A question...
 

I know I should probably put this in the JCS area, but I figured I'd get more answers here.

Anyway, I have a question for all you players out there. What, in your opinion, makes a good level in a Jazz game? Be honest here.

Games are about experience now. That's why they keep getting easier and prettier. But they also mustn't be too easy, or it's more like watching a movie that you have to press buttons for so it moves on. A certain challenge adds to the experience, it creates suspense.
The other half is everything around the challenge. It actually goes hand-in-hand. Suspense isn't really suspense if you don't care about beating the level, so there needs to be a goal, ergo: a plot. Everything else, graphics, sounds, and so on, need to build on that.

There is a thread called gameplay theories or something... how about closing this and reviving that?

Hey, here's an idea for you. How about you find it and show it to me? Then I might... repeat, MIGHT... take your idea into consideration!

*cough* http://www.jazz2online.com/jcf/search.php
Search for "Gameplay theories" :P

Why would you? You don't have the ability to close threads anyway.

...so how about we stop bickering and carry on the discussion? I mean, like, start it.

I think a good multiplayer level lets you apply strategy to it. That even includes camping. So for the biggest part it is the layout.

For levels in general, I think it is mostly good eye candy and the toughness.

I made a thread a while back about gameplay vs. storyline. As Faw said a good plot can help encourage people to play more and it increases the stakes, creating suspense and satisfaction.

However, a plot is nothing without solid gameplay and scenery to help back it up. You don't necessarily need a good story, though, a single player pack that can stand on gameplay alone is fine.

As for multiplayer levels, layouts are always key. I have never been a master at creating good multiplayer layouts, though. Just study aspects of popular levels and try to see what about them fosters good gameplay and whatnot. Flow is usually very important, it's generally understood that you should be able to create routes through the level without ever hitting a dead end. There are a lot of nuances that lie between an average level and one fun to play in. Eye candy is also a plus for multiplayer, but it's not as necessary and sometimes overdoing it makes the level annoying.

It's also always good to take some risks in implementing new ideas. Quality innovation is always appreciated, and it helps better other creators by forcing them to reconsider some unspoken rules that may not necessarily be the best. It's a risk because most of the time a wild new idea won't be very well realized until you've pinpointed the aspects that need to be changed.

rambling done

I totally agree with you on this one. Since you (Elias) appear to be a clean slate by making this topic, I suggest you develop your own style and do things totally by your will. I personally don't care if a level fits perfectly in a set standard. I generally enjoy levels that can have dead ends or other gameplay quirks the most, as they can provide some amusing tactics at the cost of flow. Even though levels that are quirky might not get the best ratings, they can still potentially become popular, maybe even moreso than 'quality' levels.

So, what are you aiming for? your personal satisfaction? popularity? or ratings?

If you want ratings, I suggest you check out the gameplay theories topic, and take all of EvilMikes advice. As for the other two, well, those are much more difficult to accomplish and I can't really tell you in details. You're just going to have to 'feel' it. Got me?

Games usually don't have storybases that Novels or even movies have. At least that's what I notice. There is not really much of a background.