Game Development Essentials An Introduction

Chapter 7Levels

creating the world

Key Chapter Questions■ What is level design and how is it related to gameplay?

■ What is the importance of the structural features of game worlds—such as duration, availability, relationship, and progression?

■ What is the importance of the temporal features of game worlds—such as authentic, variable, player-adjusted, and altered?

■ What is the importance of the spatial features of game worlds—such as perspective, scale, and boundaries?

■ How are reality and style achieved in a game environment?

StructureGoal

Mission briefing in Wings Over China.

StructureFlow

Open-air levels usually lack natural boundaries.(Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004)

StructureDuration

Children’s levels often have shorter durations(Toontown Online / Spongebob Squarepants)

StructureAvailability

Players can sometimes choose from several open levels at once(Warlords Battlecry)

StructureRelationship

Mission levels can be related to each other through difficulty or sequence(Command & Conquer: Generals)

StructureProgression

TimeAuthentic

Boktai uses a sensor to detect the presence of daylight.

TimeLimited

Baldur’s Gate allows players a limited amount of real-world time to accomplish

tasks within the game.

TimeVariable

The Sims depicts both day and night – but time speeds up when the characters go to

sleep.

TimePlayer-Adjusted

Players can adjust the time interval in sports games such as All Star Baseball 2005.

TimeAltered

Players can stop time in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

SpacePerspective & Camera

Omnipresent

Black & White: Creature Isle

SpacePerspective & Camera

Aerial (Top-Down)

Feuerkraft

SpacePerspective & Camera

Isometric

Dark Ages

SpacePerspective & Camera

Side-Scrolling (Flat/Side View)

Goliath

SpaceTerrain & Materials

Interiors made of concrete, brick, metal, and wood textures in Half-Life 2 contrasts with exteriors made

of grass, dirt, and water textures in GravRally.

SpaceRadiosity & Effects

A scene before and after radiosity is applied.

SpaceScale

Knights and Pikemen are as big as mountains and cities in Civilization II.

SpaceBoundaries

Praetorians uses terrain as a boundary.

SpaceReality

True Crime: Streets of LA uses environmental details to portray

the game world realistically.

The open exterior in Fable is more realistic and stunning.

SpaceStyle

Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is filled with surreal characters

and environments.

Viewtiful Joe uses cel-shading to bring a 2D look into a 3D world.

Summary

Structure• Goal• Flow• Duration• Availability• Relationship• Progression

Time• Authentic• Limited• Variable• Player-adjusted• Altered

Space• Perspective

& camera• Terrain

& materials• Radiosity

& effects• Scale• Boundaries• Reality• Style