Embedded Files
Post date: Apr 01, 2013 1:40:2 PM
GDC - Tutorial & Summits
This was my first time being in GDC. Esther, Moon Soo, and I arrived at San Francisco on Saturday, getting prepared for upcoming Event. We spent Sunday on organizing portfolio and finishing up the websites. On Monday, Esther, Moon Soo, and I went for the Submits and Tutorials. It was the beginning day of GDC and it wasn't as crowded as I expected it to be. We went into our first tutorial section that we signed up for: [Advanced Visual Effects with DirectX 11]. Being in GDC for first time, all of us didn't know that there was difference between Programming Bootcamps and Art Bootcamps. The Direct X Boot camp was solely for programmers that we couldn't understand any of the information that they were giving out. We had to leave the session early so that we wouldn't waste too much time on information that is not helpful to us. After the Bootcamp, we spent our time playing old games in their video game display section and organizing our schedule for tomorrow. Our first day was pretty disappointing.
Second day was pretty amazing. We attended [AAA Level Design in a Day BootCamp]. The first speaker was Jim Brown, a level designer at Epic Games. He talked about how story for games is different from that of books or movies. Unlike in books or movies that tells the narrative story to the audience, in game, the player creates his or her own stories. Even if the game storyline is pretty narrative, it should somehow involve player's choices. Game developers should not only focus on the structure of story, but the set of mood and experience of the game itself. He also explained about the difference between First Person and Third Person mode in the game. First person usually forces player to be in the story. The third person mode tries to force player to related himself to game character. Good game can have terrible story while the game with awesome storyline can be horrible. He pointed out that many games tend to put a good story as a reward for the player. Story is not being told. Player discovers it. Because of this, designing an environment is very important for players to enjoy the story of the game. Environment itself is a powerful player choice. Layout of environment can make a linear game to seem more dynamic.
Walking Dead has same beginning and Ending to story, but player can build in betweens.
Halo is a type of game that doesn't really need story yet still has storyline.
These were something that I have never thought of before, but I agreed with most of the speech that Jim Brown talked about. I'm a type of player who loves good storyline and big world setting. At the same time, I love observing environment, solving puzzle, and create play style of my own. without these elements, the game wouldn't be different from a children story book, which tells story along with just picture frame. However, as a reward, well organized story is something that everyone would enjoy. by introducing the mood and story through the gameplay, games can truly drag their audience into the game world, encouraging player to keep on continuing. Many of the games. I recently played Tomb Raider, which has big storyline and a giant level with many interaction required. I like it very much because more I observe the level I know more of the game, therefore more satisfied with my achievement and observation. It was good to learn the relationship between the story and level of a game.
After Jim Brown's tips about relating and level design, level designers from Bethesda came to show their modular kit process of Skyrim. Most of their environment assets are made into kits, that are reusable, therefore allow them to have a giant environment with just few kits. Environment kits requires not only art talent but also technical understanding. Just to create perfectly reusable, versatile kits, artists and level designers have to have tons of discussion and experiments. Their process was very organized. After discussing the environment, the level designers would block out the environment with gray boxes, making sure that grids are snapping. They also created a lot of shells to make similar environment to look different. They also emphasized the importance of asymmetry in natural kits. Those were very helpful tips since we are planning our thesis Environment to be similar to that of Skyrim: a lot of trees and rocks.Esther, Moon Soo, Molly, and I were able to speak to the level designers from Bethesda and show them our portfolio. They were pretty impressed with our works and gave helpful, detailed advice to each of us. It was very surprising to figure out how chill and friendly they were.The first few days of GDC were pretty interesting experiences. I was able to learn about the basic mood of the entire event and earn some helpful tips with level designs.
NOTES TAKEN
AAA Level Design
Art design programming
Jim brown -level designer at epic games
Once upon a time...
The story doesn't dictate the player.
Player creates own story
Don't make all the game same way
Setup- confrontation- resolution
Plot
Traditional structure
Started with theatre writers then adopted by tv show writers
What makes good game experience?
Storytelling? Pvp? World exploration?
Problem-is there story to game?
More of a mood and experience of the game itself
Story happens by what happen in the game
Plot is how it happens
Halo3: does the story really communicates through the game? Does it even matter? Its not a screenplay. Its a game.
When you play game, are you you? Or the game character?
Which experience is more real? Which one is the true story of Halo?
First person VS Third person
Intensional device for setting of the story
First person - forcing you to be in the story
Third person - try to force you to relate yourself to game character
Imagination structure themselves
It can be a good game with terrible story
The story can be awesome and the game experience can be horrible
Discovering the story is better than being told
Something special is waiting for you!
