Play Spaces & Level Design
This week's online lecture was quite interesting and got me thinking of level design elements in a lot of the games I play. Throughout the course of the lecture, a lot of intriguing questions about gameplay versus spatial design were brought up and resolved by Dr. Nacke - more detail on this later! We learnt about incremental learning within games, the golden rules of level design, goal scoping and game design as well as level-wide hierarchies, level design modules, linear vs. non-linear vs. semi-linear levels, and finally, methods of level design.
It is important to keep in mind that while a game designer is in charge of designing the rules of gameplay, the level designer designs how a player is made to realize these rules and how they will come to learn and interact with them as play continues. Level design then is essentially "putting theory into practice".
This blog is aimed at summarizing some of the more important information presented in the lecture and expanding upon what I learned from all of it. With that said, let's dive right in, shall we?
Incremental learning
Common in video games is the learning curve associated with the introduction of a new weapon, ability, skill or power. Games, like Assassin's Creed, introduce a new mechanic (hidden blade) before taking the player through a tutorial (straw dummies) where they learn the basic application of such a skill. As time goes on and the player continues to make use of the mechanic wherever they see fit (assassination missions), they become well versed in how it enhances gameplay. Sometimes challenges are placed before the player forcing them to use the new weapon/ability in order to progress and be on their way. Here is where the player encounters a use for a mechanic they might have simply overlooked and not thought crucial to story progression. In games like Assassin's Creed, optional objectives (get to 100% synchronization on a given mission by using the hidden blade to assassinate the target) play the part of challenging the player to make use of a weapon/ability in order to stick more closely to the main plot of the story.
Some games use achievements to entice players to play the game with certain weapons equipped to get a taste for them and to help the player develop their own unique playing style. Other games throw several mechanics/weapons/abilities at a player with a short explanation and present obstacles for the player to overcome using anything they'd like. Portal and Portal 2 do a great job of this as they present a new mechanic and leave it up to the player to figure out how to use it to their advantage. Once the problem is solved, the player feels a deep sense of accomplishment in figuring out the puzzle for themselves using everything they've learnt so far. However, this can also be a double-sided coin as some players feel that they must follow the specific path set out by the level designer in order to get the most out of the game/story or in order not to miss certain crucial plot points.
As a level designer it is your job to present the rules to the player in an interactive manner and to help them find a way to overcome obstacles in their path using a specific set of skills and tools which adhere to the rules of the game world. You are essentially testing the player's proficiency. Through such tests and guidance you are essentially helping the player realize the potential of their character, what their restrictions may be, what constraints the world places on them and how their opponents behave. In addition, this type of design reveals the game's reward systems as well as the limits of the game world.
Golden Rules
One of the foremost rules when it comes to level design is to be consistent with mechanics in making sure they behave the same way in every instance in order not to confuse players. For example, in Bioshock, electricity is used in the form of a plasmid to shock busted electric doors open. Say the level designer simply decided to change this mechanic to make it so that fire now opens electric doors, the player's progress would immediately be hindered and instead of trying to use fire on the door, they would spend their time trying to use electricity innocently wondering why the primary mechanic isn't working.
Consistent mechanics form patterns in the player's head and help them solve problems with the specific tool set given to them. In a game like Portal 2, where a combination of game mechanics is imperative to progression, the player must be confident with what they believe will work based on what they know about their abilities and the obstacles place din the environment they have come across so far.
Another important rule in level design is never to require a skill that you have not yet taught the player to use in a safe environment. In Ratchet and Clank, the player may notice grind rails all over the game world in places inaccessible to the player till they receive grind boots. Once in their possession, the player may travel back with their boots to places previously unreachable in order to traverse grind rails and obtain prizes for backtracking and making use of a new skill. This way, the player sees the new mechanic as a key to a whole new world of possibilities.
Hierarchies
What, why and how are important questions for a designer to ask themselves when making a game. Not only are these questions relevant and important on a level to level basis, but they are crucial for an a overall game design structure as well. Every designer begins with a success definition and then moves down the game or level design hierarchy. While both are very similar in structure, the level design hierarchy may be considered more internal and specific to gameplay mechanics.
A Success Definition encompasses everything that would make the game successful in the eyes of its developers and designers. Whether it's an indie game and must sell a lot of copies or whether it's a commercial game made to promote the Coca-Cola Company. Success is how you define it. External goals relate to what makes the company successful and what features generate revenue whereas internal goals focus on what is needed for certain gameplay designs to work within a level and how this relates to overall success in the game. While your Success Definition answers the question 'Why you're doing it?', game design deals with 'What you're doing', and level design deals with 'How you're going to do it'.
The level-wide hierarchy breaks down even further into external and internal design goals which outline the mechanics you will use to achieve success in your levels as well as the design scenarios, gameplay moments and gameplay actions that help the player buy into whatever it is that you're selling.
It is imperative to keep in mind your reasoning behind the design of a specific level and what you were trying to teach the player in doing things one way instead of another. This way, should you no longer be able to introduce your player to a new mechanic due to technical shortfalls, you would find an alternate method to demonstrate your design with the underlying core principle remaining untouched.
Linearity
Linearity in game and level design is important when considering your success definition and what you as a designer are striving to portray through your gameplay mechanics and rule structure. There are linear, non-linear and semi-linear games. Linear games offer good control for level design and provide pacing and consistency yet constrain player freedom. A good example of this would be in God of War. When trying to traverse the environment often one can get blocked by an obstacle and despite the beautiful environment that seems to invite the player to explore, there isn't much room to do so as the level designers intent was to keep the player on a linear path. The camera assists greatly in this task in being fixed for most scenes in the game.
Semi-linear games like Borderlands or Diablo afford the player the opportunity to explore on their own by breaking away from the main quest to complete side missions thereby giving them the chance to explore the game world on their own. This is good way for a level designer to create the illusion of player freedom while making sure the player must complete important tasks designed to aid in their progress through the game. Sometimes side quests are made shorter and re-visit similar game mechanics in order to encourage players to stick to the main storyline missions - Borderlands does a particularly good job of this as side missions are set up to be nothing more than a good way to earn extra XP.
Non-linear levels are also known as sandbox games, such as Minecraft, and give the player complete freedom to explore the game world and feel a sense of gameplay ownership. Players take responsibility for their own triumphs and failures. Though a lot of players prefer these kind of games, they are extremely hard to test on the game design side and often break easily. In this case, it is the responsibility of the game designer to maintain the game with constant patches and updates should players run into bugs and glitches that halt gameplay and progression.
Level Design Methods and Conclusion
With all there is to learn about level design and play space, it is important to keep our thoughts organized while letting our imaginations run wild. Annotated maps and flow charts help designers layout their ideas and give them an overall game structure to look at after taking a step back from their designs. Freytag's pyramid and event diagrams help put events in the right places within a level and ensure that a player isn't introduced to a mechanic to early or too late in the game.
Level design, while fun, can be challenging and unrewarding if not done right. There is a lot of user input involved in designing games nowadays as most mechanics are used up and players are looking for something fresh and unique to pique their curiosity and hold their attention. Always remember to keep your internal and external goals close to mind when designing levels and never forget to challenge and surprise the player at every turn.
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