Level Up.pdf

The Dave Arnenson Memorial Mapping Section 223
• Islands promote exploration, and encourage designers to fill in “ in ­
between spaces ” with secrets, additional missions, and objectives.
• Gameplay options are laid out in front of the player like a smorgasbord.
• Vehicle gameplay (like racing and car combat) feels better in wide - open
spaces than in tight alleys.
Sandboxes are tricky things because I have found that no matter what a
player tells you, a world where the player can choose to do anything at
anytime can be intimidating and confusing. Despite the freedom that the
sandbox world promises the player, they should still get some prompting on
what to do next even if they don ’ t want to do it. There ’ s a reason why your
annoying cousin is always calling you in Grand Theft Auto 4.
The Dave Arnenson Memorial Mapping Section
Let ’ s get cracking and get our game design down on paper with a map.
When creating a map, you first must determine a scale. When drawing a
top - down view map on graph paper, the size of the player usually equals
one square. All other elements, such as treasure, mechanics, enemies or
objects, are drawn in relation to the size of the player — much like how you
determine player metrics. Represent these elements as icons on your map.
Create a legend for the icons on your map so readers can determine what
they are looking at. You will want to include:
• Player ’ s starting point
• Enemy starting locations
• Doors, teleporters, gates
• Puzzle mechanics (like levers and switches)
• Treasure chests and power- ups
• Traps, and their areas of effect
• Significant landmarks (like statues, pools, pits, and so on).
I start my level map creation process by roughing out the major locations
where I want big events to happen: a treasure chamber, a battle arena, a
puzzle room, a mechanic that you want the player to learn, a spectacular
view, and so on. Then I start to think about what I can use to connect those
rooms together: hallways, mazes, chasms, or passages. Then I usually
move on to graph paper, which helps me communicate the scale of the
level to the level artist. Often I will draw in elements such as the tombstones,
crypts, mechanics, and enemies.