LEVEL DESIGN GUIDELINES

These guidelines should be kept for any level that appears on the official world maps.
Designers contributing levels to the Contrib and Bonus sections are free of regulations -
that's what those sections are for. However, to maintain a certain level of playability,
official levels should be designed with these rules in mind:

1. Don't mix tilesets! There shouldn't be any ice or castle tiles in a forest level,
unless there is an obvious reason (like transition into another area).
2. Clearly distinguish between the layers - players should be able to see immediately
where they can safely walk and what is foreground and background. Avoid placing bonus
items (coins, boxes) in the background.
3. Be careful not to create dead ends. Test your level thoroughly to find possible paths
you might have missed before.
4. Use everything the engine offers - but don't place it all in a single level!
5. Avoid large amounts of objects and badguys on the screen at once as it greatly
decreases playability. Also, your level might not be playable on slower machines anymore.
6. Find the right difficulty! Too easy levels get boring very quickly while too hard ones
can be frustrating. Levels you built often appear a lot easier for yourself, so be sure
to let other people test them.
7. Don't make your level too short or too long - good size largely depends on the level's
overall design, so there's no general "good" value. In longer levels, make sure there are
enough reset points, so players won't have to repeat large portions of the level.
8. Secret areas should be well-hidden and not be visible on first sight. Use your
imagination to think of new ways to create secrets - some of the above rules can be
broken for that purpose, but be careful!
