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How do YOU draft level design

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Trackpants, Jan 12, 2012.

  1. Trackpants

    Trackpants

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2012
    Posts:
    217
    As the title says, how do you go about designing levels. Do you do a rough copy in 3D or do you map it out in 2D on paper? or on computer? What about your thought process? do you think of a theme for a level (e.g speed?) and work around that? etc. etc.
     
  2. yomomyha

    yomomyha

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    Posts:
    132
    I just use paper for when im not near a computer. but instead of that the main thing you need to do is focus on balance. also try inmplementing fun areas that spice up gameplay.
     
  3. CoatlGames

    CoatlGames

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2008
    Posts:
    773
    as i mainly do 2d or 2.5d stuff, i just use my vector drawing soft and play around with concepts and ideas
     
  4. hippocoder

    hippocoder

    Digital Ape

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2010
    Posts:
    29,723
    I scribble on old fashioned paper. Lots of scribbles. I try to get a mix between what is cool, and what you'd reasonably expect the place or level to look like.

    Once I've got a scribbled mess that looks like a child's drawing, I'll do several more like that, then commit to a prototype design (cubes, boxes etc)... and have a play.

    If it feels fun I'll go further else I'll just scrap it. There's no point in keeping something that is not much fun.
     
  5. TylerPerry

    TylerPerry

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    May 29, 2011
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    Thousends and thousends of pieces of paper that my mum thoughs out :( so i keep them in sketch books so my mother dosent through them out, its far more expensive then A4 paper but i have loads of them lying around. Generaly i just get an idea from no were make it on paper draw all the main assets then model them, they generaly change when i model them they change as somethings just dont look good as models :(

    old fashiond paper is the best kind :) aged parchment or papyrus if your budget alows for it :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2012
  6. SteveJ

    SteveJ

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2010
    Posts:
    3,085
    Grid paper and a heavy pencil.
     
  7. NomadKing

    NomadKing

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2010
    Posts:
    1,461
    ^ Pretty much this.

    Sometimes I skip the drawing stage if the design is simple. The speed that you can prototype with Unity primitives is very handy in those cases, although most of the time some form of doodle will help you quickly spot 'stupid' parts of your design before you've wasted any real time on it.
     
  8. NomadKing

    NomadKing

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    Feb 11, 2010
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    1,461
    Or finger paint on a large rock if you want to go really old school... :p
     
  9. GibTreaty

    GibTreaty

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2010
    Posts:
    792
    Paper? Pencil? No thanks, I'll go for the high-tech human mind for my levels. It's probably why I'm no good at level design! Usually I just start modelling whatever looks good because drawing it wouldn't be any better. In fact, it would be much much worse.
     
  10. Starsman Games

    Starsman Games

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2011
    Posts:
    2,152
    In the only level design experience I have (Bomber Cat) I did all my 'design" in Unity.

    I created a level template that had the basic skins for the levels and created a lot of prefabs. I came up with the idea for a few type of levels (simple break the boxes to get to the burgers, others where you had to race spreading fires in a sort of "time race", others where burgers are falling from the sky and you have to catch them, etc etc.)

    I would decide what mechanic this level will focus on, and then just start placing items in the map and testing in real time. This was for me very fast as I was able to see immediately what worked and what didnt. Had I set thins in paper, designed every level and then go to design, I'm sure I would had wasted a lot of time with levels that would just not work due to performance constrains.

    For future titles I plan to do more offline paper planning. Bomber Cat was more of a small levels thing. If I do something closer to Mega Man or Mario, I may want to make a bit more intricate levels, since I will likely also do way less levels.