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MekoMole

La Gazza Ladra

Short and simple timing level, possibly suitable for children. No tricks. Help La Gazza Ladra, the thieving magpie, steal food from his neighbours in the Wild Wood.

La Gazza Ladra
MekoMole, Jun 24, 2022
    • MekoMole
      Originally started as a Children's level, I feel it may now be too complicated for Children but too simple for Adults. Unfortunately my tester, my 6 year old grandson, is now obsessed by Super Mario but hopefully his 20 month old Sister is showing signs of taking over.
      The overture from 'La Gazza Ladra', 'The Thieving Magpie', is one of my favourite compositions from the Italian composer Rossini. I decided that, for this performance, B would be in costume as the Magpie. Normally B is very stable, going from A to B as directed, unless the infamous 'fuzzy tapping' kicks in. However with the addition of various blocks his behaviour changes, his movements become more erratic, almost drunken. This is explained by the addition of weight outwith his normal centre of gravity which contribute to a centrifugal effect, causing him to rotate after coming to what previously would have been a stop. This level exploits that effect.
      Cryptic Hints
      Presenting your derriere to the enemy is the ultimate insult in battle but in this case could gain a star.
      If Magpie B steps to the right he will rotate clockwise.
      Feather is mightier than beak.
      Vertical ascent is not normal for Magpies and should be undertaken with caution.
      An over enthusiastic flight between trees could result in a forced landing outwith the 16x16x16 matrix. Normally recoverable but if the landing is on B's back then game over.
      A hopefully nonsense but fun level, not to be taken too seriously.
      BLR likes this.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      BLR
      So cute! Very awesome design! Sometimes B fall and he can't move so restart needed. But it wasn't a big problem cause the overall gameplay is fun and not hard. 5 stars! Thanks for the amazing sculpture @MekoMole :thumbsup:
    • MekoMole
      Thank you very much @BLR fot such a prompt response, kind words and very generous rating. I agree B can be very unstable and caution is required when moving. I did include some features, staircase and vertical sliders, to help if B falls but if he lands on his back then restart I'm afraid. Thank you for playing and I'm delighted you found it fun.
      BLR likes this.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      Blue Tower
      Neat concept and design although 4.8 stars for this one as the bots with stars were slightly annoying. If it's not a transforming level, it's a funny one. Really, I did not notice the stairs if you landed beyond the 16x16x16 grid. I think the L and R bots seen on the card were pointless as they did not interact with B at all. Thanks @MekoMole :thumbsup::thumbsup:
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      Jom
      That is so beautiful, :D:D:D. I love the magpies, and the trees, and the gorgeous woodland creatures. B was so funny showing off his lovely long tail. Brilliant, :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:!
    • Rating:
      4/5,
      ohmytian
      The timing and skill required was very friendly and I liked the creative ideas for the bots. Or magpies.
    • MekoMole
      Thank you @Blue Tower for playing and very generous rating. I'm glad you accepted the level in the spirit it was designed and found it funny. I take on board your comments regarding bot design and superfluous bots but it's probably a matter of preference. I'm a graphics man first and foremost and I enjoy creating visuals, preferably animated. I can see that this might be an irritant to dedicated gamers. I appreciate the feedback, it helps to have different perspectives on designs. Thanks again.
    • MekoMole
      Thanks @Jom for playing, kind comments and very generous rating. Not a classic level, I was in two minds about posting, so I'm delighted that you liked the design and found the level funny as intended.
      Jom likes this.
    • MekoMole
      Thanks @ohmytian for playing kind comments and generous rating. I'm glad you like the magpies, this is an area I am experimenting with.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      Denis Nazin
      Ha-ha-ha!:rotf::rotf::rotf: It's amazing. Two humorous levels in a row - you and @BLR. I can't help laughing. It is very funny. Very funny birds) Funny hedgehogs) I don’t know what peeks out from under the lawn, probably the caterpillars are also very funny. I had a lot of fun and laughed heartily. thank you friend;):thumbsup:
    • MekoMole
      Thank you @Denis Nazin. I'm glad you found the level funny and I'm grateful for such kind remarks and very generous rating for such a trivial level. The animals under the lawn are the best representation of a mole that I could do with such a limited number of blocks. I've been experimenting with B as a character in costume and the one I am working on now is much larger. The behaviours under load and with different balances are interesting. Obviously with a much higher centre of gravity the bot becomes progressively more unstable. Balanced loading becomes crucial and centrifugal effect more pronounced. I wonder if there is a defined coefficient of friction between B's shoes and the surface he walks on and whether the type of surface has an effect as it would in the real world.
    • Jom
      I found a fun finish! If you get the toss just right, B can fly right through the final star, just as it should be for a cute bird, :rotf::rotf::rotf:
    • MekoMole
      @Jom, I once, just once, managed to land adjacent to the star. To fly THROUGH the star is Awesome. Well done.
      Jom likes this.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      ridgerunner
      Looks great and good story. Liked the strutting magpies with their swishing tails.
      Jom and MekoMole like this.
    • MekoMole
      Thanks @ridgerunner. Bit worried this one was a bit too much graphics vanity project with too little meaningful gameplay but glad you liked the magpies. I sit at breakfast and .watch the current brood forage through the wasteland that is my garden. My granddaughter is very taken with them.
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  • Album:
    MekoMole
    Uploaded By:
    MekoMole
    Date:
    Jun 24, 2022
    View Count:
    1,021
    Comment Count:
    18