Level Up.pdf

198 LEVEL 9 Everything I Learned about Level Design, I Learned from Level 9
A possible explanation for level having four definitions in the video game
industry is that video game developers have extremely limited vocabularies.
Another reason for the multiple definitions is that developers have used the
term “ level ” in different contexts for so long that it ’ s too late to get everyone
to agree to call it something else like a fl oobit or a placenheimer. So level
it is. But why level? Most ancient game designers believe that the term
came from Dungeons and Dragons, when players would travel down many
dungeon levels (like floors of a building) to reach the dragon. (Hence the
title of the game.) Why no one thought to call it “ fl oors ” is beyond me.
In fact, to complicate things further, there are many times a level isn ’ t even
called a level. I ’ ve played games with rounds, waves, stages, acts, chapters,
maps, and worlds in place of where I would use the term level, but even
these have their specific definitions. Let’s review:
Rounds can be found in games where you play the same action, if not
similar gameplay, over and over again. It can be used for sports games like
a round of golf or boxing where the activity is the same, or there can be
variation in the gameplay like rounds of Peggle or Diner Dash.
Waves usually refers to combat, as in “ wave after wave of enemies
assaulted the stalwart heroes! ” Pretty exciting stuff, but you are still doing
the same thing — beating 2 the crap out of bad guys. Whole games can be
2
And by beating, I mean punching, stabbing, shooting, karate - chopping, decapitating,
rocketing, and exploding.