I'm in the middle (or, to be more accurate, the very beginning) of making a level, and I've run into a snag, one I really should have seen coming earlier. But I digress.

Basically, it's a clash between two mutually exclusive design features: water and lighting. See, the basic premise of the level is that you're sneaking into a heavily guarded fortress via the underground waterway, so naturally that includes water. Yet I also would like to include some dark lighting effects, to properly set the mood. I know I'm going to have to compromise in some way, and I just wanted input as to which property to sacrifice.

I understand your predicament, because if you had lightning in a water level, Jazz would get ELECTROCUTED AND LOSE FIVE HEARTS.

Well, you could have two separate levels, I guess... or the lighting before the water... if neither work, go with what you say is the premise of the level.

You could fake lightning using translucent dark tiles. I doubt that would look good, though. Or just use a darker tileset, with a palette like Townsville II Night.

Actually, this raises an interesting point. Why don't lighting (no N) effects work in water levels?

They do, but only in 8-bit.

Violet shall explain soon, and if he doesn't, I guess I will.

Or just use JCSref: Underwater Ambient Lighting.

Edit: If I had to guess, Violet probably would have posted a link as well.

Aw, I wanted to make Violet write a huge post explaining it all D=

Violet would have just quickly explained that water takes over the effects of ambient lighting and that for some reason JJ2 does not think to also darken/lighten the area of level outside the water, and then given the link in case anyone wanted more information.

Well, after some thought, I decided I'll save the water gameplay for another level and just alter the underground section and keep the lighting.

(Your suggestion about splitting the level into two wouldn't really work because the design of the level would involve going back into the underground sections at parts, necessitating backtracking into the water)

So use the non-linearity system EvilMike came by.