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Level Design - Mad Science Lab (Feedback Welcome)

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1 comment, last by frob 7 years, 4 months ago

Here's a student level design project I've been working on for 3 weeks. It's design/feel is somewhat inspired by GoldenEye on the N64, any and all feedback is welcome. Thanks.

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It is ok.

I have to agree. It is okay. It isn't great, and it has plenty of room for improvement.

Here are my thoughts:

0:18 to 0:35. You have a short wall. Why is it there? It looks too short to provide cover from crouching, but is too tall to walk over. The pillar obstructs view, but I don't see what it is obstructing it for. Maybe you've got something else planned, but there is no reason for it I can see yet. I can see in your walkthrough in the second half it is a barrier you have to go back around to open the door, but why? The player has to double back, are you teaching them a lesson about something?

0:37 to 0:41. With the short wall. Is it meant to provide crouching cover? If so, should it be taller? In the walkthrough I notice the people on the catwalk could see you, and people in the room could see you.

0:38. That ladder is REALLY exposed. Looks like everybody in the entire area can target it and you'd be totally defenseless while climbing.

0:43 to 0:45. Why are there little barriers in the middle of the room? They're fairly exposed, and due to the high area behind it don't provide cover or serve any visible purpose. Decorative tables, perhaps? I'll assume they have something interesting related to the story, and aren't just alternatives to barrels and crates.

0:50 to 0:52, and 0:56 to 0:59. Big empty room you cross twice. Walkthrough shows there are three people-boxes in it, which you shoot while avoiding the guys on the catwalk raining down death from above. I'd expect in the scenario that the people in the room would be taking cover, getting instructions from the guys up on the catwalk, and are taking cover behind the arches while shooting at you as you tried to cross the big room with tiny barriers.

1:00 to 1:10. You have the walkway double-back on itself, but the second half can be completely protected with nowhere for any activity. It looks like a walk-through only zone. What's the point of it?

1:10 to 1:14. Ahh, the fully-protected no-danger hallway. Always a good choice for people wanting safe places to rest.

1:14 to 1:24. Good thing you could rest up in the hallway, because walking along the catwalk is visible to any survivors in all the rooms. I hope you can dodge bullets or avoid detection while trying to balance along the walkway, not falling to the rooms below.

1:25 to 1:40. Now you get to run through the bottom rooms again, once you've either killed everyone or avoided detection from exactly those same groups of people already.

The overall level isn't bad. It could be changed from "just okay" to "good" with a few thoughtful changes.

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