Post by a Chunk on Mar 8, 2019 17:37:43 GMT
Attack The Block: Steps To Better Level Design
by Andres Rodriguez
Read this article at our new site HERE: www.nextleveldesign.org/index.php?/featured-content/articles/attack-the-block-steps-to-better-level-design-r59/
The level of detail required varies greatly depending upon which stage of development a project as at. Some designers are very detail focused to begin with, and work on fleshing out the larger context of that detail over time. Others start out with very basic, high level concepts, and incorporate more detail as they go along.
Regardless of what your natural inclinations may be, one thing is almost universally true - when you begin translating your ideas into a virtual space via an editor, there's great benefit to starting with a rough blockout of your play space. In this short article, Andres Rodriguez relays the wisdom he's gained as a designer on games such as Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us.
Solid Foundations Matter
Andres cites the importance of blockouts for fast iteration, composition, and framing:
Creating a good blockmesh is not only good for artistic reasons, but also to quickly test if the shapes and visual language translate effectively into clear gameplay. When creating game levels it is important to create a level that is aesthetically pleasing but never at the expense of gameplay clarity or at the risk of confusing the player.
Designing for Brains and Beauty
Blockouts are also a great tool for assuring that pathing and points of interest are clear, and that players can easily understand the space they find themselves in:
A good level blockout won’t just have aesthetic considerations, but will also be mindful of gameplay. If the player needs to tackle a puzzle, all the elements needed to solve the challenge must be presented in a clear and elegant way. This also applies for when trying to differentiate the main path, from optional routes, or when trying to deter the player from going somewhere they are not supposed to.
The Role of Blocking Within the Full Pipeline
Finally, we must look at the role of blocking out not within a vacuum, but as part of a larger process. Decisions made at the blockout stage impact art and lighting, for example. The reverse can be true as well - there's value in understanding how the spaces we design will impact lighting and shadows. Understanding the interplay between the various steps in the design process will ultimately result in better levels.
A lot of times this will involve a lot of edits and changes to the original designer-created blockmesh. This is why it is very important to have a close communication between artist and designer, enabling compromises to be made between both of the visions for the level. This process will generally require a good amount of iteration, but it’s key to develop an effective level, and to try to catch big flaws early.
The quotes above are excerpts of an article that can be read in full here: 80.lv/articles/attack-the-block-steps-to-better-level-design/
Follow Andres
Website: www.arodz3d.com/
ArtStation: www.artstation.com/arodz3d