests might make you better at a more traditional platformer like Mario, but I don't think they'd help much in the faster-paced and visceral world of battle and CTF.

.

Yes - For the sake of wasting your time!

As if 2v2's isn't wasting your time then =\ I mean, its all jj2 after all ;P

Sometimes. Like if you dunno basic things or some (not basic) tricks that you need to use in the test. (that is if you mean good at ctf or battle. "good player" can be someone who sucks at both, and tests, but has some other thing that you think is good.)

I am very skilled at playing hotels.

Wanna challenge me in Evilmike's Evil Casino?

Shape up, Veg! The purpose of the aforementioned actions was to learn the movement of a certain level.

You talk like funny man. :) Me still fudge you up. :D

Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word.

Good revival!

I wouldn't say tests help you much for dodging bullets

Were this posted 24 hours later, it would be the quote of the year 2009

And the queen-mother of cusses is C-dash-dash-dash.

y i don't think tests help with dodging either. You might get a better feeling for your bunny indeed, but you also do that when playing normal levels. And while doing that, you also train other things at the same time. So keke (!)

Is it sad that my vocabulary is so out of whack, that thats the only word I really consider to be a curse?

The definition of insanity is "doing the same thing multiple times and expecting a different result."

In short, test levels make you insane.

The original question was, "Do test levels make you a better player?" In my opinion, everyone just talked about how test levels affect your skill at battles or CTF. If nothing else, tests will make you better at tests. And you could be considered a "better player" than you were before if you become better at tests. So yes, tests do make you a better player.

All I wanna say is tests do not make you a better player when it comes to the gamemodes that really matter. o_O Unless you're playing assault (>________>)

They'll make you better regardless, platforming is still fairly integral to JJ2's meta-gameplay. You'll just benefit more from practicing the more common game modes.

haha, "meta-gameplay"

Gameplay isn't enough these days?

Absolutely not, we take this stuff in doses now.


Don't mock my buttered grasp on the English language :(