Level Design in Earnest

Well, with moving platforms done, I decided I'm fair enough along that it's time to start doing "real" level design. I've got a bunch of maps that I've designed for demo purposes, so you can play through a bit of how the world will play, and I can test out how transitions work.  But they were never intended to be the real map.

So I've wiped out all that, and started now on the "real game."  And after a couple years of fiddling about with the engine, it's really refreshing churning out a few maps. 

Spoiler alert!

I've realized a few things:

1. I'm bad at making interesting maps.  I have these big rooms, and it's hard to fill them with things that will actually be fun. I'm trying though.
2. I don't have to go very far before I run into features that I need to add into the engine.  I hit the first save room quickly, a few days ago, and remembered that I hadn't implemented game saves. I got that added, then immediately started on a room with some 8-px steps (which the main character is supposed to be able to run up without jumping). Of course, I haven't actually implemented the running up stairs yet.  Time to do that I guess.
3. Nothing reveals bugs like real content.  Just tonight, I plopped an enemy (the eyeball creepy crawly guy that I've used all over the place in the demo rooms) into my map, and he's broken.  WHY, computer, WHY!?

Exhibit A, in which I decide that I hate computers.