GDC 2010 - Level Design in a Day Part 5. Production - The Thrilling World of Workflow: Forrest Dowling, Lead Multiplayer Level Designer, Kaos Studios | THQ Inc.
Oct 21, 2014
Please note: There is a ton of good information in the notes sections of these presentations. Please download locally and view in PowerPoint to experience all the juicy details.
In this intense day-long tutorial, attendees will gain deep insights from some of the most experienced level designers in the industry into every aspect of the level design process, from basic navigation and object manipulation tips and tricks to best practices for encounter design and level flow. As the development discipline responsible for crafting the vastly important moment-to-moment player experience, a deep understanding of core level design principles becomes essential for level designers, game designers and design managers alike. Likewise, an intimate familiarity with the level creation process can be a massive advantage to producers, testers or artists in frequent collaboration with level designers. This year’s session will focus on the Unreal Engine, while subsequent years will focus on Source, Quake, and other popular engines.
In this intense day-long tutorial, attendees will gain deep insights from some of the most experienced level designers in the industry into every aspect of the level design process, from basic navigation and object manipulation tips and tricks to best practices for encounter design and level flow. As the development discipline responsible for crafting the vastly important moment-to-moment player experience, a deep understanding of core level design principles becomes essential for level designers, game designers and design managers alike. Likewise, an intimate familiarity with the level creation process can be a massive advantage to producers, testers or artists in frequent collaboration with level designers. This year’s session will focus on the Unreal Engine, while subsequent years will focus on Source, Quake, and other popular engines.
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Transcript
Please Note
There is a ton of useful information in the notes of these presentations.
Please download these presentations and enjoy them in MS PowerPoint locally.
Thanks!
Production
The thrilling world of workflow
When is production?
When you’ve got: A plan/GDD A budget A prototype/VS A timeline Tools Fun!
Level Design
Why Bother?
Who wants red tape? Save time Avoid frustration Control iteration Manage budget Avoid crunch, delays
The Frontlines Pipeline
The Handoff
The phases
Phase 0: it exists Phase 1: it’s got stuff in it Phase 2: even more stuff! Phase 3: The GM says it’s done Not all bad: as a designer, it’s kind
of fun!
Why did it happen?
Our current process
Stages
Contain steps Time boxed Clear deliverables Approvers Responsibilities
What is locked?
The Process
Research & Concept Blockout & test Iteration & Vetting Refinement & Playtesting Optimization, Art content, bug
fixing
A less crazy document
How’s it going?
- Time estimates off + collaboration improved + No cut maps
Key Ingredients
Unambiguous goals Defined stages Established approvers “The courage to be clear” It’s not about feelings
Single player process
Image courtesy of max_westby
Process breakdown
The Swarm
Positives
Focus Team work Coherency Specialization
How do we do it?
Unreal – architected for sharing
Submaps
The tangled web
Map Lead
Produces known-good builds Insures seamless linking between
sections Handles save/load issues
Drawbacks
Loss of mission ownership Technically challenging
Will it work for you?
Does it fit your game? Can your tools support it? Will it work for the developers?
How’s about Fallout 3?
Take it Joel
55 Ayleid Ruins 57 Imperial Forts 24 Mines 09 Sewers 19 Oblivion Realms 91 Caves .255 Dungeons
What Came Before?What Came Before?
Oblivion Oblivion Staff Staff
1 Dungeon Art Lead4 Dungeon Artists3 Level Designers (late)8 Busy Individuals
OblivionOblivionDungeonsDungeons
How do 8 people build How do 8 people build 255 dungeons/levels?255 dungeons/levels?
Build Kits in 3ds Max
Clutter/Light/FX “Warehouse”
Layout & Populate
Ship it!*
*Some exceptions may apply•Major Locations Got More Love
13 Metro Tunnels 12 DC Neighborhoods 26 Office Buildings 06 Vaults 15 Other 8 Caves 68 “Z” Cells .148 LD Locations
What Now?What Now?
Fallout3Fallout3Staff Staff
6 Level Designers (peak)4 Environment Artists
Fallout 3 Fallout 3 SpacesSpaces
Fallout 3 LD WorkflowFallout 3 LD WorkflowIterative Passes, Formal Collaboration
Pass 1: Basic LayoutPass 2: Refine, Populate, ScriptArt Pass: Lighting, Detail ClutterPass 3: Polish for ShipPass 4: Bonus Polish Time
•1-5 Days per pass, depending on Size•Passes Scheduled to match dependency•Shared ownership, one party accountable
In Conclusion
Production is hard Develop a pipeline Communicate concrete goals Stay flexible
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