Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

Using Props
You can do very cool things with each of the three kinds of props. You can use them
together in a multitude of combinations. Here are just a few of the ways to use props:
� Litter a scene For many scenes, such as parking lots, interiors, and sea
floors, to make them look right, you have to litter them with props.
� Target practice Some folks enjoy breaking things as a hobby. For them,
target practice on damageable props is just what the doctor ordered. There
is often little payoff (you might spawn something), but it does help players
learn to use their weapons—especially if the prop is moving.
� Destroy and reveal Use damageable props to expose hidden treasure troves
or secret passageways to the player, or to create a shortcut through the map
or a hiding point.
� Invoke a script action The destruction of a prop might launch an attack by
the player’s enemies or cause any number of other kinds of fallout results.
� Facilitate a puzzle Props can become part of light puzzle-solving to reach
higher spaces (moving a ladder prop), or become counter balances (moving
a counterweight prop on a see-saw item), or trip switches (a valve prop), or
block enemy invaders (destroy something to seal off room entry blocking out
invaders).
� Serve as environmental markers (landmarks) Props can take the form of
imposing statuary, a fountain of molten lava, or any utterly unique level feature
that reveals location information to the player. These props help the player
realize where they are in the level context.
� Supply humor or emotional elements Props can be used for humor, as cool
gimmicks, to evoke emotional reaction, and to help settle or unsettle the player.
Placing Props
C H A P T E R 4
Within defined technical restraints, you can place a large number of props in a scene
these days. How you place them depends on their use and function. As you can imagine,
plenty of change and iteration go on with prop placement in most cases. You can
experiment with placement when you’re littering a scene. Always keep character and
enemy traversal in mind. Actors have to be able to navigate freely. You can use props
to guide a player through a level, too, by creating pathways with them.
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Actors, Props, Items, and Camera Details