Game level design diary nineteen

Hello again.

My level has now been uploaded and is awaiting marking. Overall i'm not all too happy with the level, with time it could be good but at the moment is lacking assets in the level. It looks very empty and I really want to put in maybe some more patches of lava and big boulders and trees to fill in the gaps. Also some of the textures on some of the assets could really use a re-touch as they are a bit messy. also if I had more time i'd like to put some particle effects in on parts of  the lava to make it look more interesting. Another thing i'd add in would be more lighting in certain areas such as inside the buildings, so that you can actually see inside them properly. also another thing that could be done is that the land texturing could be neatened up a lot as it is very messy.

The basic design of the level and if worked on much more it could look very nice. Maybe in the future i'll look into it but for-now thanks for reading.

Game level design diary eighteen

Hey,

I've decided that the level in its current state has a lot of free space and is lacking a sufficient amount of objects. To combat this, I've placed some more copies of building 1 and building 2 around the level, there is also another copy of the ledge on the of the volcano.

Game level design diary seventeen

Hey bloggers!

I've encountered an error while importing my models into unity called: Error invalid faces. Its deleting one face on the model and so when it appears in unity its missing lots of sides. Luckily for us I've found a simple fix. All I had to do was covert the model to an editable poly again which collapses the modifier stack.

Game level design diary sixteen

Hey again bloggers!

In this entry i'll be talking about the lighting used in my level. Here's what some of the lighting looks like:

Here I've put some area lights on the lava to make it appear as though it's glowing. I've also got a directional light in the sky to simulate sunlight.

Game level design diary fifteen

Hello,

Here's the ledge model:

Its a very simplistic design but it looks great in position at the top of the volcano,normal mapping and spectral mapping have been applied to the texture.

Game level design diary fourteen

Hi,

Here's the bridge model:

I like its shape and the texturing really fits with the environment, It has both normal mapping and spectral mapping applied to it.

Game level design diary thriteen

Hello again bloggers!

Here's my model of building 1: 

It has a normal map and a spectral map applied to the texturing.

Game level design diary twelve

Hey Bloggers,

I've modeled Building 2 now, here's what It looks like so far:

It's pretty basic and the texturing has a normal map and a spectral map applied to it.

Game level design diary eleven

Hey again bloggers, in this post I've finished building 4, here is how it looks:

The textures I've used have bump maps applied to them and spectral maps applied. I'll keep the blog updated with more of the assets in the future.

Game level design diary ten

Hi,

In this entry I'll be talking about the list of assets that are needed for the level. As you can see below I've created a list showing High priority assets, medium priority assets and low priority assets:

High priority assets:

1. Bridges
2. Building 3
3. Building 1
4. Building 2
5. Building 4

Medium priority assets:

1. Five rocks
2. Pine tree

Low priority assets:

1. Bed
2. Control panels

The high priority assets are important and must be completed and the medium priority assets are also important but aren't necessary, the low priority assets aren't essential but will be nice to put in if there is time. I'll put the asset creation in future diary entries, but as for now that's all.

Game level design diary nine

Hey bloggers,

In this diary entry i'll be talking about why I chose the unity terrain paintbrush tool to make my environment rather than making it in 3ds Max. With the unity terrain brush I can quickly create mountain ranges and hills by holding down the mouse button and dragging. Unity also allows for accuracy while using the tool at a quick speed. It took me minutes to make the mountain ranges at the edge of the map with Unity whereas with 3ds Max it would take a lot longer to model it. However I will be using 3ds Max to create my assets as it is far superior at creating structures and allows for better texturing.

that's all for now.    

Game level design diary eight

Hi bloggers!

So for this entry I've updated the map since I last posted and am posting some images for you to see. Here take a look:

Since my last update on the map as you can see I've made a lot of progress. I've made the volcano and shaped out the river, and even started to paint textures onto it.

Thats it for now bloggers, cya!

Game level design diary seven

Hello again!

In this diary entry I've started building the level. Here's some images from it so far:

As you can see the mountains on the border of the map have been done but  there is still much more to do. I'll be sure to keep posting with updates in the future.

Thanks for reading.

Game level design diary six

What'sup bloggers!

I decided my map wasn't covering enough ground so i decided to update it. Here it is:

As you can see I've added in some mountains to be put in the distance. I've also added in a tunnel from which the player starts at which will give some explanation instead of just off the side of the map (which would look terrible).

That's all for now bloggers! until next time.

Game level design diary five

Hello again bloggers!

I've started collecting some textures and turning them into tiles. so far at the moment I've only collected a few, but my collection will grow fast. I've also started making normal maps from the textures. Here's some of what I've got at the moment:

This is the lava texture I've chosen it suits the needs of looking like loose volatile lava with high viscosity.

 










I chose this volcanic rock texture, it makes the volcanic part of the map look darker and more dangerous.

These textures are just some of the ones i have so far, i'll likely update in the future about some more if i find them worth it. As for now bloggers, goodbye!

Game level design diary four

Hello yet again bloggers!

