A Guide to Level Design

Everything about the level editing process.

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A Guide to Level Design

Postby JustcallmeDrago » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:25 pm

A Guide to Level Design

Making a boring level isn?t hard. Making a thrilling level is. The process of balancing difficulty and originality and longevity and pacing can be mind-boggling. The purpose of this guide is to demystify the makings of a great level.


?So what makes a boring level??

Image

This is a boring level. It doesn?t balance difficulty, originality, or longevity at all. That?s why it?s a perfect example of what to avoid.

I. Difficulty
First of all, this level is as easy as pie to solve. You can simply bridge the gap with one cloth piece. You don?t even have to make a catcher! It?s pointless to complete (unless you?re a beginner or it?s part of a level set, but let?s assume that isn?t the case) because of it?s difficulty. On the other hand, If armadillo and the anchor point below him was moved four times farther away, it would make the level nearly impossible. Trying to solve that is pointless too, unless you?re a bridge fanatic.

II. Originality
How many times have you played a level? If it was an original level, maybe two or three times. Just as a joke isn?t as funny the second time you hear it, a level isn?t as fun the second time you play it. Even if the level is slightly different than another, it probably won?t make enough of a difference to be worth playing again. My example level looks a lot like another level. Can you guess which one? It?s a blatant ripoff of Level 1 - A gentle start. The only thing different is the placement of a few nodes and that you have to add the first piece instead of the second and third.

III. Longevity
How much time can you possibly spend on this level? Once you make a steady slope for the armadillo, you?re done! Moving armadillo to the right is the only objective. Of course, the only point to solving a level is to get armadillo into the portal, but I?m talking about how you have to do it. To increase the length of time it takes to complete the level, more obstacles would have to be added. This would force the player to move armadillo in a number of directions instead of just one.

Image
Making the level better

I added a few things to my example level, which improved it a lot. It is now:

I. More difficult
It is harder to move in an enclosed space and the total distance to travel is higher now.

II. More Original
Simply adding more stuff to the level makes it much more unique.

III. Longer
Now, instead of just going right, the cloth must be broken, and armadillo must be moved right, down, right, up, right, and finally down to reach the portal.
- - - - -
This updated version still isn?t very good, but it is much better than it was. I wouldn?t use it as a model of a spectacular level, because it was only created with the goal of highlighting a few general things that can significantly improve a level.

Improving just those 3 aspects can make a level above average, but to be memorable, it must surpass even greater challenges, which I will talk about next (in a future update)

Hope that helps,
JustcallmeDrago
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Postby tomo » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:26 pm

II. More Original
Simply adding more stuff to the level makes it much more unique.

but not too much... like a bunch of rockets and you are done...
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Postby NickyNick » Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:14 pm

Good one Drago! but only one comment - IMHO, first level is better than second, because second can be cheaply solved only with metal bar pulley. First level needs more creativity (duh! :) ) for solving...
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Postby JustcallmeDrago » Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:37 pm

NickyNick wrote:Good one Drago! but only one comment - IMHO, first level is better than second, because second can be cheaply solved only with metal bar pulley. First level needs more creativity (duh! :) ) for solving...


"you can bridge the gap with a single cloth"

that isn't creatively solving it.

bar pulleys may be trite with all you guys (trite = overused and boring, by the way), but to someone who hasn't made a lot of them, or any, a bar pulley might take some thought :)

and tomo, I'm planning to add more about what to avoid (like, as you said, rockets).
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Postby NickyNick » Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:50 pm

JustcallmeDrago wrote:"you can bridge the gap with a single cloth"

Yes, but it won't be cheap at all. We are talking about contests, so we are talking about cheapest solutions.
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Postby McGinge » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:08 pm

Actually Drago I'm gonna be honest but i dont really like that second level... I would have preferred something with a slightly less linear route... Maybe just a large obstacle in between the portal and dillo would have been good...
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Postby tomo » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:31 pm

McGinge wrote:Actually Drago I'm gonna be honest but i dont really like that second level... I would have preferred something with a slightly less linear route... Maybe just a large obstacle in between the portal and dillo would have been good...
you think like so, drago means that his lvl is good... we have diferent opinions...
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Postby JustcallmeDrago » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:56 pm

NickyNick wrote:
JustcallmeDrago wrote:"you can bridge the gap with a single cloth"

Yes, but it won't be cheap at all. We are talking about contests, so we are talking about cheapest solutions.


Well, this guide isn't about competition levels. Could you write one??? :D that would be cool!
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fnhdfghj

Postby kuposrock » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:40 am

McGinge wrote:Actually Drago I'm gonna be honest but i dont really like that second level... I would have preferred something with a slightly less linear route... Maybe just a large obstacle in between the portal and dillo would have been good...


Im still a noob i guess but the second level seem way more fun then just adding a long piece of metel in the middle of the screen. A piece of metel is just dull and no fun, but having to go almost every direction is more exiting to see and to play.
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Re: fnhdfghj

Postby JustcallmeDrago » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:46 pm

kuposrock wrote:Im still a noob i guess but the second level seem way more fun then just adding a long piece of metel in the middle of the screen. A piece of metel is just dull and no fun, but having to go almost every direction is more exiting to see and to play.


I was hoping this guide would go die. I didn't really write it very well. :P :(
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Re: A Guide to Level Design

Postby kuposrock » Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:53 am

lol it seems pretty good to me but when u mean to put these '''''''''' u put ??????? lol. There should be a edit and delete botton for posts. And im starting to get realy bored on this site ur like one of the only ppl that talks alot we need a advertisement.
Wait omfg my bro and his friend are making a site for anime and crap i should peter T if he can make a ad and ill ask my bro if he can put it on his site for free then we can gets more pplz!!!!! O.oOOOOO.oo
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Re: A Guide to Level Design

Postby straubitude » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:36 am

Yeah really need more new people on the forum. Maybe we should have a contest for making an ad or something...
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Advertisement

Postby straubitude » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:55 am

I made a quick little video example to see what you think. I put it up on photobucket; here it is:

Image

This is just an example of course, not an actual useable advertisement. Someone could make a video like this, though, and put it on youtube or something where people might watch it.
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ya we do

Postby kuposrock » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:27 am

we should make a contest for an ad cuz my bro siad we can probably can. probably being 70-80% yes
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