Task 16: Elements of game design, part seven: Level Design??

Okay basically I came across this task before but I understand it more this is because of this year’s group project. When myself/team built the level and placed placeholders in the scene it made our level look less spacious and more realistic as you would expect a place to have certain things in the level with out anything in the level it wouldn’t make sense or seem real. Level design is important as anything for me its like one of the main parts for a game. Seriously could you imagine a game without any level design?

Level design interacts the player to explore within the level that’s is built and plus level design could create meaning or even a story or theme. Like for example if I built a level with blood stains on the wall etc. you instantly would start to think is this a horror genre game or serial killer etc. basically it brings thoughts to your head and plays with your mind. Where as placeholders are important as the level itself I personally think that placeholders complete the level design.

Level design isn’t as simple as showing a concept of the place as you would have to think how you want the player to interact with the level. Plus you will have to test the lighting and where you would want the shadow to cast on. This brings realism within the game and plus could you imagine a game without any lights.

Level design is not something that could easily be defined in a sentence. Its more complex than that, its more of the process in making the game environment where then the player interacts with the game universe.

See I personally think that level design is artistic and it holds technical process I could be wrong or right but it is what I personally think. Creating a level is being a game designer it is pretty much the finishing touch for a completed game. Level design is important as the game itself I have learnt this from my second year group project as we showed our theme through the level design itself.

Here is a quick site that talks about the progression of level Design.

http://www.johnsto.co.uk/design/level_design

This is a brilliant site that goes through the progress of level design from the games like sonic, Mario 1980’s etc to the 2000’s. It mentions how it developed and improved it has definitely made me understand the importance of a level design. See like in the 2000’s there is definitely more interactivity within the game universe than 1980’s.