Level Design/Art Survey

Hourences

I have launched a survey section on my website which will focus on game development and mod communities. The first survey is now up and covers Level Design. Feel free to go through it!

# For both gamers and level designers/artists, and for amateurs and professionals.
# Please note that the term "level designer" is used broadly. "Level designer", in this survey, is defined as someone who designs and creates large parts of a virtual world. This can include the visuals or the gameplay, or both.
# The results are for personal use only. This survey is a personal initiative because I would really like to know how gamers, modders, and professionals perceive Level Design.
# The results will be announced mid september. I will post them here as soon as they are released!

Level Design Survey



In other news, I have also released the second edition of the book The Hows and Whys of Level Design. More information can be found on my website as well - www.Hourences.com


Thanks a lot!

Kawe

I'll give the books a go. They were pretty cheap actually and I've really liked what you put on your site so ya.. Gonna do the survey too.

kat

Some interesting questions

"What engine/toolset do you prefer to work with when creating levels?"
This question seems a bit at odds with one of the answer - using 3D packages - when the other options are game engines. Make it multi-choice perhaps? Or maybe add engine *editor* choices specifically?

"Do you feel that the profession of a level designer is being threatened by the increasing trend of splitting the profession into many smaller jobs?"
Add a comments field for this one? Would be interesting to see what opinions come through on that.

Interesting survey

adam

Thanks for contributing to the forums!

bounchfx

neat, but disappointing that you could not be a level designer AND a gamer.

oh what the world we be like if there were hybrids..

MoP

There were some questions which seem a bit biased or misinformed. Such as "do modern engines make level design easier or harder?" ... well, they have no effect on that, because you can still make a really simple level using modern tools.

I think it's more appropriate to say that "more complex game designs" and "the high expectations of modern FPS gamers" make level design harder, it's not really anything to do with the engine unless it has REALLY crappy tools, which most decent FPS engines (which is what this survey seems targeted at) don't anymore.

Gone are the days of a Q2/Q3/UT level designer making absolutely everything in their level and taking ownership over the whole thing. In a modern FPS there is just too much content to create for any one person to do it, and if any one person does try to do that, they will probably spend the best part of a year finishing a level if they're doing the BSP/layout, static models, textures, lighting, effects and scripting all by themselves.

Hourences

Thanks everyone:)

If you are a level designer, you are also a gamer, hopefully...
That question determines the next question. If you pick the gamer option the survey ends, if you pick the level designer option you get some more specific questions.

"What engine/toolset do you prefer to work with when creating levels?"
This question seems a bit at odds with one of the answer - using 3D packages - when the other options are game engines. Make it multi-choice perhaps? Or maybe add engine *editor* choices specifically?

Yeah I could have clarified this a bit more. What I actually meant with "3D Package" was those people who design and create entire levels in just a 3D package. So I wasn't meaning using a 3D package in conjunction with an editor, but using nothing BUT a 3D Package for the whole level. Let me see if I can edit that question.

I think it's more appropriate to say that "more complex game designs" make level design harder, it's not really anything to do with the engine unless it has REALLY crappy tools, which most decent FPS engines (which is what this survey seems targeted at) don't anymore

Assuming you want to create a modern looking level (not a cube), it does raise the complexity a little. It takes far more time and skill to make a level with today's technology then it took ten years ago, and I especially mean that art wise. Yes the tools got better, yes there is more support available, but it still takes a lot more time and skill to set everything up nowadays. Ten years ago a level could be made in just a week time, that is more difficult nowadays. That's what I mean. But I will clarify that question as well.

MoP

Well, what I mean is, if I wanted to create a level in Quake4 or Crysis that looked and played like Q3DM17, the time difference to create that for Crysis and Quake3 is not different at all. Just in Q3 you'd use Radiant, in Crysis you'd use Max. Assuming textures and geometry are the same, the time difference is insignificant. I don't have to use normal-maps, vehicles and physics objects even if I'm building a level in Crysis.

Which is what I mean by "gamers expectations being higher" these days. It's not really anything to do with the engine, the tools, or the game design - it's just that these days people want more detailed geometry with higher-res textures, and that's mostly where the extra time goes.

A pure FFA deathmatch level requires little or no custom scripting for most games which are moddable. Of course if you want to create a huge complex map which has moving vehicles, multiple objectives and all sorts of fancy gameplay elements which the modern gamer has come to expect, then of course it will take longer to make. It would have taken longer back in the old days too, if it had even been possible.

The increased complexity expected by the gamer is what increases the level creation time, not anything else really. You can still create ultra-simple maps in very quick time, and they might be awesome for gameplay, but hardly anybody will play them because they look "last-gen".

Kovac

Filled it out as well. Congrats on releasing the second edition of your book, would you mind sharing what's new in it? I own your first edition and enjoyed the good/bad comparisons though some were rather obvious (always good as a refresher though).

Hourences

MoP wrote: »

Well, what I mean is, if I wanted to create a level in Quake4 or Crysis that looked and played like Q3DM17, the time difference to....

That is certainly true, I won't disagree on that, but for the sake of the survey I had to keep the questions pretty simple. It is also very difficult to cover absolutely everything, and every exception and possibility, with just one single little question. But I am trying:)


Kovac thanks

# An all new introduction chapter covering the history and future of level design, and common problems in the profession of a level designer
# New In-depth sections covering composition and floorplans.
# A few dozen small additions on a wide range of subjects such as pacing in singleplayer gameplay, checkpoints, and so on.
# Dozens of all new or updated example screenshots.
# The level Krodan added as a third example level.
# An all new layout and much improved visual style.
# The book is now printed on A4 paper size.
# All the text throughout the entire book was touched up and improved significantly, and certain parts were clarified.

Kawe

I'm reading the book now and about halfway in. It is pretty good. Could use some more corrections (compliment != complement) as well as some of those fancy "info boxes" that people like to use. The reason I want the info boxes is that many important tips/hints are shrouded in that huge amount of text so you'd have to read everything from start to finish to get them all. I personally don't think this is or should be a book where you have to read everything.

And well.. it is starting to get interesting now. The whole bit about composition was really nice.

The survey was fun cause I didn't realize I started playing with map editors like back in WC2 and C&C:RA. I bet I did something with those fun console games where you could build your own puzzles too. Heh.

EDIT: Also there's a lot of "bad" examples but I'd like to see some more good ones

killingpeople

Hourences:
I'm interested to see your answers to your survey when you release the results mid-September, or whenever you get around to it.

Hourences

Bump, the results are up!

http://www.hourences.com/book/surveyresults.htm

There were around a 1000 participants in this survey, of those, 58 percent were level designers or artists. The remaining 42 percent were gamers and developers involved in other aspects of development. Of the 58 percent, 27 percent were professional level designers (152 professionals).

Kovac

Thanks again Hourences, there's definitely a good deal of useful information to digest in here!

MoP

Awesome, thanks for posting the results, that's very interesting stuff and hopefully will help people make more levels where you don't get stuck on tiny geometry sticking out

Saidin311

Great read! And yes, after playing Badwater basin I'm sticking to my guns about getting stuck on geometry being the most frustrating thing evar.

(one small error, you say at the end of paragraph 1 in the Professional Level Designer; "...at not least for level designers." I think that should read "...at least not...")

kat

Interesting reading the results. For me personally, I found it mainly confirmed thoughts and ideas I already had in my head about 'level design' as both a process and a job. Thanks for doing it.

Tumerboy

sweet, I always wonder what happens to these things!