I've finally completed a rough map of how I want to lay out my level. Here's the map:

As you can see its just very rough sketch i did in pencil and scanned, but it'll guide me how it needs to. I hope it turns out alright as a finished product. I've also started looking into some textures which i'll talk more about in my next blog when I've done that a bit more.

For now that's all bloggers, Bye!

Game level design diary three

Hey bloggers!

Since the last post I've been brainstorming ideas for how I can incorporate juxtaposition into my level. Its still in progress but I've also been collecting images that i can use to refer to so i can see how i want to create certain parts. These are just some of the volcanic images I've collected:

Some of these aren't real but i really like how they look and the lava rivers are something i really want to incorporate into my level. The lava used in these is lava that has more viscosity which means it is thinner and flows faster, it also means that it is more volatile and dangerous, when i texture the lava this is the type I've decided would look best.

These are some of the snow images I've collected:

Since I want to include a volcano into my level I likely won't be able to include any snowy mountains up close but may include them in the distance. I plan to include some high rise snowy areas which will have cliffs. These images show many rocky cliffs that i have used for inspiration and the trees, i'd like to include in some of the flatter areas.

I hope you enjoyed reading this entry bloggers, I look forward to entry four!

Game level design diary two

Hello again bloggers!

So I've been considering my choices and weighing what i'd prefer since my last post. It's been pretty hard to decide, but recently a friend told me about a technique used in forms of art called "Juxtaposition" Juxtaposition is when two things of the opposite are put side by side to create a representation of something, for example white being next to black: The white representing good while the black represents evil. Here's a good example i found, the tank representing power and destruction while the toy bike represents innocence and happiness:
















I've decided to use juxtaposition in my level by having a snowy part of the map which leads into a volcanic part. The snowy part of the level may represent that this part of the map is safe and make the player feel more comfortable while the Volcanic part will represent danger and try to make the player feel less at ease.

I hope you enjoyed diary entry two bloggers, until next time!

Game level design diary one

Hi,

Over the next few weeks i'll be updating my blog with posts about my level design. Any feedback is welcome.

I've begun by brainstorming my level and what I will use in it. The main theme that is stuck in my head that I really like is either a snow or lava based level. I was thinking maybe for a lava based level I could have rivers of lava with dangerous bridges to cross and a volcano that you could climb to the top of, i'd put maybe some sort of building overhanging the volatile lava at the top of the volcano. Some inspiration for this came from the volcano "Krakatoa" in Indonesia:

                         

 But i also really like The idea of snowy mountains with steep cliffs with vast lookout points and ice caves that you could explore, maybe log cabins on steep slopes above the clouds and thick pinewood forests. I grew my inspiration for this from hearing about a friends holiday to Mont Blanc in the Swiss alps:

 
I'll hopefully post what i come up with in my next level design diary. Thanks for reading bloggers!  

Compare level and environment design from a game from the 80's, 90's and after 2004

Hey, bloggers. The other day in my games design class I was asked to play three games: one game from the 1980s, one from the 1990s, and one released after 2004, and then to compare and contrast how levels and environments are designed in all three games.

 I have chosen to play and discuss the three games: Super Mario Brothers (1985) by Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda and the Ocarina of Time (1998) by Nintendo, and DayZ; a highly successful ARMA 2 mod released in 2012 by Dean Hall. I’ll discuss each games level designs and environments and then compare them and talk a little about how they’ve changed over the years.  

   

Super Mario Brothers is a 2D game, and as such its design has been heavily affected by its limitations. These limitations include the 2D side view, which only allows for movement of side to side, and up and down. The levels in Super Mario Brothers are designed to constantly keep the player moving in an attempt to create a fast-paced game. As you make your way through the level, there will always be something to jump on or avoid. Platforms are very consistent as you progress through the game and give you the option to jump along them or just walk the along the bottom, which tends to be a lot less entertaining. Enemy creatures patrol the more open areas, giving the player space to either jump on them to kill them or to avoid them. The levels are very limited, however, by the graphics of the time, resulting in very linear gameplay.

3D technology was implemented into gaming in the 1990s which made a huge difference to gameplay by allowing the player to move around in a 3D space. This gave developers more room to allow for exploration. The allowance of 3D technology gave The Legend of Zelda and the Ocarina of Time a much wider opportunity for how its levels are designed to be played. The level design in the game gives the player a large opportunity to explore the game and create further optional discoveries. Furthermore, there are a variety of reasons to explore which are entertaining to the player; these include, discovering more of the in game currency, to accomplish the many puzzles and to defeat various enemies. Social interaction has also been implemented in the game with non-playable characters; the player can always explore a little and find a character it is possible to speak to. Unlike Super Mario Brothers this game is not fast-paced due to the fact the levels give the player so much opportunity to explore and enjoy the game and the possibility to stray from the main storyline.