What if reward is a good story?
Relate the story to player choice. Trust the mood and intent to come together. So that player can seek it out. Let the player continue the story.
Demon Soul-the story is not told but communicated through its mood and gameplay. You can piece things together. Give authorship to the player. If the game story is too deep it can be less free for player to be related into.
walking Dead. The story has one ending but tons of way to reach the ending. The process of getting to the ending is player story.
Also it compares other player's choice with yours to affect your decision. Makes it unique.
Whose story is more important. The player's? The main script?
Good game is to relate both together without problem. Seems unrelated yet relate without forcing the players.
Many games have linear path. Along the way, there can be changes of story. To make the story different. For walking dead, by comparing player experiences, helps them to be more unique
Multiplayer?
Many players really wants good narrative.
While multiplayers often are not related to story.
Multiplayer can use what they are given in the game to create totally new story. Cooperation. People not just do stuff.
Environment is powerful for player choice.
What kind of environment layout can help linear game to seem more dynamic?
Half life. Good job with setting up the situation.character choice to actually view the. Story.
Modular level design for skyrim
Bethesda games are big.
We value high mileage
In our system,art, and team everything.
Belief circumstance experience =culture
Case study.
Kits are systems
Snaps to the grid
More than sum of parts
In this contexts
All intersecting together
Pros and cons of modular level design
Pro:
Reusable art mitigates scope
Skyrim environment
10level designers at bethesda
Scope restrictive?
Con:
Art fatigue
Abolish copy/pasting
Disassociate setting from inhabitants and gameplay
Encourage
Pro low artists: designer ratio
2kit artist 8level designer
7kits 400 unique cells 30month
Con high complexity
Requires art talent and technical understanding
Art and logic together to come up with reasonable quality of work
Bug fixing can be delicate
Pro instant game wide art deployment
Art changes propagate automatically
Artwork viewable in real context
Zero impact on design workflow
Functional then ugly keeps cosmetic control with art
Aesthetic process not rushed
Pro-Iteration speed
High flexibility and agility
Fastest workflow ever
No turnaround time
1:1 correlation with final layout
Con- total dependence on art
Design
Common ld art relationship
Level designers build early version of level
Graybox
Art does visual pass
Art and design collaboration
Can we improve relation?
Kit may seem impersonal
Process is collaborative in development
How kits are born
Concept proof piece
Note of scale character
128 units 6ft tall
Z up axis
Uniform door frame size
Reuse door
Doorframe dimension minimum width
Valid incline grading
Jump height
Cover height
Concept phase
Visual theme gameplay visual fial
Expected usage gameplay role of kit.story
How widely use?
Cave kit . A lot of em
Sub kit. Used often more pieces to make variation
Testing if it works
Grid size should snap together
256
Equilateral size are common
Big pieces are good and easy
Non uniform size can be problematic
Don't tile all six axis
Include negative spaces
They can be overlapping stay inside the foot print
Graybox phase graybox kit.
Function focus.not art
Figure out problem early on
Naming convention.
Be consitent with other kits
Balance. Brevity and meaning
Svoid over abbreviation
But keep name recognizable
Decide early. Difficult to change
Use number to allow variation
Pivot placement is important
Room will be in middle
Edge of pipe
Alcove edge
Side bar. Stress testing and LD role
Don't test the ideal condition. this proves nothing
Consider all possible use cases likely and otherwise
Then decide which to support
Have answer for later
Looping back issues
Double kit on itself
Look for gaps
Avoid patch pieces
Find footprint issues
Stacking on top of each other
Co planar can happen of floor and ceiling
Leave a gap space
Someone might try doing this. Pillar
Should we support it?
Figure out ahead of time
Stress testing is teamwork
Building out the kit
Art part. Can be swapped out seamlessly
Doesnt impact the flow of design level
Building out the kit
Avoid the hero pieces.
Basic pieces are more usable, therefore needs to be done first
Helper markers
Polish phase
Review usage cases in real level
Respond to bug usability special requests
Advanced kit building
It can look unnatural
Lean the Rule break the rule
Remember the cost
Art look better takes longer
Key technology
Select any object
I,plant the pivot.
Rotational yet snapping
Ld build process more linear
Introduce non obvious errors
Shell based building
Direction restricted kit
Snaps only in certain ways
Asymmetry is important with organic environment
Platform kits plane of play low piece count
Kit mashup
Remeber mix and matching kit
Multiplier on visual variety option
Require compromise
Wrap up
Compromise vs choice
Workflow is result of choice
Game is made by people
Relationship is important
Bethesda
Modular level and component design lee perry
Page updated
Report abuse