GAM 341 Introduction to Level Design
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Summary
Level design is the art of creating believable environments, stages and missions for video games. This course explores topics including architecture, flow, pacing, and puzzles. Using a 3D level editor?Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), students will investigate technical design issues including the construction, texturing, lighting, and scripting of modern game levels. The roles, duties and challenges of the level designer will also be discussed.
Specifically, we will be focusing our attention on how games use space, audio/visual cues, flow and pacing to create goals, cues, and challenges for players. We?ll be using UE4 and its Blueprint visual scripting system to practice basic level design techniques, such as blockouts, scripted events (switches and triggers), the writing of accounting narratives and walkthroughs, and the creation of maps.
Please note that this course in not a course about learning to use UE4, although you will be expected to learn aspects of the engine in order to create levels for the course. All assets used in the course will be from free examples/samples found in UE4, as our focus in not on the creation of innovation art or audio but on the creation of mechanic-driven levels. No prior art or programming experience is required. It is expected that you have taken GAM 245 and thus come to the class with basic game design knowledge.
By the end of this course students should be comfortable working in 3D environments and designing interesting spaces given a set of constraints and mechanics.
Texts
Selected readings and videos will be accessible via D2L and the web. Access to these resources is free. Information on assigned reading and viewing is provided in the GAM 341 Course Guide posted on D2L, as well as in each individual Challenge Guide.
Grading
Weighted Breakdown
Community: 35%
Level Design Challenges: 62%
Project Management: 3%
Prerequisites
GAM 245
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
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