Level Design
Telling a story without words.
Good level design is deceptive. It can appear to be little more than filling space with props in a manner pleasing to the eye. In fact, much planning and deliberation goes into producing a level that both enhances the depth of immersion and breadth of emotion the player experiences throughout a games unfolding.
Translating the Abstract
The game featured above is a prototype for a prop-hunt type game. It demonstrates many key factors that one must consider when establishing an engaging layout. Each quadrant of this level is like a mini level in and of itself, with its own theme and unique challenges related to the use of space and placement of obstacles for the player to overcome. Many tenants of 2D art and traditional mediums are applied to the 3D realm. One exception that I get to explore as a level designer, is transmuting a player's perception of a given space into a psychological response. The hedge maze is confined, confusing and stressful, causing the player to anticipate and dread the possibility that they might run into an adversary before escaping. Reaching the center of the maze launches the player out of a cannon and into the wide open sky, relieving that accumulated tension and worry. Soaring high above the world, they get a chance to take in the entire level. The player lands upon the vista point and feels powerful, perched up high atop the floating platform, surveying the land like a hawk for prey. What a RUSH! Rewarding the player for taking a risk makes for a memorable experience.
Brainstorm to Blockout
Further Down The Pipe
At this point in pipeline, its time to get together with the team and discuss what's working and what's not. Models can be swapped in for the blockouts, textures and maps will breathe life into each mesh, and lighting artists can do their magic, deepening the player experience still.
While it's hardly mentioned throughout the process above, communicating with team members is paramount to the success of any project, no matter the scale. Another important note is to always have the mechanics and features of a prospective title in mind when designing the world in which the player resides. Knowing the capabilities of a game character can save lots of time on design choices and help to illuminate others that you may have overlooked.
Proficiencies
