2nd Edition

Architectural Approach to Level Design Second edition

By Christopher W. Totten Copyright 2019
    625 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    625 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    Written by a game developer and professor trained in architecture, An Architectural Approach to Level Design is one of the first books to integrate architectural and spatial design theory with the field of level design. It explores the principles of level design through the context and history of architecture.

    Now in its second edition, An Architectural Approach to Level Design presents architectural techniques and theories for you to use in your own work. The author connects architecture and level design in different ways that address the practical elements of how designers construct space and the experiential elements of how and why humans interact with that space. It also addresses industry issues like how to build interesting tutorial levels and how to use computer-generated level design systems without losing the player-focused design of handmade levels. Throughout the text, you will learn skills for spatial layout, evoking emotion through gamespaces, and creating better levels through architectural theory.

    FEATURES

    • Presents case studies that offer insight on modern level design practices, methods, and tools
    • Presents perspectives from industry designers, independent game developers, scientists, psychologists, and academics
    • Explores how historical structures can teach us about good level design
    • Shows how to use space to guide or elicit emotion from players
    • Includes chapter exercises that encourage you to use principles from the chapter in digital prototypes, playtesting sessions, paper mock-ups, and design journals

    Bringing together topics in game design and architecture, this book helps you create better spaces for your games. Software independent, the book discusses tools and techniques that you can use in crafting your interactive worlds.

    Foreword
    Brian Upton

    1. A Brief History of Architecture and Level Design 
     BREAKING THE RULES OF LEVEL DESIGN 
     AN EXPERIENTIAL HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 
     Elements of Architecture and Level Design 
     Functional Requirements 
     Usability 
     Delight 
     The Beginnings of Architectural Sight Lines 
     Architecture as Representation in Ancient Mesopotamia 
     Architecture as Statement in Ancient Egypt 
     Spatial and Symbolic Relationships in Greek Architecture 
     Indian, Southeast Asian, and Asian Representational Architecture 
     Linear Experiences in Roman Architecture 
     Medieval Christian and Islamic Symbolic Architecture 
     The Renaissance Return to Human-Centered Architecture 
     Ornamental Reformations and Material Revolutions 
     THE HISTORY OF GAMESPACES 
     Board Design for Early Games 
     Physical Gamespaces and Architecture 
     Digital Gamespaces 
     WAYS OF SEEING FOR LEVEL DESIGN 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER  EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Industry Perspectives
     Reflections on Game Landscapes – Dr. Umran Ali
     
    2. Drawing for Level Designers 
     LEVEL DESIGN GOALS 
     Adjustment Player Behavior 
     Transmitting Meaning 
     Augmentation of Space 
     NON-DIGITAL LEVEL DESIGN TECHNIQUES 
     Basic Drawing Techniques 
     How to Draw a Line 
     Contours and Line Weights 
     Drawing with References 
     Shading 
     Hierarchical Drawing 
     Types of Architectural Drawings 
     Plan 
     Section 
     Elevation 
     Axonometric 
     Perspective 
     Sketching and Journal Writing 
     Designing on Paper 
     Notation Methods for Level Design 
     Proximity Diagrams 
     Concept Diagrams 
     Game Mapping 
     Flow Charts 
     Mark Brown’s Boss Key Diagrams 
     DIGITAL LEVEL DESIGN TOOLS 
     CAD Programs 
     Digital Art Programs 
     Engine Primitives and Placeholder Art 
     D Modeling Programs 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Industry Perspectives
     Tools and Design – Robin-Yann Storm

    3. Level Design Workflows 
     FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION 
     Form Follows Core Mechanics 
     Level Progression with Scaffolding Mechanisms 
     LEVEL DESIGN WORKFLOWS 
     Level Design Parti
     “Scenes” and Readability
     Non-Digtal Prototypes
     Digital Prototypes with Grayboxing 
     Pacing Your Levels with the Nintendo Power Method 
     Iterative Design with Playtesting 
     Modular Level Design 
     LEVEL DESIGN SCHEDULING
     The Toy Box
     Building from the Middle
     Building in Order 
     SUMMARY
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 

