Level Link

Level Link
Games:	LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita, LittleBigPlanet 3
Type:	Gameplay Kits
Category:	Level Kit
Inputs:	1
Outputs:	0 (LBP2/Vita) 1 (LBP3)
Obtained from:	Start

A Level Link is a gameplay object introduced in LittleBigPlanet 2 that sends players to a different level when entered or activated.

Usage and Behaviour

Level Links take the form of the same Level Badges that populate the Craft Earth, and occupy the same sub-layer as Checkpoints. When the player stands in front of a Level Link and presses , their Sackperson will hop inside and be sent to the level shown on the badge.

In LittleBigPlanet 3, Level Links were redesigned to more closely resemble Checkpoints, and were given new functionality to accomodate the addition of Adventures. Level Links can link to other levels inside an Adventure, allowing them to be used in an offline setting.

Both types of Level Link have an input to load the destination level when triggered. The newer 'Door' variant also has an output port, which sends a digital ON signal when a player spawns from it.

Tweaks

Random MM Picks Level: ( No •‎ Yes ) If set to Yes, the Level Link will send players to a random Team Picks level. This tweak was removed after Game Update 1.03, and cannot be set on newer versions.

Visible on Map: ( No •‎ Yes ) If set to Yes, a thread connection will appear between this level and the destination level on the Adventure Map.

Level Choose a destination for this Level Link. This could be a level the creator has published, or any public community level. If the level is part of an Adventure, the list of destinations is limited to the current Adventure.

Progression

Success: ( No •‎ Yes ) Determines whether or not the current level will be marked as completed upon entering this Level Link. This tweak hidden by default until the player presses on the above Level tweak.

Continue Music: ( No •‎ Yes ) If set to Yes, the current music track will continue playing through the loading screen and into the next level. Does not apply to sequenced music. Note: in LittleBigPlanet 3, the music will still fade out during the loading screen, but will fade back in once the destination level loads.

Start Point

Is a Start Point: ( No •‎ Yes ) If set to Yes, this Level Link will serve as a Start Point from which players can spawn upon entering the level.

Select or Tweak a Start Point Label: (text field; 256 characters) Opens a dialogue box to create a new Start Point label, or select an existing one.

Character

Character to Spawn As Choose which character the player will spawn as when entering the level through this Start Point.

Reset Select this to reset the chosen character to Sackboy.

Properties

Physical Properties: ( Static •‎ Dynamic ) When Static, the object cannot be moved while time is unpaused. When Dynamic, the object can be moved and is subject to gravity.

History

Concept Art

Some concept art for the original LittleBigPlanet depicts a "Link", which would have functioned exactly like a level link in LittleBigPlanet 2. Given that early footage shows what appears to be Links in certain levels, and even recovered levels from the Deploy build contain similar objects, it's likely that these were implemented before being scrapped and revisited for LittleBigPlanet 2.

Interesting to note in the concept art is the fact that the lock on the badge is looped through the zipper pull tabs, as opposed to just being in front of the badge in the final iteration.

Revisions

To do: In most pre-beta versions of LBP3, trying to tweak a Level Link crashes the game. Figure out if there's a way around this so we can document when certain LBP3-specific changes were made.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Pre-Release
br2_r40059 April 19, 2010	First publicly available build to contain Level Links. Level Links are larger by default, and can be freely resized. The list of selectable levels is determined by the player's collection of Level Keys, e.g. having a story level's key allows it to be used as a Level Link destination. Level Links do not display the level's name or creator when approaching them in this version. When going through a Level Link (done by pressing in this version), Sackboy plays the respawn animation in reverse, likely as a placeholder.
br2_r47518 August 30, 2010	The Level Link's default size is smaller, and it can no longer be freely resized. Added the "Completes Level" tweak. The list of selectable levels is now based on what levels are available online, rather than what Level Keys the player has in their inventory. The Level Link is now activated by pressing whilst in front of it. Sackboy now has a unique animation for going through Level Links.
br2_beta_r53601 November 11, 2010	Level Links can now be resized once again. Renamed the "Completes Level" tweak to "Success".
LittleBigPlanet 2
Game Update 1.23 April 30, 2013	Fixed bugs related to going through a Level Link when the target level has been deleted.
Game Update 1.28 December 16, 2013	Added the option to continue the current music track during the transition between levels. Does not apply to sequenced music.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
Public Beta	The Level Link's Popit icon was re-rendered to remove the Media Molecule logo from the badge. Added the option to continue the current music track during the transition between levels. Does not apply to sequenced music.
LittleBigPlanet 3
Base Game	A new door-shaped variant of the Level Link is added, replacing the original level badge. The original can still be obtained if a profile is imported from LittleBigPlanet 2. If the level is part of an Adventure, other levels that are inside the same Adventure can be selected. Added the "Visible on Map" tweak. Added the "Is a Start Point" tweak, and all of its associated sub-tweaks. Added the "Random MM Picks Level" tweak.
Game Update 1.03 December 4, 2014	The "Random MM Picks Level" tweak found in the base game has been removed, making this property exclusive to the Tower of Creation in the Ziggurat Grand Hall. Any Level Links with this tweak enabled prior to the update will be grandfathered in, continuing to function as normal.
Game Update 1.05 February 11, 2015	Changing forms as Toggle whilst entering a Level link will no longer prevent the player from being able to enter it. Fixed a potential crash bug when walking in front of a Level Link.

Gallery

Model Renders

Level Link - Badge

Level Link - Door