Assignment 4 - Conclusion

Alternate Title - Paper Based Level Design Post Mortem.

Well... Thursday has come and gone, and the level design drawn up for class has been handed in. Until I can regain access to the work and find a way to get a picture of it uploaded, I'm afraid I won't be able to show the final piece.

And looking back on the progress I have made over the last fortnight, I have thoroughly enjoyed creating my level whilst simultaneously conquering a deep rooted fear - as stated in an earlier blog entry, I started the assignment with a lack of confidence and an uncertainty that I would be able to make a functioning level. It is a lesson learnt that I need to start applying my approach to research more broadly than I have done in the past, for research proved invaluable in my efforts after deciding that I wanted my level to present multiple paths a player can take. I interpreted the moveset we were instructed to work by as a basis for creating something that emphasised momentum, and thus I wanted to make my platforming level revolve primarily around reaching the end as quickly as possible.

This initially created frustration and the serious consideration of dropping the idea until I came to the decision that whilst player paths can deviate, they also need to come back together towards the end. And it was through this that I managed to break through the problems I felt existed in the earlier iterations of my design, and create a level that I was satisfied with. And I was pleased with how well my design translated onto the larger graph paper and how I was able to adhere to the rules that the tutor set for us without having to change too much.

Before I continue, I shall include the feedback I received from Aaron, who playtested my level.

"The map is very well designed, very well calculated whilst adhering the rules. The player is offered a number of paths which is good as the player has a number of choices, this creates a feel of more involvement in the game. Although the player is presented with multiple paths, each path still has obstacles which the player must over come.

The only way I would say the design could be improved would be to label if the keys corresond to certain doors or does any key open any door. Finally, how far is the player able to drop before dying and how often do the platforms move."

I'm naturally happy with the positive aspects of the feedback, and I also accept that I could have done more to explain about the areas mentioned in the /criticism/.  

Personal opinion falls into the question about death from falling... and I feel that it honestly depends on the realism that a game would be approaching. I was working from a cartoon angle, and thus I never considered fall damage to be something to think about - fall damage in a platformer is much better suited to a slower paced game... for example, Dead Light. A bad example of fall damage in a fast paced platformer would be Bubsy, as noted by the esteemed JonTron. The other aspects of the game I neglected to consider simply because I thought it would be more something that would be playtested in a test build, and changed as appropriate.

So in conclusion, I honestly feel like I've done a lot better than I felt I was going to when the assignment started, and I have the itch to someday try and test the level in a game engine. I followed the rules successfully and I feel like if there was any way to improve on the work I've done, it would be to make the objective and use of items in the level clearer. I enjoyed the assignment and it has succeeded in making me want to explore this further in my own time. Design a level for a Source based game, for example.