Term
| What is the first step in the design process? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| A vague sketch of the level and the most important things contained within. |
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Term
| Who creates the abstract? |
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Definition
| Sometimes the level designer, othertimes the game designer. |
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Term
| what is the abstract -=physically=-? |
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Definition
| Handful of notes, sketches and diagrams, or a text document. |
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Term
| What is key to making an abstract? |
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Definition
| Creating a document that contains information needed by you and your team. |
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Term
| What 8 elements do you want to include in an abstract? |
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Definition
1. Player Character
2. Objectives
3. Difficulty
4. Location
5. Environment
6. Enemies
7. Gameplay Elements
8. Position |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Player Character |
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Definition
| Who the player will be, and what will he be at the start of the map. |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Objectives |
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Definition
| What does the player need to do? |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Difficulty |
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Definition
| Where does this level fall in the overall gameplay difficulty graph? |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Location |
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Definition
| Where in the universe is the level? |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Environment |
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Definition
| What's the weather, time of day, geographical/architectural style? |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Enemies |
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Definition
| What characters will be pitted against the player, if any. |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Gameplay Elements |
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Definition
| Broadly, what sort of gameplay does this level feature? Stealth, action, driving... |
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Term
| ELEMENT OF ABSTRACT: Position |
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Definition
| What levels come before and after this level? |
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Term
| What prepares you for the design process? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Ways to interact in a game |
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Term
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Definition
| Freedom (EX. NASCAR games have no reason to allow the player freedom, or agency, to move off the track and into the streets.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Giving the player tools and toys in the level and letting he/she work out what to do with them. |
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Term
| what is the trick in balancing freedom? |
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Definition
| Not letting the players get so free they forget what they were doing, become lost, or become bored because of lack of goal/purpose. |
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Term
| The Six Different Flow Models Are: |
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Definition
1. Linear
2. Bottlenecking
3. Branching
4. Hub and Spoke
5. Open
6. Dynamic |
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Term
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Definition
| The player starts in one end and finishes in the other. The shortest distance between A and B. Final Fantasy XIII. |
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Term
| What is the bread and butter of many action games? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Progresses like a linear map, but splits at various points, allowing the player to choose which way to go. All the splits move the player to the same ending position. |
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Term
| A pitfall of bottleneck flow |
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Definition
| is when the player isn't sure which way to go and ends up backtracking. |
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Term
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Definition
| Levels split several times during the player's progression, each split leading to a different end of the level. |
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Term
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Definition
| The end of the level is based on the player performing certain tasks, earning a number of points, or simply finding a way of using things in the level. Sandbox games fit here. |
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Term
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Definition
| The hub has man levels branching off from it like spokes. |
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Term
| What is usually found at a hub? |
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Definition
| Item shop, save point, training areas, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
| The engines creates a level "as needed" from pre-created, snap-together sections. |
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Term
| What form of level flow is becoming more popular as technology advances? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is practically unavoidable with dynamic level flow? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| The story told by players as they progress through a map/track/level. |
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Term
| what term is used by french developers? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Elements of your level afforded by the designer's vision |
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Term
| How is Level Design like making a good soup? |
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Definition
| Can't just mix and heat. You have to add flavors that enhance each other, work well together, and come out greater than they were alone. |
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Term
| What 10 things must one consider when designing ingredients? |
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Definition
1. Purpose
2. Goal
3. Visual Description
4. Special Animations
5. Availability/Occurrence
6. Placement considerations
7. Attributes
8. Special Properties
9. Items Used/Carried
10. Notes |
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Term
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Definition
| Is this entity a character, a weapon, a puzzle piece? |
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Term
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Definition
| Why does this ingredient exist? |
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Visual Description |
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Definition
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Special Animation |
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Definition
| Does it require an animation not created yet? |
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Availability/Occurrence |
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Definition
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Placement Considerations |
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Definition
| Where in the level should it go? |
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Term
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Definition
| Does it have health/armor/luck, etc. How much? |
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Special Properties |
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Definition
| Does it have an attribute nothing else has? |
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Term
| INGREDIENT: Items used/carried |
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Definition
| Does it carry a weapon/note/$$? |
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Term
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Definition
| Explain whatever doesn't fit into other categories |
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Term
| What must you do if planning to use a physics based encounter? |
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Definition
| You must plan carefully how to control the situation and control the outcome enough so that the experience remains a positive one. |
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Term
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Definition
| A point where progression of a player through a level is interrupted and they interact with the game in a meaningful way. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Physical Reaction
2. Coordination
3. Timing
4. Memory
5. Deduction |
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Term
| Physical Reaction encounter: |
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Definition
| How fast can the players move their avatar and react on screen? |
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Term
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Definition
| How quickly can they press combinations of inputs to survive? |
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Term
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Definition
| How quickly can they respond to an on-screen prompt (Like DDR or Rock Band) |
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Term
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Definition
| How much info can a player store and recall when needed? (Sam and Max/Simon) |
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Term
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Definition
| Using tools and abilities, how quickly can the player solve a problem? |
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Term
| The player is in routine activity when... |
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Definition
| Not inside of an encounter. |
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Term
| The trick to encounters is: |
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Definition
| Balancing the fun and intensity of encounters with the exploration and recuperation in between. |
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Term
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Definition
| Knowledge that the player already knows at that point in the game |
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Term
| What are 4 ways to create tension? |
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Definition
1. Lighting
2. Sound
3. Paradigm Shifts
4. Foreshadowing |
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Term
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Definition
| Providing vague or suggestive information of a future event. |
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Term
| What is key to a dramatic level? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is a Paradigm Shift? |
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Definition
| An extreme shift in the conditions or rhythm of the level |
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Term
| What 7 ways can music/sound enhance tension? |
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Definition
1. Enhance an encounter
2. Provide contrast to a visual element
3. Warn of impending event
4. Become associated with a particular character or event
5. generate motion.
6. Help turn a visually dull space into a richer environment
7. Make mundane actions more exciting |
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Term
| what is often considered secondary by players? |
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Definition
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Term
| Interactivity in a level should lead to choices about... |
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Definition
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Term
| Most common rewards nowadays are.. |
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Definition
| Secondary, optional rewards the player can collect for fun |
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Term
| What is cool about rewards, even if they are meaningless? |
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Definition
| The act of collecting the, is pleasurable |
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Term
| What is a common responsibility for LDs? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Very simple programs written in a language that interacts with the engine |
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Term
| What is a large part of making dynamic, challenging gameplay? |
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Definition
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Term
| Most games use this to make an environment more real and to enhance it... |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Number of states the AI can be in at any one time. (Asleep, Normal, Alert, Angry, Scared)... |
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Term
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Definition
1. Decisions
2. Input
3. Output |
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Term
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Definition
1. Sight
2. Sound
3. Invisible Input |
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Term
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Definition
| Information about events communicated to an AI beyond its "natural" ability to detect them. |
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Term
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Definition
| Critical for a great playing experience |
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Term
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Definition
| Information given to the player to make it aware of the AI's state of being |
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Term
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Definition
1. Animation
2. Symbols
3. game Messages |
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Term
| Four key rules for Pathing and Patrols: |
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Definition
1. Always overestimate the room needed for NPC movement
2. Don't use too many nodes
3. Avoid patrols crossing each other
4. Random Movement is good! |
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Term
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Definition
| Group of elements so unified that it can't be described as just a sum of all its parts |
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Term
| A game level needs to be... |
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Definition
| Something greater than the props, textures, gameplay. and lighting within (Gestalt) |
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