CISC 105: Intro to Game ModdingLecture 7: Level Design

©Charles Palmer – Fall 2013

Level Design

http://mozidesign.com/Levels/working/udk/s4.jpg

Level DesignLevel design, environment design or game mapping is a discipline of game development involving creation of video game levels—locales, stages, or missions. This is commonly done using a level editor, a game development application designed for building levels; however some games feature built-in level editing tools. Level design is both an artistic and technical process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_design

Idea Sketch

Build

Level Design

Start with the basic ideas from the game world and specific elements needed within the current area of focus.

Create a sketch identifying the location and relative position of various level items.

Use a level editor to create the map and refine it’s contents.

Idea Sketch

Build

Level Design

Start with the basic ideas from the game world and specific elements needed within the current area of focus.

Create a sketch identifying the location and relative position of various level items.

Use a level editor to create the map and refine it’s contents.

Components of Level Design

Level Design

map and world features

environmental condition

game play regionsnon-static partsdynamic parts

aesthetic details

script events

pathfinding

Building a map

Class Exercise

Build a sketch for a mod:• Read and select a mod idea• Draw a rough world map

o World boundarieso Player path w/ start and objectiveo Important locations

• Draw detailed locationo draw a more detailed map of one area (use the

layout of a real-world location for this example)o include player start and exit positionso environmental details (barriers, features, …)o Traps, monsters, puzzleso Challenges

Mod idea 1

We’re not sure why it began, but the dead now walk the earth. Hundreds of zombies, ghosts, and ghouls wander the streets of Harrisburg. Your player must make it to City Island where military officials have set up a base of operation for the refugees. Design a world map covering a path to the Walnut Street Bridge.

Mod idea 2

In the early days of the First Era the Chimer warlord Ornarol made a pact with the Daedra before betraying them to his own ends. When his deceit was discovered the three Daedric Princes tore his soul asunder, each taking part of his soul as a trophy, leaving bridges between his remains and their realms of oblivion. Embark on a dangerous quest to steal back Ornarol's Soul and close these gateways to oblivion once and for all.

Now that you have had a chance to practice level design, you get to do it on your own. Create a map to accompany your Game Concept Document. The map should contain the following attributes:

• Features: hills, plains, cities, rooms, tunnels, caves, relevant buildings

• Any special environmental conditions• Non-static items: i.e., doors, keys and buttons with

associated mechanisms, teleporters, hidden passageways, etc.;

• Spawn points, unique weapons and items, important NPC (non-player characters) or level Bosses.

• Description of the environments aesthetic details.

Assignment

Your map can be hand drawn or created with a vector or pixel based computer program, but it must be submitted electronically. If created by hand please submit a scan or digital photograph of the file. If created electronically, please “Export” or “Save As…” in one of the following formats; JPG, PNG, TIFF, or PICT.

When uploading your file remember to use the following naming convention - (first initial last name_course number_assignment number) example - DWilliams_CISC105_7.xxx: (where xxx is an image based file format).

Assignment