Honestly, I do think that 99% of the issues mentioned occur solely because of the fear of getting a 3* It can come across as a really unfair and out-of-the-creators-control way of failing the challenge of building a 2* since you can't fully predict exactly what mods will send it for or what Rob will actually rate it as. Especially since mods don't all view things like difficulty the exact same, all it takes is one mod to send it for 3*, or even for Rob to override a 2* mod send and rate it 3* anyways, and the creator's work is viewed as wasted. (Obviously it's not, you still got a rated level) I think it's a little unfortunate that to give yourself the best chance at a 2* you have to write it out in the name, description, or even in the level itself. That said, solid video, good points.
The best analogy I can find to easy levels is children’s literature. Books for kids are not difficult, intentionally so. However, they have a great story, illustrations, and overall make for a good reading experience without super complex vocabulary. The best pieces of children’s literature are the ones that children and adults alike can pick up and find something meaningful out of.
I have a theory, RobTop had beef with whoever created Level Easy, so he lowered the difficulty standards via mind control and made Level Easy normal, proving Robert Toplas’s power over the Dashlands.
Hi there, creator of Tenebrous here (found at 17:13). I'd like to just say I'm very grateful to hear that you enjoyed my level for what it is, I really tried to make something both easy yet not feel extremely lifeless like so many 2 star levels have become these days. I've had a few "failed 2 stars" and it's been extremely frustrating to see the turn that "easy" levels have taken these days, I really hope an upward trend of easy levels with proper gameplay can return past this video as I genuinely do miss what older levels had to offer. I'm glad this has become a bit more of a talking point. And again, I really appreciate the fact you enjoyed my level, and thank you for showing it here! :)
Thanks for the comment and great level! Gameplay was nice, I wrote in my notes that the flying sections were a bit empty but it wasn't very long so it's not a big deal. Cube sections were on point
@@drakondra autos should just be 0 stars, it's literally auto, why should you earn anything? The entire point of auto levels is that they're a neat little spectacle, or they're a means of making a level one might not be able to beat able to be watched. You don't tap the screen, you don't earn anything, so you don't get stars. If you're going to auto levels to get free stars git gud.
10:00 *THIS* here is exactly why I love DiamondDemon935 levels. He only makes art level, and almost never uses indicators. Yet you are easily able to tell what is and isn't gameplay. It's because he has mastered how to separate gameplay from the background/foreground elements. Look at his level Nyx to see what I'm talking about. Then you have MCres on the other hand where it is literately textbook of what NOT to do. Look at Beyond The Summit for example. It is impossible to tell what is and isn't gameplay.
@@GDColon Thanks for giving my comment a heart 💗 I HIGHLY urge you Colon to go check out Nyx on his channel it is genuinely an amazing level. Even 2003devin commented on it.
"its impossible to tell what is and isn't gameplay" For a level with gameplay as technical as what's in that level, and for a level this difficult, I really don't think that matters. By the way i REALLY HOPE you're not criticising CONNECT for this same reason because there is a really really good reason as to why it's impossible to distinguish deco and gameplay (no it's not the points i mentioned earlier). its not like it should be a rule to make it possible to tell deco and gameplay apart but thats besides the point
The "Target Audience" thing is very interesting. It reminds me of how kids' shows usually treat the child watching as if they know absolutely nothing, which isn't true. Children still hold some level of social awareness (and can tell when they're being talked down to), and it's often underestimated or forgotten in regards to children's media. As a result, it becomes irritating and unconstructive for parents, and an unconstructive mess for the child. A loss-loss. Bluey: *_hold my beer_*
Yeah true, for example: your 10 when your in 5th grade, yet when you look up “books for 10 year olds” you get baby books for 2nd graders, but when you look up “books for 5th graders” you get actual books good for that level.
i haven’t played GD in years since I get too distracted by the pretty colors of modern levels to actually play the game but I keep watching these essays good stuff, keep it up
DHaner makes REALLY fun easy levels. I’ve replayed Dreamy so many times because of how it plays and looks. Rush is awesome as well, and what you said about Cloudy is 100% accurate. Also, I’m also making a 2-star level that I finished the layout for and have been struggling to decorate. Hopefully, it can be somewhat memorable as the others I mentioned above.
I'm so excited what will Colon have to say about this, considering the fact that easy online levels are too easy compared to easy main levels. And also, almost every easy level is too boring to play through for some people because it only just need like a couple of clicks to complete the level.
19:27 As a player that has been playing since the game's release and someone that has a mainlist completion, I couldn't agree more with this. Grinding stars/coins was such an unbelievably tedious and monotonous task that genuinely made me feel more burnt out than making no progress on hard levels. This was precisely because "the level treats me like I'm stupid" - they are unfun to play, and whenever I die, it almost never feels like I'm the problem. Really glad that you've pointed this out!
On the line of people committing to making a 2 star lvl, I remember a point in time where there was a kind of race to get the first Epic 2 star. So people were making levels that would look as intense as a harder level but still was easy enough to get the 2 star rate. People were doing everything they could to not accidentally make an epic 3 star instead, which happened to a lot of these lvls that attempted an epic 2 star. That's where I personally noticed the design trend of impressive visuals but TONS of safe guards and barely any inputs.
That's an extremely good and interesting point. In the end Izhar won this competition to make the first epic 2*, but the level definitely does feel much more handholdy than most things that came before it.
6:52 I actually find it really interesting you used Jane by twigxcabaret as an example of a "boring" 2* level when quite a few people, myself included, kinda resonated with the emotion that level brought out and were glad it wasn't babyproofed unlike many of the other examples youve given. So seeing probably one of my favourite 2* levels ever get used as an example of a "boring" level when, to me at least, it has all of the things that makes a level not boring was certainly a "YOOO THIS LEVEL GOT USED IN A GD COLOGN- oh..." moment with that aside, I've definitely felt like something was missing from most of the 2* levels we see today, things just felt off. This video definitely described my thoughts perfectly, but it also brought in some really good points that I've never thought about before, and now I'm kinda feeling inspired to take 2* levels in a wild direction. Not that I'm gonna be a skilled enough creator to pull them off, but at least I have the ideas.
Next time Mr. colon is teaching my math class I'll just scream "GENERATION RETRO IS BEST LEVEL" so i can guarantee that i won't be learning math for the rest of the lesson
10:05 actually as someone with autism who gets super overstimulated by excessive visuals, I actually see these as a fantastic accessibility addition. Leves like eyespywithmylittleeye are unplayable for people like me as it's simply too overstimulating and make it unreadable, so jump indicators make a level I flat out can't read into one that I can This isn't to invalidate your opinion, but in a world where I can choose, I rather high detailed levels have indicators instead of not. Robtop style levels can get away with not having these, as they simply lack much decoration to begin with, but art levels or levels covered with decorations NEED these for me, even for the easy ones, or else it's unplayable for people like me.
I really, really liked this video. Really good points all around and good advice on how to improve things. As both a creator and Moderator I've recently been striving to be a bit more mindful of that kinda stuff when it comes to difficulty. As someone who has made easy levels that baby you in the past, this video made me want to make 2 stars a lot more, and to focus and enjoy the process of making the gameplay for them. Great work :)
Here’s an idea for how to check if a level has been built to be too hard for 2 stars, have a friend who doesn’t play GD a lot and isn’t nearly as skilled to playtest it. If they think it’s a fair easy stage then you did it, if they struggle at certain sections too much it might be worth looking at to see if you accidentally made it harder than it should be for the rating. I’m working on an easier stage right now and my plan is to have my brother test it since he barely plays GD but understands the basics.
