Thesis Presentation 2009. Studio 1. Class 20

Problem• How are level designers able to predict how players will navigate

inside the space?• And more importantly how can we focus on a solution that doesn’t

remove the user from immersion?

Approach• Early on I was searching for the ideal.

• It’s never what you do, but how its done.

Current Practices• Objectives Screen• Mental Modeling• Landmarking• Path Based Notification• A combination of the

later two.

Positive Examples• Uncharted 2: Among Theives• ~completely linear

• ~complexity increases importance

• ~hint system

• ~foreshadowing (mental model)

Positive Examples• Fallout 3• ~granted, upgrading, and a map was available

• ~landmarks are key during way-finding

• ~inside the cities emblems, and logos were obvious

Positive Examples• Sports Genre• ~memorable play

• ~rulebook already hard coded

Awareness• Getting lost may be a mechanic of the gameplay.• Each title may have a specif solution catered to it.

Negatie Examples• Splinter Cell: Double Agent• ~careful consideration should have been taken…

• ~node based path

• ~breaks from immersion, player feels overwhelmed

• ~annoyance of scrolling through menus

Negatie Examples• Dead Space• ~removes all challenge

• ~represents an “I don’t care attitude.”

• ~experience is cheapened and still players must resort to a menu system

• ~dummy factor

Navigating Space• Navigating a space is essential to successful gameplay.• Immersion is broken if the player must remove themselves from play.• It is the developers duty to make navigation as seamless as possible.

• Major difference between real-life and virtual navigation.

• Bartle recognizes 3 player types: achievers, explorers, and combat oriented.

Using Space• Architecture

– Circulation– Flow– Sequencing– « a series of parallel lines, through their repetitiveness, reinforces our perception of the

plane they describe. »– Light Angles– Denoting Entrance and Exit– player types must be taken into consideration

Using Memory• Human Memory

– Sensory• Iconic• Echoic• Haptic

– Short-Term• Temp Recall• Grouping Helps• Urges to Complete

– Long-Term• Episodic• Semantic• Storage, Deletion, Retrieval

Statement• In regards to gaming, the narrative serves as a tool for immersion. The most successful game

experience is one that results in the input device and feedback system becoming invisible,leaving the player totally immersed. This will not happen if a user is constantly brought outof the experience to check a list of objectives or tasks. In order to correct this problem theplayer must know where he/she is meant to go and why they are performing said task.

• Through studying human psychology, human memory, and architecture methodology,we (level designers) can predict how specific player types will navigate the spacecreated.

Interactive Piece• A level design will be built. Each participant will fill out a pre-course survey to help identify

which player type they are. A specific « reach the end » task oriented space will be createdfor users to navigate. If my research is accurate all or most players in the same category ofplayer type should navigate the space in the same manner. This will allow level design tocater particular level design mechanics to specific title genres. A post survey will then begiven to help identify why they navigated the space the way they did.