Game Development Essentials An Introduction
Chapter 7Levels
creating the world
Key Chapter Questions■ What is level design and how is it related to gameplay?
■ What is the importance of the structural features of game worlds—such as duration, availability, relationship, and progression?
■ What is the importance of the temporal features of game worlds—such as authentic, variable, player-adjusted, and altered?
■ What is the importance of the spatial features of game worlds—such as perspective, scale, and boundaries?
■ How are reality and style achieved in a game environment?
StructureGoal
Mission briefing in Wings Over China.
StructureFlow
Open-air levels usually lack natural boundaries.(Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004)
StructureDuration
Children’s levels often have shorter durations(Toontown Online / Spongebob Squarepants)
StructureAvailability
Players can sometimes choose from several open levels at once(Warlords Battlecry)
StructureRelationship
Mission levels can be related to each other through difficulty or sequence(Command & Conquer: Generals)
StructureProgression
TimeAuthentic
Boktai uses a sensor to detect the presence of daylight.
TimeLimited
Baldur’s Gate allows players a limited amount of real-world time to accomplish
tasks within the game.
TimeVariable
The Sims depicts both day and night – but time speeds up when the characters go to
sleep.
TimePlayer-Adjusted
Players can adjust the time interval in sports games such as All Star Baseball 2005.
TimeAltered
Players can stop time in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
SpacePerspective & Camera
Omnipresent
Black & White: Creature Isle
SpacePerspective & Camera
Aerial (Top-Down)
Feuerkraft
SpacePerspective & Camera
Isometric
Dark Ages
SpacePerspective & Camera
Side-Scrolling (Flat/Side View)
Goliath
SpaceTerrain & Materials
Interiors made of concrete, brick, metal, and wood textures in Half-Life 2 contrasts with exteriors made
of grass, dirt, and water textures in GravRally.
SpaceRadiosity & Effects
A scene before and after radiosity is applied.
SpaceScale
Knights and Pikemen are as big as mountains and cities in Civilization II.
SpaceBoundaries
Praetorians uses terrain as a boundary.
SpaceReality
True Crime: Streets of LA uses environmental details to portray
the game world realistically.
The open exterior in Fable is more realistic and stunning.
SpaceStyle
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is filled with surreal characters
and environments.
Viewtiful Joe uses cel-shading to bring a 2D look into a 3D world.
Summary
Structure• Goal• Flow• Duration• Availability• Relationship• Progression
Time• Authentic• Limited• Variable• Player-adjusted• Altered
Space• Perspective
& camera• Terrain
& materials• Radiosity
& effects• Scale• Boundaries• Reality• Style