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 #8 out of the series as given by Mr. Spencer (RabidMonkey) Rose.

Spencer Rose really has been born of the community. His motivation and skill is a testament to the kind of quality the Source level design community is capable of producing. Projects Spencer has worked on include the wildly popular and hyped Source Mod: Black Mesa as well as Nuclear Dawn., -A now official in-development retail game. Spencer has been a valued member of the Pit since 2004, and has since moved on to other popular mapping sites, but still makes it a point to update his profile here with his latest work. We appreciate Spencer for taking the time to submit an interview. Spencer now works as a level designer and artist at InterWave Studios.

If you'd like to reach Spencer, you can contact him via his portfolio site: www.rabidmnky.com


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

Spencer: Hi, my name is Spencer Rose. I'm from Denver, Colorado, USA. Level design has been a hobby to me for several years; I began experimenting with creating maps for Red Faction in 2001; although I didn't release or even complete any maps at that time, it sparked an interest
in level design. Although I took a relatively casual attitude towards level design until 2005 when I started working with a mod team (Black Mesa). I began work professionally as a level designer in early 2010.

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

Spencer: Almost 10 years. Playing games for longer, of course!

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

Spencer: Mostly multiplayer game types.

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?

Spencer: I aim to work on more projects professionally and to continue learning as much as I possibly can about level design.


Inbound - A level for the popular Black Mesa Mod for Source.

5. SnarkPit: Where do you look for inspiration or whom do you look to for ideas and in what mediums?

Spencer: I try and draw inspiration from almost everything. If something catches my eye while I'm watching a movie or browsing the internet I keep track of it.

6. SnarkPit: What is your current level design method work flow?

Spencer: I like to have somewhat of an idea of what I want from the level before I even begin working. Sometimes I find it easiest to come up with a few keywords which describe the level, or a quick sketch of a possible layout. From there the iterative process can begin, starting with creating a rough blocking of the level for gameplay. After that it's just adding art, lighting, and detail to the map continually until the level 'works'. Sometimes if I have a particular idea for a certain area I'll work on detailing or art a little early to establish that idea; sometimes it helps with noticing potential flaws or pitfalls early on in the process which you might not have seen otherwise.

7. SnarkPit: What percentage ratio of work would you say you do outside the level design program of choice versus within it to complete your map?

Spencer: It depends on my role in the process. If I'm solely working on level design, than 90/10. (The 10 is mostly spent on paper or on a whiteboard) - if I'm expected to create, compile, or otherwise work with assets outside of the level design process...it's variable, anywhere from 50/50 all the way to 90/10 in the other direction


dm_Slums - An original map for Half-Life 2 Deathmatch


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

Spencer:

• Be persistent. You can't simply give up at the first sign of a problem if you want to complete a level. There -will- be problems.
• Learn and teach yourself as much as you can.
• Be open to critique and criticism of your work from the get-go.

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

Spencer: I fly as a hobby and also enjoy photography. The latter is much more useful to a level designer; having an appreciation for photography and architecture serves as a basis of inspiration for many level designers. I used to build and paint scale models - airplanes, vehicles and the like, which I think fostered an appreciation for visual detail which I've tried to carry over into level design.

10. SnarkPit: What other skills do you think are imperative for a modern level designer?

Spencer: Experience relevant to a development team that's not level design. Whether it's modeling, texturing, scripting, writing code, the more you can bring to the table the more useful you'll be, no matter whether it's in a professional or hobbyist/mod environment. Modeling and texturing are becoming especially useful for level designers to have experience with.

11. 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?

Spencer: Optimization is an extremely important concern; if you don't optimize or construct your level smartly from the beginning in some editors, like Hammer, you're going to be faced with excruciating compile times, and so a fairly optimized level from the start can be beneficial. Testing on a wide range of machines isn't always practical or even an available option in some settings, like when you're working on a mod, but you can still try and make your level run as fast as possible.


sv_Tower - An original survival map for Left 4 Dead 2


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

Spencer: I think the best way to learn is just to make maps. Try and finish some and then examine what you did that didn't work, and what did work (if anything). The more practical experience you can get the more you'll learn.

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

Spencer: I mentioned this already, I think. Hands down the biggest lesson I've learned in designing levels is that the only way to get better (and this applies to everything, not just level design) is to accept and encourage as much criticism of your work as is possible! It sounds like a pretty elementary rule, but it's something that took me a while to learn (dare I say much longer than it should have?)


sv_Forage - An original survival map for Left 4 Dead 1


14. SnarkPit: What kind of system do you run?

Spencer: Everyone will laugh at me for this, but I use a laptop. Admittedly, it's a core i7 laptop and has 6gb of ram, but still. Don't laugh at me! I -am- quite fond of two monitors and while it takes a little getting used to, it's nice to have one monitor which you can devote entirely to your level editing program of choice.


=================================================================================/interview

We appreciate Spencer for taking his time to spill the good tips our way, we always appreciate insight from the best of us. Thanks Spencer.

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.