Level Design Overview

On Laya’s Horizon, my main role was as one of two level designers. I worked on every stage of level development. During pre production, I worked on prototyping the open world, experimenting with different terrain types, biome layouts, and mission types. When we moved into production, I took environments from greybox to release ready including the development of missions, collectable placement, and set dressing. I worked to develop half of 51 missions and 11 biomes, working collaboratively, providing feedback, critique, and implementing feedback. My level design work lead me to collaborate with every part of the team. I worked with creative direction to define the direction we would take the world in. I collaborated with the art department to coordinate the look of each area, including implementing assets we were given, requesting new ones, and alterations when necessary. I worked closely with the tech department to ensure that we were working within the technical limits insuring object density was respected and making sure that mission and AI systems were up to design specifications.

Level Design Example

The “boulder beach” area is one where I felt like could use the mechanics and environment of the game to create a special area.

Developing this area was an interesting design challenge as it involved having to heavily modify the base layout of the terrain mid way through production and having to collaborate with members of the team to come up with a new theme for the area. I noticed that one side of our mountain wasn’t conducive to the kind of gameplay we were trying to create. It relied on a switch back environment that didn’t give us the space for creating missions with enough space to be interesting.

So after refreshing myself on our core design principals, drawing up sketches, and consulting the rest of the design team, I started greyboxing the new areas.

When blocking out the areas I kept in mind the kind of gameplay and missions I wanted for each area. I wanted to make a lush and rocky river valley that would see the player using the dive mechanic to quickly move through the environment. After several rounds of blocking out, feedback, and refining it was time to start developing the mission.

Ancient Arches Contest

River Run

Further Level Design Examples

Prototyping Overview

During development, I was involved in prototyping several mechanics. I and other members of the design team would have an idea for a mechanic or identify something missing from the game. After discussing with the team and writing documentation I would start prototyping, going through rounds of feedback with the team. Eventually the mechanic would be handed off to the tech team for further development where I would check in and be there to answer any questions about the mechanic.

Prototyping Examples

Vortexes

We already had a boost in the game that would accelerate the player in the direction it was facing. But that was limited for certain areas where the player could approach from multiple directions. The solution was to make a boost that would accelerate them based on the direction they entered with.

Updrafts

During development we made some large changes to the flight model that led to the player descending faster and being able to spend lest time near the ground. We needed to prototype an object that would allow the player to gain more height rabidly to be able to continue flight and get over obstacles. What started as a tool to keep the player in the air evolved into a dynamic obstacle that could be its own fun and used to get around the world in novel ways.

Bounce Boards

As I was developing missions there were many times I wanted to make corners that were too sharp to turn with our controls. When asked by creative direction to prototype more movement mechanics I thought of taking that limitation and turning it into a mechanic.

Movement Tunnels

I noticed that we had many fun openings in buildings that most players found it very difficult to fly through. The openings couldn’t be made larger for artistic reasons so I prototyped a mechanic that would assist players moving through these tight environments.

Technical Design Overview

During development, I made several tools to mainly assist with level design tasks but I also made tools for the asset pipeline. Beyond the two examples below, I made many gizmos and small quality of life improvements.

Technical Design Examples

Subscene Manager

Opening and closing the subscenes that we used to separate the objects on the island was very cumbersome and added unnecessary time to navigating the project. I had the idea to put the opening and closing of the subscenes into a convenient window for me and the other level designer. It was refined and improved as we developed and came to be used across the team for ease of use in the project.

Prefab Tool

At the beginning of development the design team was in charge of making prefabs out of the meshes and materials provided by the art team. It was a tedious task that was done in a very standard way so I thought it would be a prefect place for automation. Eventually after enough refinement the tool was useable enough that the art team was able to handle all the prefab importing.

Next Project

Dark Cliffs Dash

Mine Meander

Ruin Romp

Eventually these missions were the final product.