design ideas just for the designer?

[mantha16]

so I am immensely enjoying my small pack so I was thinking about a more substantial pack 

I'm a big Rugby Union fan so my idea is a 6 nations pack.

It would be a lot of work as undoubtedly I would want 6 new tile sets, 6 new backgrounds and maybe 20 levels per country.

Is it worth designing a pack based entirely on your own interests? without knowing if there would be any interest at all from the forum at large?

[namida]

As far as the forum goes, people's interest is playing lemmings. If the levels are good, and the visuals aren't unclear (feel free to ask for guidance on that, but the basic concept is "it should always be clear by looking what's terrain, what's steel, what's dangerous, etc"), people will be interested in playing your pack no matter what the visual theme, if any, is.

[mantha16]

As far as the forum goes, people's interest is playing lemmings. If the levels are good, and the visuals aren't unclear (feel free to ask for guidance on that, but the basic concept is "it should always be clear by looking what's terrain, what's steel, what's dangerous, etc"), people will be interested in playing your pack no matter what the visual theme, if any, is.

so would you say its not worth investing the time to design 6 new tilesets etc but better to focus on the actually puzzles rather than the aesthetics.

[kieranmillar]

Make what you want to make. If you want your pack to have its own styles and visual design, go for it. In my experience, checking for interest before embarking on a project you want to make will only serve to reduce your motivation, because other people can only guess at the ideas that currently only exist in your head, so strike while the interest is still there within you.

[mantha16]

Make what you want to make. If you want your pack to have its own styles and visual design, go for it. In my experience, checking for interest before embarking on a project you want to make will only serve to reduce your motivation, because other people can only guess at the ideas that currently only exist in your head, so strike while the interest is still there within you.

I think I might do it as my long term project as it will help me build my skills but run in tandem with smaller projects

[WillLem]

so would you say its not worth investing the time to design 6 new tilesets etc but better to focus on the actually puzzles rather than the aesthetics.

Aesthetics is equally important, I think it's best to always make your levels look exactly as you want them to.

What kieranmillar said is great advice; strike whilst the iron is hot and the ideas are fresh, and follow that creative river for as long as you can.

[namida]

As far as the forum goes, people's interest is playing lemmings. If the levels are good, and the visuals aren't unclear (feel free to ask for guidance on that, but the basic concept is "it should always be clear by looking what's terrain, what's steel, what's dangerous, etc"), people will be interested in playing your pack no matter what the visual theme, if any, is.

so would you say its not worth investing the time to design 6 new tilesets etc but better to focus on the actually puzzles rather than the aesthetics.

That's your call. All I'm saying is that the theme isn't going to put people off, as long as the levels are decent.