Level Design

[SpiritWebb]

What are some good suggestions on how to design levels for a side scroller? I am using Unity, and doing a 3d side-scroller.

Looking at images on different levels from Mario to indie-games and every time I start to work on the level, either it doesn't feel right, look right or my mind goes blank. Any suggestions?

[Jackolantern]

The way I see it, every side-scroller needs 1 of 2 foundational things to be great: 1. Lots of variety, or 2. Re-use what you have seen in new and unique ways. Mario tends to go for #1, and it is one of the things that made Super Mario Galaxy 2 widely considered one of the best games ever made. As soon as you mastered one mechanic, it was gone and you had a new mechanic to master. However, keeping that up is tough for indie developers. Most of the big indie games I have seen have gone for #2. Braid, Super Meat boy, Fez, as well as many commercial games as well. I would tend to say Mega Man also fits in with #2. You see something and conquer it pretty easily at first. But then it just keeps getting tougher and tougher and you see it again and again in more challenging configurations until it is nearly impossible.

You also have to look at platformers as needing every piece to have a purpose. Probably the worst part in any platformer is when the level evens out and there isn't much going on for a longer period than just to serve as a small breather. This is because platformers unfortunately can get very boring very fast. There are a slew of throw-away platformers from earlier in the game industry, such as on NES and Gameboy. Most of them were just boring because they kept you doing the same thing for too long.

[SpiritWebb]

The re-use just makes sense personally, and thats what I am aiming at. The biggest problem I am having is putting the level together. Place a platform down, the player can walk on, do this a few times and then at this point is where it goes blank

[Jackolantern]

Are you starting in the level editor? That is typically a no-no for level design. Start with a pad of paper, and come up with one sentence that will define this new level. Maybe that one sentence will be an event, a mechanic, or even just a feeling. Now break that down into a bulleted list of what will happen in the level. For smaller levels (like in casual games) 2 or 3 bullets will probably work. For full-length levels (like in your typical commercial platformer), 6, 7 or possible more should be plenty. And then begin to just sketch out (on paper still) how the level will be laid out. Nothing fancy. Just lines to represent the ground and platforms, maybe a dot where your character starts, and then blocks or just notes of where things are. Make it quick and simple since you will likely be erasing and re-drawing quite a bit. Only after that do you pick up the level editor, once you are confident you know where everything will be, what is driving the level, and how it will all interact. Of course the reality of being in the editor may drive some editing, but that will be fine and is really par for the course

[SpiritWebb]

Yeah, that part I understand...even on paper its the same way, so frustrating!

Same thing happens while writing my book. I have it all spider-webbed out, but I get to around page 54 and mind goes blank. Same thing is happening here with the game. I got the idea, what it will look like, reference images, etc. Grab a pencil to start drawing the level and mind goes blank!

[hallsofvallhalla]

Build the level with a quick design and get the coding right then come back and change the images. Remember everything can be a place holder until release.

[Ark]

You could copy a mario level completely for example, then when you start playing the level with your character you can edit it as the way you see it more awesome or original.

I think some animators also do that as well, they copy for example mega man's running animation as a starting point, then they edit it as their liking.

[Jackolantern]

I think some animators also do that as well, they copy for example mega man's running animation as a starting point, then they edit it as their liking.

I was actually thinking about doing something like that, too

[SpiritWebb]

Does anyone know where I could find a complete level, like level 1 for Mario? The original or even from 3 for the NES?

[Jackolantern]

Here you go!