When two point O came out, I challenged myself to complete EVERY 2* Level publically available at that time. It was a surprisingly fun task and even easier than considered, because there aren't that many levels deemed "easy" compared to other difficulties. Even though it is evident that some are way harder than they should, especially coin-wise, it still took quite a while. As a side note, I lost track in the meantime and have not further concluded the challenge
Bro, you need to make more videos like this, they are awesome. Your late vids about easy ratings, mechanics, even rambling about random gd stuff is really interesting. I would love to see more content like it. Btw, live zip lash, very well designed level and captures a very gorgeous visual style.
Ok, another point, an idea is to make a level easy for new players, but have an optional coin route for more experienced players, such as iPhone redux. If you do it normally, yeah, it’s 2 stars, but if you get the coin it’s basically a medium demon, so it’s a pretty cool level that I think could be taken away from, maybe make it easier to understand that it’s a coin route and doesn’t kill you, but besides that it’s a really cool concept
2:58 That's so true, as someone who has beat every single platformer level difficulty, I can confirm that only platformer extreme demons are perfectly rated, everything else is too overrated, especially the platformer hard and insane demons.
honestly, good points! back when i made "hollow lands" i just wanted something with this overwhelming atmosphere but looking back i could have done so much more. if i ever decide to make an easy level again, this is the video i'm gonna rewatch
Coming from someone who has made a modern day 2 star, I wanted to make a level that literally anyone could beat, like my mom. I wanted her to play a level I’ve made without testing her patience too much. I also just wanted to be creative with decoration and atmosphere without worrying about gameplay, on top of the fact that I had never made a 2 star and thought it would be fun to do.
the clear consensus here is that being original is hard and oftentimes two people will come up with the same idea without ever knowing about the other person(s) making the _exact same_ joke unless for whatever reason it *was* stolen
@@memesong21 i think what they were trying to say is that they're tired of decoration being the big priority, and that gameplay in general just feels more like an afterthought regardless of difficulty. it's absolutely possible to make a level that's both visually incredible and fun, but those two things typically don't exist in the same level
I played a level called Ayu, which is basically a generic 2 star, in that it requires only one click. But there was more to it than I thought. And I found out about it when I turned hitboxes on. As it turns out, there’s so many guard rails in place that it’s LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DIE. This applies to all the parts. And for some reason the One Robot part is the ONLY place where you can die, and it’s also the only spot that actually has an obstacle.
This is very much so a personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but I honestly really dislike when creators forcefully change aspects about their levels because they feel that it's not meeting the criteria that they originally set out to follow. It can easily cause a lot of the problems outlined by this video such as gameplay being way too easy and boring and often limits a lot of the creativity that a level could've had. Whether you see it this way or not, creating levels in Geometry Dash is essentially an art and a lot of the best art out their dares to break conventions (granted they do so in the right way). Art wasn't meant to be restricted and if something isn't turning out exactly the way you imagined it, you shouldn't always take it as a bad thing as people tend to, but rather a happy accident that brings about something new. At the end of the day, we are all just trying to have fun or express ourselves, so it shouldn't matter if things end up going a little differently than intended. It should only matter that we had an enjoyable experience doing what we actually enjoy :)
Very well said m8, and you're 100% right. Easy levels are starting to become too easy. Not just easy, automatic. Just like you mentioned in the video, the main reason is most likely the skill gap between these custom levels and players who have gotten to that level of skill where they can grind custom levels. Because, let's be honest: Easy levels are made primarily to introduce players to the game (i.e. players who will most likely start with the official base game). Custom levels have no real incentive to be "easy". But, I think there is a way to fix this. What are Easy levels at their core? They are levels that don't take as many attempts to beat while still having meaningful gameplay. But, in my research, I have found that most 4 stars in GD fit this criteria like a glove. What's worse is, 9 stars are basically synonymous with easy demons. And 4 star levels are basically equivalent to 6 stars. Colon mentions that in his video. So, here's my proposal for a more standardized difficulty system. But, just know that is based on my personal preference as well as a bit of analysis so take it with a grain of salt. And this is me fixing the entire GD difficulty system (not just the easy levels). So, buckle up for a whole essay in this one comment thread. I'm gonna be talking about Classic side-scroller levels since platformer levels are just a whole other can of worms. GD New Difficulty (Rating + Star #) || Explanation Easy (1 - 3 Stars) || See, this is tricky because 1 Stars were originally auto. But, personally, I don't think Auto should be a difficulty rating. It's not a "difficulty", it's simply a state of the level. The level is literally free, you don't do shit! I still think automatic levels are necessary for animations or decoration showcases... but don't rate them a difficulty. Maybe rate them 0 stars and give them a unique section in the game called 'Automatic Levels' or something. What I mean when I said 1 Star in the rating was more like Stereo Madness difficulty. And 2 stars are the original 2 star levels. 3 stars should also be considered Easy imo because they require minimal gameplay and they usually take a few attempts to beat. They're calm and chill. That's an easy level, still having to focus but quick to beat overall. Medium (4 - 6 Stars) || Ah yes. 'Medium' and not 'Normal' because Normal implies that these are just plain old regular Geometry Dash levels. Well, in actuality, Geometry Dash has plenty of levels. A whole plethora of levels spanning all sorts of difficulties. What may be normal for one player may not be for another player. Medium works better or maybe Moderate. One of those two. I'm going with Medium because the coin landed on heads just now. But, yeah, Medium levels are just what the name says: they are harder to beat than easy levels. They don't hold your hand as much and expect you to have some level of skill. But, they're still pretty chill (oh dude that's bars). Hard (7 - 9 Stars) || This is where it starts to get a bit controversial. Hard levels are, by definition, *hard* . In other words, they are difficult to beat with a high degree of challenge to them. Whenever I play a Hard level in GD currently, I really mean it's a very easy level with the rating of Hard because they are on the lower end of the difficulty spectrum. The name is honestly kind of misleading because Hard levels aren't hard. However, Insane levels certainly are. They fit the caliber of being a challenging level that takes a serious bit of practice and focus to beat. Harder (10 - 12 Stars) || This is where the controversy reaches new heights because anything that is 10 stars is considered a demon. And, now, it's Harder? Well, naturally scaling up from our difficulty system we created... this is the next logical step. It's Harder than Hard, so it's Harder (10/10 logik). On the real though, I have a firm dislike with the Demon subcategories of Geometry Dash. Like, originally, the Demon difficulty was a badge of honor to any level that reached a significant caliber of difficulty. But, now, that has all been muddied up. People now consider certain Demons as lesser than others. The title of 'Demon' has lost its... oomph factor after being divided into five categories. It honestly feels like a whole different difficulty system in and of itself. And the Star ratings. It's kinda funny how we get the SAME amount of star ratings for beating an extreme demon as we do an easy demon. Like, come on! If you're gonna subdivide demon categories based on how hardcore they are, then at least reward the harder ones. This is why I am implemented a post-10 rating system. Hard levels will span the caliber from Easy and Medium Demon. Insane (13 - 14 Stars) || I've already discussed about the whole flawed Demon system back in the Harder segment, so I won't here. All I'll say is that Insane will span the area from Hard Demon to Insane Demon. And since there are generally less of those comparatively, Insane should only take up the slot of two star ratings. Demon (15 Stars) || We've finally reached it, the pinnacle of what Geometry Dash Difficulty can come to. I'm bringing back the prestigious title of beating a Demon. Demon will now cover the Extreme Demon and now the Demon List feels a bit more fitting. Demons will be the hardest of the hardest levels, as they should've been from the start and they are remarkably distinct from the other difficulties which is absent in the current difficulty system with subdivided demon categories. Now let's move on to the Official Levels, whose difficulty ratings are just a MESS! Stereo Madness [1 Star - Easy] Back on Track [2 Stars - Easy] Polargeist [3 Stars - Easy] Dry Out [4 Stars - Medium] Base After Base [5 Stars - Medium] || However, I will say that this level needs to be BUFFED in order to fit the new difficulty criteria. Not a whole lot, but maybe Neptune's v2 or smth. Can't Let Go [6 Stars - Medium] || Again, made a bit harder. Jumper [3 Stars - Easy] Time Machine [7 Stars - Hard] Cycles [6 Stars - Medium] XStep [4 Stars - Medium] Clutterfunk [8 Stars - Hard] Theory of Everything [7 Stars - Hard] Electroman Adventures [3 Stars - Easy] OR [4 Stars - Medium] || Couldn't come to a consensus on this one. Clubstep [13 Stars - Insane] || I know, I know! But, Clubstep will be the first Insane levels in the game. And we will make the Insane rating RARE as well (as far as the official levels are concerned). Also, we will treat it narratively as one of the hardest levels in the main game, which is what it is along with the other two. Electrodynamix [12 Stars - Harder] || No surprises here. Hexagon Force [10 Stars - Harder] OR [11 Stars - Harder] || Also couldn't come to a consensus here. Blast Processing [3 Stars - Easy] Theory of Everything 2 [14 Stars - Insane] Geometrical Dominator [6 Stars - Medium] Deadlocked [15 Stars - Demon] Fingerdash [2 Stars - Easy] Dash [5 Stars - Medium] Anyways, that's it for my little Ted Talk + analysis on the difficulty system of the game. Again, to reiterate, *this is all just opinion* and it's OK for you to disagree with me. If you have suggestions or additions or criticisms about this model, PLEASE leave it as a reply to this comment. I'd love to foster discussion about this fascinating topic. Anyways, that's it for me. Why didn't I make a video about this on my channel? Uh...
