I plan to do level testing!

Hello,

i'm new to the forum and I want to participate in this project. I want to help you testing the levels of both SMB1 and SMB2 that have been created.

I will also create the missing stages of SMB2 (Worlds B and C), 6 or 7 levels in total that have still to be made.
I will start testing during the next week, not this weekend, I'm just too busy now, but just for the weekend.


I just need some clues on how this is done best, as this is the first time I do leveltesting for a videogame fan project.

How and where shpuld I report errors and things like that the best way?
Should I check again if everything is in the right place or just run through the level?

Tell me just some basics on this and what you except.

In general I am experienced in working with Files, using Wii Tools, Software modifications (Homebrew CHannel and others) and other things like that but I never did things for fan projects before.

Sorry for bad English. It's just bad school English.

First of all, we are pretty relaxed around here

Second, just play through whichever levels you feel like, and tell us what you think about them. Post back whatever feedback you can give.

We had a problem with someone trying to steal our levels and claim them as their own. Since then, we've restricted who has access to our content. We still need to post a new section with limited access to new people that would like to help.

For now, these should get you started:
World 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/?mn20x4a3ew25d0w
Tilesets - http://www.mediafire.com/?j3p52n597uxn6o9

Glad to have you on the team!

Thank you for the links.

Should I post results to the single level topics or is there also some sort of all-together topic? I think that topics are the best place as error corrections and other hast to be done there but how do you track which stage is "finished" (then It doens't need further testing unless changing the used tileset or music)?


And what is this what you linked?

There is a topic linking to an official tileset package and some additional tileset downloads in the same topic (Custom Tilesets section).
And I can download current level testing versions when going to the World topics.

So I am just confused now. What of them is the newest, the single files or your files or that packs I linked above?

Edit: Just to add it, testing will start during next week.

There, I just gave you access to the Download Center, which has the most up-to-date everything. We started hiding it from new members after someone tried to steal our work.

The only thing missing from the download center are these two files:
https://originalsmbw.forumotion.com/custom-backgrounds-f28/overground-background-t138.htm
https://originalsmbw.forumotion.com/custom-backgrounds-f28/night-time-background-t137.htm

You can post feedback in the individual threads if you'd like, or in the Download Center, its up to you.

Thank you. Now i think i understood mostly how that works.

The tilesets file is just an compilation of all that files I otherwise would have to download one by one from the Custom tilesets area, right?
And when I click on retroremix's shared files at MediaFire i get the list of the other 7 worlds in addition to World 1.
I see also Toadette textures and a music file on the first folder.

So if I add them all to the game, is this then complete?
That 8 Worlds + The tilesets + The two background downloads?

So just two questions left:

Is that all changed backgrounds? Overground and Nighttime? I think I saw more backgrounds that have been changed here in the forum (i.e. castle background). Or saw I just backgrounds of SMB2: TLL and does SMB1 only has that two? Or are that other ones parts of the tilesets?

And how can I see when one of the levels has been updated without clicking trough 30+ topics each week? Do you transfer them to the download center instantly? And how to post there? On MediaFire???


Sorry that I ask you so much things, but before I start, I have to ensure that I have a correct set a file just to prevent problems when testing and I'm new you know.
Again thank you that you help me.

Edit: Just found a new Staff-only section below, is that what you call Download-Center? Can find only credits levels to download there.

You are actually doing a really, really good job picking up on everything. We have months worth of posts here, and already you seem pretty familiar with it. Ask all of the questions you'd like! We haven't had anyone new interested in helping for a long while, so the forums aren't very friendly right now.

At the very top of the forums, you should see three sections: Announcements, Download Center, and Resources and Guides. The Download Center should have been hidden before.

When we first started this project, it was all a single post on GBAtemp. Then, we made these forums, and made a post for every level. A while later, we realized what a pain it was to update 32 threads with level changes, and started posting them in one place, in the Download Center.

Everything in the Download Center is just compilations of files found in individual posts. Its everything that is included in the final project, so far. Keep in mind that the files in the Download Center are also the most up to date - the individual threads are all outdated now.