    4. Basic Gamespaces 
     ARCHITECTURAL SPATIAL ARRANGEMENTS 
     Figure-Ground 
     Form-Void 
     Arrivals 
     Genius Loci 
     HISTORIC GAMESPACE STRUCTURES 
     Labyrinth 
     Maze 
     Rhizome 
     SPATIAL SIZE TYPES 
     Narrow Space 
     Intimate Space 
     Prospect Space 
     MOLECULE LEVEL SPACES 
     The Basics of Molecule Design 
     Spatial Types as Molecule Nodes and Edges 
     HUB SPACES 
     SANDBOX GAMESPACES 
     Pathfinding with Architectural Weenies 
     Organizing the Sandbox: Kevin Lynch’s Image of the City 
     Landmarks 
     Paths 
     Nodes 
     Edges 
     Districts 
     WORKING WITH CAMERA VIEWS 
     D Views 
     First Person 
     Third Person 
     D Views 
     Side-Scrolling Space 
     Top-Down Space 
     Axonometric/Isometric Views 
     ENEMIES AS ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURE 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Industry Perspectives
     alt ctrl level design – Jerry Belich 


    5. Communicating through Environment Art 
     TEACHING THEORIES FOR GAME LEVELS 
     Behavior Theory and Operant Conditioning 
     Montessori Method 
     Constructivism 
     SYMBOLS AND VISUAL DESIGN IN GAMES 
     Implementing Symbols in Games 
     Teaching with Symbols in Games 
     Introducing Symbols  
     Symbols as Guides 
     Designing and Placing Symbols for Effective Communication 
     Basic Color Theory 
     Contrast 
     Framing 
     Rule of Thirds 
     ARCHITECTURAL FORMS AND TYPES 
     CONTROLLING INFORMATION IN MEMORY PALACES 
     Certainty 
     Uncertainty 
     Risk 
     Putting it All Together in a Memory Palace
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Interview: Greg Grimsby 


    6. Building Exciting Levels with Dangerous Architecture 
     SURVIVAL INSTINCTS AND GAME COMPLEXITY 
     Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 
     “Bad Spaces”: Vulnerability as a Game Mechanic 
     Vulnerability as a Game Structure 
     Vulnerability in Individual Game Challenges 
     PROSPECT AND REFUGE SPATIAL DESIGN 
     Creating Paths with Refuges, Prospects, and Secondary Refuges 
     Prospects and Refuges in Architecture 
     Prospects and Refuges in Video Games 
     SHADE, SHADOW, AND SURVIVAL 
     Shade 
     Shadow 
     Negative Space 
     LOVING AND HATING HEIGHT 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     A Common Language for Level Design – Camden Bayer 


    7. Rewards in Gamespaces 
     THE PURPOSE OF REWARDS 
     Incentivizing In-Game Behaviors 
     Enticing Exploration 
     Creating a Sense of Curiosity 
     THE TYPES OF REWARDS IN GAMESPACES 
     Reward Vaults 
     Rewarding Vistas 
     Meditative Space 
     Narrative Stages 
     MAKING REWARDS EXCITING THROUGH DENIAL 
     Zen Views 
     Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hanna House 
     Religious Structures and Eastern Garden Design 
     Layered Walls 
     Oku 
     GOALS AND REWARD SCHEDULES 
     Long- and Short-Term Goals 
     The Rod of Many Parts 
     Reward Schedules 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 


    8. Level -: The Tutorial Level
      THE MANY FUNCTIONS OF FIRST LEVELS 
     Architectural Arrivals
     Interactive Arrivals
     BUILDING BLOCKS FOR TUTORIAL DESIGN
     Spatial Building Blocks
     Scenes
     Portals and Thresholds
     Controlled Approaches
     Meeting Spaces
     Behavioral Building Blocks
     Rewards in Tutorials
     Access as a First Level Reward
     Montessori Building Blocks
     Constructivist Building Blocks
     Proximity of Checkpoints 
     DETERMINING PLAYER NEEDS 
     PLAYTESTING IN-GAME TEACHING
     A Literature Game for those who Have Not Read the Book 
     Teaching Molecular Immunology in Only Four Levels
     Developing Concepts into Challenges in a Math Game
     Puzzles as Problems, Levels as Lessons
      step tutorial design
     TUTORIAL ASSETS AND MEDIA
     Effective Visual Elements
     Audio Elements 
     TEACHING GAMEPLAY THROUGH ADVERTISING METHOD  
     Demonstrative Advertising with Scripted Events and Triggers 
     Illustrative Advertising through Environmental Narrative 
     Associative Advertising as Deconstruction 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Case Study: Immune Defense – Melanie Stegman 


