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Level-design articles
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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Captain P on Thu Dec 21st at 8:46pm 2006

I just came by this thread at Interlopers where someone posted links to level-design articles. I had read most of them already but not all.

Here's the list:

Ben's Small Bible of Realistic Multiplayer Level Design (.pdf)
Multiplayer Level Design by Geoffrey Smith (.doc)
Lunara.com - Old "Deathmatch Encyclopedia" Articles


To which I would add a German article (with lots of images for us non-Germs, err, Germans):
Spielhandeln im Deathmatch (.pdf)

So I wondered, does any of you guys still have some interesting links? Might be nice to share them if that hasn't been done here before already... <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">


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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by reaper47 on Thu Dec 21st at 9:51pm 2006

The German article invented some words which I think never existed before in German language image

I think the johnstoblog (creator of de_dust) should be read at least partially by everyone interested in this matter.

Than there are a couple of articles at www.gamasutra.com. I don't have exact urls but some searching should reveal them.

PS: nice links there, Captain, I just read a bit of them. Old but interesting stuff because it's summed up nicely.


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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Andrei on Thu Dec 21st at 10:28pm 2006

Those are some interesting articles.

You know, if we took all the tutorials we have here at the pit, added some extra notes here and there and compiled the whole thing into a pdf we'd have a pretty decent editing guide.



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Captain P on Thu Dec 21st at 11:54pm 2006

Ah, here it was, an article on lighting by 3D Mike:
HL Engine lighting tutorial

And here are some gamasutra.com articles, several old and new ones, I did the hard searchwork (and in case you don't have a gamasutra account, there's some on bugmenot.com image):

Level-design articles:
- Multiplayer Level Design In-Depth, Part 1: The Specific Constraints of Multiplayer Level Design
- Multiplayer Level Design In-Depth, Part 2: The Rules of Map Design
- Multiplayer Level Design In-Depth, Part 3: Technical Constraints and Accessibility

- Beginning Level Design, Part 1: Level Design Theory
- Beginning Level Design Part 2: Rules to Design By and Parting Advice

- Educational Feature: A History and Analysis of Level Design in 3D Computer Games
- Educational Feature: A History and Analysis of Level Design in 3D Computer Games (Part 2)

- Level Design Resource Guide

Interviews/postmortems:
- Secrets of the Sages: Level Design
- May Time Be With You: Level Designing Rogue Leader
- GDC 2002: Realistic Level Design for Max Payne
- An Architect's Perspective On Level Design Pre-Production
- GDC: Physical Gameplay in Half-Life 2


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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Campaignjunkie on Fri Dec 22nd at 5:31am 2006

Some stuff I've worked on / am working on for the Valve wiki:

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Level_Flow
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Loops_%28level_design%29
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Bounce_%28level_design%29
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/User:Campaignjunkie/Pacing



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Captain P on Fri Dec 22nd at 3:29pm 2006

Nice ones, CJ. I read them a while ago. I think I'll add something to the Flow article, as I believe it's as much about how the map causes people to flow through it as it is about how easy it is to walk through it.


Create-ivity - a game development blog



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Flynn on Fri Dec 22nd at 6:21pm 2006

lol I read some of them upto a point and then I realised they were for multiplayer. I mean honestly, why do people just assume that we all map for multiplayer? What is the obsession with mapping multiplayer



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by reaper47 on Fri Dec 22nd at 6:24pm 2006

Campaignjunkie posted some nice links on SP mapping.

But it's true much more people map MP, mainly because it's easier and you can see people play it more directly. :/


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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Captain P on Fri Dec 22nd at 7:02pm 2006

Flynn: not all of these articles are for multiplayer, several of the gamasutra ones (specifically the interview/postmortem ones if I recall correctly) focus on singleplayer. Stupid really, I mean, why do they simply assume we all design singleplayer maps? <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">

Message submitted 49 minutes after original post:

Anyway, just stumbled on an interview with Adam Foster, creator of the Minerva serie. Yes, it's singleplayer. <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">


Create-ivity - a game development blog



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Orpheus on Sat Dec 23rd at 6:33pm 2006

? quoting Flynn
lol I read some of them upto a point and then I realised they were for multiplayer. I mean honestly, why do people just assume that we all map for multiplayer? What is the obsession with mapping multiplayer

I have seen very few Single player maps, that would make a good Multi-player map. I have however seen s**t loads of Multi-player maps, that would make good Single player maps.

The point is, you cannot lose by studying MP design. Anyone who doesn't know which parts will not cross the boundaries from SP to MP or MP to SP, doesn't need to be mapping in the first place.





The best things in life, aren't things.



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by DrGlass on Wed Dec 27th at 6:06pm 2006

? quote:
lol I read some of them upto a point and then I realised they were for multiplayer. I mean honestly, why do people just assume that we all map for multiplayer? What is the obsession with mapping multiplayerimage


why masturbate when you can orgy?



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Andrei on Wed Dec 27th at 6:49pm 2006

Hat's off to you! Highly quotable. image



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by reaper47 on Wed Dec 27th at 9:59pm 2006

lol, mean. I'd say it's more simple sex vs orgy, logically. And orgies mostly contain other men so... :/ A matter of taste.


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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Flynn on Sat Dec 30th at 10:20pm 2006

Bump!





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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Orpheus on Sat Dec 30th at 11:50pm 2006

I know that this is gonna sound like I'm being a prick, but WTF did you bump something, thats still on the God damned front page?

Oh, about that prick resemblance, its a vicious rumor started by Fisheye. Seems it took one to know one and, well, he was the most qualified to know.

/runs





The best things in life, aren't things.



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Naklajat on Tue Feb 20th at 3:58am 2007

I've referred to this thread many times in the past couple months, there are a lot of really great resources here. It'd be a shame to see this thread be forgotten.

Here are two excerpts from UT mapper Hourences' recently published book, "The Hows And Whys Of Level Design"
http://help.hourences.com/booklighting.htm
http://help.hourences.com/bookgameplay.htm


=o



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 Re: Level-design articles
Posted by Naklajat on Sat Mar 3rd at 3:33pm 2007

Here's an article that's less about level design in particular and more about overall game design: Ten Maxims Every FPS Should Follow

It does a good job of illustrating some 'big' concepts that can (and often do) make or break a game (or mod <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> or SP minimod/mission/adventure/campaign).


=o




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