A high-quality game project , first of all, implies high levels of audience involvement . There are a sufficient number of tools that can significantly increase this indicator. At the same time, professional development of level design among them is among the most effective.
For you, such a development service will become a real panacea, as it solves several problems at once:
- creation of high-quality level design for a specific game project;
- guaranteed increase in audience interest in the game;
- professional approach to all technical aspects ;
- high quality of the final result;
- the minimum number of problems with an already running project.
Level design concept – where it all starts
At the beginning of the level design process is always concept art , sketches or sketches. All this is often done by hand, which contributes to a much more efficient generation of creative ideas . Even such mastodons of the gaming world as Hideo Kojima use similar tricks. They are considered the generally accepted standard on which the creation of the game world is based.
The initial idea is embodied in the form of certain storyboards , graphic materials, or even simple paper drafts. After that , level designers get to work. They are already more technical approach to the issue. They create the basis for what will be the next successful project that can bring profit in the future. The development process itself consists of several “fundamental” blocks.
Oh, this working paper
To get the best result with minimal financial costs and in the shortest possible time, the development team initially comprehensively works out the technical documentation for level design. The list of everything you need looks quite impressive:
- Concept art . Includes visuals created by artists to illustrate the ideas and atmosphere of the game level. Concept art helps the development team visualize the overall concept and style of the level.
- Game design document (game design document). Contains a detailed description of every aspect of the level, including gameplay mechanics, player objectives, object placement, events, character dialogue, and more. The game design document serves as the primary guide for the development team and other stakeholders.
- Level layout (Level Layout). It is a visual representation of the shape and structure of the level. Layouts (lay out) can be created using specialized tools or graphic editors. They allow you to plan in detail the location of characters, objects, platforms and obstacles on the level.
- Level technical specification. Describes the technical aspects of implementing a level. The latter may include the use of certain engines or software tools, lighting features, physical modeling, etc. It may also contain information about the performance and optimization of the level.
- Script For games with a rich storyline, scenarios can be used that describe dialogues, events, and sequences of actions. Scenarios help ensure quality storytelling and interaction between characters.
This list is a kind of base or foundation. Then it is formed into a multi-level structure . As a result, it contributes to the fact that you get a full-fledged high-quality operating project . It will comply with the original concept and the necessary technical requirements.
Level Planning
At the end of the “paper” work, there comes a moment that only really experienced developers use effectively. We are talking about the so-called. metrics that serve as a kind of rules of physics for the future created level. They define a number of important physical parameters that are tied to the player’s actions:
- range and height of a possible jump ;
- sizes of effective and durable shelters;
- range of fire from weapons of various types;
- noise level during movement and / or running;
- destruction of objects , etc.
Based on these data, a full-fledged map development takes place. It captures the location of various active or static objects, the possibility of interacting with them. The scale of each specific element of the environment is also being worked out, depending on its functional features. Thanks to such a synergy of the laws of physics and geometry, a high-quality environment rich in interesting elements is obtained. This is the best indicator that guarantees the correct planning of the level , taking into account the needs of the player.
Who is this Block out design of yours?
One of the most important steps in the level design process is the gray box . It is also known as Block out design . At its core, in accordance with the concept initially agreed with the customer, a draft version of the design of a specific location is created. Visually, it looks like a set of balls, rhombuses, squares and rectangles that can interact with each other.
In practice, such a working build in gray tones (it’s a gray box!) Provides a lot of opportunities for testing:
- determining the level of difficulty of progress through the gameplay;
- variability of passage and possible ways of movement;
- analysis of the mechanics of cover and covert movement;
- ability to overcome obstacles of various types.
An important feature of the greybox is that even with all its outward unsightliness, such a constructed level provides a comprehensive understanding of all processes, as well as the scale and proportions of the intended physical objects. Due to this, the development of content for the game will be much more successful.
Measure 777 times – cut 1 time
In order to create a flawless project in accordance with your needs, each mechanic must be thoroughly tested. This process is performed after the completion of the Block out design stage. This is due to simple economic feasibility . If possible problems are identified at later stages of development, the cost of their elimination increases significantly. Therefore, it is better to repeatedly “drive” all possible tests against the background of cubes and rhombuses than to redraw entire sections of the terrain or environment later.
