During my most recent webcast, something quite intriguing occurred. I made the decision to keep count of how many levels I received in each of the many different genres that have become popular over the years while I played through the plethora of varied levels that the community was sending to me. In this particular instance, I counted the modern levels, glow levels, and neodesign; if there were any other levels, I simply categorized them as miscellaneous. I observed some modern, a lot of neodesign, and a sizable number of other things. However, what I observed towards the conclusion was quite odd; it had never happened to me before, and I’m not totally sure it has ever occurred during a mod request broadcast. (Correct me if I’m mistaken.)
Never once did I get asked for a glow level.
I initially assumed it was just a coincidence or an accident. It was probably a coincidence that those who watched the stream had no requests for illumination levels. But I began to give it more thought. Why? Why did they not ask about glow levels? I was aware that it was unrelated to my “standards.” To the chagrin of some of my fellow moderators, I’m a well-known advocate for glow and contemporary levels. I make it clear that, regardless of style, I try to treat every level equally. I therefore realized that I wasn’t the cause of this unexpected glow withdrawal.
So, why? Why wasn’t I sent any levels in a genre that is renowned for being overused and popular? And after giving it some thought, I believe I have a solid justification.
A while back, Norkbork created the term “Stylistic Prejudice” to describe the idea of someone rejecting a level or turning away from it out of pure stylistic prejudice. I believe that is happening in this case to some degree. I’ll explain.
In the last year or so, community preferences for how to evaluate the overall quality of a level have undergone a significant change. From a level that only needed to be visually beautiful to catch the community’s attention to one that was actually testing out a fresh idea or the editor’s creative limits. Many people support the change, but others are very frustrated with it. I feel like I’m in a kind of middle ground where I can see both sides’ points of view. This shift in social attitudes has been reflected in the ascent of designers like Presta, Overdefo, and Neigefeu, and the emergence of neodesign signaled the start of one of the most divisive fashion trends to date.
As I stated, these novel methods for approaching the editor caused a lot of controversy, but they eventually made it to the public’s attention. Some of the most important content providers on the site have taken notice of several levels that participate in this unorthodox style of thinking, and some of them have even made it into the GD awards. It goes without saying that over the past year, this new ideology has become incredibly popular.
I won’t sit here and discuss the efficacy of neodesign or how I feel about the notion of creativity being valued above aesthetics. That’s not what this article is about. But in order to appreciate where the community is right now in terms of which levels tend to garner the most attention, it is important to comprehend the enormous rise in popularity of neodesign and other bizarre sorts of creation.
And throughout it all, glow levels have been neglected. Numerous them include the qualifiers “simply another glow level” or “doesn’t try anything unique.” Again, I’m not talking about whether or not these arguments are good here. The idea is that glow levels are losing favor as of late due to the rising emphasis on inventiveness above aesthetics.
This is where stylistic bias enters the picture. As previously stated, glow levels have come to the point where they are being discounted or outright disregarded because the style in which they are constructed is known for not attempting to innovate or try anything new. To put it another way, glow levels are intentionally discouraged simply because they are glow levels, and a lot of people think that glow levels aren’t capable of offering anything particularly valuable.
And for that reason, I believe I didn’t encounter any glow levels when I was streaming. Unusual, outlandish levels have begun to become the norm as a result of the community’s shift in ideology. Many people are discouraged from building in the style they had intended to build in as a result.
Depending on who you ask, this might be a fantastic development for the neighborhood. Finally, a style that has dominated the rewarded tab for years will come to an end, and real originality will be showcased.
But to be really honest, it makes me a little melancholy. Glow levels are important for this game, although maybe not in the way you might assume. This goes beyond simply needing to fill out the rewarded tab.
I’ll make a quick comparison. I want you to look at the best picture Oscar nominees from the last ten years. How many superhero movies can you count? There are none, if my memory serves me well, with the exception of Black Panther. What possible objections might be leveled towards superhero movies? Most likely, they are all the same. They don’t frequently provoke the viewer to think deeply, are safe, and cater to broad audiences. The parallel doesn’t require you to agree with it; all you need to know is that this is how a lot of people like to criticize modern superhero movies.
Now, consider glow levels and what people find objectionable about them. Most likely, they are all the same. They don’t often require the player to think deeply, are safe, and cater to broad audiences.
For a long time, I’ve compared illumination levels to comic book movies. The similarities between the two genuinely intrigue me. A form of expression becomes popular and sparks a significant trend. After some time, the above-mentioned complaints cause the style to lose some of its appeal. Instead, new innovative and unorthodox works steal the stage at award ceremonies, and many older works just vanish into obscurity.
But allow me to ask you a question. Why did neodesign in geometry dash become so well-liked? Simple, then. It went against the grain. It did something novel in place of what was conventionally thought to be the case.
Ok. What transpires, therefore, when the fashion that is all about defying convention… ends up becoming the convention?
I’m not suggesting that neodesign levels are typical at this moment, of course. It’s simply untrue. Levels of glow and modernization vastly outweigh them. However, as I mentioned, neodesign is receiving far more attention. The “creative” levels themselves, in comparison to glow, will no longer be creative if we permit “creative” levels to become more common than glow. If everyone is a superhero, then no one will be, Syndrome famously said in The Incredibles.
Let me draw another analogy. Why are superhero movies still so popular if they are so generally derided? Why do they continue to be made or earn such large sums of money at the box office? We watch them because it’s a pleasant way for us to take pleasure in some enticing, safe stuff. I believe we can all agree that they aren’t particularly noteworthy, but they are nonetheless pleasant for us to appreciate.
I feel the same exact way about glow levels. The innovative levels that defy it simply don’t appear as amazing in comparison if we don’t have these glow levels here to act as a type of diversion.
In other words, this group requires light to elevate innovation.
So you don’t have to enjoy it the next time you visit the rewarded page and see a random 6 star with empty black transitions and an ending at the drop. But at least make an effort to value it.
