The art of level design

1. CISC 105: Intro to Game Modding
Lecture 7: Level Design
©Charles Palmer – Fall 2013

2. Level Design
http://mozidesign.com/Levels/working/udk/s4.jpg

3. Level Design
Level design, environment design
or game mapping is a discipline of
game development involving
creation of video game levels—
locales, stages, or missions. This is
commonly done using a level editor,
a game development application
designed for building levels;
however some games feature builtin level editing tools. Level design is
both an artistic and technical
process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_design

4. Level Design
Idea
Sketch
Build
Start with the basic
ideas from the game
world and specific
elements needed
within the current
area of focus.
Create a sketch
identifying the
location and relative
position of various
level items.
Use a level editor to
create the map and
refine it’s contents.

5. Level Design
Idea
Sketch
Build
Start with the basic
ideas from the game
world and specific
elements needed
within the current
area of focus.
Create a sketch
identifying the
location and relative
position of various
level items.
Use a level editor to
create the map and
refine it’s contents.

6. Components of Level Design
non-static
parts
dynamic parts
game play
regions
aesthetic
details
environmental
condition
map and world
features
script events
Level
Design
pathfinding

7. Building a map

8. Class Exercise
Build a sketch for a mod:
• Read and select a mod idea
• Draw a rough world map
o World boundaries
o Player path w/ start and objective
o Important locations
• Draw detailed location
o draw a more detailed map of one area (use the
layout of a real-world location for this example)
o include player start and exit positions
o environmental details (barriers, features, …)
o Traps, monsters, puzzles
o Challenges
Mod idea 1
We’re not sure why it began, but the
dead now walk the earth. Hundreds of
zombies, ghosts, and ghouls wander the
streets of Harrisburg. Your player must
make it to City Island where military
officials have set up a base of operation
for the refugees. Design a world map
covering a path to the Walnut Street
Bridge.
Mod idea 2
In the early days of the First Era the
Chimer warlord Ornarol made a pact
with the Daedra before betraying them
to his own ends. When his deceit was
discovered the three Daedric Princes
tore his soul asunder, each taking part of
his soul as a trophy, leaving bridges
between his remains and their realms of
oblivion. Embark on a dangerous quest
to steal back Ornarol's Soul and close
these gateways to oblivion once and for
all.

9. Assignment
Now that you have had a chance to practice level
design, you get to do it on your own. Create a map to
accompany your Game Concept Document. The map
should contain the following attributes:
•
•
•
•
•
Features: hills, plains, cities, rooms, tunnels, caves,
relevant buildings
Any special environmental conditions
Non-static items: i.e., doors, keys and buttons with
associated mechanisms, teleporters, hidden
passageways, etc.;
Spawn points, unique weapons and items,
important NPC (non-player characters) or level
Bosses.
Description of the environments aesthetic details.

10. Assignment
Your map can be hand drawn or created with a vector
or pixel based computer program, but it must be
submitted electronically. If created by hand please
submit a scan or digital photograph of the file. If
created electronically, please “Export” or “Save As…” in
one of the following formats; JPG, PNG, TIFF, or PICT.
When uploading your file remember to use the
following naming convention - (first initial last
name_course number_assignment number) example DWilliams_CISC105_7.xxx: (where xxx is an image
based file format).