The psychology of level design - A primer

The psychology of level design

A primer of some of the fundamental ideas behind designing a fun multiplayer level, as applied to Halo 3's Forge. This guide is intended for novice to medium level forgers, but even experienced craftsmen should enjoy it.



Overview:

Starting with the original Halo 3 package, users were given a very powerful tool in terms of changing gameplay with the Forge. Bungie was correct in terming their description of it: minor changes can produce subtle or insane gameplay effects. This is due to the fact that all of the gameplay that takes place in Halo 3 is directed by the tools in the environment. Everything from weapons, to grenades, to equipment, to even the player's movement and view angle, is all a part of the sandbox. Many games maintain very tight control over their play experience, and how this sandbox is interpreted; with Forge though, the doors are blown off this restriction and a near infinite degree of granularity is observed. This system works because of the strength of the sandbox tools that were are given; their self-contained nature allows for quick and easy insertion, iteration and refinement within the context of gameplay. However, there was one place that this customization was limited, and that was in the environs themselves. A limited degree of influence in the existing maps prevented truly engaging sandbox remixes. Of course their are many notable exceptions, and I applaud their creativity, because the tools they had to work with were definitely not made for creations such as these.

Then, this all changed with the advent of Foundry, and then later, Sandbox. No longer constrained by the architecture of existing levels, users were free to create from scratch all-new geometries. However, this ultimate freedom is not necessarily an easy thing to come to grips with. The original Halo multiplayer maps are by design intuitive, smooth, polished, and balanced by professional game makers and players. the average public is impressed with their freedom to configure, but most people have little idea what makes a good level. What I will try to do here is express some of the things that I've noticed from my many years of playing games and designing levels, and hopefully you can pick up some tips and have an enjoyable read.


You are in control

My first point, and one that I will be returning to often, is that you as the level designer, is entirely in control of the play experience for your player. This seems obvious; who else would be in control? However, I find most people attempting to build a solid map don't seem to realize the extent to which they govern the experience. Every step, every view, every last "that was awesome!" or "oh crap" moment, is brought to them by your enabling of it. For a conscientious map maker, this is the most important thing; when placing objects you should always be asking yourself:

- What will this do to the map?
- How does this affect line of sight?
- How might this affect flow, of movement and of gameplay?
- Is there any way that this might be detrimental to gameplay?
- Is this fun?
- Is this visually appealing?

Of course, these are all very general, non-specific guidelines; When one is in the depths of forging on a map they have clearly in their head, it might be difficult to consider these for every addition. However, these are important questions to ask of any section that is added to your maps, and of the general layout if you're just getting started. Again, these may seem obvious, but building up a base of gameplay knowledge is critical. Leaving this point for now, I'll move onto my next (related) topic:


Know your avatar

The most important point to know when creating an environment for any character to inhabit, is knowing the exact specifications of that character. Halo's avatar is a known quantity; everyone has the same advantages when it comes to positioning and moving the character in the gameplay space. When designing levels, certain aspects of the character become more important:

- Avatar height
- Avatar run speed; this is used to judge appropriate distances for battle areas and cover-to-cover transitions
- Jump height, both normal and crouch jump. Related to this and run speed is
- Jump run-up; How much distance a player needs to feel comfortable making a jump you've set out for them.
- View angle; a spartan's view is 70 degrees. This should be taken into account when creating hiding spots; even a slight variation on the angle of a wall in a hiding spot may lead to a much higher instance of assassinations in that area.
- Avatar shield and health levels and recharge times: Knowing these values well, and the function of time that each weapon requires to deplete them, will greatly influence your placement of cover points.
- Avatar step capability: In any video game that has a character running along the ground, there's a line where the character can no longer take a step because the environment is too high for the walking animation to take into account. Anyone who's used Forge will know that this is an extremely important, and difficult to get right, aspect of the engine. There is little more annoying than getting one's foot caught on an errant piece of geometry during a heated firefight; If I see one on my first Forge-through of a level, it's almost always a dealbreaker. Constant testing from all directions is the key!

