Level Up.pdf

228 LEVEL 9 Everything I Learned about Level Design, I Learned from Level 9
Some designers don ’ t like backtracking, when a player has to go back to
a part of the level they ’ ve already been to. I don ’ t mind it. I think it ’ s a good
way to get the most out of your level. I like to use backtracking for puzzles.
I always say “ show the player the door first and then let them find the key. ”
Just don ’ t make the player go back and forth too many times. If you need
to make the player go to a location more than twice, do something to it to
make it different: add gameplay like (new) combat or collectibles, change
the topography by having an earthquake change a flat spot into jumpable
hills. A nice natural (or unnatural) disaster can work wonders.
Conversely, you should design alternate ways for your player to get around
your level and game world. These are unlocked as the player exposes more
of the world. Anything is preferable to having to plod through the same
terrain over and over again. Give the player a car or a horse to get through
those slow spots, let them ride a train or get a lift in a zeppelin, or, if your
fiction supports it, there ’ s always the ever- popular teleporter.
Just be aware that traveling in vehicles can really chew up the real estate.
You ’ ll want to build that space into your levels. But it ’ s a double - edged
sword. Don ’ t make the experience last too long, especially if it ’ s something
you will be doing often. Just remember the very important thing when it
comes to traveling through levels:
IF IT EVER FEELS LONG OR BORING,
THEN IT IS
Avoid boring levels! But how? Variety is one way.
Fingers are another way of making a world feel
deeper and fuller without having to build lots of
complex geometry and multiple paths that the
player may never take. Picture a linear path.
Not too exciting, huh? You can place all type of
hazards and enemies along the way to make
things challenging for the player, but it ’ s just going
to feel like a straight path even if you crinkle it up
and bend it around.
However, if you start to add fingers off of your
path, little dead ends for the player to explore and
go down, it makes the player feel like they are
exploring the level and not just promenading down
it. It expands the life of your level and you can
promote the player exploring it. Let ’ s take a look at
our level now that we ’ ve added a few fingers off of
the main path: