Question 1 said:
What was the first video game you ever played? When?
I can't remember exactly. It was either Dig Dug or Super Mario Bros. on the NES. This would have been around 1988.
Question 2 said:
What was the first game you designed levels for? When?
Half-Life. 2000-ish. If you want to get technical, I'd say Tony Hawk in the very late 90s and early 2000.
Question 3 said:
What influenced your decision to create game levels?
I went to a gaming cafe, so to speak, where some friends and I played Counter-Strike (mostly) for a few hours. It was one of these times that one of the people who came along spoke about a custom map they made for Half-Life Deathmatch. From then on I had been interested in custom level design and the likes.
Question 4 said:
Is this a career or a hobby?
It's a hobby ... for now.
Question 5 said:
What is your view concerning the effect of gaming on today%u2019s youth? Do games promote violence?
I feel that, like any other media source, games do have a very predominant effect on all people who play them, not just "youths". However, whether that effect is "good" or "bad" is difficult to say, since it depends on the person. A generalization doesn't particularly apply. It's like saying "TV is bad" or "the Internet is wrong", it doesn't make much sense as a stand alone statement.
Specifically speaking about violence: while there is violent content in games it isn't necessarily targeted towards younger audiences. It can, of course, give anyone playing the game ideas on how to do anything the content covers, but if the player is impressionable, in whatever manner, of course, like any other medium they're interested in, it will rub off in some form. Speaking specifically about younger players, if they're playing a game that is rated M and they're 9, for instance, it is a moot point to say, "violent games are bad for children and should have harder restrictions", because, the game was never meant for a 9-year-old. In that situation, specifically, the parent would be to blame for purchasing the game for their child. Regardless, if anyone is impressionable enough to do something hazardous or dangerous based on a television show, movie, video game, comic book, or even a novel probably has some deeper issues that are not the game designers responsibility. Parent's raise kids, video games don't.
Question 6 said:
How many levels have you created? Your favorite?
Officially, zero. But, I've started many and axed them. My favorites have been ones for DoD. I had this one that would have been absolutely fantastic if I had finished it. It had a lot of sneaking and sabotaging involved as well as multiple paths. I had a working Forrest in the level too which was looking pretty sweet. Everything got deleted a long time ago, however, and now, it'd be very easy to make something far superior. For the time, I really liked it and I thought I did some things well, but it just wouldn't stand up today, so I've never given it a go again.
Question 7 said:
What games have you designed levels for? Which did you enjoy the most?
Pretty much, just the games under the valve catalog, they all have similar development. I've messed in Unreal Ed, Chrome Ed, Sand Box, and Radiant (Doom 3, CoD, CoD2) a few times, but have never produced anything.
For it's easy of use, and my love for the game, I'd say Day of Defeat.
Question 8 said:
What gave you the most difficulty in learning how to design levels?
Visual calculations. There's a lot of mis-information out there on leaves and how they work (not so much any more). I really gave up mapping in 2000 after failing miserably and didn't pick it back up until 2003 (when I joined here) because of the mis-information everywhere. I would produce things that were just laggy and didn't work at all.
I have a far better understanding now, of course.
I think some of the harder things in level design, from an abstract view point, are the flow of the map and overall design. It's really an art if you're able to make something like Dod's Avalanche, or even CS's dust, because you're making this fantastic looking place, that, for all intensive purposes, looks 'realistic' and has great connectivity and defined flow of gameplay and enough paths to keep both sides guessing where an enemy will come from. It's a really hard thing to find done well and those maps have done it very well.
Question 9 said:
What resources did you use to teach yourself how to map?
Mostly this site. I had a lot of mis-information before I came here. After I looked through a lot of the tutorials, though, it was not a big deal.
But, for the most part: internet sites with the primary focus on mapping.
Question 10 said:
What are the most obvious changes noticed since you began?
This question is a little ambiguous. Can I assume since you're asking me you're asking about changes in myself?
I've noticed not much has changed because of this. I've always been able to pick things like this up fairly quickly.
Question 11 said:
What skills would you say are required to pursue this field?
Patients: getting something just the way you want can take days, hours, or even months or years (professionally, you don't have that kind of time and someone else will come in and take over). So being able to stick with it is an absolute skill.
Dedication: this flows from the last one. If you're not dedicated, your level will fall into non-existance.
Technical Understanding: This isn't to say "computer smarts" or "engineering intuition" or something like that. Just the ability to find out what you need to know. I've seen it plenty of times, but there are just people who can't take a general case and apply it to all possibilities like a formula. It amazes and boggles me, but I see it all the time.
It's like going into a algebra course and giving people a problem like x + 5 = 10 and they can solve it, but will fall flat solving x - 5 = 7. It just doesn't make sense, if you know the method to complete something, you should be able to apply it generally in similar/simple situations.
This one is probably the most important one for level design, and any thing you ever do with your entire life: the ability to communicate well. If you can't talk to people properly, then all hope is lost. You will get no help and people, in general, will not put up with you. Being able to explain yourself well and understand (as best you can) what other people say to you is absolutely necessary.
Blame it on Microsoft, God does.