Know your tools

By this I mean, know the sandbox objects that you are using for your map. The better you know their unique properties, the better you can construct environments that allow for those properties to be put to good use, and to be appropriately challenging for the player. Focus most on the timing aspects of the weapons and equipment; how long do they take to kill with? How long to reload? To cross a given space? What will be the opponent's general recovery time from an unsuccessful attack? Also, weapons have a function that is not readily apparent and is not tied to their use: They are, by their very existence, a draw within a level. If there is one sniper or similar power weapon within a level, its spawn will be a hotly contested area, especially if it's visible. Whether or not you want to bring attention to certain areas of the map will greatly affect your weapon placements and whether or not they are readily visible. Another function of weapons and equipment that is a strong gameplay function, is the desire, upon picking up the weapon, to move to the most effective area in the map to use it. This becomes even more important to gameplay when there are comparable weapons on a map; the former race to control the weapons becomes the race to control the appropriate venue. This is illustrated well in The Pit, where the natural spot to progress to after picking up the sniper is at the top of the bases, covering the other sniper's best position. This creates another known quantity within a level, the route. I will have more on the importance of routes later in this article.

Once a tool's primary functions are well known, the next step is to learn how it interplays with the other tools in the environment. Halo has always been, since its inception, an incredibly complex game of rock paper scissors, with hundreds of different combinations of tactics. Each situation has its trump card; however, even these can be trumped by player skill, with a similar tool. I can't begin to list all the different possible interplays here, but some of the most important characteristics of each tool are its effective range, and area of effect. Here are just a few tool suggestions.

- If you want to include a power drain, you must have an open, high-traffic area to deploy it in. No one that isn't new runs out into the open though; you're going to have to make them want to be out there.
- If you lay down a Regen, you will get rushed. If a player is rushing, he's putting himself on a known route; this is easily counteracted by tools such as plasma grenades and maybe even lining up for a no-scope.
- Bubble shields are a temporary wall, and are very powerful as such; they can completely shut down a sight line. They're also extremely visible, and almost as prone to being rushed as a Regen. Prepare your players accordingly.
- An SMG can be an extremely satisfying way to take out someone with a shotgun; however, sufficient room to maneuver is key, or it won't be used again for that purpose.

These are just a few scenarios to get you thinking about the interplay between player, tools, environments, and opponents that you as the map maker are in complete control of. The difference of a few feet when placing a power weapon can turn the tide of a battle; the existence of one small weapon in an open space suddenly increases its traffic drastically; the barest hint of a light or other feature at the end of a hallway increases the curiosity of players, and demands investigation.


Routes and their creation and application

One of the major design features of Halo 3 maps and gameplay, is the implementation of routes for the players. These are the most evident, well-marked and supposedly most advantageous way to move throughout the level. These can also be player-specific, everyone has their favourite way to move through a level, which may or may not be one of the creator-intended pathways. When creating maps, you are tasked with making a fun experience. However, this is not just a fun experience for experienced players with routes that are out of reach to many; one must make a map that caters to all play levels and styles. In Halo 3 you will find:

- The new players that run the most evident routes at full steam. They're going where they want to and will probably be intercepted by
- The more advanced players who watch these obvious routes and are ready to time a grenade just right. These players also follow routes, albeit less conventional ones. Both of these groups are preyed upon by
- The experienced player who knows all routes, and can watch both other groups. This group is small but extremely skilled at movement, jumps, and timing. The routes they run are fluid and change depending on circumstances.

The point is, that no matter which group you belong to, you must cater to the first group first. Without this hierarchal foundation, there can be no proper flow of players through the space; if there is no evident routes, all the creative jumps, sneaky hiding spots, and perfect grenade bouncing spots will be useless. So when creating your level, take a step back and look at it through the eyes of a near-complete noob.

- Will they be able to find their way around easily?
- Can they access ALL weapons? (No-one wants to play your map that only you and your |337 friends can get to the sniper on. Trust me.
- Noobs find their way into the open too easily. Is there enough cover to counteract that? But then again, not too much, or they'll never learn.
- Have a back way into every room in case they get scared and hide. Also improves flow.