    9.  Storytelling in Gamespaces 
     EXPRESSIVE DESIGN 
     Narrative Design and Worldbuilding 
     Narrative Worldbuilding in Games 
     MECHANICS VS. MOTIF 
     Narrative as a Generator of Design 
     Mechanics vs. Story Narrative 
     Mechanics vs. Gameplay Narrative 
     NARRATIVE SPACES 
     Evocative Spaces 
     Staging Spaces 
     Embedded Spaces 
     Resource-Providing Spaces 
     ENVIRONMENT ART STORYTELLING 
     Storytelling with Modular Assets 
     Environment Art and Cinematography 
     MATERIALITY AND THE HERO’S JOURNEY 
     PACING AND NARRATIVE REWARDS 
     The Dramatic Arc as a Pacing Tool 
     Rewarding Exploration with Embedded Narrative 
     Rewarding Exploration with Optional Narrative and Easter Eggs 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Psychological Character Development in Halo Levels – Kelli Dunlap, PsyD.  

    10. Possibility Spaces and Worldbuilding 
     UNDERSTANDING IMMERSION AND PLAYER INDIVIDUALITY 
     The Immersive Fallacy 
     Player Personalities 
     ARCHITECTURAL PHENOMENOLOGY AND PLAY 
     EMERGENT SPACES 
     Emergence 
     Possibility Spaces 
     MINIATURE GARDEN AESTHETIC 
     Overviews 
     Overviews in Historic Games 
     Overviews in D 
     Tours 
     Possibility Space and Procedural Literacy 
     JAPANESE GARDEN DESIGN AND WORLDBUILDING 
     Points of View in Japanese Gardens 
     Scenic Effects 
     Sensory Effects 
     OFFERING EXPERIENTIAL CHOICE 
     Introducing Choice 
     Intelligible Choice 
     Shaping Choice, Risk, and Reward 
     “Metroidvania”: worlds of rewards and possibility 
     DEGENERATIVE DESIGN 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES
     
    11. Working with Procedurally Generated Levels 
     HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE PCG 
     PATTERN LANGUAGES
     Patterns in Game Design 
     Working with Patterns in Level Design 
     BLENDING HANDMADE DESIGN WITH PROCEDURAL GENERATION
     Scenes as Patterns
     Combining Handmade Design and PCG
     Night of the Living Handmade/PCG Case Studies
     PCG Alternative Architecture in Left  Dead
     Mixing Methodologies in Dead Man’s Trail
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES 
     Interview: Chris Pruett  

    12. Influencing Social Interaction with Level Design 
     EMERGENCE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION 
     LEARNING FROM URBAN EMERGENCE 
     Modernism and Non-Emergent Cities 
     Jane Jacobs and Mixed-Use Emergent Neighborhoods 
     Integrating Urban Design into Multiplayer Gamespace 
     THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAWN POINTS AND QUEST HUBS 
     Shaping with Spawn Points 
     Shaping Player Interaction with Quest Hubs 
     Enticing Exploration with Side Quests 
     HOUSES, HOMES, AND HOMETOWNS IN GAMES 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER  
     ENDNOTES
     
    13. Sound, Music, and Rhythm in Level Design 
     THE ROLE OF RHYTHM IN GAMES AND BUILDINGS 
     Mood and Music 
     Rhythm and Interactive Sound 
     Rhythmic Entrainment in Games and Spaces 
     Varying Structural Rhythms 
     COMPLEMENTING LEVEL DESIGN WITH AMBIENT SOUND 
     D Sound 
     D Sound 
     ENHANCING GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES WITH SOUND DESIGN 
     Sound as Gameplay Feedback 
     Sound as Reward 
     Sound as Narrative Indicators 
     SUMMARY 
     CHAPTER EXERCISES 
     ENDNOTES
     
    CONCLUSION 
     

     

    Biography

    Chris Totten is Game Artist in Residence at American University. He has contributed to several independent game productions as an artist, animator, level designer, game designer, and project manager. Totten is also an active writer in the game industry, with articles featured on VideoGameWriters.com, GameCareerGuide, and Gamasutra. He has also published a book entitled Game Character Creation with Blender and Unity. Totten's writings on interdisciplinary approaches to game design have earned him guest speaking appearances at GDC China, Dakota State University's Workshop on Integrated Design in Games, and East Coast Game Conference.