Level Design

1. Level Design Chapter 12 – The Fundamentals of Game Design

2. What is Level Design? • Space in which a game takes place • Designed and using 2D or 3D modeling tools • Initial conditions of a level • Determines the initial state of variables in the level (drawbridge up or down, starting resources) • Set of challenges players faces in level • Enemies, puzzles, etc.

3. What is Level Design?Continued • Termination conditions of the level • What determines whether you win or lose in the level (defeating a boss for example) • Interplay between the gameplay and the story • Making sure that the story and gameplay work together coherently • Aesthetics and mood of the level • Tone and atmosphere created in the level (haunted house game)

4. Key Design Principles • Universal Level Design Principles • General guidelines every game should follow • Genre Specific Design Principles • Only apply to games in a specific genre

5. Universal Level Design Principles • Include tutorial levels in the beginning • Vary pacing of the level • Provide resources upon completing challenges • Avoid conceptual non sequitirs • Everything should work and make sense together • Inform players of current goals in the level • Players should know what the next goal is not necessarily long term goals however

6. Universal Level Design Principles • Reward players for skill, imagination, intelligence and dedication • Powerups, resources, shortcuts, etc. • Large rewards, small punishments • This will help not discourage players • Foreground takes precedence over background • Graphically focus on stuff right in front of the player first

7. Universal Level Design Principles • AI in a game should put up fight but lose • Not extremely difficult to frustrate player • Multiple difficulty settings • This opens it up to a wider array of audiences

8. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Design of levels is extremely dependent on which specific genre the game is catering to • Action • Pacing is crucial • Lots of high intensity areas followed by periods of recovery and rest (cutscenes) • Strategy games • Reward planning • Anticipating your opponents move and planning attacks or defense

9. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Role Playing Games • Opportunities for character growth and self-expression • Every level should have opportunities that reflect player’s persona in the game • Sports Games • Verisimilitude is vital • Each match can be considered a level • Design stadiums, players, jerseys

10. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Vehicle Simulations • Reward skillful maneuvering • Steering is primary challenge, after that shooting and exploring etc. is secondary • Construction and Management Simulations • Offer an interesting variety of initial conditions and goals • Empty space where player has free reign • Scenarios where there is a goal to achieve in a specific time limit

11. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Adventure Games • Construct challenges that harmonize with their locations and the story • Exploration and puzzle-solving • Each chapter is a new level, challenges should incorporate current environment • Artificial Life Games • Create many interaction opportunities for the creatures in their environment • Game designer typically specifies interaction opportunities

12. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Puzzle Games • Give players time to think • Either create puzzles that give player complete freedom to think things through or allow pausing

13. Level Layouts

14. Level Layouts • Open • Linear • Parallel • Ring • Network • Hub-and-Spoke • Combinations

15. Open Layout • Almost entirely unconstrained movement • May have small regions that are only accessible in a linear fashion • Open map of an RPG • Eg. Skyrim main world

17. Linear Layout • Most common • Play may only go backwards or forwards • On rails • One-way doors sometimes that players can’t go back out of • Make sure to not lock out players if they haven’t obtained necessary item from region!!

18. Parallel Layout • Variant of linear • One fixed start and end point but variety of paths to get to the end • Players sometimes explore all paths • Some paths easier, some more difficult

19. Ring Layout • Level returns to it’s original starting point • May be shortcuts in the level • Shortcuts faster but proportionately more difficult • Primarily in racing games

21. Network Layouts • Spaces connect to each other • Learning way around is a challenge • Gives player freedom on what path to take • Difficult for story telling

23. Hub-And-Spoke Layouts • Central hub that implies safety • Linear path out of hub and then back • Return journey quick • Major challenge/reward at end of spoke • You can make certain spokes accessible at different times

26. Combination Layouts • Combines several types • RPGS where main map but subplots or quests • Game is linear but levels can be completed in various orders

28. Principles of Level Design

29. Principles of Level Design • Atmosphere • Progression • Pacing • Tutorial Levels

30. ATmosphere • Lighting • Color Palette • Weather and Atmospheric Effects • Special Visual Effects • Music • Ambient Audio • Special Audio Effects

31. Atmosphere - Lighting • Placement and orientations of the lights set the scene • Lights have to fit area and the mood of the level • Sunlight for warm and cheery • Moonlight for a dark alley • What you don’t light is just as important as what as lit

32. Atmosphere - lighting • https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MgKHubmf9ds/Tr5eXeS3eKI/AAAAAAAAFn0/xI0yZuEV1Dk/s600/gt5time4darkxuoi.gif • http://www.abload.de/img/gt5timesuwd.gif

34. Atmosphere – Color Palette • Colors of a level reflect its mood • Combination of colors on the objects as well as the lighting • They can elicit specific emotions from players

37. Atmosphere – Weather • Fog, rain, snow and wind all create distinct impressions • Dark skies show storm • Fog creates mystery • Wind suggests instability

39. Atmosphere – Special Visual EfFects • Weapon recoil, tires screeching creating smoke, magic spells • Startle players • Discomfort them • Amuse them • Reward them

41. Atmosphere – Music • Rhythm of the music can set the pace of the game or the current level • Keep with the tone of the game • Generally remains consistent throughout the level

42. Atmosphere – Music • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRwWGXEsxm4

43. Atmosphere – Ambient Audio • Contributes to overall mood of the level • May vary with place and time in the level • Can help player orient themselves • Night time, enemies near, market square

44. Atmosphere – Ambient Audio • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1nY_5-UrY4

45. Atmosphere – Special Audio Effects • Help alert the players of what they might not observe visually • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSg_c9uWg0U

46. Progression and Pacing • Games that are over an hour in length should have some form of progression system • Having challenges that too close together can create stress for the player

47. Progression • Mechanics • Experience duration • Ancillary awards and environmental progression • Practical gameplay rewards • Difficulty • Actions available to the player • Story progression • Character growth

48. Pacing • Designing the pacing • First you must decide the genre that is being designed for • Varying the pacing • Should vary, fast sections followed by slow sections • Overall pacing • Pacing should increase throughout the game and climax with the final boss battle

49. Tutorial levels • Used to be game manuals, now tutorial levels • Lets players learn in a hands on fashion • Not an easy or short level, scripted or partially scripted experience • Use voiceover narration, text superimposed on the screen or a mentor character

50. Tutorial levels Continued • Key Principles to follow: • Introduce game’s features in sequence • Don’t make all features available at once • If the interface is complex, introduce over multiple tutorial levels • Highlight the interface element being shown, do not make player look for them • Let the player go back and retry aspects of the tutorial or the whole thing