a weird level design thing is that sometimes you need to make filler on purpose.
it's just what the pacing of the experience calls for! in song writing, not every part of the song can be the best, most memorable part. you need vehicles to move from one part of an experience to another, or breathers between moments of intensity, or simply on and off ramps.
anyway, that's all very contrary to my instincts, which are to try to make every single obstacle memorable and unique on its own. and yeah, every obstacle should be purposeful, but that doesn't mean they should all be extraordinary.