Online multiplayer was introduced in the 1990s but didn’t really become a big part of games until the 2000’s when higher internet speeds were developed. Ever since then its been a massive part of gaming and has completely changed the way games are developed, due to the need to support multiple players. DayZ is a highly successful zombie survival mod released for the military simulation game ARMA II in 2012. The introduction of online multiplayer has changed level design greatly by having to suit to multiple players on one map and DayZ is a great example of this. The game only has one level; an open world level based on a real location in the Czech Republic which gives you 225km² of area to explore and find equipment. Most of it is covered in forests and grass plains but there are a few towns scattered throughout the map and a few large cities on the coastline. In DayZ, many players will cross paths and interact with each other. It is completely designed to give freedom of choice; certain areas of the map will provide players with a better chance to find bountiful equipment to use to survive the zombie apocalypse; however, with higher risk. These hotspots for equipment will also increase the chance of players interacting with each other which could end in bloody massacre or a neutral agreement depending on player decision. Unlike Zelda and the Ocarina of Time, all social interaction takes place between active players. There are no NPCs that can be socially interacted with, and the uncertainty of other players can make the player fear for their life, which adds a more realistic dynamic to the survival simulator.

Despite technical advancements over the last few decades, the levels of all three games have one main similarity; they have at least some form of exploration. Super Mario Brothers allows you to jump onto blocks to give you the opportunity to take a higher route than the ground and score more coins, whereas Zelda and the Ocarina of Time gives you large areas to explore and puzzles to solve for bonuses such as new items. Finally in DayZ, exploration is the main focus of the game; if you don’t explore then you don’t find what you need to survive the zombie apocalypse. This is very reflective of a lot of modern games where open world exploration is becoming more popular because the freedom to discover and wander is being given to the player rather than being set on a dead linear course.

Moreover, there are a variety of similarities and differences in the environments all three games, and the use of these environments differ according to each. Super Mario Brothers’ environments are very basic; the environments in the game lack variety; for example, there are only a few bushes, clouds and a hill every so often in the background and the game feels very open. The colours are very friendly with greens and blues, and there is a very limited variation in the colours which adds to how basic it looks and feels. When you are approaching a boss fight, the environment darkens and appears sinister to give you the feel of danger. The environment is restricted to only being for display and to give the player a feel of where he is because of the 2D limitations.

Zelda and the Ocarina of Time has a variety of environments. The environment you start in is a small village known as Kokiri. As the player progresses the game, they come across The Land of Hyrule which has many varying environments such as the open grasslands around Lon Lon Ranch and the desert plains near Gerudo’s Fortress. These two environments are very open and allow for a lot of exploration. There are also a few smaller environments like Zora’s River which are a little more linear but also have their fair share of exploration. The colours used tend to be very bright and friendly in the more open parts of the game but are darker and give a sense of danger in the smaller environments. The introduction of 3D environments starts to allow the players to use the environment around them a little for example: search for hidden objects behind trees or in a bush.

As aforementioned, the map of Chernarus used in DayZ is based off a real location in the Czech Republic. Most of the environment is forests and open plains; there are also lots of country towns further inland which are scattered about. On the coastline of the map there are three main cities which are usually where most items can be found. As you head north you may approach one of the two military airfields at the northern ends of the map, which will provide the player with high-quality equipment to further increase their chances of survival in the zombie apocalypse. The cities when you walk around them have a lot of dark colours and seem very dull, and give off a fairly creepy sense as you walk around them; whereas the dense forests are very bright and lusciously green and players tend to feel safer and less visible. Since the game is multiplayer, the players will often use the environment to their advantage; for example, sniping while hiding in a bush or using the thick forests to greedily hide their findings.  

All three games share green as the main colour in their palettes, but they differ in how the environments are used and, in the case of Zelda and DayZ, exploited. Super Mario Brothers’ environments are simply for display and to give the player a better feel of what kind of area they’re in. In contrast, The Legend of Zelda and the Ocarina of Time’s environments allow the player to explore and find the in-game currency or items. Lastly, DayZ’s environments are usable by the players to be used to gain an advantage over other players; for example, hiding in a bush before attacking another player to get the jump on them.

Thus, it can be seen that games have changed greatly over the years. Games like Super Mario Brothers, being fast-paced and constantly designed to keep the player moving through the level, to modern day games such as DayZ, where gameplay is very slow but less linear and the players have much more freedom of choice. It also shows the way environments are used has changed from being mainly for display and to give a player a sense of feeling, to actually becoming part of the gameplay by being used by players to accomplish tasks. In conclusion the way levels and environments are designed has changed so much in such a small time that it begs the question: how much more will they change in the next few years? 

Written by Jared Anderson

Edited by Ellie Swain

What type of game would i design in the 80's?

In my game design class today, I was asked to answer the question: if I were to develop a game in the 80's, what type of game would it be?

 Given the limitations of the 1980's e.g character control limitations and graphical limitations, if I were to develop a game it would be played in a top down or side on perspective and graphically it might be more cartoonish due to violence being more socially unacceptable at the time. Given that a lot of games were played in the arcade it would need to suit being simple and addictive so that the players keep paying to play more.