Improvisation #1 cont.

As I promised, the following is an account on the polish passes for Improvisation #1.

Polish Passes for Improvisation #1

• Title, Text, and Information: A simple spell check took care of a lot for this polish pass. However, I decided to add three specific text blocks to the level to help inform the player about a few troubling parts of the level. 1) How to use the jump pads. 2) Where the goal is located. 3) How players must grab the tip of the giant rotating triangle at the top right of the stage. Though I wanted to do without these communication crutches, I realize that it's better to inform the player and reduce a large amount of stress then risk confusion, frustration, and quitting. I updated the description to include this blog, the difficulty of the level, and the name Kandinsky in case people can't remember the title.

• Graphics. With the limitations of the coloring system in LBP, I was forced to compromise my original vision. Instead of flat, specific, colors to decorate the stage, I used a lot more multicolored textures and patterns. In general, I tried to use the warm colors (yellow, orange, red) to demote grabable surfaces. I also colored the floaters near the "end" of the level to match the circles that they're emitted from. This way, it should be even more clear that lining up the red or yellow shape makes red or yellow floaters appear. 
• I took special care to go over every shape and use the corner tool to clean up the haggard edges I had cut when I quickly built the foundations of the level. This tool is gold. Every player needs to learn to use it.
• Finally, I turned the big circle at the top left of the stage into glass so that the circle orbiting behind it can easily be seen.

• Lights/Camera. Improvisation #1 is a platforming level unlike any other I've played. Considering the variety of shapes and spaces for their positive and negative influences, I had to specifically position cameras throughout the entire level. 24 to be exact. Each camera was carefully tuned to show the player the areas directly relevant to platforming as well as the areas they should go next. By angling the camera toward the main path and eventually to the goal, the player is gently guided by an invisible hand.

• Sound. Checking the sound design was more of an artistic endeavour than a mechanical/functional one. I mainly let loose when setting the note value for each sound object like I do when improvising on the piano. I may have lost count, but I'm sure I have more than 390 individual sound objects in the level. Through play testing I found that there wasn't enough left and right hand balance when playing alone.So I went back and added more bass (left hand) notes around the level.  With 2-3 players, the improvisation flows nicely as the different styles and skill levels of the platforming create music. 
• I wanted every significant path and every way to play/platform to reward the player musically. For example, while swinging on the pink wench, by rocking back and form, players can create a little unique melody. Rewarding sounds is a part of the sound design and gameplay design.
• Finally, I changed the big floater near the end of the level to make a sound when the player gets near. In this way, when emitted, the floater creates a cue for the player to jump and grab it, which eases a lot of frustration.

• Flow. I designed the level from the start to have a lot of flow between each section. Though experiencing the flow may require some advanced platforming techniques, the player never has to wait for the level to set itself up. From the very beginning to the very end, the player is submerged in music and action. Even when falling all the way back down, with a little skill, you can get right back up to the top of the level in a few seconds. Also, with all the different platforming/musical paths to take, you're never playing the same game/song twice.

• Points & Secrets. I went over the entire level and added point bubbles to encourage the player to experience many of the unique platformings paths and possibilities in the level. As long as you see points, you can platform to it. That's how Mario did it. That's how I did it. And it's worked out pretty well so far.

 Those are all the polish pass I discussed in the original Designer's Workshop article. Since then, I've come up with a few more, some of which are specific to LittleBigPlanet.

• Check Points: I think everyone can learn from the example I set in Improvisation #1. Though I didn't put a single hazardous element in the entire level, I still added 3 checkpoints. I did this for a few reasons. 1) Especially in LBP, players will always find a way to kill themselves. The game is just too emergent to eliminate death altogether. 2) If the player ever fell to the bottom of the level, they always have the option of trying again and teleporting back up.
  
• So, if your level is more dangerous than Improvisation #1 by any degree, then you need to be sure to place check points that demark gameplay ideas.