That part about jump indicators made me pretty happy. I’ve hated them for so long and everyone treats me like I’m crazy when I talk to them about how indicators are horrendous game design. They’re insulting to the player and compensating for unreadable decoration, they make levels so much more unfun for me, and it makes me sad seeing even some of the best gd creators like Bli, plaguing their level and bogging them down with jump indicators. I hope the gd creator community as a whole comes to their senses and stops using them, but for now i appreciate your video possibly convincing people to not have them, and put more effort into making the gameplay readable in a natural way with block design and values.
Well, jump indicators do help with timings for the new players, I don't care if jump indicators are on easy-hard levels as those are the lvls noobs usually play. The problem is when it's used badly like using it where the path is blantnatly obvious or if they are used on orbs or pads, also visibility of it is important while not making it too "dominant" to the deco or gameplay. They should be encouraged but they should not baby you but to help you.
@@Malamesa The problem is, input indicators can very easily become a crutch if used carelessly, both for the players and the level creators. Over time, as players are more accustomed to ii's, they become an excuse for creators to not bother making their levels sightreadable, and an excuse for the players to not bother sightreading; and this is a problem that will continue to occur as people use ii's no matter how well.
@@Tr0lliPop yeah should've mentioned that it should be also done right. I've seen many not sightreable levels with jump indicators. Jump indicators can hinder progress with reading gameplay as you rely on the indicators, if no indicators you are screwed if you are lacking reading skills. In my defense it was just a core aspect of it, for people to learn timings which is why I only agree with them on easier levels due to noobs usually playing it.
Finally someone spoke about this and made a video, it's an issue I remember complaining a lot in various circles I'd talk back when I'd star grind a lot of non-demon levels. I really don't like the path easy levels took in 2.1, and while it's gotten a little better, there used to be a time around early-mid 2.1, where 2-3* stars either had invisible slopes everywhere, making the gameplay entirely braindead to beat, or they'd be semi-auto levels with just a few jumps, like if the creator remembered halfway through the level that they weren't meant to make the level auto. At this point, why not just make it automatic? It always felt incredibly forced and I pretty much agree with the points you specified with this kind of level design. As an experienced player a lot of these levels bored me to death, because there was so little input required that I'd often just get distracted and die to something I haven't paid attention, because there's an obstacle every 10 seconds. Either the level should have a few more hazards, or just make it engaging in some other way that requires paying attention. These levels are also not really that helpful for newer players. The official levels feel good, because while being relatively easy compared to the rest of the game, they teach you the basics and you get a better understanding of the game. Making the level extremely handholdy feels like an insult to them, implying they can't figure out how to pass an obstacle. I know that's not the intention for creators, but it sometimes feels like it, and it doesn't help them improve at the game. Easy levels were at quite a decline for a long time and it's been a bit better compared to early-mid 2.1, but I feel like there's still some improvement that can be done. I really miss easy levels that required actual effort to complete.
Hijacking the pinned comment to tell you to GO BUY A COLON PLUSHIE!!!! He is cute and silly and won't be around much longer www.makeship.com/products/gd-colon-2-2-plush
15:03 I dont know why but that message by the creator feels so sad (?). It almost sounds desperate, the way they had to add the failsafes to their level for.. who knows how many other levels they wanted 2 star for makes me think it is both from the creators and standards for rating levels that bounced off each other to get it to where it is. Things like the downtime, cushioned and slow gameplay and songs became the norm for 2 stars probably because it made it the most easy to differentiate, and it became normal to mods that THIS was the level of easy creators had to make, it was just gradually getting so cushioned to the point where its practically auto then yup yup,, I definitley agree when creators need to know who theyre making the level for, it would always confuse me when they do that bait and switch in a really chill level (a fast dual part, knowing what a certain orb is, fake spikes etc) when up until then its been the usual safe guards and ??? As someone who wants to create levels someday, I really enjoyed this video! I shall now place down all 512 of my guard rails.
My hardest level is back on track, took me 153829 attempts in practice mode, and 2748291736467291926362199237 attempts to beat it in normal mode, i am truely proud of myself.
Remember that Stereo Madness is considered Easy officially, if it was a user level, it would probably be rated Normal or Hard Edit: Whoops, Colon talked about this lol and said a different thing instead
GDColon made an alternate account called RobsVault where he copied the files of the official levels and uploaded them, and that's what pretty much happened.
I'm not saying Stereo Madness is the difficulty of a 6*, I'm just saying that if it was a level released today that got rated, my guess is that it would be rated a 6*
i loved watching this!! the 27 minutes flew by instantly but this was very entertaining and honestly had a lot of unique insights. i’m definitely going to be using some information from here to try and make a 2 star level of my own!! this video has already given me a few ideas so i can’t wait to try and bring them to life. thanks for making these videos, they’re genuinely so interesting and i’d absolutely love to see more 🧡🧡
I feel like Easy levels nowadays focus on chasing the bag too much and that's why they feel so bland and boring. Barely any care or thought went into it. If you're gonna make a level for beginners, don't baby them even with the easiest gameplay. Make the gameplay ACTUALLY easy. And like Colon said if you need to use guard rails, make them reasonable. Don't throw them into parts that actually feel like you're doing something. Put them in places where it feels easy but looks hard. Another thing is HAVE YOUR SPIKES AND BLOCKS READABLE. While watching the stream I noticed the constant deaths because the spikes felt like they weren't there. Players know from the beginning that spikes will kill you, so use that to your advantage. Put spikes in the area where you DON'T want the player to be. If you're gonna use saws, don't block them off with invisible slopes. Put them in places where the gameplay isn't supposed to go. The difference between Stereo Madness and levels that literally have 1 click is that you feel like you're doing something. You have to balance gameplay and decoration. Stereo Madness has a pretty normal BPM. Use fast paced songs if you want fast paced gameplay!!!!
