Week 5 – Level Design: Layout and Level Blockout Process 1 (Village + Mining Rail Station)

Map Layout -

I first started off doing research on Level Design related sources to help me with my flow of creating my level. I started off with a simple map layout to place where I would want my key areas to be. This might not be the final layout of my level as using my research on level design I have learnt that ideas drawn on paper will not necessarily work out when implemented into the Blockout stage. Therefore I decided to be flexible with the layout of my level design.

Level Blockout -

The process in which I work for level design normally begins with blocking out the starting area for the player. This layout was inspired from the mood board as I thought this would be a good landmark for the player’s house.

After doing the basic layout for the house I started to flesh out the level a bit more with blocks. I like to add the detail with blocks rather than saving this for the art pass as it helps me visualise the style of level design I’m going for I decided to work with this method as later on it should help artists I work with in projects to easily decide which art assets we need for levels. I personally think that Level Layouts and Blackouts are the easiest way a designer can communicate with our fellow artists/programmers in the industry when working together.

Adding further detail to my level I went on to create wooden bridges/platforms to create a miniature seaport area. Later on when I start blueprinting for my level layouts I am hoping to make this have a purpose in my level layout or keep it as a level aesthetic.

To help me level design, I always create prefabs that I can repeat later on in my levels when I Blockout. This saves me time in my process of level design as I can just grab the prefab that I created with blocks and bring it into my level. This is also the same for my village. Since after the player area I wanted to move on to create the village that he enters in. I created different shapes of buildings that I thought my village would need, such as a Windmill, Houses, Blacksmith, Inn’s etc.

Moving on from this, I then start using my prefabs to flesh out my level Blockout. I wanted some areas to have a landmark such as the farm area having a Windmill at the top of the hill that the player would be able to see.

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Mining Area

Using the same process in creating my village I wanted to create my mining area that I wanted to make as a platform level later. These Blockout prefabs will be help me visualise my level layout.

I started off from the mining camp at the bottom and created a straight path that diverts into two different paths. Since I wanted this level to have verticality I created different heights for the mining carts to go through the route. For my inspiration for this level I used the critique of my peers while working while looking at train tracks and car highways for reference.

This is the mining area fully blocked out, I shaped the environment around the rail way level to let the player have different heights and paths for the player to navigate while they are in the level. The mine carts later on in my level will be on a spline tool to move around the railways.

This is the first area in my village level which the player will walk into. From the eating area an npc will tell them that help is needed in market area.

The farm area is by the eating area. This is mostly for aesthetic purposes which will have some collectables placed around for the player to explore it.

This is the market area. I wanted to make this area more open than the other areas as I realised the other two areas seemed slightly cramped. I am going to make this my first quest area for my level.

The fishing/boat port area is placed near the player’s house. I wanted to make this a level aesthetic for the village as village’s normally have a boat/fishing area. This is the first week update of my level Blockout where I will move on the next areas.