How do I choose levels? Thread

So I am planning a game and I want to try to come up with levels. But I'm not sure what to come up with first. I want to make a list. You see, it is a shooter. Well, part shooter. Mainly, linear. Okay, it's many genres separated into one. But never mind that. What I would like to know is how to come up with levels. Like for example, what kind of levels do I need to put in my video game. I want to make a list but I am not sure. Do I have to make it sync with the story or what? How do I know what I'm supposed to do. What levels am I supposed to choose? How do you choose your levels? Please tell me and I will get back to you.

Edited by: 3DWorlds

Suppose I were working with the war shooter genre, I could probably take five to ten maps, and create multiple missions for each one. Take an aircraft carrier map: You could have one mission where you clear the area so you can steal a plane. Then another where you return to the carrier, to find that it is once again overrun by the enemy...and you could still have more things added.
All that said, I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for either. What would be the main topic of the game?

Thanks, but the game isn't military themed really.Sorry if I wasn't clear on what I wanted. It's a whole bunch of things. But mainly Sci-Fi : Cyber Punk and Post Apocalyptic themed. But what you are basically saying is I need to look at the theme of my game and the story to come up with levels and have the characters actions based on the story to create missions right?

First off, what's the plot in the game? You say that it's Cyberpunk and Post Apocalyptic themed, yet those are two different things with different messages. Cyberpunk is often considered to be dystopian fiction where technology is a tool for oppression. Post apocalyptic stuff works usually consist of civilizations triumph over our destructive urges and man's search for identity when everything is stripped away.

If you do the first, have it in cities and either at twilight or night. cyberpunk stuff happens at night because that is when the criminal elements of a place come out to find work, and when places light up with activity. This place can be on a space station or underground, but it must have a level of urbanity to it. make the place seem like its alive with humanity, warts and all.

If you do the second, light or dark, make it empty. You are supposed to be looking upon the grand works of Ozymandias, of stuff that has ended because of folly. apocalypse is supposed to mean a cataclysmic change in the world, so emphasize the change, make interaction minimal and significant.

Or, just to try something different, do a dying earth story. There hasn't been enough of those.

best of luck to your endeavors into gamage.

Well, the story is about a kid named Rick who makes a silver clone of himself who sends him to a different galaxy. The evil clone has destroyed Earth through a explosion and the clone wants to take over the world making everyone else silver clones. The main character Rick is now in a tournament and must gather 5 friends to destroy the evil clone and win the tournament in the different galaxy.

So it's also set in different worlds.

Oh and post apocalyptic and Cyberpunk can go hand in hand. Like The Terminator. Where the world has been taken over by machines and the world has been destroyed so has mankind to fall. Post apocalyptic by day Cyberpunk at night.

Maybe I will try dying earth.

Kynosargos wrote: First off, what's the plot in the game? You say that it's Cyberpunk and Post Apocalyptic themed, yet those are two different things with different messages. Cyberpunk is often considered to be dystopian fiction where technology is a tool for oppression. Post apocalyptic stuff works usually consist of civilizations triumph over our destructive urges and man's search for identity when everything is stripped away.

If you do the first, have it in cities and either at twilight or night. cyberpunk stuff happens at night because that is when the criminal elements of a place come out to find work, and when places light up with activity. This place can be on a space station or underground, but it must have a level of urbanity to it. make the place seem like its alive with humanity, warts and all.

If you do the second, light or dark, make it empty. You are supposed to be looking upon the grand works of Ozymandias, of stuff that has ended because of folly. apocalypse is supposed to mean a cataclysmic change in the world, so emphasize the change, make interaction minimal and significant.

Or, just to try something different, do a dying earth story. There hasn't been enough of those.

best of luck to your endeavors into gamage.

I like it!

Thanks! I hope so.

Apparently you havent came out with much ill join and help out if you want

Well, on Porradaria Upgrade I did whatever I had in mind. (I was drunk)
I started with samurais, then on third level I put aliens in middle of a desert (drunk again) and the last boss is a space robot.
Do whatever your imagination can reach, that's my tip for you.

Oh yes, don't drink alcohol.

See ya,
CleanWater

Oh so just put down whatever and don't worry about it? Thanks. Might as well do that. I also found out excellent ways to transition levels one into each other.

CleanWater wrote: Well, on Porradaria Upgrade I did whatever I had in mind. (I was drunk)
I started with samurais, then on third level I put aliens in middle of a desert (drunk again) and the last boss is a space robot.
Do whatever your imagination can reach, that's my tip for you.

Oh yes, don't drink alcohol.

See ya,
CleanWater

Geez I could come up with 20 different levels with a story like that. And clearly you like Terminator so that could be your first source of inspiration. The most important aspect of coming up with a level is to set a specific theme right off the bat and stick to it. A mistake I see very often is people wanting to put too much stuff into a map, forgetting their original ideas in the process. Sometimes it helps to just come up with a name first. Think 'Wasteland', 'Army Outpost', 'Destroyed Factory' or 'Cloning Facility' (I can go on for hours). This will give you something to start with. That's my advice to you right now. Come up with some themes/subjects/titles that fit the world you wanna create in your game, and go from there.

"How do I know what I'm supposed to do."

Immerse the player in your world. There are no rules, just use your imagination.

Edited by: GC_Vos