18:25 I know I’m incredibly late, but I personally think “hold down” levels should be 2 stars and not auto levels. When I think of auto levels, I think of levels that require absolutely no input. While just holding is incredibly easy, it is an input, which means there technically is effort, even if it’s very small.
i like how much attention you put into crediting levels that are used as background footage. it usually annoys me when i'm like "oo that level looks cool i wanna support the creator" and then it's credited nowhere,no id,no creator name or level name. you put the level name,the creator name, the id, AND the star rating.awesome video as always cologne
another gd cologne banger 🔥🔥 this basically sums up my entire thoughts about this topic, i swear were basically the same person ongod anyway im impressed at how well you managed to find a balance with this video, providing constructive criticism without being overly negative. and i really hope this video is what causes more good 2* levels to come out :)) great video, well done 🥳
I needed you to address this issue from the beginning. Easy mode just became what Auto was in 1.9, and Auto just became a theatre to watch, literally. Your videos are especially influential within the community (especially the subzero one convinced the developer himself holy) so I hope this will bring some change in the future. (By the way I've been subbed to you when you only had 8000 I'd never know you'd get here, and watched the old "what not to add in your level" video the day it came out so I apologize lmao)
tbh at this point, even a level that looks like sonar or dark paradise probably wouldn't even get rated, which just makes it all the more difficult for creators to have good but easy gameplay with rate-worthy visuals
Thays gonna damage newer players skillset, online lvls are usually harder than robtop levels, they still gotta get some skill before moving on to demon lvls. @@ChrisZKidd345
Thank you for making a video about this, ive held this opinion forever, and hopefully this video helps people realize that a game isnt meant to play itself
Very good video ! Was super interesting to listen to your opinion on the 2 stars levels ! Also, I agree, 2 stars are more boring but I hope they will get better in the future !
You should make a video where you re-rate the robtop level difficulties because the rating system is interesting. Including sub-demons of course. This is my favourite video topic for geometry dash and I would love for you to make one as my fav gd RUclipsr
This applies to pretty much every level up to the easy demon category. As an experienced player you can beat most 3-7* star levels in 1-5 attempts because they all (i generalize here, but its sadly a very high percentage of levels) tell you exactly what to do. The difference between clarity in a level and handholding is: clarity tests your skill while still enabling you to find out how the level plays, aswell as making the level feel fair because you are dying to something clearly visible if you die. You have to read the level and look ahead to plan your next inputs. handholding is what robtob is pushing for (for whatever reason) and includes jump indicators, jump lines, flying arrows, coins, glow/ground markers/block changes etc.. As you said, for beginners it may be important to showcase when to jump to get a feel for the game but when im playing a 7* and im not looking at the gameplay but rather at when the next arrow's x-position aligns with my players x-position, something is wrong with the level.
Finally, somebody decided to adress the easy (2*) elephant in the room. Amazing video Mister Colon, and also amazing tips. I hope more creators listen to you and revolt to let more challenging levels be 2*
Gr8 vid I liked it very much and you are very coherent. Please do others like this because I love how you tell your opinion in a fun and interesting way.
![Stereo Madness Isn't Sightreadable [April Fools]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hJ6ZtzH5Wc/mqdefault.jpg)
Spent 20 minutes talking to Colon about 3 stars only for him to say that he meant 2 stars...
20 mins of nothing
Wasted 20 minutes.
20 minutes that you'll never get back
you were only off by 1
Lol, 20 minutes talking to Colon is still worth it
Honestly, I do think that 99% of the issues mentioned occur solely because of the fear of getting a 3*
It can come across as a really unfair and out-of-the-creators-control way of failing the challenge of building a 2* since you can't fully predict exactly what mods will send it for or what Rob will actually rate it as.
Especially since mods don't all view things like difficulty the exact same, all it takes is one mod to send it for 3*, or even for Rob to override a 2* mod send and rate it 3* anyways, and the creator's work is viewed as wasted. (Obviously it's not, you still got a rated level)
I think it's a little unfortunate that to give yourself the best chance at a 2* you have to write it out in the name, description, or even in the level itself.
That said, solid video, good points.
Jesus is King, He died on the cross for you! Repent for your sins and you will be saved!
@@RazelolGaming since when was this relevant? thank you but why?
@@QuileBiake bot
@@nether_bat you sure? he has posts and videos
@@RazelolGaming couldn't care less
NOOOOOOOO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!
The 7 human triggers: 13:53
I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD DO THIS 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
EXACTLY
that's what I was gonna say bro
hi muscar
take my like, *just take it.*
The best analogy I can find to easy levels is children’s literature. Books for kids are not difficult, intentionally so. However, they have a great story, illustrations, and overall make for a good reading experience without super complex vocabulary. The best pieces of children’s literature are the ones that children and adults alike can pick up and find something meaningful out of.
Really nice way of putting it!
@@GDColon I agree
I have a theory, RobTop had beef with whoever created Level Easy, so he lowered the difficulty standards via mind control and made Level Easy normal, proving Robert Toplas’s power over the Dashlands.
K
Acheron
@@acheron-i5dwhat does acheron have to do with this comment
@@darkidk341 Acheron
@@darkidk341Acheron
Hi there, creator of Tenebrous here (found at 17:13). I'd like to just say I'm very grateful to hear that you enjoyed my level for what it is, I really tried to make something both easy yet not feel extremely lifeless like so many 2 star levels have become these days. I've had a few "failed 2 stars" and it's been extremely frustrating to see the turn that "easy" levels have taken these days, I really hope an upward trend of easy levels with proper gameplay can return past this video as I genuinely do miss what older levels had to offer. I'm glad this has become a bit more of a talking point.
And again, I really appreciate the fact you enjoyed my level, and thank you for showing it here! :)
Thanks for the comment and great level! Gameplay was nice, I wrote in my notes that the flying sections were a bit empty but it wasn't very long so it's not a big deal. Cube sections were on point
Shoutout to the bot that stole this comment
Rob can't make "very easy difficulty" because 1 star is auto, 2 stars is easy and 1.5 stars is impossible to make
@@drakondra autos should just be 0 stars, it's literally auto, why should you earn anything?
The entire point of auto levels is that they're a neat little spectacle, or they're a means of making a level one might not be able to beat able to be watched. You don't tap the screen, you don't earn anything, so you don't get stars. If you're going to auto levels to get free stars git gud.
We could make 4 star levels normal and easy levels 3 levels
@@thegregittobecause you used 1 minute of your time to watch it
@@thegregittoif autos were 0 stars, a majority of them wouldn’t receive they attention they ended up getting
@@TheThunderBat no?no one is going to do an auto for the whopping 1 star the give.they'l play them because theyre visually awesome.
This is what I've been saying for a WHILE now. So glad this is being brought up more and more. We need more real Easy levels! Great video Colon. 🔥
Thank you so much!! I love your levels
You're genuinely one of my favorite creators too, keep making what you make Dubstep!
@@GDColongiggity
10:00
*THIS* here is exactly why I love DiamondDemon935 levels. He only makes art level, and almost never uses indicators. Yet you are easily able to tell what is and isn't gameplay. It's because he has mastered how to separate gameplay from the background/foreground elements. Look at his level Nyx to see what I'm talking about.
Then you have MCres on the other hand where it is literately textbook of what NOT to do. Look at Beyond The Summit for example. It is impossible to tell what is and isn't gameplay.
Exactly!!
@@GDColon Thanks for giving my comment a heart 💗
I HIGHLY urge you Colon to go check out Nyx on his channel it is genuinely an amazing level. Even 2003devin commented on it.
Yoo
"its impossible to tell what is and isn't gameplay"
For a level with gameplay as technical as what's in that level, and for a level this difficult, I really don't think that matters.
By the way i REALLY HOPE you're not criticising CONNECT for this same reason because there is a really really good reason as to why it's impossible to distinguish deco and gameplay (no it's not the points i mentioned earlier). its not like it should be a rule to make it possible to tell deco and gameplay apart but thats besides the point
@@GDColonWhy are jump indicators so common anyways? Isn’t the fact that there’s a spike supposed to be an indicator?
