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An Architectural Approach to Level Design

Name: An Architectural Approach to Level Design
Author: Christopher W. Totten
ISBN: 9781351982924

by Christopher W. Totten

September 2018

Intermediate to advanced

469 pages

12h 41m

English

A K Peters/CRC Press

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Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 A Brief History of Architecture and Level Design
BREAKING THE RULES OF LEVEL DESIGNAN EXPERIENTIAL HISTORY OF ARCHITECTUREElements of Architecture and Level DesignFunctional RequirementsUsabilityDelightThe Beginnings of Architectural Sight LinesArchitecture as Representation in Ancient MesopotamiaArchitecture as Statement in Ancient EgyptSpatial and Symbolic Relationships in Greek ArchitectureIndian, Southeast Asian, and Asian Representational ArchitectureLinear Experiences in Roman ArchitectureMedieval Christian and Islamic Symbolic ArchitectureThe Renaissance Return to Human-Centered ArchitectureOrnamental Reformations and Material RevolutionsTHE HISTORY OF GAMESPACESPhysical Gamespaces and ArchitectureDigital GamespacesWAYS OF SEEING FOR LEVEL DESIGNSUMMARYENDNOTES

CHAPTER 2 Tools and Techniques for Level Design
LEVEL DESIGN GOALS FOR CREATING GAME EXPERIENCESAdjustment of BehaviorTransmission of MeaningAugmentation of SpaceNON-DIGITAL LEVEL DESIGN TOOLSBasic Drawing TechniquesHow to Draw a LineContours and Line WeightsDrawing with ReferencesShadingHierarchical DrawingTypes of Architectural DrawingsPlanSectionElevationAxonometricPerspectiveSketching and Journal WritingDesigning on PaperDIGITAL LEVEL DESIGN TOOLSCAD ProgramsDigital Art ProgramsEngine Primitives and Placeholder Art3D Modeling ProgramsLEVEL DESIGN WORKFLOWSForm Follows Core MechanicsLevel Design PartiPacing Your Levels with the Nintendo Power MethodIterative Design with PlaytestingNon-Digital PrototypesDigital Prototypes with WhiteblockingModular Level DesignENGINE-SPECIFIC METHODOLOGIESGame MakerUnreal Development Kit (UDK)Source’s Hammer Level EditorUnitySUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 3 Basic Gamespaces
ARCHITECTURAL SPATIAL ARRANGEMENTSFigure-GroundForm-VoidArrivalsGenius LociHISTORIC GAMESPACE STRUCTURESLabyrinthMazeRhizomeSPATIAL SIZE TYPESNarrow SpaceIntimate SpaceProspect SpaceMOLECULE LEVEL SPACESThe Basics of Molecule DesignSpatial Types as Molecule Nodes and EdgesFORM FOLLOWS GAMEPLAY WITH PROXIMITY DIAGRAMSHUB SPACESSANDBOX GAMESPACESPathfinding with Architectural WeeniesOrganizing the Sandbox: Kevin Lynch’s Image of the CityLandmarksPathsNodesEdgesDistrictsCONSIDERATIONS OF CAMERA3D ViewsFirst PersonThird Person2D ViewsSide-Scrolling SpaceTop-Down SpaceAxonometric/Isometric ViewsENEMIES AS ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURESUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 4 Teaching in Levels through Visual Communication
TEACHING THEORIES FOR GAME LEVELSBehavior Theory and Operant ConditioningMontessori MethodConstructivismSYMBOLS AND VISUAL DESIGN IN GAMESImplementing Symbols in GamesTeaching with Symbols in GamesIntroducing Symbols in First LevelsSymbols as GuidesDesigning and Placing Symbols for Effective CommunicationBasic Color TheoryContrastFramingRule of ThirdsARCHITECTURAL FORMS AND TYPESTEACHING GAMEPLAY THROUGH ADVERTISING METHODSDemonstrative Advertising with Scripted Events and TriggersIllustrative Advertising through Environmental NarrativeAssociative Advertising as DeconstructionCONTROLLING INFORMATION IN MEMORY PALACESCertaintyUncertaintyRiskSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 5 Introducing Emotional Level Design through Survival Instincts
SURVIVAL INSTINCTS AND PLAYER AVATARSMaslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsThe Problem of the ProtagonistProblem of the Protagonist as a Game StructureProblem of the Protagonist in Individual Game ChallengesPROSPECT AND REFUGE SPATIAL DESIGNCreating Paths with Refuges, Prospects, and Secondary RefugesProspects and Refuges in ArchitectureProspects and Refuges in Video GamesSHADE, SHADOW, AND SURVIVALShadeShadowNegative SpaceLOVING AND HATING HEIGHTSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 6 Enticing Players with Reward Spaces
THE PURPOSE OF REWARDSIncentivizing In-Game BehaviorsEnticing ExplorationCreating a Sense of CuriosityTHE TYPES OF REWARDS IN GAMESPACESReward VaultsRewarding VistasMeditative SpaceNarrative StagesMAKING REWARDS EXCITING THROUGH DENIALZen ViewsFrank Lloyd Wright’s Hanna HouseReligious Structures and Eastern Garden DesignLayered WallsOkuGOALS AND REWARD SCHEDULESLong- and Short-Term GoalsThe Rod of Many PartsReward SchedulesSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 7 Storytelling in Gamespace
EXPRESSIVE DESIGNNarrative Design and WorldbuildingNarrative Worldbuilding in GamesMECHANICS VS. MOTIFNarrative as a Generator of DesignMechanics vs. Story NarrativeMechanics vs. Gameplay NarrativeNARRATIVE SPACESEvocative SpacesStaging SpacesEmbedded SpacesResource-Providing SpacesENVIRONMENT ART STORYTELLINGStorytelling with Modular AssetsEnvironment Art and CinematographyMATERIALITY AND THE HERO’S JOURNEYPACING AND NARRATIVE REWARDSThe Dramatic Arc as a Pacing ToolRewarding Exploration with Embedded NarrativeRewarding Exploration with Optional Narrative and Easter EggsSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 8 Possibility Spaces and Worldbuilding
UNDERSTANDING IMMERSION AND PLAYER INDIVIDUALITYThe Immersive FallacyPlayer PersonalitiesARCHITECTURAL PHENOMENOLOGY AND PLAYEMERGENT SPACESEmergencePossibility SpacesMINIATURE GARDEN AESTHETICOverviewsOverviews in Historic GamesOverviews in 3DToursPossibility Space and Procedural LiteracyJAPANESE GARDEN DESIGN AND WORLDBUILDINGPoints of View in Japanese GardensScenic EffectsSensory EffectsOFFERING EXPERIENTIAL CHOICEIntroducing ChoiceIntelligible ChoiceShaping Choice, Risk, and RewardReward-Possibility MazesDEGENERATIVE DESIGNSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 9 Influencing Social Interaction with Level Design
EMERGENCE AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONLEARNING FROM URBAN EMERGENCEModernism and Non-Emergent CitiesJane Jacobs and Mixed-Use Emergent NeighborhoodsIntegrating Urban Design into Multiplayer GamespaceTHE IMPORTANCE OF SPAWN POINTS AND QUEST HUBSShaping with Spawn PointsShaping Player Interaction with Quest HubsEnticing Exploration with Side QuestsHOUSES, HOMES, AND HOMETOWNS IN GAMESSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 10 Enhancing Level Design with Music and Sounds
THE ROLE OF RHYTHM IN GAMES AND BUILDINGSMood and MusicRhythm and Interactive SoundRhythmic Entrainment in Games and SpacesVarying Structural RhythmsCOMPLEMENTING LEVEL DESIGN WITH AMBIENT SOUND2D Sound3D SoundENHANCING GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES WITH SOUND DESIGNSound as Gameplay FeedbackSound as RewardSound as Narrative IndicatorsSUMMARYENDNOTES
CHAPTER 11 Real-World Adaptive Level Design
WHEN MAGIC CIRCLES COLLIDEMagic Circles Colliding through HistoryGames with New ContextsDevice as Dungeon MasterMagic Circle Game TypologyPervasive GamesAugmented Reality GamesAlternate Reality GamesLow-Tech Public GamesADAPTIVE GAME REUSE GOALSAdapting Level Design GoalsReal-World Level Design GoalsGames That EnhanceGames That PervadeGames That RehabilitateANALYSIS FOR ADAPTIVE CORE MECHANICSSite-Specific Core MechanicsRules for Social InterventionSUMMARYENDNOTES
CONCLUSION

Content preview from An Architectural Approach to Level Design

CHAPTER 4

Teaching in Levels through Visual Communication

To bring his organizing powers into fullest play, the painter must haul his perceptions out of their limbo and annex them to his plan.

—LEO STEINBERG¹

The definition of a good game is therefore “one that teaches everything it has to offer before the player stops playing.”

—RAPH KOSTER²

AS SYSTEMS OF COMMUNICATION, game levels utilize sensory information to connect with players. As games are now, this occurs primarily through visual and auditory means and through limited applications of touch.³ In this chapter, we focus on the visual power of gamespaces, how it can be used to teach, and how it can control a player’s understanding of a game.

As we discussed in Chapter 2, “Tools and Techniques ...

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An Architectural Approach to Level Design

by Christopher W. Totten

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