Does anybody get stuck with level design?

[GambinoInd]

I’m working on an MMORPG and have been for a while. One thing I’ve noticed is I often get stuck with level design. I can envision the entire area in my mind, and know exactly how I want it to look, but when it comes to actually making it I get stuck along the way. Often it’s not an actual roadblock, but a mental block of that initial motivation lessening and enduring the challenge.

What are your guys’ thoughts about that? Where do you guys get stuck when designing a game/level? What do you do to get passed the issue(s)?

[BrandyStarbrite]

I went through this problem a few times too.
It’s not easy.

But this is one solution, I use for this problem.
Break everything you see in your mind, down one by one, or piece by piece.

Say for example, you’re making an arena for a fighting game.
eg. An arena in a ruined sandy rocky temple etc.

On a piece of paper, draw out the positions of all of the objects in your mind,
eg. destroyed pillar columns etc.
that are the easiest to see in your mental vision.

After you pin point all of those things, take a long break then draw out the 2nd easiest things that you see in your mental vision. eg. you see broken statues etc.

Then the 3rd easiest things you see etc.

Repeat etc.

And after sketching out all of these things part by part, or day by day.
You’ll be surprised to see you have almost an entire stage on your paper.

If it takes a few days to a week, then so be it.

PS: In our game studio, I sometimes take up to a few days or up to a week, to finish up one character.
And they always turn out awesome.

Note: You’ll go through alot of frustration and challenges.
But all that is part of being a better game artist/designer etc.

I hope that helped.

[GambinoInd]

@BrandyStarbrite

I went through this problem a few times too.
It’s not easy.

But this is one solution, I use for this problem.
Break everything you see in your mind, down one by one, or piece by piece.

Is say for example, you’re making an arena for a fighting game.
eg. An arena in a ruined sandy rocky temple etc.

On a piece of paper, draw out the positions of all of the objects in your mind,
eg. destroyed pillar columns etc.
that are the easiest to see in your mental vision.

After you pin point all of those things, take a long break then draw out the 2nd easiest things that you see in your mental vision. eg. you see broken statues etc.

Then the 3rd easiest things you see etc.

Repeat etc.

And after sketching out all of these things part by part, or day by day.
You’ll be surprised to see you have almost an entire stage on your paper.

If it takes a few days to a week, then so be it.

PS: In our game studio, I sometimes take up to a few days or up to a week, to finish up one character.
And they always turn out awesome.

Note: You’ll go through alot of frustration and challenges.
But all that is part of being a better game artist/designer etc.

I hope that helped.

Definitely helps. I find this the most challenging part of making a game. I will try what you’ve suggested!

[Teila]

Good advice, Brandy! I love level design and could get lost in it for days if I didn’t have so much else to do.

[DryTear]

@BrandyStarbrite

I went through this problem a few times too.
It’s not easy.

But this is one solution, I use for this problem.
Break everything you see in your mind, down one by one, or piece by piece.

Is say for example, you’re making an arena for a fighting game.
eg. An arena in a ruined sandy rocky temple etc.

On a piece of paper, draw out the positions of all of the objects in your mind,
eg. destroyed pillar columns etc.
that are the easiest to see in your mental vision.

After you pin point all of those things, take a long break then draw out the 2nd easiest things that you see in your mental vision. eg. you see broken statues etc.

Then the 3rd easiest things you see etc.

Repeat etc.

And after sketching out all of these things part by part, or day by day.
You’ll be surprised to see you have almost an entire stage on your paper.

If it takes a few days to a week, then so be it.

PS: In our game studio, I sometimes take up to a few days or up to a week, to finish up one character.
And they always turn out awesome.

Note: You’ll go through alot of frustration and challenges.
But all that is part of being a better game artist/designer etc.

I hope that helped.

This quote should be stickied

Exactly it. Spot on. And also, depending on your game, you’re going to have to place points of interests, like points of conflict or drop zones, stuff like that.

[BrandyStarbrite]

Yay!!
Thanks guys!
Glad I could help!

[Gigiwoo]

@GambinoInd

I’m working on an MMORPG and have been for a while. One thing I’ve noticed is I often get stuck with level design. I can envision the entire area in my mind, and know exactly how I want it to look, but when it comes to actually making it I get stuck along the way. Often it’s not an actual roadblock, but a mental block of that initial motivation lessening and enduring the challenge.

What are your guys’ thoughts about that? Where do you guys get stuck when designing a game/level? What do you do to get passed the issue(s)?

For me, it means one of two things: A) I’m struggling to get started or B) I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I can push through (A) for a couple days. If, I’m still feeling overwhelmed by the hurculean task ahead, then I stop to re-evaluate my project.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy will drive me to keep going - especially once I’ve invested several months, and 10s of thousands of lines of code. And, yet, in hindsight, it’s always obvious that the project was too ambitious and I was better off starting a over with something smaller.

Gigi