The "Target Audience" thing is very interesting. It reminds me of how kids' shows usually treat the child watching as if they know absolutely nothing, which isn't true. Children still hold some level of social awareness (and can tell when they're being talked down to), and it's often underestimated or forgotten in regards to children's media. As a result, it becomes irritating and unconstructive for parents, and an unconstructive mess for the child. A loss-loss.
Bluey: *_hold my beer_*
Yeah true, for example: your 10 when your in 5th grade, yet when you look up “books for 10 year olds” you get baby books for 2nd graders, but when you look up “books for 5th graders” you get actual books good for that level.
@@C-u-b-e-i-s-l-i-f-e You're too young to be on this website
@@desmeon your too old to be alive grandpa
@@KingdomMayFivePadua Bro I’m only 19 😭😭😭
@@desmeon you like spreading misinformation
Short answer: they went from easy to really easy.
Edit:
The songs were slower and calmer,
More Downtime,
Rarely Chained,
Jump Indicators,
Guard Rails.
I think it's the other way around
With the new shaders and 2.2 mechanics, now everything is kinda unpredictable tbh
@@TheOm3ga963 nope
@@TheOm3ga963 nope
@@gdstar6917 oh then that means I suck
30 minutes saved
i haven’t played GD in years since I get too distracted by the pretty colors of modern levels to actually play the game
but I keep watching these essays
good stuff, keep it up
DHaner makes REALLY fun easy levels. I’ve replayed Dreamy so many times because of how it plays and looks. Rush is awesome as well, and what you said about Cloudy is 100% accurate.
Also, I’m also making a 2-star level that I finished the layout for and have been struggling to decorate. Hopefully, it can be somewhat memorable as the others I mentioned above.
DHaner is goated they made some of my favourite easy demons
IKR??? Rush is awesome and so is Zircon
Fantastic video! Feels like you read my thoughts while making the level😂
Hopefully after this review we get to see more fun easy levels in the future
i love your stuff
@@GDColon Thank youu😆
Love your content as well
I'm so excited what will Colon have to say about this, considering the fact that easy online levels are too easy compared to easy main levels. And also, almost every easy level is too boring to play through for some people because it only just need like a couple of clicks to complete the level.
like a saw an easier stereo madness get rated normal. does this mean stereo madness is 4*?
@@fazaazafg DONALD TRUMP IS BETTER THAN MRBEAST 😂😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
DONALD TRUMP IS BETTER THAN MRBEAST 😂😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
DONALD TRUMP IS BETTER THAN MRBEAST 😂😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
DONALD TRUMP IS BETTER THAN MRBEAST 😂😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
19:27 As a player that has been playing since the game's release and someone that has a mainlist completion, I couldn't agree more with this. Grinding stars/coins was such an unbelievably tedious and monotonous task that genuinely made me feel more burnt out than making no progress on hard levels. This was precisely because "the level treats me like I'm stupid" - they are unfun to play, and whenever I die, it almost never feels like I'm the problem. Really glad that you've pointed this out!
On the line of people committing to making a 2 star lvl, I remember a point in time where there was a kind of race to get the first Epic 2 star. So people were making levels that would look as intense as a harder level but still was easy enough to get the 2 star rate. People were doing everything they could to not accidentally make an epic 3 star instead, which happened to a lot of these lvls that attempted an epic 2 star. That's where I personally noticed the design trend of impressive visuals but TONS of safe guards and barely any inputs.
What level is the first epic 2 star?
@@qowaxgamer9633iznite by izhar
That's an extremely good and interesting point. In the end Izhar won this competition to make the first epic 2*, but the level definitely does feel much more handholdy than most things that came before it.
6:52 I actually find it really interesting you used Jane by twigxcabaret as an example of a "boring" 2* level when quite a few people, myself included, kinda resonated with the emotion that level brought out and were glad it wasn't babyproofed unlike many of the other examples youve given. So seeing probably one of my favourite 2* levels ever get used as an example of a "boring" level when, to me at least, it has all of the things that makes a level not boring was certainly a "YOOO THIS LEVEL GOT USED IN A GD COLOGN- oh..." moment
with that aside, I've definitely felt like something was missing from most of the 2* levels we see today, things just felt off. This video definitely described my thoughts perfectly, but it also brought in some really good points that I've never thought about before, and now I'm kinda feeling inspired to take 2* levels in a wild direction. Not that I'm gonna be a skilled enough creator to pull them off, but at least I have the ideas.
Take all the footage I use with a grain of salt. I recorded like 100 levels and didn't put that much thought into which ones I showed
@@GDColon thats fine lol, if i were in the same position i'd probably wouldn't be any different
Next time Mr. colon is teaching my math class I'll just scream "GENERATION RETRO IS BEST LEVEL" so i can guarantee that i won't be learning math for the rest of the lesson
You’ll be learning how to platforms though
learn convolution
good point
"learn game design now or die"
Colonge probably
10:05 actually as someone with autism who gets super overstimulated by excessive visuals, I actually see these as a fantastic accessibility addition. Leves like eyespywithmylittleeye are unplayable for people like me as it's simply too overstimulating and make it unreadable, so jump indicators make a level I flat out can't read into one that I can
This isn't to invalidate your opinion, but in a world where I can choose, I rather high detailed levels have indicators instead of not. Robtop style levels can get away with not having these, as they simply lack much decoration to begin with, but art levels or levels covered with decorations NEED these for me, even for the easy ones, or else it's unplayable for people like me.
my only less than 200 attempts demon still
Flowey: Noooo! You're supposed to obey ME!
The seven geometry dash triggers:
please get pinned please get pinned
@@bloonsalchemist3734 seven?
Alpha animate collision move spawn pulse toggle
@@JaymcJefty there are more triggers-
dun dududun dun dun dududun dun dun dududun dun dun dun dun dun
I really, really liked this video. Really good points all around and good advice on how to improve things. As both a creator and Moderator I've recently been striving to be a bit more mindful of that kinda stuff when it comes to difficulty. As someone who has made easy levels that baby you in the past, this video made me want to make 2 stars a lot more, and to focus and enjoy the process of making the gameplay for them. Great work :)
Thank you!
Here’s an idea for how to check if a level has been built to be too hard for 2 stars, have a friend who doesn’t play GD a lot and isn’t nearly as skilled to playtest it. If they think it’s a fair easy stage then you did it, if they struggle at certain sections too much it might be worth looking at to see if you accidentally made it harder than it should be for the rating. I’m working on an easier stage right now and my plan is to have my brother test it since he barely plays GD but understands the basics.
I love colon yap sessions!!!! I’ve also wanted this issue to be brought to light for the past five years and I’m glad you’re doing this.
New rating:
EaF (easy as fuck)
Gives you -1 star and -50 orbs.
You need to go somehow beyond auto to get rated level with the EaF difficulty.
Make it impossible to die no matter what you do
makes u open the level automatically
no pausing
You can never retry the level while playing it so your attempts don't increase
@@beaue4187basically noclip levels
Dont ask why, but heres 500 php
phillipines person? Cause if yes, i'm a phillipines person too!
Underrated
When two point O came out, I challenged myself to complete EVERY 2* Level publically available at that time. It was a surprisingly fun task and even easier than considered, because there aren't that many levels deemed "easy" compared to other difficulties. Even though it is evident that some are way harder than they should, especially coin-wise, it still took quite a while. As a side note, I lost track in the meantime and have not further concluded the challenge
Xmas challenge 😁💀🤑
I also tried the same, but I kind of just stopped doing it along the way.
Bro, you need to make more videos like this, they are awesome. Your late vids about easy ratings, mechanics, even rambling about random gd stuff is really interesting. I would love to see more content like it. Btw, live zip lash, very well designed level and captures a very gorgeous visual style.