• Level Boundaries: Make sure that you take extra precautions to seal off the "level from the level." What I mean by this is, we're given a very large space to create a level in. If you don't use all of that space, be sure that the player can't escape into the "no man's land." Remember, LBP is very emergent. Just because you don't think players can slip through the cracks doesn't mean they won't.
• Also, if you have an "elephant graveyard" of spare bits and broken bobs hanging out in your no man's land, then be sure to delete them. There's no point in wasting server space or prolong the download times. Just because it's electronic doesn't mean we should be wasteful.

• Multiplayer Possibility: In LBP there's no way to make a level for single player only. Even if you were clever enough and cruel enough to design a device that senses the extra weight of additional players and drops everyone do their continual doom, multiple players can still get in the door. So, if multiple players can get in, then it's good to take a pass over the level to see how it holds up to multiple players. Does multiplayer break certain challenges? Does it make things more interesting?
  
• I found that the center of the level in Improvisation #1 tends to separate players and push them past the camera limit. This is one of the reasons why I put a checkpoint gate on this center structure. It gives everyone a chance to meet back up.
• If you need help gathering additional players to test your levels, try these techniques.

1. Publish your level and hang out in it online. People will randomly drop in and you can observe how they take to your level and even ask them questions.
2. Play online with strangers until you get in a party of 2-4 players. Then you can either ask them to follow you, or leave and see if they join up. If they do, take them straight to your level.

• Awkward Layered Geometry: In LittleBigPlanet, haphazardly layering up objects that exist in different planes can create awkward control issues. The game AI that automatically switches the Sackpeople between lanes gets confused when the platforming possibilities are too close to each other intersecting in every direction. Go through your level and see if there are any awkward lane switching areas. Switching back and forth from fly and stand mode in the create mode is the best way to test.
• With Improvisation #1, I had to add a wafer thin piece of glass in front of the loopy section on the right side of the main rotating piece in the center of the level. Before, when players MOMENTUM JUMPed, they would get caught up in all the different nooks and crannies. It was also difficult for players to get out of these nooks because the auto lane change would suck them back into another cranny. After I added the glass cover, I cut a hole in the top so players have a clear entrance and exit. Problem solved.
  

• Playtester Suggestions Pass: If you're lucky enough to get playtesters that take the time to comment on your level and make suggestions, you should make a special pass in consideration of what they had to say. This doesn't mean take all or any of their suggestions. But, as a general rule of thumb, honest playtesters are usually right. If you don't have a really good, design based reason to ignore their suggestion, then you should probably accept it.

That's it for Improvisation #1. I'm a bit surprised I made it out so quickly from start to finish with such results. I guess I owe it all to the process. The level has been very well received so far. John Davison even mentioned it on the Black Friday episode of 1upYours.

"There was one I saw today where someone was taking Kandinsky paintings and turning them into LittleBigPlanet. And trying to like go further than just the cosmetic. He was using custom soundtracks... trying to evoke the spirit of the painting through the level. Like really treating it like an art project." ~ John Davison

I'll continue to update this page with the discourse surrounding the level as it develops.

Thanks to anyone who has played Improvisation #1, mentioned it, or read anything about it.

Stay.... tuned.

LBP Workshop: Sequence Breaking

After discussing alternate paths, we're ready to talk about sequence breaking. Wikipedia has a great definition. Sequence Breaking...

is the act of performing actions or obtaining items out of the intended linear order, or of skipping “required” actions or items entirely. Sequence breaking is often used to beat a game unusually quickly, to beat it while only completing a few objectives or obtaining a few items, to obtain useful items early in the game, or to help push a game as far as possible in some other way.

Speed runners naturally look for ways to play a game out of order if that means shaving off game time. For a speed runner, if they can go from the very beginning of a game to the last boss and beat him, then their mission is complete.

