Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
thinking of the kinds of events you'd like to have. Remember, this applies to the
entire game, not just a single level.
2.
Set priorities.
Decide which of the ideas generated by brainstorming are most
important.
3.
Create a story framework.
Don't write the entire story; just create a high-level
outline that interweaves plot elements with the actions you have planned so they
work together.
4.
Rate and sequence key events.
Give each planned event a numeric intensity
rating (say, from 1-10). Using these ratings, construct a sequence of events that
builds toward rising moments of intensity throughout each level, and throughout
the game generally. The intensity at the beginning of a level should be somewhat
lower than the intensity at the end of the previous level.
5.
Rate and sequence plot points.
Do the same thing with the major plot points
in your story framework that you did with the key events: determine their intensity
and figure out where they fit in best. Include periods of reduced intensity between
moments of high excitement; Lopez recommends using devices such as narration
or dialog for these periods.
6.
Set the time between high-intensity events.
Space the high-intensity events so
that they occur at reasonable intervals and don't last too long. This is one of the
most intricate and uncertain aspects of level design. You cannot estimate this pre-
cisely because players don't all play at the same rate. Be sure to playtest your game
with both skilled and unskilled players.
7.
Evaluate the trends.
Step back from your plan and examine the whole thing,
looking for any gaps or anomalies, such as an exciting moment that is much less
exciting than the one that preceded it, which might feel like an anticlimax. (This is
not the same as a lull or relaxation period.)
8.
Begin constructing levels.
The level designers can now begin building the lev-
els according to the pacing plan.
9.
Review and iterate.
Test and adjust what you've built to be sure you are achiev-
ing your pacing goals.
Lopez intends his approach primarily for use in action games to reproduce the kind
of roller coaster ride that people experience watching TV shows such as
24
or
Prison
Break
. This method, while clearly not suited to all genres, is valuable not only for
action games, but for many hybrid genres such as action-adventures and action-ori-
ented role-playing games, and it works for games of different sizes. You can
construct a classic side-scrolling action game like
Sonic the Hedgehog
using this pro-
cess just as effectively as you can a modern first-person shooter. Look up Lopez's
original articles for a more in-depth discussion, complete with examples.
