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 opportunities 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
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