Some players, speed runners or otherwise, use glitches or "exploits" to sequence break. For a good example, check out this speed run of Super Mario 64 beaten in 5:47. While I don't have a problem with this extreme kind of gameplay, from a level designer's point of view, it's hard to design a level around the glitches/exploits players will discover. Also, such glitches/exploits would definitely be categorized as high level advanced techniques that only a handful of players would ever see let alone master and use for some kind of purpose. For the design that's promoted on this blog, we'll be focusing on the kind of sequence breaking design that's a clear, reasonably advanced, and intentionally designed.

To analyze sequence breaking at its finest, we'll be looking at one of the best action/Nintendo/games of all time.

The Process of Sequence Breakable Design

If you haven't played Super Metroid, you should buy it for virtual console immediately. If you have played it and hopefully beaten it, then watch at least 5 minutes of this speed run.

I used to think that the level design of Super Metroid was so complex with its connected world, alternate paths, folded level design, and high level sequence breaking design, that it would be impossible to understand how Nintendo did it let alone teach others how to design similar quality levels. I thought that about a year ago. Since then, writing for the Critical-Gaming Blog has developed my critical eye to break down Super Metroid's design.

Here's how they possibly did it, and how you can too.

• Include little to no artificial restrictions. If the main or intended order of progression involves getting a sword, then shield, then horse, don't prevent the player from using the horse if they manage to obtain it before getting their shield and/or sword. If the player gets it, then make sure they can use it. If the player figures out how to solve the mystery, don't make them talk to the fixed order of NPCs before being able to input the right answer. Creating restrictions like these are a type of invisible wall that players will run into.
• In Super Metroid, if the player finds a powerup, weapon, or special item, they can immediately use it. For example, in the video, the player obtains hidden super missiles (7:30) far earlier than he would have on the main path and uses them to dispose of Kraid easily (11:00).

• Create "locks" on progression that are unlocked with the use of character abilities as "keys." When the player can obtains a new abilities that upgrade how they explore the game world, it becomes easy to design paths that are restricted until the player uses that ability. In this way a "lock" can be created without necessarily making a physical barrier. This design is great because of how the existing stage is transformed by the new abilities giving the player new areas to explore and new ways to move around previously visited areas. If the ability isn't an exploration enhancement (ie. a weapon) creating specific "locks" is the next best thing.
• In Super Metroid, obtaining the morph ball powerup, the speed booster, gravity suit, space jump, and grappling beam obviously help Samus get around the environment in new ways. Additionally, there are barriers, doors, and areas that can only be opened by using missiles, super missiles, bombs, power bombs, the screw attack, the ice beam, and the wave beam. In this way, the Super Metroid weapon powerups are designed to transform the world in addition to augmenting Samus' firepower.
• The combination of exploration enhancing upgrades and "ability locks" is used to restrict and guide the player along the main paths of progression. At the same time, this design ensures that by obtaining a single powerup out of order/early, the potential paths of progression dynamically shift and open up.

• Design the overall level with as many folds (normal, accordion, origami) as possible and maximize space. By using folds to maximize space, zones are naturally created. These zones are very useful to have when you start adding in alternate paths. Even when separate rooms or hallways are disconnected from each other, their proximity will create opportunity to create bridges and connections between them. If you want the player to be able to grasp the bigger picture, it helps when the bigger picture makes sense spatially. Also, the player can save time and break sequences by avoiding the need to travel back through an area after the crease especially if they've obtained an early ability.
• In Super Metroid, the overall game map is packed (see above). Aside from the many connections individual rooms (cells) have to their neighbors, the entire top half of the game map is connected to the middle via 4 elevator shafts. Because everything is so compactly designed, the player is never too far from a main or alternate path to the area they want to be.

