These are map guidelines from iG Studios, made public as a resource for others to use.
These guidelines are based on other guidelines, and are made mostly in the context for FPS Maps, but most rules apply generally.
Verticality
Verticality is extremely important in map design and can separate a good map from a bad one. Verticality can create vantage points, landmarks, occlusion/cover, focal points, and style expression. It can be used to improve variety, design, and strategy in a game, especially a multiplayer one.
Not only that, but verticality just feels natural. In the real world, we do not live on a flat plane with a few randomly placed ramps and blocks; the world has a variety of height more or less depending on the context.
Verticality should be achieved through landmarks, map layout, terrain, and more.
Verticality is a way to expand strategy, anybody higher will have an advantage.
“Raid,” from Call of Duty Black Ops II, is a perfect representation of how verticality isn’t the focus, but provides immense variety and strategy for players.
Landmarks and Focal Points
Landmarks are defined as “unique and memorable locations” to your level. Landmarks can be used to separate parts of a map, and to stand out from the style the rest of the map follows. They can be used as both layout and decoration in the map.
Focal Points are used to guide a player’s eyes to a certain area. If you want players to look at, go to, or play around a certain area, use focal points.
Choke Points are the most common fighting areas of the map. Having too many choke points feels too overwhelming, but keep in mind having too few feels boring.
Occlusion
Occlusion is also known as cover. Occlusion creates strategy and variety in a map, and if done correctly, can drastically improve gameplay overall. You can do any of the following, using all will make a map feel good:
- Provide cover, but not occlusion from an object. An example of this is something you can see players but cannot be shot through.
- Provide both cover and occlusion with verticality; can be done with structures, walls, terrain, etc.
- Provide occlusion but not cover; this hides information from the player but leaves them vulnerable still.
Occlusion feels best when done with structures, layout, and props in good harmony. Overly relying on one of the three will make the map feel boring and repetitive.
Coherence
World Coherence is making the level consistent with the reality of the game. If a game is cartoony, then the world will be more open, low poly, etc. For something like Caliber, maps are designed around close-range areas, pixel-peek angles, etc.
Design Coherence is basically conveying messages to the player based on the scheme of the game. Keep a consistent theme in the map.
Flow is created by these two; good flow makes a map feel smooth and moderately complex. Good flow means the map doesn’t feel janky to move around.
Choices
Players should have options in navigating a map. Good maps give players the opportunity to have many ways to do one thing.
The Whiteboard Test
Robert Yang from debacle gives a good representation of this test:
To have your map pass the whiteboard test, you need to rank no lower than “Expert.”
This can be achieved by sometimes not using grid snapping for movement/rotation, curvature, etc.
The whiteboard test determines how well you break away from a video-game grid, and into complex layout.
Sources
- Good FPS Map Design – Celia Alexis Wagar's CritPoints
- PRACTICAL GUIDE ON FIRST PERSON LEVEL DESIGN | by IronEqual | IronEqual | Medium
Note
Please note these guidelines are used within iG-Studios as required aspects, but they do not determine other contexts. Take everything with a grain of salt.
More posts like this
This post is part of a series! See the below for all development guidelines:
- Map Guidelines
- Animation Guidelines
- Map Guidelines (Coming Soon)
- Programming Guidelines