At the same stage, it is most convenient to check the Occlusion culling principle. The latter serves as a kind of “bottleneck” in the process of passing. For modern projects that strive for the seamlessness of the game world, narrow and difficult places are an outlet. Due to the paodone places reduce the load on the engine . At this point, you can quite “painlessly” load the necessary components of the next section of the level. Also there is an unloading of already unnecessary data . At the same time, the player himself literally does not notice such a trick, admiring the variety of gameplay and the mind-boggling number of different mechanics. This is where the whole “salt” of high-quality level design is visible.
I am an artist – this is how I see it (art block out)
When the draft version of the level is fully built, physical laws are tested, and the testers go for a short lunch snack (more on that later), artists get down to business, who are already visualizing the customer’s idea “in white”.
First, simple geometric shapes from the graybox acquire more recognizable outlines of fields, forests, buildings, etc. Thus, they turn into a white box . Then concrete textures are applied to them, the physical properties of smaller elements are formed and visually attractive models of all elements of the environment are created.
At this stage , a level designer can often get involved in the work again, who is able to solve possible errors :
- insufficient overview of the necessary elements of the level;
- unbalanced movement around the location;
- visual defects (disproportion, erroneous scaling, etc.);
- clumsy unrealistic lighting e.
There are a number of other, smaller flaws that are also removed at this stage before the final polishing . It is important to note that in the same period, it becomes likely that certain game mechanics will need to be adapted with reference to already formed fully physical objects. This ensures that the creation of graphics for the game will not contradict the basic laws of the location.
The same applies to lighting and additional effects . They are subject to significant refinement to obtain the desired result. If the level design was done with such shortcomings, then they are easily eliminated using the metrics mentioned earlier. The latter allow you to re-balance all the physical properties of objects .
You optimize better – you play longer
When the almost finished build is returned to the hands of the level designer, the final polishing of the project begins. It includes the elimination of bugs and shortcomings, which often pop up at the final stage of work.
At this stage, adding content to the game stops and the main focus is on the following points related to optimization :
- depth of rendering of the surrounding world;
- character visualization quality adaptation ;
- various experiments with lighting , shadows, reflections;
- elimination of possible failures of objects in the texture ;
- removal of unclaimed or non-working assets .
As we remember, the testers recently had lunch and now a new stage of testing begins for them, but already the final version of the build. The more carefully this process goes through, the more likely that you will end up with a fully functioning level , without obvious bugs, lags and freezes. It is important to identify any patterns that may cause malfunctions and eliminate them. The main thing is not to lose the overall structure of the level .
Taste and color: the main types of level design
There are some kind of fundamental rules by which the development of the level design of a game project is carried out , depending on its type. Among the most common, you may find the most interesting are the following:
- Shooter. The main emphasis is on combat scenes, where the levels have a linear structure with various obstacles and shelters. The level design is focused on intense gameplay, taking into account the tactical possibilities and the variability of the paths.
- Platformer. Platformer levels typically feature vertical or horizontal platforms, obstacles, and jump challenges. The level design focuses on creating interesting and creative platforms, secret passages, and opportunities to use the protagonist’s skills.
- Race. Racing levels are often tracks with various turns, obstacles and alternate routes. Level design aims to create varied and emotionally rich tracks, taking into account the speed and maneuverability of cars.
- Open world. Open world levels offer the freedom to explore large spaces with a variety of locations, tasks, and interactions. Level design is built around creating a compelling and living world with points of interest, points of interest, and various options for the player.
Depending on the specifics of the specific task you set, specialists can both use these conventions and combine them with each other if necessary. The most important thing is to achieve the desired result in the shortest possible time. We do our best to keep your financial costs as low as possible.
Best friends are good developers
A high-quality game project can be implemented only if the level design is developed by really experienced specialists. Otherwise, you will get the following:
- high probability of bugging the game;
- bad optimization;
- permanent friezes at the levels;
- possible departures;
- freezes or dips of textures;
- gameplay imbalance.
What to do to avoid such a set of troubles? It’s very simple – you should use the service of level design from professionals.
If you have an idea to create a game project, then our development team will give you everything you need to realize it as spectacularly and effectively as possible.
Your bonuses , in case level design is our concern:
- specific deadlines depending on the scope of the project;
- adequate budgets , commensurate with the task;
- variability of tasks performed;
- guaranteed quality of the finished project.
Constant contact at all stages of production, careful analysis of your recommendations and strict adherence to deadlines are our principles of cooperation. The same applies to the budget, because we know how and love to save your money .
