PDP Week 1

Now my personal development has started, I need to begin researching level design tips before I even start planning out how my Unreal 4 level will look like. I need to know what elements I want to include in my demo and what I shouldn't include, but I also need to find out a lot of different elements anyway regardless if I end up using it in my level, simply because it's good to be aware of a variety of skills and techniques. In my research folder I researched different professionals in the industry, but now it boils down to what made them successful. Likewise I compared and showed my current skillset in my self-evaluation form, and I have knowledge of the areas I need to improve on (knowledge of level designing and also just getting practise).

As talked about by (Dan Taylor, 2013), there are various tips and piece of advice to keep in mind when creating a stage. Firstly, a level must have a cohesive feel to it. Everything must flow naturally and it's better to ensure that everything you place in a stage has a purpose. Sometimes less is more, and it's a good idea to not overwhelm the player with too much content to absorb at once in any given moment while playing the game. Likewise the game can have really great graphics and impressive scenery, but if the level design's a mess then nobody will be interested in playing the game, as it simply wouldn't be enjoyable. Because I'll be using Unreal Engine 4 I should take note that the graphical capabilities of the engine will be of a lower priority, however the game still should look to a good standard and not too tacky. It's a fine balance between looks and functionality that I'll have to handle. 

Also as researched by (Masters, 2014b), it follows on from the 'doing and not telling' theory, where you should subtly navigate the player through your level with subtle things that entice them along (like a spooky doorway or large staircase). And also the things you encounter should be varied and different as you progress, so the player isn't just stuck looking at the same old scenery for the entire length of the game, it also gives them something to look forward too, as they wonder what they will see net. Likewise I should reward the player while exploring, however I fear that may be challenging to do inside the limitations of my game (which will just be the UE4 3rd person template as a base, and I'll be programming a small amount myself, like jump pads which launch the player into the air upon collision!)

These are concepts I must keep in mind the entire time I make the level, especially at the start as I begin planning the layout. The stage doesn't have to be enormous, as long as it's designed to a professional standard and incorporates some of my researched concepts inside it. Likewise it needs to be fun to explore, so I will try to have different places for the player to wander about and discover, but while also letting them discover these things naturally- without forcing tutorials onto them as I previously researched. However I don't want the player to ever get too stuck and frustrated in the game, so to remedy this I'll design stages confidently that weight up the player's ability. So for example, if the player has only learned how jump-pads work, a puzzle I later create will be a puzzle that's only accessible by a jump-pad to even start. This way I can be confident when designing my level that the player will never be too far out of their comfort zone!

I also planned the stage digitally (as I'm much better using software artistically over traditionally drawing by hand), it will be a large floating plaza area and the player starts in the centre, with them having the ability to explore from there. The draft is from a bird's eye view perspective looking down on the map, and is very-much subject to change as the development of the level progresses and I come up with new creative ideas throughout the creation of my personal development plan.

A variety of things to do, as the player can wander about and explore the HUB world!

References:

Dan Taylor, 2013. Gamasutra: Dan Taylor’s Blog [WWW Document]. Ten Princ. Good Level Des. Part 1. URL http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanTaylor/20130929/196791/Ten_Principles_of_Good_Level_Design_Part_1.php (accessed 1.27.16).

Masters, M., 2014b. Game Level Design Tips | How to Keep Players Engaged [WWW Document]. Digit.-Tutors Blog. URL http://blog.digitaltutors.com/keeping-players-engaged-tips-great-game-level-design/ (accessed 1.22.16).