There are certain things that break down solid routes quickly. These can be as simple as not enough cover, imposing structures in the most appropriate direction, lack of options to feel prepared should battle occur; and just plain confusion over where to go next. With walkways and ramps, this is easy to overcome, just stay on your path. However, when Forging rooms and enclosed areas, indications of the next available direction are key. There are many, many options at your disposal for dealing with this; the difference between a plain hallway and a hallway you see a gun at the end of is night and day. Also, if you walk into a room, and the exit door is hidden from sight at first, but is close, have it indicated; have a unique feature on the wall that continues around the corner to the door. Have a weapon or grenade that when moved to, brings the next route into view. Try not to make it too obvious; part of the fun is discovering where the next weapon will be, but don't leave the player hanging, when they're looking to you for guidance. People are very sensitive to visual cues, but the trick is making them evident in their field of view, yet subtle at the same time. Make your guidances seem natural to the level, and fit gameplay as well. This will improve the player's sense of belonging in the level, and that they are figuring out things for themselves. As you create your level, you will find that due to the imperfect nature of Forge and sizes of objects that may overlap, etc, that you will create advanced routes unwittingly. These are some of the best features of a quality map, because if they are handled with subtlety as well, the player feels an affinity with the designer. However, even advanced routes must be visible to all players upon inspection. If there's only one other way into the base that involves 3 pixels of standing room and 2 tricky jumps, that's a fail. Everyone needs to be able to access all routes; the challenge simply lies in being observant enough to notice them. Also, keep the complexity low. 2 jumps to get anywhere is pushing it; 3 jumps, unless it puts me directly in their base with a shotgun, is unacceptable.

Final weapon placements and resource vacuums

When deciding on final weapons balance, you're getting down to the specifics of exactly how your map will play. Tight and fast, tons of nades, long range snipefests, they're all available. However, the most important part of final balance is being unique. Make this map offer a balance that you don't see anywhere else. While you were working on your map you should have been planning which weapons would fit which areas; some structures are just natural sniper towers, some rooms are made for shotguns, top mids love needlers, etc. So now you have to decide (and it can be tough) what you're going to place in the map to counteract all your favourite weapons. You have to put yourself in the shoes of all players, and imagine every possible scenario of weapon vs. weapon, weapon vs. equipment, and weapon vs. environment that could possibly arise from their inclusion in the map. Sometimes this is easy; put the sniper near the sniper tower, and have a couple BR's or a laser opposite to counterbalance. Sometimes it's more advanced; SMG's can also ping a sniper off scope, but they can't do anything at range.. A fast way to advance on the position under much more cover will be needed. Are your walls right angles in mostly close quarters? Then they're made for spike grenades. If there's one thing I notice more than anything in user-made maps, it's the huge number of power weapons, and indeed all weapons. It's fun to always be able to grab something strong whenever you want, but the fun quickly passes; it's too easy. One thing I've noticed about Bungie's weapon balances is that they have a heavy hand in directing player experiences; long power weapon and power-up respawn times, scarcity of effective weapons to create tension, and often small clip sizes. These are all options that should be looked at when finishing up your level; make the player dodge fire and grenades when going for their resources. Make them battle each other for the prizes of power weapons. Don't let them become complacent; make every grenade they pick up a treasure to be used well, or else. Sparse resources are a hallmark of good multiplayer design, and an excellent way to make a map more memorable; there are no "clutch" moments without that balance.

Which brings me to resource vacuums. When you have a player holding a particular position, they know their resources at the time. Their weapons, number of bullets, number of grenades, and equipment is all factored into the equation of "how long can I stay here and how much damage can I do before I need to leave". Everyone's equation will work out differently, due to comfort levels with weapons, etc., but there are some universal suggestions:

- If you have a high point and sniper readily available, it must be dangerous to stay there. Their resource vacuum is cover, and ammunition. This keeps things fair, and moves flow along.
- If you're in a perfect spot to toss nades down, keep them sparse. Maybe don't even have any spawn there... but have them spawn within sight of the spot. Will it be safe to go collect and come back? It may be worth the risk. People will try, and enjoy the sense of danger.
- Have weapons spawn near where they'll be most useful; but not too near. As stated before, an important part of route building is the resource vacuum of needing a venue for a particular weapon.
- Again, seeing a weapon creates a very strong draw towards it: This can be used to manipulate the flow of battle with great ease.

Miscellaneous

Here I just want to throw some points in that don't really fit anywhere else. If you made it this far, good job!

