An alternative that doesn't require hardcoding or unlockables -- have a lock.x.txt file
Hmm, this is better than hardcoding. I still have two hunches against this. The weak one: The editor allows to verify that there are no hidden exits or traps inside solid terrain. This is a weak counter-argument, because our culture already weeds out offending levels before they make their way into the distributed level tree. Maybe this idea points to a design flaw of the game class instead, where trigger areas could be visualized on command.
The stronger hunch is that it's bad to activate features by deleting a file, instead of by checking an option for advanced features.
People learn the level editor by opening and modifying existing levels, by deleting/moving tiles. They don't create levels from scratch early in their learning curve. I would like to foster such learning by exploration, and keep levels editable. On first sight, this seems only possible by separating singleplayer and editor further than they are now.
Bonus usability picture: Aleph-null-many exploders, another button with bad usability, but magnificent coolness factor.
This is amazing, how do I get this?
It's yet-unpushed D code, where I have been toying with unicode symbols. The bitmap font used in the C++ port doesn't provide this many unicode chars. To get it in C++ Lix, you'd have to draw it yourself over the star glyph in
data/font_big.I.tga.
This is more of internal help system one day possibly:
If there was a new tab in the menu called something like "Lix Informational" the menu will have rows of buttons the size of an ability button with a picture in each.
Videos may be appropriate for multiplayer techniques, hard singleplayer levels, or level editing. The design challenge is to make videos for simpler things unnecessary. Therefore, such links might not go into the game, but, e.g., on the homepage.
-- Simon