Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
clues amounts to hand-holding, and that can remove some of the challenge. You
want the level to be challenging but not frustrating.
More than one major event may occur in a level. Decide where those events
will occur. If a treasure will be unearthed, will it be in a cave deep below a moun-
tain, somewhere under the sea, or in a castle floating in the clouds? As you plot
where those events will happen, you may want to provide enough physical space
between them that players will have time to enjoy the world you're creating; they
should also have enough area to complete potential minor tasks before they turn
the corner and face a boss or have to decrypt a significant puzzle.
The first passes on designing a level can be simple sketches that plot where some
of the major events occur and the basic layout of the land. Experienced designers
knowledgeable in gameplay can estimate how much time it will take a player to
navigate any given area and its obstacles. The level will go into a build as soon
as enough art, animation, and programming exist to begin testing. Figure 7.1
shows a very rough initial sketch of a level. In this sketch, the designer has created
a lake filled with flying sharks, brambles to cut through, a river to cross, a bandit-
filled forest to traverse, and a town in which the player can barter for enough gold
to buy a boat. Upon entering the level, the player must first find a quest giver to
point them in the right direction. Along the way, the player will encounter other
obstacles and other helpers (the talking sheep) before reaching the cave where
the chalice is hidden.
FiGuRe 7.1
A very rough, beginning sketch in which the designer maps out where
events can occur.
