There
are roughly 11 key steps in create a good construction for a level.
- Idea: Everything starts with an idea. A lot of ideas come out randomly at any point in the day. Sometimes they can be deliberate from books and researching possible ideas from other references. But a main good idea is to write it down as soon as you have thought about it. A good way of starting on your new environment is by looking back through the ideas that you have written down and consider the following points: Does it interest me and am I inspired to take it further as a game design. If your not excited by it, this will show in the final design of the level and the detail that it lacks.
- Purpose and Features: You need purpose to pursue what you want to create. If there is no purpose then it isn't worth it. Because a huge amount of time needs to be used there is not point in creating something that has no purpose and will serve no purpose as a environment/level. You then have to think about the game and what it is about. Is it derelict, is it clean and crisp, is it futuristic, is it out in space. If you say it has to be futuristic but has implications that it is clean with secrets in the backstreet’s then you make buildings that are new, clean, crisp, futuristic, and back alleys grungy, dirty, old, smelly. You want to portray an atmosphere you have to plan your environment and decorate it to what you want. This will serve the level purpose to portray a certain effect. But it could also be a challenge. Something you want to try out, a new tool or a way of creating the level. This is can also serve a learning purpose. But only you can finally figure out what that is.
- Location and Environment Setting: So where is the level going to be set. 1800S? 2068? This is what you have to take into account. As well as urban and rural. Old/new. Derelict/Busy. Is there an area that you've been to before that is influential and you want to make it look like that area you have visited, or is it something that has been morphed together from multiple places. You have to be specific in where you are setting it because this allows the empty space to be filled with relevant features.
- Photo Reference: You need to gather photo reference because this will allow you to make your level more realistic rather than creating something random from your brain which could make the level look amateurish and non-professional. Own photos are good as well as influence from other artists and photographers.
- Story: There needs to be a story. Why is the environment like it is, and how the character is in that environment, why he is there, what needs to be done in that specific environment. Without a story the level will be boring. It'd be useless to you. But with good textures and attention to detail this will help with the story of the level.
- Objectives and Obstacles: What are the objectives that need to be complete and what obstacles are in the way. An idea is you have to rescue a hostage within 5 minutes, but face multiple NPC enemies and that you have to construct a way to reach the hostage. If you do not construct it in a certain amount of time or defuse the bomb in one go its game over. So you have to think strategically where you find the most vital parts ensure you stay safe and take cover, to take out enemies one at a time, before getting cornered, and ensuring that there is enough time left to defuse that bomb slowly without making a mistake. But there could be side obstacles. Such as finding some items, that you have to trade a piece of silver with a merchant but the merchant also wants you to do a mission for him to, which means you'll then gather the material you originally needed as well as extras. But may cause harm somewhere else. But all end up in 1 outcome somewhere along the line.
- Top Down Layer: The top down layer is the birds eye view of the map that you want to create. This could mean there is a town square in the middle of the map with shops around in the close vicinity and then further out are houses and the further you walk away from the centre it becomes more run down and old. But it can show secret passages and alternate ways around the town, which could help with some missions. Creating multiple maps after refinement is a good idea because you could merge a possible two together to create the perfect one.
- Focal Points: where is the focal point? The church tower? Fountain? How does it make the surrounding area look, how does it add to the atmosphere, is it realistic to the world around the character.
- Visual Development: normally through concept artists, but this can produce a in-game effect that could become real. It allows the level to be made from, including the colours and makes it easier to change and manipulate repeatedly until there is the perfect one.
- Making Lists: Creating lists of what you need to do, what you need to create, what you need to collect, how long it's going take, how refined you are going to make each section afterwards. Are there props you can use within the map to test how realistic it is.
- Preproduction blueprint: This is taking everything and putting into one document or one blueprint in which if it is passed onto someone else to create a certain area they know what is trying to be achieved and follow the specifications in the documentation.
There
is a very fine line between realism and stylisation. For me if the
environment and level is realistic to the type of game, to the genre
of game, to the action of game, to the mission that I am on then I
can believe it is real. If it based out in space it has to be
futuristic and new, something that hasn't been thought of before, but
if it makes you imagine and makes you believe that there is a
possibility that it could be out there somewhere then to me it is
real. But if something is so far-fetched that it doesn't work, or
doesn't look real, or does not fit into the environment or genre of
game then it's just messy and poor. Its awful to play and will put
off many people.
 |
| The Island |
A
typical environment that I enjoy is from the game Crysis. The first
Crysis game is based on an island. Just a normal island with some
scientists American and Korean. As well as some enemies. Having a
high spec nano suit that can make you stronger, that can make you
invisible temporary is quite far-fetched. You'd think it would be
based in the future. But playing the game more it reveals something
non-human, the aliens that are within the island. But playing the
game, it's very FPS on an island, trying to figure out what's going
on. There are normal guns, tanks, cars, boats, NPCs, etc. But because
it's so different and new it works. When entering the alien base it
becomes much more futuristic like the nano suit is. It all fits in.
Aliens on earth is always a conspiracy and high tech suits are
probably being made or planned. It could all be possible and the
level, environment, desolate, warm and even peaceful, but with
intense shooting, and that there is no where to go but forward all
makes it worth while to play.
 |
| Aliens... YEAH! |
http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/how-to-plan-level-designs-game-environments-workflow.php
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