• The main path must be designed around the simple use of the game's core mechanics while providing alternate paths designed around advanced mechanics/techniques. A new player must feel guided through the game by how the level restricts access to areas until the player is ready to traverse them. This is how most games are designed. To limit the new player to the main path, the barriers don't don't have to be so obvious with the excessive use of locked doors for example. Instead, if you design an alternative path that's inaccessible unless the player uses an advanced technique, then everyone wins.
• In Super Metroid, the entire game is designed so that the player can slowly but steadily make it from the beginning to the end. However, Samus features some hidden abilities/mechanics that give players the power to access many new paths if they have the skill. The WALLKICK is a key secret mechanic. I played through the entire game before realizing I had the ability to scale walls all along. As you can see in the video, the player uses this advanced technique to access many powerups and areas far earlier than the main path player would.

• Include useful/functional secrets like alternate paths and powerups. It's nice to find or collect secrets in a video game. It's even better to find/collect secrets that have real impact on the gameplay or the player's progression through the game. Some examples of substantial secrets are powerups that give the player unique abilities (Tanooki Suit), or hidden paths that connect one part of a game world to another (warp whistle). The interesting part of a secret is, players tend to remember/collect them over time. Nowadays, gamers who grew up on Super Mario Brothers or SMB3 have a little database of secrets for every level. For one reason or another, secrets just stick with us.
• In Super Metroid, the many hidden missiles, super missiles, power bombs, energy tanks, and reserve tanks upgrades can be uncovered at any time as long as the player can get to them. It's clear in the video that the player knows where all the powerups are can gather powerful abilities early in the game. For the player who doesn't have everything mapped out, simply remembering where secrets are helps the player reclaim powerups mostly likely earlier than when they first stumbled across the secret on previously play throughs. 

• Balance mandatory and optional events like bosses. It's neat that players can rearrange their progression through a game to achieve super low times. As a designer, we want the player to find their own way to play through the core experience, not skip everything they can. In order to ensure that even the sequence breaking speed runner plays the game/level you design, you must balance the number and the type of mandatory events/obstacles the player must go through to complete the game.
• In Super Metroid, there are at least two mini bosses (Spore Spawn (green), Crocomire (red) see above) that the player doesn't have to fight at all. At the same time, the final elevator to access the final area and go fight Mother Brain can only be unlocked after defeating the the 4 major bosses (Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley).

LBP and Beyond

LittleBigPlanet is a great game for designing sequence breakable levels for many reasons.

1. The creator gives players a nice large area to work with.
2. Players have full control of a variety of switches.
3. Because everything is physics based, all the puzzles, obstacles, and elements easily yeild highly organic design. 
4. There's a high level of potential emergence in the core design for creating advanced paths, secrets, and powerups.

I am currently working on a LBP level that demonstrates everything we've covered about level design so far. Should be very interesting. Stay tuned.

LBP Workshop: Alternate Paths

Though I've already covered alternate paths when I detailed the different types of level design, there are many interesting extensions to designing alternate paths that are worthy of special attention. Depending on the implementation of alternate paths, the overall design of a level can function more like an accordion, origami, or pure organic level. But one of the most interesting outcomes of well designed alternate paths is sequence breaking especially in the context of speed running. Let's take this one step at time.

Alternate paths in linear games like the 2D Mario platformers or racing games (short cuts) are the most basic use. Whether you go down pipes to skip parts of the level, take ramps to jump over obstacles, or break bricks to run along the top of the screen (see above), such alternate paths generally offer some variety in what would otherwise be a fairly linear progression. But don't be fooled. Just because a game offers multiple paths doesn't mean it also offers any more gameplay variety. It's possible to create an alternate path that plays the same as the original path and fails to offer any kind of short cut or bonus of any kind. If this happens, then the function of the alternate path detracts from the overall level due to the added clutter.

A few things to watch out for concerning alternate paths in linear levels...

