Ewan Couper: Level Design

At first glance the words level design instigate ideas of a visual or aesthetic process where over a period of time a group of designers create a playable space, a level for a game, however this isn’t quite right. Perhaps in the early days this previous statement rang true to some degree with designers having to place the various art assets that they themselves may have created into the level but in the multi-billion dollar industry that games have grown into the definition of what a game designers does has also evolved. Today level design refers to a far more complicated procedure of scripting the behaviour of the artificial intelligence (AI) which would be applied to various non playable characters (NPCs) and dynamic props or items as well as programming the lighting, weather effects and depth perception to name a few. A level designer then has to consider a number of skills from art through to programming.

Before I continue into a more in-depth discussion I will first touch on the two previous blog tasks that are somewhat relevant, composition and environments, and give a quick rundown on the major points. In the former I looked at the various rules of composition like the rule of thirds and various other factors to account for. I went on to discuss the composition within a painting and then how the rules apply in 3D and 4D. The latter post is from back in March where I looked at some of the aspects that go into creating a level and differences in creating a play space for different genres as well as the more artistic elements that go into creating the atmosphere and visual design of the map.

Returning to level designers then and while having to consider the elements I’ve mentioned above in my introduction the major consideration for every level is gameplay and gameplay is king. What I mean by this is very basic you’re levels must be tailored towards the kind of experience you want to bring across through the game’s mechanics, it’s no good having a map the spreads for miles when you only have ten players fighting against one another. To put it simply the level provides the reality in which the mechanics exist. This requires an extensive understanding of how the game plays and how best to utilise the mechanics within a play space. While for the majority of time this is a one way relationship with the game’s mechanics demanding how a level should be it can be mutual with certain levels having their own unique gameplay systems. Another major aspect to keep in mind in designing a level is efficiency. Now a designer can achieve an efficient level through a number of practices such as repeated assets or modular environments but a major way of keep your memory down is by replaying whole segments of a level. So a game that did this very well is Halo 3 in a level called The Ark. In the level you first traverse a space on foot leaving devastation in your wake before returning through the same play space but this time in a tank ultimately giving the player a very different experience. Tricks like this and the inclusion of unique gameplay elements that I mentioned before help to make a level feel fresh and new.

Pacing is also an interesting aspect that has to be taken into account but unlike traditional cinema or television it’s not quite a simple although having said this it depends on how linear and interactivity a level is, for instance multiple pathways or story elements. The images below help illustrate the difference between a film and a level more clearly using Star Wars and Thief.

A well-paced level will also make it a much more engaging level for the players to play and, after all, a level above all else should be fun. Once a narrative and characters have been added into the level the pacing will also help to create an emotional response from the player as well. The next step then after engaging your players is to empower them and a great example is The Ark again as one you’re in that tank there ain’t nobody who’s gonna stand in your way. Tank beats everything as they say. This also ties in to a designer’s knowledge of the mechanics and how to implement them in game to make the player feel like a badass. Level difficulty is another dynamic that the level designer has to take into consideration but while most games simply opt for easy, medium and hard settings there are some that have a much more intricate system. Games such as Skyrim or Burnout, due to the way their levels are created, that is grand open worlds, this traditional three tier systems doesn’t quite work. Instead AI and rewards scale parallel with the experience of the player or by utilises a clever system of risk versus reward. In the latter the player has to make the choice to use the risk which should be clearly noted as well as the reward for taking it.

This concept of visual direction extends towards navigation as you can imagine. A level is no good if you can’t find your way around it. Taking an example from Halo 3 again, the level Cortana is a prime example of a level that is easy to lose oneself in and never find your way out. The man reason for this is it's near identical corridors and lack of any real visual indicators within the environment.

Narrative is an aspect that can be told visual throughout a level rather than having to rely on exposition from an NPC or a text box and creates a much more coherent story as well as a sense of continuity between the game’s levels and story. Ultimately this creates a tighter, more immersive game. This principle of the environment telling the player tidbits of info can also be extended to tutorials and areas where player needs to learn a new skill or gameplay mechanic which gives the impression of the player figuring out what to do by themselves.

level design then, as we've discovered, requires a knowledge and understanding of multiple disciplines that stretch across the entirety of the game development spectrum. BY pulling these skills together and applying them designers are able to create immersive and memorable levels that players remember and revere for years to come.

Sources:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130212/multiplayer_level_design_indepth_.php