My skills / Level Design

Most videogames offer levels or game sequences in wich the aim is to teach the gameplay elements to the player, to challenge him, or to entertain him by leaving him experiment. the design and the organisation of the level correspond to the Level Design.

At first sight, level design seems to concern only videogames with "environnement": 3D action games, 2D platform games, etc. But, we find it in a lot of specific cases: the score in Guitar Hero, the input sequence to do and the consequence in its success or failure in the run of a scene in Heavy Rain, etc. Level-Design is everywhere with multiple styles.

So, from design to what the player visualize during the level exploration, steps in integration and test vary a lot according to the game type. In the case of a 3D environment for example, a level designer work on paper sheet (graphic software) to get the main ideas, then add them in a simplified way, using "blocs", in the game engine or editor. After validation, the level is "dressed-up". The graphic team is in charge of creating a coherent environment corresponding to the level design: we call it level building.

My skills

  • Defining the structure of level-design: Progress, learning, diversity, etc.
  • Designing levels on paper and softwares: Visio, SketchUp, 3Ds Max, etc.
  • Integration and tests of level design: 2D Platformers (coordinates, tiles), 3D environments, rhythm games scores, etc.
  • Communication with the team on level design: Writing clear and accurate documentation...

Task: Narrative Design Document

11.19.2013
Created for the project: Misc. on 2013 as a personal project - Skill: Level Design
Softwares: Adobe® InDesign CSx
I designed and wrote a document sample some times ago. It's about an adventure and narrative game with an original story and universe...

The document

It contains an overview of the design and the story, and give the details on:

  • conversation branches
  • environments : interactive objects and characters
  • Minigames: pick lock, combat, complex object observation

You can find it there.

I wish you good reading.

Summary

I worked on a narrative game design and level design. This article is an example showing how I write my documentation.

Work: I designed a level and wrote a document.

Task: Level Design: Sp_Escape

03.08.2009
Created for the project: SP_Escape on 2009 at Supinfogame - Skill: Level Design
Softwares: Unreal Development Kit
My work on SP_Escape concerned the environment gameplay sequence in particular. Scheduled, picking up a bomb, that must be planted elsewhere in the level to make a hole in the prison surrounding wall in order to get Marcus out. I worked on the level design concerning this sequence.

Level design

My work begins with the bomb pick up. This sequence offers a true challengeto the player. It asks for a good rhythm.

Situation
A bomb is placed in a particular ennemie's back: the boomer. Shoot him directly trigger the bomb crack. The boomer particularity is to shoot a lethal bullet every 5 seconds. He is behind a little group of weak ennemies and some blocks usable as covers.

Solution
The only solution for the player is to fight the weak ennemies and focus on being covered when the boomer shoots (every 5 seconds), then be close enough to pick up his bomb, and finally kill him.


Situation
Once the bomb is picked up, Marcus must cross a room digged in the rocksin wich emergence holes appear (holes where weak ennemies comes out endlessly).

Solution
The aim is to block them by shooting the flacky rocks on the ceiling. The challenge consists in forcing the player to share his shooting time between ennemies and rocks.

Marcus is now close to the bomb planting point. My work stops here.

Level building

Once the level design ready, I worked on dressing up the rooms. I had to replace the bsp (géometries) by static meshes (3D models): rocks, cross beams, etc.

Kismet

This part of level design needed a lot of scripting:

  • attaching the bomb in the boomer back
  • allowing Marcus to pick it up by pressing the validate button and place it in his back.
  • planting it elsewhere
  • getting the emergence holes spawning ennemies
  • handling the rocks used to block the holes...

Summary

The game sequence I worked on contains some challenges in its Level Design: handling the time for the player, forcing him to avoid a lethal shot every five seconds, and handling the shooting time between ennemies and obstacles to reduce in a pile of debris. More in the article.
Work: I created the level design on these challenges, dressed up some rooms and scripted events using the Kismet.

Some pictures

screen.png

Task: Stargate Command Map

12.06.2008
Created for the project: Stargate TC on 2005 as a personal project - Skill: Level Design
Softwares: Hammer Editor
On Stargate TC, I was in charge of building the most important map, the SGC. More like a dressed environment than a game level, the map had to be used many times in the one player game to show cinematics, necessary for the game storytelling: briefing, dialogues more or less important...

Design

I created the basic shape of the map at first. I tried to keep the true organization and the same size, as much as possible. By searching meticulously on the Internet, I ended up finding the SGC plans made in Vancouver studios.

Next, I looked for a lot of snapshots taken by tourists who visited the film sudio set. By the way, I was more accurate.

Creation

To get information allowed me to create a level much closer to the series, more realistic as you can see on the pictures below.

I was compelled to erase some details, Gold, the Half-Life engine, can't handle too many models. You can notice that chevrons are green on this stargate.

Summary

Made on Half-Life, the map had to seam like the true SGC in the show. I used a lot of references to get the details.
Work: I created the map, level building and environnement.

Some pictures

screenShot2.png screenShot1.png