Levels

Levels are a combination of a map, 1 to 8 sprites, an optional background song, and various configurations and customizations. There are 3 types of levels: Overworld, Terrain, and Dungeon Master. The states of levels are automatically saved on exit, and a thumbnail of that last state shows on the Levels menu for quick reference.

An Overworld level presents the layout as an overhead view with foreground and background layers from the map. The player-controlled sprite is joined by up to 7 non-player spriters that randomly roam the levels. (All sprites pass between the background and foreground layers.) The level can contain up to 8 warp points to simulate entering/exiting buildings or caves. Collision-detection rules pull from the map and are followed by all sprites. The player can cycle through several shaders, including dot matrix, CRT, sepia, grayscale, and negative.

A Terrain level presents the layout in a pseudo-3D manner, similar to racing games or flight simulators of the 16-bit console era. This level type has a player-controlled sprite and no non-player sprites. There are no collision-detection rules, and only the background layer shows. The player can toggle fog and customize a depth-of-field effect.

A Dungeon Master level presents the layout as an overhead view, but the display differs between the Wii U GamePad and the television. This level type is not meant to play or explore so much as that its purpose is to assist in playing traditional role-playing games with paper, dice, etc. The dungeon master / game master sets up the level and the placement of sprites that represent players or NPCs, and this set-up is masked from the television viewers. The DM/GM can configure the fog-of-war and sprite positions on the television to progressively reveal the scene to the other players. The fog-of-war state saves with the level so that the players can resume exactly how they left it next time they meet to play the RPG.