What is Level Design? Steve Swink Flashbang Studios, LLC

Video Game

Art Theme: –Story, World, Characters, Dialog, Background Treatment: –Look, Style, Character Design, Polish –Art Direction

Theme, Treatment, or Mechanic? Intricately Painted Wall Textures Rock Climbing Solid Snakes Headband Gem Collecting A lone marine destroyed the Strogg leader Glowing eyes The driving force of Spira is the religion of Yevon

Art Theme –Writing, Supplemental Materials Treatment: –Character Design –Graphic Design –Industrial/Vehicle Design –Environmental/Architectural Design

Design Mechanic Design Level Design Traditional/Board Game Design Interface Design

The designer-

defined

relationship

between player

input

and game

reaction (output)

Mechanic Design The designer-defined relationship between player input and game reaction (output) Shorthand: Reactive Motion What the player does The verbs

Design Mechanic Design Level Design Traditional/Board Game Design Interface Design

Level Design Nouns Context … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…

Design Mechanic Design Level Design Traditional/Board Game Design Interface Design

Tweaking

of abstracted

variables

to acheive

balance

Traditional Game Design Tweaking of abstracted variables to achievebalance The glue that holds Mechanic and Level together The games structure

Design Mechanic Design Level Design Traditional/Board Game Design Interface Design

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

Technology Platform –Hardware –Software –Input –Output

Level Design Half of Game Design –Nouns to Mechanics Verbs

Level Design Half of Game Design –Nouns to Mechanics Verbs –Places and things, mostly

Level Design Half of Game Design –Nouns to Mechanics Verbs –Places and things, mostly Verbs = what you do Nouns = what you do to

Level Design Half of Game Design –Nouns to Mechanics Verbs –Places and things –Persons – AI

Level Design Half of Game Design –Nouns to Mechanics Verbs –Places and things –Persons – AI –Crafting Experience

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc…

Levels

… Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous –Of varied importance to various games

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous –Of varied importance to various games –Tetris vs. Tony Hawk

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design

Levels Player: I want to go here!

Levels Player: I want to go here! Designer: Sorry, you cant.

Levels Player: I want to go here! Designer: Sorry, you cant. Player: Why not?

Levels Player: I want to go here! Designer: Sorry, you cant. Player: Why not? Designer: Because I said so.

Levels Player: I want to go here! Designer: Sorry, you cant. Player: Why not? Designer: Because I said so. Player: Youre not my real Dad!

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design –Sandbox Design

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design –Sandbox Design –Level-derived Design

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design –Sandbox Design –Level-derived Design –Algorithmic

Reward Schedules – B.F. Skinner

Levels

… Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player –Breadcrumb Design –Sandbox Design –Level-derived Design –Algorithmic –Physiological: meditative, Alpha waves

Levels

… Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player Multiple Players

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player Multiple Players –Equality, balance of opportunity

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player Multiple Players –Equality, balance of opportunity –Minutia

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player Multiple Players –Equality, balance of opportunity –Minutia –Aesthetics (not important)

Levels … Stages, Worlds, Tracks, Boards, Songs, etc… Ubiquitous Single Player Multiple Players –Equality, balance of opportunity –Minutia –Aesthetics (not important) –Playground versus Birthday Party

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

The Level Designer Par Excellence Playful Perspicacious Moderate Objective Fortitude

Masterworks Metroid Prime –Cunning interblending of stimulus Visceral Logical/Analytical Exploratory Mario 64 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Tony Hawk Counterstrike Super Mario Kart