• The frequency of alternate paths should be kept low and balanced against the main path. In order to maintain the idea of a core path and alternate paths, you have to make sure the core path is the most obvious and/or the most used path. Just think of the madness that would ensue if every pipe in Super Mario Brothers warped you to somewhere else forward, backward, or even to another level.
• The alternate path should be out of the way or concealed in some manner. This simply means players should have to skillfully access an alternate path. (Remember that skill is based on 5 types. Knowledge, Timing, Reflex, Dexterity, and Adaptation).
• The player should be able to orient the alternate path to the main path. An alternate path shouldn't completely remove the player from the main path as if teleporting the player into a completely new level/game. The player should be able to orient him/herself to the main path. Being able to do this will help the player realize how the paths are connected and share the same space, which reinforces the concept of an alternate path. Many games provide maps so that players can orient themselves when necessary.
• Alternate paths for linear levels are evaluated just like normal sections of the level with a few additions. You must also consider how the player accesses the alternate path and how, if at all, the path connects back to the main/other paths.

Yoshi's Valley from Mario Kart 64 is all about alternate paths. Here's a map and a video. Just try and make sense of who's in first. The game can't even tell until the end.

Another classic example of alternate paths is one of the greatest secrets in Super Mario Bros. 3. Aside from the branching paths, locked gates, and warp pipes built into the overworld (see above), SMB3 takes jumping paths to a new level. Just watch the first 2 minutes or so if this speed run and you'll see what I mean.

When a game is designed with levels where players can progress in all directions instead of just left to right or around the track, even when going from point A to point B, the possible paths open up greatly. The bigger the level, the more opportunities there are to connect sections of the level in unique ways. This is especially true for LittleBigPlanet. Let's look at Improvisation #1.

 click to enlarge

Start at the bottom left and trace the RED line to the top of the level. This line represents the main path I designed for players to take. This path is the most forgiving and/or requires the least amount of advanced platforming techniques. Notice how the path generally moves form left to right. Though the LBP engine is free to create levels that progress in any direction, because Westerns read from left to right there's something familiar and comforting about designing at least some part of a level with this trend.  

Next look at the ORANGE lines. These are alternate paths that can take players all over the map. With the advanced technique of MOMENTUM JUMPing, players can use the center piece of the level to access the majority of the areas. When doing so, it's clear to the player that they're branching off from the main path because of how much space they have to cover to reach the new areas. On the main path, the connected areas are always positioned closely to each other. Also, the camera is tilted in these alternate areas to point the player back to the main path. Notice how most of the alternate paths are anchored to the center piece of the level. This design decision makes it easier for the player to make a mental map of the level.

The YELLOW paths are designed to help the player bridge areas of the level and strengthen their mental map. I designed the camera to accommodate the player traveling along the main (RED) path first. Naturally when traveling through alternate routes, the camera positions may obscure nearby areas. By taking the yellow paths, the final pieces of the big picture should come together for the player.

Not only is the PURPLE path is the most open ended, non linear path in the level, but it's the most advanced requiring a high level of skill and mastery of the whole level to navigate successfully. The area at the top right of the level emits 2 different kinds of floaters. One is large allowing the player to float up to the top and beat the level. The smaller floater serves a more complex purpose. This small floater doesn't have enough lift power to fly with a Sackperson holding on tight. So instead of flying, player slowly fall when holding on. Because the floater is emitted into the foremost layer, it only interacts with a few other objects in the level including the rotating piece in the middle. This design allows players to "fall with style" and access difficult to reach parts of the map by being knocked around by the center piece. Also, because the emitter can be aimed in all directions, players can create their own way to go.

There are still additional paths for Improvisation #1 that I didn't map out. The momentum jump and the 3 lane 3D design of LBP really go a long way for designing alternate paths. I designed Improvisation #1 to have a dynamic center piece that will allows the player to stumble onto many difference paths and therefore musical directions before reaching their end goal. In this way, I harmonized the alternate paths of the level design with the core gimmick/theme; improvisation.

Next time, I'll cover what is perhpas the ultimate form of alternate paths... sequence breaking.