In our interim presentation we set out a timeline for what tasks needed to be completed by each team member each week in order to achieve our aims for the project. I was due to complete the level design last week but was unable to due to illness. As such I've just put in a bit of extra time this week to get it done in time. Here is my initial level design that I showed in the interim report:
This was just a rough sketch I put together in Microsoft Paint and so only really conveys the idea of a symmetrical series of platforms above water. To develop this idea further I used https://www.pixilart.com/draw as it provides a grid system which allows me to show the proportions of the platforms accurately. Here is my newer version of the level design:
Platform: White
Danger Zone: Blue
Spawn Zone: Green
Race Objective: Orange
Wall: Black
Power Up: Purple
Coin: Red
Raised Platform: Grey
This design is much more intricate and features a variety of routes for players to take. I also decided on where the secondary objectives of power ups and coins should be placed. The main paths from spawn points to the map's centre are the easiest to traverse and have the highest concentration of easy to access coins. This encourages players to take these routes, funnelling them together to create conflict. Other routes are intended to be more perilous but to also provide comparable rewards for the daring player, encouraging risky play. What is not show currently is the obstacles that the map will contain. Later this week I will create a block out of this design in-engine, which will allow me to make decisions regarding obstacle placement and make revisions to this design. Another downside to this design is the lack of elevation information. I have a couple of areas marked as raised platforms but that is all. I could potentially create a greyscale version of this map to show the elevation of each platform but that wouldn't help if I wanted to show areas with multiple floors. Since I will be the once blocking out the level anyway, I am probably just better off making these decisions as I go, tweaking the design in response to my testing.
Comments