Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

More documents

Recommendations

Info

FIGURE 2-1 Global grid settings C H A P T E R 2 the intended effect—Stonehenge being crushed by a dwarf. Figure 2-1 demonstrates the settings for a world or global grid scale. This setting means that every piece of geometry snaps to every 16 units on the grid. Figure 2-2 shows an example of the top view for your grid in an editor. Also, keep in mind that character actions and interactions are grid-related. Characters can usually jump a certain number of units. They can reach a certain number of units. They can grab onto a ladder at a certain number of units from the ground. They can step up a certain number of units. The grid is always game-aware, so we have to FIGURE 2-2 Top view of grid 29 Level Planning and Building
Building Game Worlds 30 U L T I M A T E G A M E D E S I G N build our environmental support for gameplay with constant reference to the grid system we have chosen. Developers should agree and lock down grid information early on. Otherwise, massive amounts of level reworking, which no one can afford, may be the result. It’s important to remember that your design document should detail every action/object interaction. Your action/object interactions will become part of your grid system guidelines. Most importantly, perhaps, the prefabricated pieces that form our level construction sets must be built according to the accepted grid system. Avoiding Common Level Mistakes Many types of maps and levels are built these days, including: � Single player (player versus computer) � Co-operative (two or more players in collaboration) � Deathmatch (player versus player) � Variations on capture the flag (player versus player or team versus team) Each of these level types has several design nuances, many of which are still being explored. Before we begin to build out a level, let’s take a quick look at some common mistakes that are made when building levels. These are generalizations only, and may not be a mistake in every case. � Hasty dead ends Dead ends that suddenly and/or inconceivably “halt” the flow of the level. � Awkward room flow Room-to-room transition that just doesn’t work. Don’t make your whole level a series of hospital rooms next to each other with a hallway down the center. Going endlessly in and out of cramped spaces is no fun. Plan your space-to-space transition carefully. Be mindful of it. Make sure that you provide variety for your player. Help guide the player through small to large spaces, small to medium spaces, medium to large spaces, and so forth. Offer up many kinds of space transition in your levels. � Using every enemy or power-up at once Just because you can use everything at once doesn’t mean that you should. Generally, you want to pace the use of your enemies. Use enemies dramatically. Allow for anticipation to build. It’s not exciting if your player sees every enemy available up front. Having as many enemies as possible onscreen at once is not the point. Using enemies to build fear in a player, for instance, and create interesting play scenarios is closer to the point.
Page 3 and 4: A BOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Meigs is a ga
Page 5 and 6: Brandon A. Nordin Scott Rogers Wend
Page 7 and 8: This page intentionally left blank
Page 9 and 10: This page intentionally left blank
Page 11 and 12: Building Game Worlds x U L T I M A
Page 13 and 14: Building Game Worlds xii U L T I M
Page 15 and 16: Building Game Worlds xiv U L T I M
Page 17 and 18: Building Game Worlds xvi U L T I M
Page 19 and 20: Building Game Worlds xviii U L T I
Page 21 and 22: Building Game Worlds xx U L T I M A
Page 23 and 24: 2 THE game design process begins by
Page 25 and 26: Building Game Worlds 4 U L T I M A
Page 45 and 46: 24 AFTER you’ve completed your pr
Page 49: Building Game Worlds 28 U L T I M A
Page 75 and 76: 54 FOR a game to be competitive the
Page 101 and 102:
Building Game Worlds 80 U L T I M A
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
86 YOU now understand the developme
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Building Game Worlds 100 U L T I M
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
This page intentionally left blank
Page 129 and 130:
108 UP to this point, we’ve cover
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
130 Building Game Worlds 130 U L T
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
136 SCRIPTING in games gives develo
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
166 ONCE your game environment has
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Building Game Worlds 174 174 U L T
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
188 A whole new avenue for games ha
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
216 ANOTHER new content horizon for
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
238 THERE is a wide and growing ran
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277 and 278:
Page 279 and 280:
Page 281 and 282:
Page 283 and 284:
Page 285 and 286:
Page 287 and 288:
266 AT some point in your skills gr
Page 289 and 290:
Page 291 and 292:
Page 293 and 294:
Page 295 and 296:
274 Building Game Worlds U L T I M
Page 297 and 298:
Page 299 and 300:
Building Game Worlds 278 FIGURE 11-
Page 301 and 302:
Page 303 and 304:
Page 305 and 306:
Page 307 and 308:
286 THIS appendix includes useful r
Page 309 and 310:
Page 311 and 312:
Page 313 and 314:
Page 315 and 316:
Page 317 and 318:
296 MANY types of software tools we
Page 319 and 320:
Page 321 and 322:
Page 323 and 324:
Page 325 and 326:
304 TO assist you to further define
Page 327 and 328:
Page 329 and 330:
Page 331 and 332:
310 I’VE gathered together a few
Page 333 and 334:
Page 335 and 336:
Page 337 and 338:
Page 339 and 340:
Page 341 and 342:
Page 343 and 344:
322 AS a point of reference and as
Page 345 and 346:
Page 347 and 348:
Page 349 and 350:
Page 351 and 352:
Page 353 and 354:
Page 355 and 356:
Page 357 and 358:
Building Game Worlds 336 Baseball s
Page 359 and 360:
Building Game Worlds 338 support so
Page 361 and 362:
Building Game Worlds 340 Geometry a
Page 363 and 364:
Page 365 and 366:
Page 367 and 368:
Building Game Worlds 346 crowd, 146
show all

Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?