![]() ![]() This means determining what the major objectives are at a more granular level. I like to start by establishing the overall gameplay beats - the pacing and flow of both narrative and game elements within a level’s critical* path. Sorry, gotta scrub all the sensitive information! Is it a new tileset / major set of assets?.What are the major narrative beats it must cover?(General objectives, Key events & interactions).What section of the station does this level occur on?.My job is to develop a believable world space for the player to explore, not a cinematic corridor to be raced through.īefore we can place so much as a single piece of flooring, we must first consider the goals and themes of an area, addressing questions such as: I won’t get into the specifics of my design philosophies at the moment but let’s just be clear that I’m not talking about the modern trend of corridor-shooter level design I’m an advocate of choices, exploration, and the freedom to tackle challenges in a variety of ways. ![]() My goal is to create a believable world space that retains System Shock’s original sense of exploration and freedom. To that end, much of my work involves translating old intentions and bringing them forward to work in tandem with the technology and principles we have today. The answer to the question is both “yes” and “no.” The original levels were designed under specific philosophies and restrictions that have grown or otherwise evolved in the years since. You could view it as building a new body to house an old soul. This update is about process rather than intent, so I’ll keep this brief! The purpose of a reboot is to leverage an existing foundation while still allowing the freedom to re-envision, clarify, or otherwise expand upon a work. System Shock’s levels are already designed, aren’t they? ![]() I’m going to speak in generals so try not to read too much into game content specifics from this.įirst off, however, let’s address the elephant in the room. We thought that we’d give a little bit of insight into the level design process this month! Being a creative process, there’s a lot of variation from person to person but what follows is my personal approach. This is James Henley, Lead Level Designer on the System Shock reboot. ![]()
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