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Re: Tips on Level Design

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wonderful72pike is not online. wonderful72pike
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Total Posts: 7009
11 Jul 2013 09:42 PM
This is a post listing tips on how to make a good level. Due to me not being an expert maker, feel free to deviate from these tips as much as you want, and even add your own in the comments! These are just my personal ones I thought I'd share with you all.
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Table Of Contents
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(1.) Overview
(2.) Major Map Components
(3.) Minor Map Components
(4.) Resource Tips
(5.) Things to Remember
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1. Overview

Making a good level is not about following a template or set path. The most important part about designing a level is that it has to be unique. For example, let's say there's a game out there with a CTF (Capture the Flag) map, and it's uncopylocked. If you take that map and turn it into a TD (Team Deathmatch) map, not a lot of players will play it. You need to bring something new into it! Sure, you can copy aspects of a map (rough design) but you can't take a map. You need to make it YOU.
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2. Major Map Components

There are some things that all levels will have, regardless of the map type. King of the Hill, CTF, TD, it doesn't matter; you will see all of these. You don't have to include them, but they will spice up a map:
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Elevation - Staircases, escalators, hills, you need to have some way to change the height of players. It can be a great advantage or disadvantage point for players, and it can open up a lot of design possibilities. A player who is at a lower elevation will have a disadvantage, since they will have the big elevation wall blocking most of their view, but a player at the top can see a lot more and has a lot more to shoot. This will also make sniping possible!

Long/Narrow Map Components - One thing you will always see is a tunnel. Whether it be a mine or drainpipe, they're long and skinny. What this does is makes it so you have nowhere to run. Most hallways will have rooms that branch off, but until you get there, you won't have anywhere to go. This can be a major area for classes that are slow in walkspeed; players can't run away in a narrow hallway. Just avoid using too many tunnels, as this can become a nuisance.

Obscured Spaces - I'm specifically thinking of the Engineer from Team Fortress 2. A great place to put a sentry is near a wall or alcove in a wall, so players won't be able to see it until they're within range. Obscured points are always a great thing to have in a map. Sometimes, they may be unintentional (the wall that can't be seen when coming through a narrow doorway) or intentional (a building off to the side of a level area). These areas can be used to surprise players who walk by them, and can also be used for major game assets. Almost every control point in a Control Point game is made in an obscured space.

Entrances - Every space should have two entrances, to prevent camping and to make a game harder to control by yourself. Let's use the example of a mine, since mines are fun. If you have a tunnel in a mine with one entrance, a player can stay there and shoot anyone who walks by. There should be a separate tunnel it branches off to and can be accessible somewhere else, so the player can't guard both entrances. It'll also mean players can get a new perspective on a certain situation; if a player is guarding the front entrance, you can take them out using the back entrance. Play around with this component a lot!

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3. Minor Map Components

Not all components of a map are big staircases or narrow hallways. In fact, if maps were just made of major components, there'd be nothing worth playing. Minor map components are decorations, or small differences that each map has to make it unique. This will have tips on using minor map components.

Walls - A wall is boring if it has nothing on it. Usually, minor components for walls come in the form of stains or posters, but some unique ones are mounted weapons, pictures, or bullet holes. Remember, if it can be on a wall, it can be a minor wall component.

Rooms - Furniture. Furniture, furniture FURNITURE. Every map has a backstory; think of what the room was supposed to be, and place appropriate furniture or items. Just remember, you can't place any furniture and be done with it. If you place a table in a room, you would most likely have to place chairs around that table. If there's a couch in a room, there should be a TV or some other recreational object.

Floor - Floors will usually have debris on them. In a neat, tidy map, you should place rugs or designs on the floor. In a war-ravaged map, place things such as gravel, wooden planks, and papers on the floor in scattered directions.

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4. Resource Tips

Resources are a huge thing; they're where you get everything to use in a level. This will cover where you can get your resources:
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Sounds - Sound assets can not be uploaded, except using the ROBLOX Midi Player. Most sound assets will be located in gear items, and rarely hat items, but also in player models. Use sounds with ease, and place them all around the map to make it come alive!

Textures - Textures are not "textures" but textures are decals wrapped around an item. In the case of blocks, they are layered over a face. Although making a decal for what you need is great, most of the time, those images are already available. Google Images will have all images from all around the web, which you can use as long as you don't violate copyright laws. Free decals also has a lot of cool textures you can use as well! Don't be afraid to use someone else's work. Just make sure you give them credit or ask for permission.

Meshes - All meshes, except clockwork's meshes, are made by ROBLOX for hats and gear items. Packages will have special things called "character meshes". To get a MeshId, simply go inside the Handle of the hat or gear item you're using. The texture will also be in there.

Models - DO NOT BE AFRAID TO USE FREE MODELS. The way to get a good map started is to use free models. Free models are already made, and a lot are better than what you could make in a certain situation. Sure, they aren't "you" but you can turn them into "you" by making tweaks or adding onto it (WARNING: This does not mean you can paint a brick red and call it your own model. Copyrights do apply here too, even if you may not get caught.). If you will make your own model, always look at an image of what you want to make for reference. Trying to build a chair from Google Images is probably going to yield better results than builing a chair from your imagination, unless you have a good imagination.

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5. Things to Remember

Always use techniques such as height, narrow spaces, obscured spaces, and entrances to make a map unique. Never have any blank space: fill it with some kind of detail. Do not be afraid to use free things, don't be afraid to reference other things, and do not be afraid to ask help. Remember, if you're reading this, you're already getting help. Good luck!

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wonderful72pike is not online. wonderful72pike
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Total Posts: 7009
11 Jul 2013 09:47 PM
In case anyone wants to see this in action, here's a quick template I made which has double entrances, elevation, and tunnels. It also has a bit of minor components, but no furniture. Use it as much as you want!

http://www.roblox.com/MapTemplate-item?id=122339752
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smurf279 is not online. smurf279
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Total Posts: 6871
11 Jul 2013 10:23 PM
great post ;)
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wonderful72pike is not online. wonderful72pike
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Total Posts: 7009
12 Jul 2013 09:21 AM
Another tip, barrels and crates are NEVER wrong. The odds are in a map, barrels and crates will fit. Those are great space fillers!
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Sanarus is not online. Sanarus
Joined: 18 Oct 2012
Total Posts: 141
12 Jul 2013 10:34 AM
Good guide, especially for beginners. Roblox needs people like you, to AT LEAST share their own tips to help. I might not use directly those tips though, but you gave me an idea(shooting): I can add guns to my place. (not built yet, don't go and check my profile...)
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xvxvpredator101 is not online. xvxvpredator101
Joined: 19 Apr 2012
Total Posts: 2059
12 Jul 2013 10:57 AM
hey guys!
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wonderful72pike is not online. wonderful72pike
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Total Posts: 7009
15 Jul 2013 07:14 PM
Some rooms can be empty depending on what they were used for. Always make sure you know what your map was supposed to be before becoming a map; it helps get a sense of the decor you want in it.
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