- I hate unnecessary jumps. If I'm playing a level that forces me to jump up onto a platform that is directly in the normal flow of the level, and it's only one wall width high, I'll end the game and delete that map. It's not a dais, it's just a super fail.
- Use everything you can to make your maps look good (and unique). Every damn map I see is blocky, grid-based, symmetrical, with the minimum of detail. The pallet is limited, but some of the textures and stuff aren't... Use the hell out of those half and quarter walls, merged together, to create some truly attractive architecture.
- What's your favourite weapon? Always make a map with that? How about this: try a map with none of your favourite weapons... it's a good mental exercise, and will add to the uniqueness of your end balance.
- Read everything you can about Forging! There's a million little tricks out there. Only by knowing those can you apply everything to really properly create the perfect psychological environment for maximum slaying fun.

I hope you all enjoyed this and found it helpful. If anyone would like to discuss or add anything, feel free, and if anyone wants to run customs or would like a hand with Forging, my GT is Sushi Nao. Thanks for reading!

 

You're right, most of what I was talking about does only apply to Slayer and Objective, and other gametypes only in the most general sense.. those are what I play the most. I have had some fun with infection though, moreso in MM than in random customs, cause it's too easy for it to be one-sided. Knowing what I do of it though, we can probably figure out what makes it work and what doesn't.

- teamwork and communication is key, of course.. everyone needs to know their roles and areas to cover and stuff. Maybe you could have specific weapons near each possible entry point for the zombies, and have your team choose their roles.. that would be unique.

- definitely the best zombie maps are the ones that are a long fight, and feel like attrition is happening all around you as you're getting worked back into a corner. So that means a lot of close calls with the zombies.. I think there should be a lot of places where you can see them, like slit walls so you can see them after they spawn, but then they have to take a long route to get to you.. that would build tension. And then maybe you could have some puzzles for them? Like have fusion coils that they need to push down a hall to knock down a wall of tiny blocks. Make that in the main route, but have another riskier smaller passage off to the side so they don't get bummed out on it. Another branch somewhere else as well, to come up behind the humans. Make that more open, so it's unfeasible till the zombie numbers grow.

- The ending that you want, ideally, is one guy, in a room with one entrance and one exit, spinning around, getting double kills and maybe some triple kills until he's cut down or miraculously made it.. so have a little bunker off to the side of the main room (that has 3 exits in it) so that in the last bit, they can run in the side passage and set up shop.

What do you think?

 

I can't really picture what you mean Crush, if you've got a semi-playable version, stick it in your fileshare and I'll take a look at it and let you know what I think.. Like I say, I don't really play a lot of infection

 

Alright, so I gave your map a run-through, I don't have a group of people to play a proper infection game on it. I'm not sure how early along this build is, I understand you were probably just trying to sketch something together, and that's fair, but it was REALLY rough. Here was some of my thoughts, and I'm gonna be brutally honest where needed, heh.

- Right off the bat, not enough cover. I dunno what sort of weapon loadout you're looking at, but giving humans a magnum is fair.. and there's no way a zombie would survive for 10 seconds as it is.

- Only one building was remotely appealing for me to enter as a zombie, and that was the one that had the pallets propped up on the half walls. That building shows promise, I think you should shift the focus to be centered on that one. That said, the stone bridge ramps and wood walkways will all need to be properly interlocked.

- The grass interlocking is glitching so hard, I would get rid of it, especially cause you can see the corners sticking out through the building, doesn't look good.

- You can't put buildings and objects that are half in and half out of the out of bounds line on a map that doesn't have the Guardians blocked! Guarantee someone's going to see those, and run out there and get killed because it looks like a safe place to go.

- Too many strange weapons.. shooting zombies with a fuel rod cannon isn't tense or scary! Stick the with the old standards, shotty, magnum, maybe a BR, but as a last-ditch power weapon.

- While it's nice to see you use some creative architecture, I wasn't able to see if there was actually a theme to it.. If this is a city, you need to create some recognizable structures, and then add to them.

It definitely needs a focus retooling, instead of starting in the middle, and risking everyone scattering, why not start at one end of the map for humans, and zombies start at the other? I apologize for any misconceptions I may have had due to the fact that I couldn't run a game on it, but I hope you can use my suggestions. Good luck!