Fundamentals of Game Design Game Level Design

1. Presented at the University of Winnipeg Just E.T.C for Business, Education, and Technology Solutions Fundamentals of Game DesignGame Level Design sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net Sayed Ahmed BSc. Eng. in CSc. & Eng. (BUET) MSc. in CSc. (U of Manitoba) http://sayed.justetc.net http://www.justETC.net

2. What is Level Design • Process of constructing the experience that will be offered to the player • Level designers create the following essential parts of the player’s experience • The space in which the game takes place • The initial conditions of the level • The set of challenges the player will face within the level • The termination conditions of the level • The interplay between the gameplay and the game’s story • The aesthetics and mood of the level sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

3. Key Design Principles • Make the early levels of a game tutorial levels • Vary the pacing of the level • When the player surmounts a challenge that consumes his resource, provide more resources • Avoid conceptual non sequiturs • Clearly inform the player of his short-term goals • Be clear about risks, rewards, and the consequences of decisions • Reward in a large way, punish in a small way • The foreground takes precedence over the background sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

4. Key Design Principles • The purpose of an artificial opponent is to put up a good fight and then lose • Implement multiple difficulty settings if possible sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

5. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Action Games • Vary the pace • Strategy Games • Reward planning • Role-Playing Games • Offer opportunities for character growth and player self expression • Sports-Games • Verisimilitude is vital • Vehicle Simulations • Reward skillful maneuvering sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

6. Genre-Specific Level Design Principles • Construction and Management Simulations • Offer an interesting variety of initial conditions and goals • Adventure Games • Construct challenges that harmonize with their locations and the story • Artificial Life Games • Create many interaction opportunities for the creatures in their environment • Puzzle Games • Give the player time to think sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

7. Layouts of the Game World • Open Layouts • Linear Layouts • Parallel Layouts • Ring Layouts • Network Layouts • Hub-and-Spoke Layouts • Combinations of Layouts sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

8. Expanding on the Principles of Level Design • Atmosphere • Lighting • Color Palette • Weather and atmospheric effects • Special visual effects • Music • Ambient audio • Special Audio effects sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

9. Progression and Pacing • Designing the Progression • Mechanics • Experience Duration • Ancillary Rewards and Environmental Progression • Practical gameplay rewards • Difficulty • Actions available to the player • Story progression • Character growth • Designing the Pacing • Vary the Pacing • Overall Pacing sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

10. Tutorial Levels • Tutorial Levels • A scripted or partially scripted experience • Explains • Game’s user interface • Key challenges • Actions to the player • Use voiceover narration, text superimposed on the screen, special mentor character to explain things to the player sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

11. The Level Design Process • Planning Phase • Gameplay Planning Phase • Layout • Areas devoted to major challenges • Pacing • Termination Conditions • Resource placements • Player start and end points • NPC positions and spawn points • Elevations • Secret areas • Special event issues • Landmarks • Destruction • Storytelling • Save points and checkpoints sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

12. The Level Design Process • Planning Phase • ART Planning Phase • Plan Performance • Plan Coding • Prototyping Phase • Level Review Phase • Scale • Pacing • Placement of objects and triggers • Performance issues • Other code issues • Aesthetics sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

13. The Level Design Process • Level Refinement and Lock-Down • Level Design to Art Handoff • First Art and Rigging Pass • Art to Level Design Handoff and Review • Content Integration • Bug Fixing • User Testing and Tuning sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

14. Pitfalls of Level Design • Get the Scope Right • Avoid Conceptual Non Sequiturs • Make Atypical Levels Optional • Don’t show the player Everything at Once • Never Lose Sight of Your Audience sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

15. Summary • The level designer is responsible for actually presenting the game experience to the player by designing • The space in which the games take place • Deciding what challenges a player will face • Creating the atmosphere of the game worlds • Planning the pacing of events for each level • Level design is governed by • Some universal principles • Some genre specific principles sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net

16. Summary • Designing the actual layout of the level is important • Enhance the playing experience • Level design requires interaction among • The game’s design team • Artists • Programmers • Audio team • Attention to detail and a methodical approach • Will help to prevent level design pitfalls sayed@justetc.net www.justETC.net