Ok, another point, an idea is to make a level easy for new players, but have an optional coin route for more experienced players, such as iPhone redux. If you do it normally, yeah, it’s 2 stars, but if you get the coin it’s basically a medium demon, so it’s a pretty cool level that I think could be taken away from, maybe make it easier to understand that it’s a coin route and doesn’t kill you, but besides that it’s a really cool concept
or the 2nd coin of Astra (4 moon platformer) but the 2nd coin also makes it a demon
2:58 That's so true, as someone who has beat every single platformer level difficulty, I can confirm that only platformer extreme demons are perfectly rated, everything else is too overrated, especially the platformer hard and insane demons.
honestly, good points!
back when i made "hollow lands" i just wanted something with this overwhelming atmosphere but looking back i could have done so much more.
if i ever decide to make an easy level again, this is the video i'm gonna rewatch
Flowey:NO NO! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!
The seven human triggers: 13:54
Coming from someone who has made a modern day 2 star, I wanted to make a level that literally anyone could beat, like my mom. I wanted her to play a level I’ve made without testing her patience too much. I also just wanted to be creative with decoration and atmosphere without worrying about gameplay, on top of the fact that I had never made a 2 star and thought it would be fun to do.
What's the ID?
What is the ID of the level, I'd love to play it
Dont wanna be stupid, but Keep it at 69
That's exactly what i was thinking about these easy lvls, but just wasn't able to explain it this well. Great video :D
I love watching Colons videos while laying on my stomach and kicking my legs back and forth :3
literally me :o
@@proxyrhine :3
@@TheRealSnaggletooth :333
i feel called out
@@proxyrhine >:3
9:18 Thanks for the labeling cologne, i wouldn't have recognized that game without it ❤
If Mario, then only Bros!
omega flowey: "NO!! NO!!! YOU CANT DO THAT TO ME!!! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!!!!
The seven geometry dash triggers: 13:54
Stolen comment
Stolen
@@Pagasonic no, its not, I seen the same comment, but I seen it after I typed this comment.
@@Pagasonic also, even if I did stole it, I at least did comment make sense by adding a timestep.
the clear consensus here is that being original is hard and oftentimes two people will come up with the same idea without ever knowing about the other person(s) making the _exact same_ joke
unless for whatever reason it *was* stolen
11:51 rare footage of colon playing tidal wave
@@TheReal0Iiver got me there
tidal wave 2 stsr version
I’m definitely going to finish watching this later since easy & normal difficulty levels in Geometry Dash are ones I play the most.
13:53
Colon: NO, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!
The 7 triggers:
I sure wish people stopped focusing on decorating and instead made their levels fun
this. gd is about jumping over obstacles, not a goddamn art gallery
@@randomannoyance auto levels for deco, easy level for gp
you do know those aren't mutually exclusive, right??
@@memesong21 i think what they were trying to say is that they're tired of decoration being the big priority, and that gameplay in general just feels more like an afterthought regardless of difficulty. it's absolutely possible to make a level that's both visually incredible and fun, but those two things typically don't exist in the same level
Yeah like I've spent hours on some levels making good gameplay just to get made fun of for asking if it was rate worthy online
I played a level called Ayu, which is basically a generic 2 star, in that it requires only one click. But there was more to it than I thought. And I found out about it when I turned hitboxes on. As it turns out, there’s so many guard rails in place that it’s LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DIE. This applies to all the parts. And for some reason the One Robot part is the ONLY place where you can die, and it’s also the only spot that actually has an obstacle.
This is very much so a personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but I honestly really dislike when creators forcefully change aspects about their levels because they feel that it's not meeting the criteria that they originally set out to follow. It can easily cause a lot of the problems outlined by this video such as gameplay being way too easy and boring and often limits a lot of the creativity that a level could've had. Whether you see it this way or not, creating levels in Geometry Dash is essentially an art and a lot of the best art out their dares to break conventions (granted they do so in the right way). Art wasn't meant to be restricted and if something isn't turning out exactly the way you imagined it, you shouldn't always take it as a bad thing as people tend to, but rather a happy accident that brings about something new. At the end of the day, we are all just trying to have fun or express ourselves, so it shouldn't matter if things end up going a little differently than intended. It should only matter that we had an enjoyable experience doing what we actually enjoy :)
As Bob Ross said. No mistakes, just happy little accidents.
He must have had a typo ordering their Starbucks and accidentally said they wanted a yappuccino
@@CreationTheAnimator i'm sorry that you can't read 6 sentences
@@THTB_lol lol
@@CreationTheAnimator internet users can't read anything longer than a sentence without getting scared off. maybe we need to return to forums
Very well said m8, and you're 100% right. Easy levels are starting to become too easy. Not just easy, automatic. Just like you mentioned in the video, the main reason is most likely the skill gap between these custom levels and players who have gotten to that level of skill where they can grind custom levels. Because, let's be honest: Easy levels are made primarily to introduce players to the game (i.e. players who will most likely start with the official base game). Custom levels have no real incentive to be "easy". But, I think there is a way to fix this. What are Easy levels at their core? They are levels that don't take as many attempts to beat while still having meaningful gameplay. But, in my research, I have found that most 4 stars in GD fit this criteria like a glove. What's worse is, 9 stars are basically synonymous with easy demons. And 4 star levels are basically equivalent to 6 stars. Colon mentions that in his video.
So, here's my proposal for a more standardized difficulty system. But, just know that is based on my personal preference as well as a bit of analysis so take it with a grain of salt. And this is me fixing the entire GD difficulty system (not just the easy levels). So, buckle up for a whole essay in this one comment thread. I'm gonna be talking about Classic side-scroller levels since platformer levels are just a whole other can of worms.
GD New Difficulty (Rating + Star #) || Explanation
Easy (1 - 3 Stars) || See, this is tricky because 1 Stars were originally auto. But, personally, I don't think Auto should be a difficulty rating. It's not a "difficulty", it's simply a state of the level. The level is literally free, you don't do shit! I still think automatic levels are necessary for animations or decoration showcases... but don't rate them a difficulty. Maybe rate them 0 stars and give them a unique section in the game called 'Automatic Levels' or something. What I mean when I said 1 Star in the rating was more like Stereo Madness difficulty. And 2 stars are the original 2 star levels. 3 stars should also be considered Easy imo because they require minimal gameplay and they usually take a few attempts to beat. They're calm and chill. That's an easy level, still having to focus but quick to beat overall.
Medium (4 - 6 Stars) || Ah yes. 'Medium' and not 'Normal' because Normal implies that these are just plain old regular Geometry Dash levels. Well, in actuality, Geometry Dash has plenty of levels. A whole plethora of levels spanning all sorts of difficulties. What may be normal for one player may not be for another player. Medium works better or maybe Moderate. One of those two. I'm going with Medium because the coin landed on heads just now. But, yeah, Medium levels are just what the name says: they are harder to beat than easy levels. They don't hold your hand as much and expect you to have some level of skill. But, they're still pretty chill (oh dude that's bars).
Hard (7 - 9 Stars) || This is where it starts to get a bit controversial. Hard levels are, by definition, *hard* . In other words, they are difficult to beat with a high degree of challenge to them. Whenever I play a Hard level in GD currently, I really mean it's a very easy level with the rating of Hard because they are on the lower end of the difficulty spectrum. The name is honestly kind of misleading because Hard levels aren't hard. However, Insane levels certainly are. They fit the caliber of being a challenging level that takes a serious bit of practice and focus to beat.
Harder (10 - 12 Stars) || This is where the controversy reaches new heights because anything that is 10 stars is considered a demon. And, now, it's Harder? Well, naturally scaling up from our difficulty system we created... this is the next logical step. It's Harder than Hard, so it's Harder (10/10 logik). On the real though, I have a firm dislike with the Demon subcategories of Geometry Dash. Like, originally, the Demon difficulty was a badge of honor to any level that reached a significant caliber of difficulty. But, now, that has all been muddied up. People now consider certain Demons as lesser than others. The title of 'Demon' has lost its... oomph factor after being divided into five categories. It honestly feels like a whole different difficulty system in and of itself. And the Star ratings. It's kinda funny how we get the SAME amount of star ratings for beating an extreme demon as we do an easy demon. Like, come on! If you're gonna subdivide demon categories based on how hardcore they are, then at least reward the harder ones. This is why I am implemented a post-10 rating system. Hard levels will span the caliber from Easy and Medium Demon.
