Chapter 12 Level Design What is level design? Separate from game - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chapter 12

Level Design

What is level design?

• Separate from game design
• Consists of not only making the physical

level but also of placing objects, designing triggers, controlling atmosphere effects, and creating audio effects

• Definition: “The creation of levels—locales,

stages, or missions– for a video or computer games”

What is level design?

• The space in which a game takes place

– Using the appropriate 2D or 3D modelling tools to specify the space

• Initial conditions of the level

– The starting conditions of a level including bot placement, starting resources and etc..

• The set of challenges the player will face within

the level

– Constructing the sequence of challenges for the player

• The termination conditions of the level

What is level design?

• The interplay between the gameplay and

the game’s story

– Construct the game so the style of gameplay is coherent with the background or story – E.g. Rome: Total War

• The aesthetics and mood of the level

– Tone and mood of the level

Universal level design principles

• Include tutorial levels
• Vary level pacing
• Provide adequate resources
• Avoid conceptual non sequiturs

– Game design principle: Harmony

• Explain the short term player objectives

– Long-term goals may be hidden but players should be told what is the next goal

• Explain risks, rewards and consequences of

decision

– Learn by death is considered bad design

Universal level design principles

• Rewards should be given for skill, imagination,

intelligence and dedication

• Motivate with large rewards rather than harsh

punishment

– Harsh punishment discourages the audience from playing

• The foreground takes precedence over the

background

• Bots are supposed to challenge the player and

then lose

– No unbeatable levels

• Multiple difficulties encourages a wider audience

Genre specific level design

• The design of the level is heavily dependant on

the genre of the game

• Action:

– Pay close attention to game pacing – Action game tend to be highly stressful so design areas of rest as well as areas of action

• Strategy:

– Give players areas that give an advantage for proper planning – Create level so it can reward players for anticipating enemy actions

Genre specific level design

• Role-playing games:

– Incorporate areas for character growth

• Sports games:

– Model the levels to closely resemble the real world

• Vehicle simulations:

– Provide levels to test player steering ability

• Construction and management simulations

– Offer interesting goals and limitations

Genre specific level design

• Adventure games:

– Harmonize level challenges with physical location and story events

• Artificial life games:

– Add many environment interaction

• pportunities for the creatures
• Puzzle games:

– Give players time to solve the puzzle

Layouts

• Open layouts:

– Generally unconstrained movement – May have areas accessible only in a linear fashion – E.g. Battlefield 1942

Layouts

• Linear layouts:

– The most common layout – Involves a sequence of areas in which the player may only go back or forward – If the level prevents the player from going backwards make sure the player has the necessary items before passing the boundary – E.g.?

Layouts

• Parallel layouts:

– Parallel layouts are a variant of linear layouts – Different paths may be chosen by the same goal is reached – Many players explore all paths anyways if the game permits – E.g.?

Layouts

• Ring layouts:

– The level eventually returns to its start – May include shortcuts – E.g. Racing games

Layouts

• Network layouts:

– Spaces connect to each other in a variety of ways – Enjoyment can be derived from learning the layout – Overall network layouts make story telling with a specific sequence of events difficult – E.g.?

Layouts

• Hub-and-spoke layouts:

– Player begins at central hub and should feel safe while in the hubs – Each spoke offers a linear set of challenges and should offer methods of quick – The hubs should offer some choice to the player but may deny the player access to certain spokes at any given time

Layouts

• Hub-and-spoke

layouts:

– E.g. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Layouts

• Combinational layouts:

– Involves combining several types – For example a game may work in an overall linear fashion however individual levels can be completed in many different orders – Common layout in RPGs and Adventure games – E.g.?

Atmosphere

• Lighting

– Chose lights that fit in with the area and mood of the level

• Color palette

– Color reflect the mood of the level

• Weather and atmospheric effects
• Special visual effects

– Extra visual to enhance the feeling of the area

• Music

– Compliments the pacing of the level

• Sound effects

– Ambient effects set better set the player in the environment – Special audio effects can convey important information

Progression

• Mechanics
• Experience duration
• Ancillary rewards and environmental

progression

• Practical gameplay rewards
• Difficulty
• Story progression
• Character growth

Pacing

• Depends heavily on the genre
• Generally the pacing should be varied
• Rest is as important as action

– Kinect and Wii gameplay

• Pacing should overall follow the genre

Tutorial Levels

• Virtually mandatory in modern games
• Introduce the game’s features in an ordered

sequence of increasing frequency of use

• Explain features or interface one at a time
• Highlights and distinctive queues help direct

player to features

• Allow stress free areas for the player try things
• It is a good idea to make tutorial levels optional

Level design process

• Game design to level design handoff

– Think of ideas for the major elements of the level like mood, events and key gameplay activities

• Planning phase

– Gameplay

• Level considerations like layouts, pacing, goals, resource

placement, player starting and end points, NPC positions, elevations, secret areas, special events, landmarks, destructible terrain, story events, and save points

– Artwork – Performance – Code

Level design process

• Prototyping

– Make a rough but functional level – Audio, final models and AI usually is not needed

• Level review

– Does the level fit in with game?

• Lock Down

– The level is satisfactory and no more major changes will be allowed

Level design process

• Art handoff

– Let the artist make the level and objects look good

• Final art
• Content integration

– All the assets come together to make finished but not yet tested level

• Bug fixing
• User testing and tuning

– Formal in house testing and testing by end users to ensure quality

Pitfalls

• Get the scope right:

– Design with remembering the resources and time available

• Avoid conceptual non sequiturs

– Aka avoid doing things that don’t make sense – E.g. James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies starts by facing the player against many enemies with only a pistol. Oil barrels may be blown up to kill enemies and find health

Pitfalls

• Atypical levels should be optional

– These strange levels can cause the player to become unattached from the game world and even stop player progression

• Don’t show the player everything at once

– A game is significantly less entertaining once everything has been experienced

• Remember your audience!

– The levels should appeal to your audience

Level failures

• ET- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-

2JTkVTyA

• Superman 64 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur25KP061P E

• Big rigs -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4mJhOWao- s

• Half-life 2 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6MWzKe1N wQ&feature=related

Level failures

• SWBF 2 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBFgPArm3r 4

• Wow -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0td2i0NI-s

• Counter-strike -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swvLJ_DcXP A

• Doctor hasega –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9xeSxAwV 4

Level failures

• TF2 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgGUx RKOzfo

• Halo 2 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X81mda euyQ8

• Mario -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huy6Ue wpyUI