Those are the only two backgrounds, so far. The others, like the castle wall, is part of a tileset.

Please, PLEASE don't hesitate to post any other questions! If you have any ideas to improve the forums, please share them too.

Hey thanks a lot!

I think that's in general what I wanted to know. And I found the Download Center now. Maybe I didn't saw because I was not in the staff group when I looked for it.

So I will get the correct set of files when I just download the things in the Download Center and put it into an iso to test it, right?
And I think I will post the test results there, Ok, as it would not be useful to post in the outdated topics on the single levels.

Just one question left: When do users get into the SMB Team group and level testers groups? Does this happen when I start testing and posting that World B/C levels (when user proof that they do it)? Or on request by the user? Or on individual check by the Team?

Tomorrow I fnish a programming project and then I reinstall my Windows XP. Then I am ready for this.

Something to add:

Why do all SMB Staff Group Members have mod rights in that Staff Forum at the bottom. I could delete the posts If i want to do, but of course I do not. It says Moderator is SMB Staff Group. Is it an mistake or what is it? Well, I never was a moderator on a forum and I don't think standard users are intended to do so I just have to mention this.

Yep, just download the stuff in the Download Center + the two backgrounds I linked too earlier.

Posting responses here is fine, or you could post it in the Download Center topic that has the levels in them.

We've added people to higher positions for various reasons. I added you to the staff group as a quick-and-easy way to give you access to our files. Did the same for PastChu too. Truth is, we need to go back and redo all of the groups, and all of the forum positions. As you noticed, there are all sorts of flaws with the current setup, because honestly, I didn't set the groups up, and don't know who has what powers over what topics.

I really appreciate your honesty in telling us about the various issues with things now. Hopefully when I get time sometime soon I can clean everything up.

Ok, i made a post at the download center that I start level testing next Week and added a grid to mark all tested levels. It's just a copy of the renaming grid but now it's the testing grid.

After Reinstalling my Windows (see previous post), I'll download all the files, build an iso and go for a first test if it works in general. Then testing can start.

Oh, and I have to discuss with the SMB2: LL guys on how to place World 9/A-D for testing when SMB1 and SMB2LL take Worlds 1-8. I think I'll use star coin cheat to get world 9's levels unlocked and A-D have to go to toad houses. It's the only way to keep testing inside of one game. Even if we leave them out later, this is testing time so they have to stay for now somewhere.

Sounds good to me! I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of our levels so far. Oh, and make sure you download the Region Specific files as well. They should give you a titlescreen logo, and a new save slot, since you are building an ISO.

Take your time, and have fun!

I'm sorry I'm a little bit delayed due to the programming stuff, I planed to be ready yesterday 1 pm and stopped 10 hours later at 11 pm. I have to get that s***t finished today, and I will finish it, just some little problems left and some error checks if someone loads in bad files.

And then, kill my Windows! Won't be a problem just some 2 hours and and it'll again ready for use, but now, fresh and clean Windows XP!

I'll tell you when I'm finally ready with that stuff. Don't worry.

Its fine man, take your time! If you couldn't do any work for another month, it would still be fine. This project is for our freetime, there are no deadlines to meet or anything like that. Finish your programming stuff, and whenever you get around to the Mario stuff, have fun with it

Ok Thank you.

Well, I just can say that I finished that programming thing. It took already enough time during the last week. Did finishing on it for about one week now. It was quite ready, I just decided to finish it after some weeks of not working on it. And now, I finally got rid of it. Programming is too much time consuming for me.

LevelCreating and Testing can be timed much better I think than Programming.

Glad to know that you don't have problems with delays, but I think reinstalling Windows XP won't cause furhter delays, I have a laptop that I can use to post here during that time.


Well, and now, let's go to the important stuff.

Although I spent so much time on the programming I'm compiling now my Iso file to do a quick first test this night. No real test as It's so late already, just making that file ready with the SMB1 content and running it once.

Note: Testing reports out of my testing run are now written into the download center topic of SMB1.