LD: Top Down Plans

What are Top Down Plans?

A top-down layout is a bird’s-eye view (overhead view) of a game level. It shows the layout of key gameplay elements, such as:

Player start and end positions
Paths and routes
Obstacles and walls
Enemies and hazards
Key items or objectives
Trigger zones or events

It's usually sketched out before the 3D level is built, either on paper or digitally.

Purpose of a Top-Down Layout Plans:

Visualising Gameplay:

Top-down layouts allow designers to see how the level will play, including player movement, enemy strategies, and the flow of the game.

Planning Obstacles and Cover:

They help determine where to place obstacles, cover, and choke points to create interesting challenges and strategic opportunities for players.

Understanding Spatial Relationships:

Top-down layouts help visualise the spatial relationships between different areas of the level, ensuring a logical and intuitive flow.

Elements Typically Included:

Playable Paths and Routes: The main paths players will take and any alternate routes or shortcuts. The intended player path is typically called the Golden route.

Choke Points and Objectives: Areas where players might be bottlenecked or where objectives are located.

Obstacles: Walls, rocks, or other elements that restrict movement.

Cover: Areas where players can hide from enemies or take cover.

Player Start and End Points: Where the player will begin and end their journey through the level.

AI Placement: Where enemies and other AI characters will be placed.

Important Locations and Focal Points: Areas of interest or objectives that the player needs to reach.

How They're Used:

Rough Drafts:

Initial drafts are often rough sketches as designers figure out the overall layout and play experience.

Refinement:

Layouts are typically refined with each iteration, as designers gain a better understanding of the environment.

Guide for Block-in:

Top-down layouts serve as a guide for creating the basic structure of the level within the game engine.

Iterative Process:

Layouts are often revised throughout the development process based on playtesting and feedback.

Benefits of Using Top-Down Layout Plans:

Improved Level Design: Helps create more engaging and balanced levels.

Better Player Experience: Ensures that the level is intuitive, fun, and challenging.

Efficient Development: Provides a clear roadmap for the level creation process.

Reduced Iterations: By visualising the layout beforehand, designers can avoid costly and time consuming changes during development.

Different Mothods of Creating top Down

Method 1: Pathway Flow First

The Pathway Flow method is an excellent approach when you have a general idea of gameplay but need to refine the details of your map layout. Here's how to implement this technique effectively:

When to Use This Method

This approach works best when:

You have a concept for your map
You've thought about the general layout
You have a rough idea of pathways, choke points and objective locations
You're planning with distance in mind for gameplay pacing

Step 1: Create the Basic Pathway Flow

Draw simple lines representing the main pathways players will take
Mark important gameplay elements:
- Team spawn points (T and CT)
- Objective locations (bomb sites or hostage rescue zones)
- Choke points where teams will encounter each other

Important tip: Start from the attacking team's perspective

For defusal (DE) maps: Begin with T side paths to bomb sites
For hostage (CS) maps: Begin with CT side paths to hostage locations

Step 2: Develop the Full Layout

Place a new sheet over your pathway sketch
Use the pathways as guidelines to draw map boundaries
Add detail to your map:
- Define exact boundaries and wall placements
- Establish sight lines between areas
- Refine spawn points and objective locations
- Add connecting routes and alternate paths
- Consider cover placement and verticality

This method ensures your map layout serves your gameplay goals by starting with player flow rather than architecture. It helps create maps with purposeful design where every path and area serves the overall gameplay experience.

Method 2: Focus on One Section at a Time Then Combine

This approach is particularly useful when you're feeling stuck or uncertain about your overall map design. Rather than trying to conceptualise the entire layout at once, you break it down into manageable sections.

When to Use This Method

This approach works best when:

You don't have a clear vision for your complete map layout
You're experiencing creative blocks with certain map areas
You want to ensure each section has its own unique and interesting design

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Design Individual Sections

Choose a specific section to start with:
- Bombsite A or B
- T or CT spawn areas
- Middle section
- Key choke points
Focus entirely on designing that one section:
- Create interesting layout features
- Add appropriate cover objects
- Plan entry/exit points
- Don't worry about the rest of the map yet
Repeat this process for each major section of your map
- Note potential connection points between sections

Step 2: Combine Sections

Arrange your individual sections into a cohesive layout
Connect the sections using the planned entry/exit points
Adjust and refine the transition areas between sections
Ensure the combined layout maintains good flow and gameplay balance

Step 3: Verify with Simplified Pathway Flow

Create a simplified pathway diagram of your combined layout
Verify that player movement works as intended
Check for potential issues with flow, timing, or balance
Make adjustments to the layout as needed

This method helps you overcome designer's block by breaking down the complex task of level design into smaller, more manageable pieces. Each section receives focused attention, resulting in more interesting and thoughtful design throughout your map.

Method 3: Full Layout Then Simplify Pathway Flow

In this final method you start with a complete layout from the beginning. There are no preliminary pathway routes or individual sections. You sit down, begin with one part of the layout and continue all at once until the layout is complete.

Use this method when you have thoroughly considered the layout and know precisely what it will be. Perhaps you've drawn this layout several times before and are redesigning it.

Works best when:

You've given substantial thought to the layout
You know exactly what it should be
You're redrawing or reworking an existing layout
You've already determined all layout details and each section

As you begin drawing, visualise each section and expand from it to the rest of the map. You're drawing the entire layout simultaneously.

Start with a specific section of the layout and expand outwards until the entire layout is complete. If one section proves challenging, move to another area of the map. Work on the entire layout at once.

When finished, take another piece of paper and simplify by identifying pathway flow:

Pathway flow distils the layout down to pathway routes, giving you a clear idea of how each team will approach the map's objectives.

Tools for Creating Top-Down Layouts:

Pen and Paper: A common and practical method, especially for initial drafts.

Whiteboard: Another way to visually plan and sketch out layouts.

Digital Software: Photoshop, SketchUp, CAD Software

Free Online Floor plan creators:

In level design, the term layout can refer to two related concepts:

The overall structure of the level, for example: “The layout was so confusing, I didn’t know where to go.”
A planning sketch or overview, often called a top-down because it’s drawn from a bird’s-eye view .
Layout drawings can vary widely. They might be simple or detailed, abstract or realistic, symbolic or literal. Anything from a quick sketch on a napkin to a fully developed floor plan can work — it all depends on what you need.
A “good” layout drawing is simply one that clearly communicates the core ideas of the level design.
A layout drawing is created before the blockout (Whitebox) stages of development. This is to give a good idea of the overall level layout before putting it together in engine.

Types of Level Layouts

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