Rational Level Design
Challenge & Event
Management
Various methods
Games Lab
Lionel Raynaud June 2003
Why ?
- Build your level content with a rational management of the challenge, and forecast your
needs (anims, LD elements, enemies, ect…)
- Controls the main parameters that will bring fun in the challenges (difficulty, variety,
rhythm, stress…)
- Ensure that each thing the player will do is interesting
- Be able to check the content of all the levels in a quick sight
- Let you decide how you will construct the drama of the game, according to the scenario
and game design features (i.e.: a fast paced level would succeed to a more quiet and
exploration-oriented map using specific gameplays…)
- If the level design was well worked out and controlled, the play tests will only lead to minor
changes (fine tuning process) and let the production team focus on details and polishing.
When ?
- ASAP : start from Hi-Concept to think well
the game mechanics, the capacities, the
distinction between challenges which are
FUN or NOT
- FPP: along with the Macro-Chart, latest time
to plan the challenges before producing
elements and Level Design.
Method 1 : Character abilities
There are several ways to ensure that the game challenge is rationally
controlled and well tuned all game long.
The method presented here is an example of level design management
which starts from the abilities defined for the character, and allows a good
control of:
- Difficulty
- Rhythm
- Variety of gameplay
- Others specific factors (stress? Fear? Eureka?…)
Method 1 : Character abilities
Example: Jack and Daxter.
Step 1: The Character Abilities
Step 2: The Level Design Objects
Step 3: The Level Design Brief
Rational Level Design Tool
Step 1: List of the character abilities
•BJ: Basic jump
Jump •DJ: Double jump
•HJ: High jump
•LJ: Long jump
•BC: Basic crouch
Crouch •CC: Crouch and crawl
•RC: Roll
•PA: Punch attack
Attack •JA: Jump attack
•EA: Eco attack
•SA: Spin attack
•JSA: Jump spin attack
•BS: Basic swim
Specific •DS: Dive and swim
gameplay •AG: Zoomer Anti-Grav (ride a speedbike)
Rational Level Design Tool
Step 2: Level Design Objects
This document is a list of the generic objects which correspond to each character abilities. Here is an example with J&D
Jump moves:
Ability required Generic object Difficulty level
•Small gap (< 1m50) 0
Basic Jump •Medium gap (1m50 << 2m50) 1
•Static platform 0
•Slow moving/falling platform 3
•Fast moving/falling platform 4
•Large gap (>2m50) 2
Double Jump •Medium high platform 2
•Far slow moving/falling platform 3
•Far fast moving/falling platform 4
Rational Level Design Tool
Step 2: Level Design Objects
Ability required Generic object Difficulty level
•4m high platform 0
High Jump •4m high moving platform 2
•Far large platform 3
Long Jump •Far small platform 4
•Far moving large platform 4
•Far moving small platform 5
•« Perfect » far platform 5
Every generic objects can also be detailed in libraries adapted to each graphic
environment, so that the level designer knows which element will be easily
available when building his map. Ex: on Sentinel Beach in J&D, a « high
platform » can be a cliff, a temple roof or a huge rock.
Rational Level Design Tool
Step 3: Level Design Brief
Document content:
- Background info: situation of the level in the storyline, graphic
environment, available enemis/monsters, available character powers, special
events (the character must meet a boss, find a weapon, obtain a new
power…)
- Player’s objectives: nature and number of pick-ups,
- Level requirements: Character abilities will be used in the level,
specifying the required difficulty and frequency.
Level designer task:
- Determine the right objects according to the level requirements. All the
creative part of the level design is intact, as he is able to focus on
creating imaginative obstacles responding to the level requirements (a moving
platform can be a car roof, a floating tree, an anti-gravity platform… ).
- As long as the level requirements are respected, the producer knows
at each step that the difficulty is progressive, the variety of gameplay is
well tuned and the rhythm is controlled.
Rational Level Design Tool
Step 3: Level Design Brief example
Level: Sentinel beach
Background: Sand hills, beach, sea, temples, Watermill, Canon
Available monsters: Sand snakes, Crabs, Sand dogs Pick up: 8 batteries, 7 meca-flies, 50 orbs
Level requirements: (this brief is not exhaustive and is only presented here as an example to clarify the method).
Abilities Difficulty Frequency
Basic Jump 1 9
Basic Jump 2 14
Double Jump 2 11
Spin Attack 1 12
Basic Jump + Spin Attack 1+1 4
Punch Attack 2 8
Basic Swim 0 5
Dive 0 5
Cannon 2 5
Variety of gameplay = 9 Global Level difficulty = Rhythm = 73 / minimum
125 (Total of Diff x Freq)/ Total time to finish in secs
Freq)x100
Rational Level Design Tool
Level Design Brief: other example
Level: Geyser Rock (Tutorial)
Background: Rocky land, Rocks, Pond
Available monsters: no monsters, dummies only Pick up: 4 batteries, 7 meca-flies, 50 orbs
Level requirements: the objective is to make the player learn the basic moves
Abilities Difficulty Frequency
Basic Jump 0 5
Basic Jump 1 4
Basic Jump 2 3
Double Jump 0 3
Required
Double Jump 1 3
order
Long Jump 0 2
Long Jump 1 1
High Jump 0 1
Variety of gameplay = 4 Global Level difficulty = 61 Rhythm = 23 / minimum time
(Total of Diff x Freq)/ Total Freq)x100 to finish in secs
Another example of Method 1:
Maximo
RLD [Link]
[follow the link]
Level of detail of the challenge
management
It can go from to « Challenge counting »,
to « input management ».
> Click on the logo to play the videos
Another example of Method 1:
Splinter Cell 1.5
[follow the link]
Method 2 : Player Skills
This method requires you to know which
skill each basic gameplay brick will
sollicitate for the player.
Cunning Precision Balance
Synchro Memory Rhythm
Speed Patience Ect…
Method 2 Player Skills: example
Rayman:
Analising basic brick, the considered skill are:
Cunning – Synchro – Speed – Precision
Method 2 Player Skills:
Rayman example
Then define levels of difficulty for each skill:
Cunning – Synchro – Speed – Precision
C1, C2, C3, C4 – S1, S2, S3, S4
Sp1, Sp2, Sp3, Sp4 – P1, P2, P3, P4
And build combination of basic skill:
Ex: [Sp2/P2], [S4/Sp2/P1], [C2/P2]
Display the wanted
skills and challenge
bricks on a 2D map,
Sp2/P2 or on a time line.
Sp2/P2
Sp2/P2
Sp2/P2
Method 3 : Rough systemic challenge
Useful when you know that all your
gameplay is limited, and be based on a
few simple and strong game mechanics
(good for time to market product).
..\..\benchmarks\PN03\[Link]
[follow the link]
