Welcome to The Official SnarkPit Interview Series of 2011. Here we're looking to interview individuals who have at least two years experience designing levels for games. We accepted entries from amateurs and professionals alike in an effort to enlighten the masses, especially those who are aspiring level designers or hobbyists. From new to old, there is something to be learned by all. People from around the world talk about what got them into level design, and what they do to push the limits and explore the possibilities. Level design has always been a collaborative effort spent conversing with others for critiques and opinions, and it is in this spirit that these interviews are presented to you.

This is Interview #4 out of the series as given by Mr. (Name Removed) (Armageddon) .

[Name Removed] has been mapping since he was ten years old and continues to develop his skills thoughtfully. He frequents the Interlopers.net forums, and is known both at Interlopers and here at Snark Pit as the user: Armageddon. [Name Removed] maintains a fairly active connection with the mapping community and lends his feedback where he can. He is currently working on three self-produced modifications among other projects, and humbles himself to criticism where he may.

If you'd like to reach [Name Removed], you can contact him through his personal e-mail: Armageddonid3(AT)gmail.com


The Interview:
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1. SnarkPit: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved with level design?

(Name Removed): My name is (Name Removed), I'm 16 and I do level design as a hobby, I've worked on three projects, none of which have been released. One is my own mod called Ballista Nova, the other two I can't say anything about at this time. I guess I started making levels when my brother bought Half-Life 2 and showed me the Hammer Editor. From there, I just kept learning and finding tutorial sites.

2. SnarkPit: How long have you been mapping or doing level design work?

(Name Removed): About five years or so in a few months; I started when I was ten.

3. SnarkPit: What games and game types do you map for?

(Name Removed): I made a map for a mod called Action Half-Life 2, ahl2_skyloung; that was a lot of fun and people really liked it. I mostly enjoy doing single-player stuff for Half-Life 2: Episode 2.

4. SnarkPit: If level design is currently a hobby for you, what do you plan to do, or continue doing with your experience and skills in the near future?

(Name Removed): I think I will keep doing it; I'll try to develop some more skills and branch out into other engines. It would be awesome to get a job some day, -like at Ubisoft.


A scene from (Name Removed)'s original Ballista Nova mod (HL2)

5. SnarkPit: What is your current level design method work flow? How do you start a level and then bring it to completion?

(Name Removed): Well, I start out with a nodraw block and turn that into a room that I have pictured in my head. From there I add textures and models and optimize them and then move on to the next room if I have more ideas.

6. SnarkPit: What is the most important step or aspect in designing a level for you?

(Name Removed): I'd have to say the gameplay flow; it's really fascinating to me to learn what the player could be thinking and how he would do something. So I can edit the map to have a more enjoyable and interesting flow for the player.

7. SnarkPit: What other hobbies or careers do you work/study in and do you think they compliment your level design knowledge and or skills?

(Name Removed): I'm trying to learn how to make my own textures and model, mostly working on textures now.


"Cube Logic"

8. SnarkPit: What's the most valuable lesson you've learned about level design?

(Name Removed): Never show your first map to anyone, and don't expect people to like anything you do.

9. SnarkPit: How important is optimization to you in designing a level, and how much of your time would you say you commit to it out of the entire level design process?

(Name Removed): Optimization is very important to me; if you don't optimize your maps a player can't enjoy it. I'd say I spend 20% of my time optimizing.

10. SnarkPit: What are some of your "level design philosophies?"

(Name Removed): Well, I believe the player's first weapon needs to be a melee, and he has to pick it up; you should never be able to skip weapons. Nothing more than that, I've seen that mistake so many times. I love shooting stuff randomly so I often waste ammo before I see what I need to shoot.


"Grave Dig"

11. SnarkPit: What do you do to get your name out there for others to play your maps?

(Name Removed): Go to a lot of forums, ask people to write a review on your map; it's not that hard really.

12. SnarkPit: What should a beginning level designer focus on the most in attempting to develop their skills?

(Name Removed): Well it depends what you like, when I started I found I really enjoyed doing logic entity scripting so that's what I did, I have maps from realistically sliding down hills to a whole assault and arrest sequence. Now I'm trying to develop my brushwork skills though.

13. SnarkPit: What three pieces of advice would you have for an aspiring level designer?

(Name Removed):
-Don't carve
-Don't use brush doors
-Don't ever show your first map


"Altar"

14. SnarkPit: Are there any special techniques you use in designing your levels?

(Name Removed): Not really, I just do the basic stuff they did in Half-Life 2. Like I said earlier, I focus on gameplay. I also like adding scripted events to my maps with logic, -the ones that take control of the camera.

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We certainly appreciate the enthusiasm (Name Removed) showed for our interview series, and we hope his message will help other young amateur mappers find their voice in the community just as he has.

Thank you (Name Removed).


If you're interested in giving an interview and feel that you qualify, feel free to check out our questions and criteria for submitting an entry here. We'd love to hear what you have to say!