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The Iterative Level Design Process for BioWare’s MASS EFFECT 2

The Iterative Level Design Process for BioWare’s MASS EFFECT 2. Game Developer Conference 2009. Corey Andruko – Project Manager, Mass Effect 2 Dusty Everman – Lead Level Designer, Mass Effect 2. MASS EFFECT 2: Level Design. Do only the work that answers the right questions in the right order.

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The Iterative Level Design Process for BioWare’s MASS EFFECT 2

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  1. The Iterative Level Design Process for BioWare’sMASS EFFECT 2 Game Developer Conference 2009 Corey Andruko – Project Manager, Mass Effect 2Dusty Everman – Lead Level Designer, Mass Effect 2

  2. MASS EFFECT2: Level Design • Do only the work that answers the right questions in the right order

  3. Agenda • Level Design on MASS EFFECT (ME) • Review process, assess problems, identify source • Theory – MASS EFFECT 2 Level Design • Examine the phases & the questions they answer • Application – How is it going? • How are we implementing it (Agile, Lean) • What’s working well (and what’s not) • Conclusion • Q&A

  4. ME2 Level Design • ME2 Iterative Design Process • Evolution from lessons learned during ME1

  5. ME1: Level Creation Teams • Writers • plots, characters, dialog, journals • Level Artists • layout, modeling, texturing, lighting • Cinematic Animators • animator cutscenes • Cinematic Designers • cinematic dialogs, designer cutscenes • Technical Designers • scripting, integration of level content

  6. ME1: Level Creation Plots (Writer) 2D Map (Writer/ Level Artist) Block Level (Level Artist) Combats, Plots (Tech Design) Level Art (Level Artist) Dialogs (Writers/ Cine Design) Cutscenes (Cine Anim) Performance Optimized (Everyone)

  7. ME1: Level Creation Problems • “Silo Mentality”: Focus on disciplines, not levels • Assumes pieces will just fit together • Deliverables not always judged in game • Iterations within one silo have hidden costs in other silos • Narrative changes affect geometry • Geometry changes affect scripting • Scripting changes affect cinematics • Etc. • A rippling “rework” effect occurs.

  8. ME1: Level Creation Problems • Impact of Silo Mentality • Costly and unplanned iterations • Cross department communication isn’t encouraged • Intractable performance issues • Levels rarely playable • Difficult to evaluate new game mechanics or creatures • QA testing hindered • Late review of content • Cut content (e.g. Caleston)

  9. ME2: The Phased Level Creation Approach • Purpose: Get answers to critical questions early, and only do the work that is required to get those answers Basic Premise: • Always playable • Always a foundation • Always at performance

  10. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 0: Narrative Overview • Phase 1: Narrative Playable • Phase 2: White Box • Phase 3: Orange Box • Phase 4: Hardening • Phase 5: Finaling

  11. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 0: Narrative Overview • What is the story? • Deliverable: Documentation • Narrative • Characters • 2-D Layout • Art Themes • Cutscene Descriptions

  12. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 1: Narrative Playable • Is the pacing and spacing good? • Deliverable: First Playable • Box Level Geometry • Concept Art • Placeholder Set Pieces • “Box Level” Dialogs • Pop-up Cutscenes • Prototyped Level Mechanics • “Level Blasting Site”

  13. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 2: White Box • Can you see the fun? • Deliverable: Representative Collision • Box Level Geometry -> First Pass Static Mesh • First Pass Dialog • Bronze Combats, (basic cover placement) • Animatic Cutscenes • Placeholder Music

  14. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 3: Orange Box • Is it fun? • Deliverable: Actual Collision • Untextured Static Mesh • Dialog Ready for VO • Dialogs Cinematically Blocked Out • Silver Combats(full cover placement) • Basic MoCap Cutscenes

  15. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 4: Hardening • Could this be shipped? • Deliverable: “Finished” Level • Textured and Lit Level Art • VO’d Dialog • Cinematic Dialog • Gold Combats(fully scripted) • Smooth Motion Cutscenes • Actual Music and Audio

  16. ME2: Level Creation Phases • Phase 5: Finaling • Can you feel the awesome? • Deliverable: Final Level • Everything tweaked, balanced, and polished.

  17. ME2: Level Creation Phases Example Videos Combat

  18. ME2: Level Creation Phases Example Videos Dialog and Cutscenes

  19. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • What we borrow from Lean Manufacturing • Focus on the elimination of waste • Muda: “waste” from non-value added work • Only do the work we are willing to iterate upon • Muri: “overburden” • Time boxes & load balancing • Mura: “variation” • Established deliverables at each phase

  20. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • What we borrow from Lean (cont’d) • Kaizen (wisdom through learning) • Continuous improvement plan • Level Reviews … at each phase (can “raise the bar”) • Peer Reviews … 1 time events • Level Design “Mindshare” meetings … weekly

  21. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • Agile & Scrum - Terminology • Backlog: • List of prioritized functionality you want added to your game • Sprint: • Fixed period of time in which a team’s goals do not change • Sprint Review: • Formal review of a team’s Sprint goals • Time Box: • Time value for how much you are willing to invest in a specific amount of content

  22. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • Agile & Scrum • ME2 Project overall uses Scrum • Sprint planning initially worked well for Level Design • Established Time Boxes, called out technical complexity • Level Design has shifted away from Scrum • Retained principles - playable levels, communication • We don’t always live in the ideal world • Hitting Time Boxes over completing specific levels

  23. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • Agile & Scrum (cont’d) • Team Size & Composition • “Dogpiles” • Stick to the core • Product Owner & Reviews • At-desk previews • Creative signoff • Are the next steps clear?

  24. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • What Works • Pairing Level Art & Level Design • Co-locating Teams • Time-boxing • Going deep with some levels

  25. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • What Works (cont’d) • Proving out content and systems in-game • Evaluating levels in sections (as necessary) • Being agile with your Agile process • Stopping to assess the big picture

  26. ME2 Level Creation: Our Production Process • What Doesn’t Work (Pitfalls) • Missing a step can hurt (e.g. Concept Art, Writing) • “Special Snowflakes” - every level wants to be one • Level teams getting too big • Creatures need to be “representative” early

  27. ME2 Level Creation: Conclusion • Reflection • Would this have worked on ME1? • YES … the “questions” may have been different • Caleston would have been reviewed earlier • Less integration work (Level Art & Level Design) • Caught performance issues earlier • Hitching or long load elevators on the Citadel

  28. ME2 Level Creation: Conclusion • Do only the work that answers the right questions in the right order

  29. Questions? Corey Andruko – corey@bioware.com Dusty Everman – dusty@bioware.com

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