Insane (13 - 14 Stars) || I've already discussed about the whole flawed Demon system back in the Harder segment, so I won't here. All I'll say is that Insane will span the area from Hard Demon to Insane Demon. And since there are generally less of those comparatively, Insane should only take up the slot of two star ratings.
Demon (15 Stars) || We've finally reached it, the pinnacle of what Geometry Dash Difficulty can come to. I'm bringing back the prestigious title of beating a Demon. Demon will now cover the Extreme Demon and now the Demon List feels a bit more fitting. Demons will be the hardest of the hardest levels, as they should've been from the start and they are remarkably distinct from the other difficulties which is absent in the current difficulty system with subdivided demon categories.
Now let's move on to the Official Levels, whose difficulty ratings are just a MESS!
Stereo Madness [1 Star - Easy]
Back on Track [2 Stars - Easy]
Polargeist [3 Stars - Easy]
Dry Out [4 Stars - Medium]
Base After Base [5 Stars - Medium] || However, I will say that this level needs to be BUFFED in order to fit the new difficulty criteria. Not a whole lot, but maybe Neptune's v2 or smth.
Can't Let Go [6 Stars - Medium] || Again, made a bit harder.
Jumper [3 Stars - Easy]
Time Machine [7 Stars - Hard]
Cycles [6 Stars - Medium]
XStep [4 Stars - Medium]
Clutterfunk [8 Stars - Hard]
Theory of Everything [7 Stars - Hard]
Electroman Adventures [3 Stars - Easy] OR [4 Stars - Medium] || Couldn't come to a consensus on this one.
Clubstep [13 Stars - Insane] || I know, I know! But, Clubstep will be the first Insane levels in the game. And we will make the Insane rating RARE as well (as far as the official levels are concerned). Also, we will treat it narratively as one of the hardest levels in the main game, which is what it is along with the other two.
Electrodynamix [12 Stars - Harder] || No surprises here.
Hexagon Force [10 Stars - Harder] OR [11 Stars - Harder] || Also couldn't come to a consensus here.
Blast Processing [3 Stars - Easy]
Theory of Everything 2 [14 Stars - Insane]
Geometrical Dominator [6 Stars - Medium]
Deadlocked [15 Stars - Demon]
Fingerdash [2 Stars - Easy]
Dash [5 Stars - Medium]
Anyways, that's it for my little Ted Talk + analysis on the difficulty system of the game. Again, to reiterate, *this is all just opinion* and it's OK for you to disagree with me. If you have suggestions or additions or criticisms about this model, PLEASE leave it as a reply to this comment. I'd love to foster discussion about this fascinating topic. Anyways, that's it for me. Why didn't I make a video about this on my channel? Uh...
That part about jump indicators made me pretty happy. I’ve hated them for so long and everyone treats me like I’m crazy when I talk to them about how indicators are horrendous game design. They’re insulting to the player and compensating for unreadable decoration, they make levels so much more unfun for me, and it makes me sad seeing even some of the best gd creators like Bli, plaguing their level and bogging them down with jump indicators.
I hope the gd creator community as a whole comes to their senses and stops using them, but for now i appreciate your video possibly convincing people to not have them, and put more effort into making the gameplay readable in a natural way with block design and values.
Well, jump indicators do help with timings for the new players, I don't care if jump indicators are on easy-hard levels as those are the lvls noobs usually play. The problem is when it's used badly like using it where the path is blantnatly obvious or if they are used on orbs or pads, also visibility of it is important while not making it too "dominant" to the deco or gameplay. They should be encouraged but they should not baby you but to help you.
@@Malamesa The problem is, input indicators can very easily become a crutch if used carelessly, both for the players and the level creators. Over time, as players are more accustomed to ii's, they become an excuse for creators to not bother making their levels sightreadable, and an excuse for the players to not bother sightreading; and this is a problem that will continue to occur as people use ii's no matter how well.
@@Tr0lliPop yeah should've mentioned that it should be also done right. I've seen many not sightreable levels with jump indicators. Jump indicators can hinder progress with reading gameplay as you rely on the indicators, if no indicators you are screwed if you are lacking reading skills. In my defense it was just a core aspect of it, for people to learn timings which is why I only agree with them on easier levels due to noobs usually playing it.
21:26 was genuinely expecting wobblewobble to start playing LOL
Finally someone spoke about this and made a video, it's an issue I remember complaining a lot in various circles I'd talk back when I'd star grind a lot of non-demon levels.
I really don't like the path easy levels took in 2.1, and while it's gotten a little better, there used to be a time around early-mid 2.1, where 2-3* stars either had invisible slopes everywhere, making the gameplay entirely braindead to beat, or they'd be semi-auto levels with just a few jumps, like if the creator remembered halfway through the level that they weren't meant to make the level auto. At this point, why not just make it automatic? It always felt incredibly forced and I pretty much agree with the points you specified with this kind of level design.
As an experienced player a lot of these levels bored me to death, because there was so little input required that I'd often just get distracted and die to something I haven't paid attention, because there's an obstacle every 10 seconds. Either the level should have a few more hazards, or just make it engaging in some other way that requires paying attention.
These levels are also not really that helpful for newer players. The official levels feel good, because while being relatively easy compared to the rest of the game, they teach you the basics and you get a better understanding of the game. Making the level extremely handholdy feels like an insult to them, implying they can't figure out how to pass an obstacle. I know that's not the intention for creators, but it sometimes feels like it, and it doesn't help them improve at the game.
Easy levels were at quite a decline for a long time and it's been a bit better compared to early-mid 2.1, but I feel like there's still some improvement that can be done. I really miss easy levels that required actual effort to complete.
6:18 BUCKLE YOUR PANTS MENTIONED!!!!
Hijacking the pinned comment to tell you to GO BUY A COLON PLUSHIE!!!! He is cute and silly and won't be around much longer
www.makeship.com/products/gd-colon-2-2-plush
hi
9 sec ago
HI COLON
Hi cologne
@@GDColon no Im not buying furry
15:03 I dont know why but that message by the creator feels so sad (?). It almost sounds desperate, the way they had to add the failsafes to their level for.. who knows how many other levels they wanted 2 star for makes me think it is both from the creators and standards for rating levels that bounced off each other to get it to where it is. Things like the downtime, cushioned and slow gameplay and songs became the norm for 2 stars probably because it made it the most easy to differentiate, and it became normal to mods that THIS was the level of easy creators had to make, it was just gradually getting so cushioned to the point where its practically auto then yup yup,,
I definitley agree when creators need to know who theyre making the level for, it would always confuse me when they do that bait and switch in a really chill level (a fast dual part, knowing what a certain orb is, fake spikes etc) when up until then its been the usual safe guards and ??? As someone who wants to create levels someday, I really enjoyed this video! I shall now place down all 512 of my guard rails.
"Just make one. They're *EASY* "
Good one!
My hardest level is back on track, took me 153829 attempts in practice mode, and 2748291736467291926362199237 attempts to beat it in normal mode, i am truely proud of myself.
21:29 OOMF DREW THAT EASY FACE
been waiting for you to talk about this issue, great video as usual
Yep, I mean the rating system is scuffed as hell, no surprises there.
