Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Expanding on the Principles of Level Design
This section looks at a few particularly important issues in the list of universal
design principles: atmosphere, pacing, and tutorial levels.
Atmosphere
The art director and lead game designer decide on the overall look of a game; the
artists build the models; and the audio engineers create the sound effects. But it's
up to the level designer to assemble all this material into a specific level in such a
way that it's aesthetically coherent and creates the appropriate mood. A level
designer does what in movies would be four or five jobs—set designer, lighting
designer, special effects designer, Foley editor, and even cinematographer—because
a level designer must look at the game world the way the player sees it, through the
lens of the game's virtual camera.
As you work to establish the atmosphere of your game, you will use all of the fol-
lowing tools:
■
Lighting.
The placement and orientation of the lights in a level can create a
sunny day, a moonlit night, or a dark alley. Soft morning light filtering in through
a window creates a sense of warmth and well-being, whereas the odd glowing col-
ored lights of a machine room evoke a sense of danger. The yellow of a sodium
vapor street lamp or the harsh fluorescent lights of an office and any other lighting
you choose must work with other aesthetic choices you make to set the mood of a
level. What you choose
not
to light is just as important as what you choose
to
light.
■
Color palette.
Just as the color palette of the avatar's clothes reflects her charac-
ter, the color palette of the level reflects its mood. The color palette of the level will
emerge from a combination of the original colors of the objects you place in it (cre-
ated by the artists under neutral lighting conditions) plus the lighting that you add.
Notice how television commercials use color to telegraph an emotion, calm you
down, get you excited, or keep you interested in watching. Do some research on
color, and you will find many ways to create an effect in your level or elicit a partic-
ular response from the player.
■
Weather and atmospheric effects.
Fog, rain, snow, and wind all create distinct
impressions. So many games take place in indoor spaces that we sometimes forget
the importance of weather to our moods. Dark, tumbling skies presage a storm and
make us instinctively react with “Find shelter!” even in a video game. Fog creates
mystery, while strong winds suggest instability and disturbances to come.
■
Special visual effects.
When weapons recoil or screeching tires create smoke,
when magic spells produce colored sparks or blood splashes across a wall, you're
seeing visual effects. You can startle players, discomfit them, amuse them, or
reward them, all with visual effects.
