what is level design? steve swink flashbang studios, llc
TRANSCRIPT
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What is Level Design?
Steve SwinkFlashbang Studios, LLC
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Video Game
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Art
• Theme:– Story, World, Characters, Dialog, Background
• Treatment:– Look, Style, Character Design, Polish– “Art Direction”
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Theme, Treatment, or Mechanic?
• Intricately Painted Wall Textures• Rock Climbing• Solid Snake’s Headband• Gem Collecting• A lone marine destroyed the Strogg leader• Glowing eyes• The driving force of Spira is the religion of
Yevon
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Art
• Theme– Writing, Supplemental Materials
• Treatment:– Character Design– Graphic Design– Industrial/Vehicle Design– Environmental/Architectural Design
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Design
• Mechanic Design• Level Design• Traditional/Board Game Design• Interface Design
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The designer-
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defined
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relationship
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between player
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input
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and game
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reaction (output)
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Mechanic Design
The designer-defined relationship between player input and game reaction (output)Shorthand: ‘Reactive Motion’
What the player does
The verbs
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Design
• Mechanic Design• Level Design• Traditional/Board Game Design• Interface Design
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Level Design
• Nouns
• Context
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
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Design
• Mechanic Design• Level Design• Traditional/Board Game Design• Interface Design
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Tweaking
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of abstracted
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variables
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to acheive
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“balance”
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Traditional Game Design
Tweaking of abstracted variables to achieve “balance”
The glue that holds Mechanic and Level together
The game’s ‘structure’
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Design
• Mechanic Design• Level Design• Traditional/Board Game Design• Interface Design
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Level, Game, or Mechanic Design?
• Symphony of Destruction in Guitar Hero• Completing the yellow switch palace makes all
empty yellow blocks full• From a jump, reverting then manualing allows
your combo to continue• Gold medals are worth ten points; points can be
used to unlock additional content• Hyrule Field • Donut Plains in Super Mario Kart• Winning the Mushroom Cup on 150cc unlocks
the Flower Cup
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Technology
• Platform– Hardware– Software– Input– Output
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Level Design
• Half of Game Design– Nouns to Mechanic’s
Verbs
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Level Design
• Half of Game Design– Nouns to Mechanic’s Verbs– Places and things, mostly
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Level Design
• Half of Game Design– Nouns to Mechanic’s Verbs– Places and things, mostly
• Verbs = what you do• Nouns = what you do to
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Level Design
• Half of Game Design– Nouns to Mechanic’s Verbs– Places and things– Persons – AI
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Level Design
• Half of Game Design– Nouns to Mechanic’s Verbs– Places and things– Persons – AI– Crafting Experience
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
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Levels
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous– Of varied importance to various games
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous– Of varied importance to various games
– Tetris vs. Tony Hawk
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
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Levels
Player: “I want to go here!”
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Levels
Player: “I want to go here!”
Designer: “Sorry, you can’t.”
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Levels
Player: “I want to go here!”
Designer: “Sorry, you can’t.”
Player: “Why not?”
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Levels
Player: “I want to go here!”
Designer: “Sorry, you can’t.”
Player: “Why not?”
Designer: “Because I said so.”
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Levels
Player: “I want to go here!”
Designer: “Sorry, you can’t.”
Player: “Why not?”
Designer: “Because I said so.”
Player: “You’re not my real Dad!”
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
– Sandbox Design
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
– Sandbox Design
– Level-derived Design
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
– Sandbox Design
– Level-derived Design
– Algorithmic
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Reward Schedules – B.F. SkinnerR
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Time - Regular
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Button Presses
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Interval – RegularR
ew
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Time – Variable
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Interval – Variable
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Levels
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player– Breadcrumb Design
– Sandbox Design
– Level-derived Design
– Algorithmic
– Physiological: meditative, Alpha waves
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Levels
Noun Density
Ver
b C
ompl
exity
Tetris
Tony Hawk
Soul Calibur
Metroid Prime
Myst
DDRExcitebike
Single Player Games
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players– Equality, balance of opportunity
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players– Equality, balance of opportunity
– Minutia
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players– Equality, balance of opportunity
– Minutia
– Aesthetics (not important)
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players– Equality, balance of opportunity
– Minutia
– Aesthetics (not important)
– Playground versus Birthday Party
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Levels
• …Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…
• Ubiquitous
• Single Player
• Multiple Players– Equality, balance of opportunity
– Minutia
– Aesthetics (not important)
– Playground versus Birthday Party
– Physiology: Visceral, Beta Waves
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The Level Designer Par Excellence
• Playful
• Perspicacious
• Moderate
• Objective
• Fortitude
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Masterworks
• Metroid Prime – Cunning interblending of stimulus
• Visceral
• Logical/Analytical
• Exploratory
• Mario 64
• Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
• Tony Hawk
• Counterstrike
• Super Mario Kart
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