Level Order
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This week is, hopefully, the last week I will be doing levels for the game. A total number of 6 levels are completed. I do not keep tabs on exactly how many I have discarded, but many. Designing levels is much tougher than I expected, and it became much worse when trying to make the levels flow together coherently and beautifully enough to make it feel like a fun experience. And that is what this blog post is going to be about; my struggle to perfectly align a reasonable order of levels in order to deliver an experience that makes the player feel the way they should be.
For the so-far completed levels, the focus has been to progressively teach and test the player. Teach -> Test -> Teach -> Test, ad infinitum. Teaching typically focuses, as the name implies, on teaching the player what is featured and how it works. Following this, the aim is to see if the player has understood the concept. Additionally, I have placed a few levels wherein nothing happens. This because feedback given regarding the level design was to give the player space to breathe, time when they would be doing absolutely nothing but move forward. In doing so, parts with content would be given more weight.
Following is each stage, and the reasoning behind it: Level 1
Level 1, being the introduction level, is completely plain and void of all danger. It is designed to teach the player to play the game in a safe environment, all the while setting the mood for future danger.
Level 2
Level 2, originally intended to be the first level of the game, has now been moved to level 2. While it has received some changes from the image shown above, its core layout remains the same. It is the first level to show enemies.
Level 3
Level 3 is extremely plain. It is designed to be a breather and give the player a maximum of two minutes calm before truly testing them. This stage might possibly be featured at a later stage, which will be a result of testing. Additionally, it might feature a Sharptooth as to not make it plain and in effect boring. However, that might defeat the purpose. Again something that will become more evident in testing.
Level 4
Like level 2, level 4 has received some change from the image as shown above. The last enemy territory, as well as the Sharptooth following it, has been omitted. This stage is the first in which the player might loose their way. This is intended, foreshadowing upcoming complexity.
Level 5
Level 5 is the first true stage of the game. It features a complexity that the player is expected to navigate for an extensive time and features one enemy that can move across most of the stage, permanently placing the player in danger. It teaches nothing new, but is only meant to test all of the player’s knowledge.
Level 6
Level 6 is not as complex as the previous level. Something of a breather, it allows some exploration while all corridors still point at the exit point, or lead back to the start. Exploration is rewarded with ammo crates, not neccecary for completion but making gameplay easier. Slowfish is featured for the first time here, as well as a new powerup – Repellent, causing all enemies to avoid, rather than chase, the player.
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