22:20 you died colon
Colon never fails to over complicate a pretty simple topic (and i love it)
agreed
At 22:11 I looked at my second monitor and did a double take because I didn’t know he changed the background
Remember that Stereo Madness is considered Easy officially, if it was a user level, it would probably be rated Normal or Hard
Edit: Whoops, Colon talked about this lol and said a different thing instead
I'd wager it would be a 6* Harder
@@hyperviolet1717no what the hell
GDColon made an alternate account called RobsVault where he copied the files of the official levels and uploaded them, and that's what pretty much happened.
@@hyperviolet1717 that's for unbalanced extreme demons aka gauntlet levels, not the easiest thing on earth
I'm not saying Stereo Madness is the difficulty of a 6*, I'm just saying that if it was a level released today that got rated, my guess is that it would be rated a 6*
I must say, this was an amazing video! Good job, Mr. Cologne
Was a great video until the awful joke at 27:31 . It's really a statement of how much 2 seconds can ruin a video, let alone a whole day.
I can't tell if this is satire
@@Aaden.mp4 wow
After all, it’s EASY!
@@SandboxerSandyyoo its sandboxer
@@SandboxerSandyoh wait... Nevermind (start a chain)
I love and appreciate your content keep up the good work cologne
"That's Mr. Cologne to you!" was such a good joke lol.
i loved watching this!! the 27 minutes flew by instantly but this was very entertaining and honestly had a lot of unique insights. i’m definitely going to be using some information from here to try and make a 2 star level of my own!! this video has already given me a few ideas so i can’t wait to try and bring them to life.
thanks for making these videos, they’re genuinely so interesting and i’d absolutely love to see more 🧡🧡
I feel like Easy levels nowadays focus on chasing the bag too much and that's why they feel so bland and boring. Barely any care or thought went into it.
If you're gonna make a level for beginners, don't baby them even with the easiest gameplay. Make the gameplay ACTUALLY easy. And like Colon said if you need to use guard rails, make them reasonable. Don't throw them into parts that actually feel like you're doing something. Put them in places where it feels easy but looks hard.
Another thing is HAVE YOUR SPIKES AND BLOCKS READABLE. While watching the stream I noticed the constant deaths because the spikes felt like they weren't there.
Players know from the beginning that spikes will kill you, so use that to your advantage. Put spikes in the area where you DON'T want the player to be. If you're gonna use saws, don't block them off with invisible slopes. Put them in places where the gameplay isn't supposed to go.
The difference between Stereo Madness and levels that literally have 1 click is that you feel like you're doing something. You have to balance gameplay and decoration. Stereo Madness has a pretty normal BPM. Use fast paced songs if you want fast paced gameplay!!!!
What a fricking good video.. well done Mr. Colgne
i squeal and kick my feet when colon uploads
2:41 The Nightmare being around 7 star difficulty:
Also some medium demons are actually hard demons, like wannacry
thank you for making this video because, ever since, easy levels have had actual gameplay and have been fun to play
i guess colons still behind my wall...
lets goo another epic gd colon vid looking forward to what you come up with next!
18:03 slokes
18:25 I know I’m incredibly late, but I personally think “hold down” levels should be 2 stars and not auto levels.
When I think of auto levels, I think of levels that require absolutely no input. While just holding is incredibly easy, it is an input, which means there technically is effort, even if it’s very small.
i like how much attention you put into crediting levels that are used as background footage.
it usually annoys me when i'm like "oo that level looks cool i wanna support the creator" and then it's credited nowhere,no id,no creator name or level name. you put the level name,the creator name, the id, AND the star rating.awesome video as always cologne
another gd cologne banger 🔥🔥
this basically sums up my entire thoughts about this topic, i swear were basically the same person ongod
anyway im impressed at how well you managed to find a balance with this video, providing constructive criticism without being overly negative. and i really hope this video is what causes more good 2* levels to come out :))
great video, well done 🥳
13:47 this is the exact middle of the video
Cool!
Thanks. :3
good video. one of my favorites from your channel so far
11:03 now someone should make a 2 star level where lakitu replaces the guard rails
i love having the attention span to watch the whole video
long form videos are so much better than most short forms
short answer? they focus on deco than gameplay! wanna long answer? idk cuz the premiere did not start
I needed you to address this issue from the beginning. Easy mode just became what Auto was in 1.9, and Auto just became a theatre to watch, literally.
Your videos are especially influential within the community (especially the subzero one convinced the developer himself holy) so I hope this will bring some change in the future.
(By the way I've been subbed to you when you only had 8000 I'd never know you'd get here, and watched the old "what not to add in your level" video the day it came out so I apologize lmao)
12:31 Damn we really got luigi in geometry dash before silksong
Yoooooo
tbh at this point, even a level that looks like sonar or dark paradise probably wouldn't even get rated, which just makes it all the more difficult for creators to have good but easy gameplay with rate-worthy visuals
Its just because people have been focusing more on decoration than gameplay and its become the usual now. SO PLEASE ROB INTRODUCE 1.5*
Honestly makes sense, I think harder levels should stay revolving around gameplay, and easier lvls should stick with having good deco, idk
Thays gonna damage newer players skillset, online lvls are usually harder than robtop levels, they still gotta get some skill before moving on to demon lvls. @@ChrisZKidd345
Agreed with everything wow. Very nice vid and definitely has some stuff I'll remember while making levels in the future :)
5:05 LETS FUCKING GOOOO MY FAVOURITE OG LEVEL THIS IS SO NOSTALGIC I TEAR UP EVERY TIME I PLAY IT GIVE IT THE REPRESENTATION IT NEEDS KING
Cuh
@@Lean99999 Cuh
Same bro
Thank you for making a video about this, ive held this opinion forever, and hopefully this video helps people realize that a game isnt meant to play itself
I personally like how easy they are
because I'm horrible at this game
@@emnersonn im even worse
@@TheOm3ga963 no i am even worse
@@emnersonn sounds like a skill issue to me
well yeah isn't that what i said lmao
realistic icon man
Very good video ! Was super interesting to listen to your opinion on the 2 stars levels ! Also, I agree, 2 stars are more boring but I hope they will get better in the future !
20:26 Spamton begs to the audience. Spamton prays to the audience.
The audience starts taking furniture out of his room.
20:54 AND THERE'S A JEVIL REFERENCE?????
@@thisissoepic6698 there is no audience.
The air crackles with freedom.
I actually instantly thought of this as soon as I saw it 😭
You should make a video where you re-rate the robtop level difficulties because the rating system is interesting. Including sub-demons of course. This is my favourite video topic for geometry dash and I would love for you to make one as my fav gd RUclipsr
20:26 this MIGHT be spamton
11:31 the mini ufo part in retray sweating in nervousness
14:28 bloodbath jumpscare
This applies to pretty much every level up to the easy demon category.
As an experienced player you can beat most 3-7* star levels in 1-5 attempts because they all (i generalize here, but its sadly a very high percentage of levels) tell you exactly what to do.
The difference between clarity in a level and handholding is: clarity tests your skill while still enabling you to find out how the level plays, aswell as making the level feel fair because you are dying to something clearly visible if you die. You have to read the level and look ahead to plan your next inputs.
handholding is what robtob is pushing for (for whatever reason) and includes jump indicators, jump lines, flying arrows, coins, glow/ground markers/block changes etc.. As you said, for beginners it may be important to showcase when to jump to get a feel for the game but when im playing a 7* and im not looking at the gameplay but rather at when the next arrow's x-position aligns with my players x-position, something is wrong with the level.
2:40 this is so true most 9 stars i’ve played are harder than some easy demons 😭
Finally, somebody decided to adress the easy (2*) elephant in the room. Amazing video Mister Colon, and also amazing tips. I hope more creators listen to you and revolt to let more challenging levels be 2*
welp 2 stars are getting better after this video, well done Colon
Gr8 vid I liked it very much and you are very coherent. Please do others like this because I love how you tell your opinion in a fun and interesting way.