Handling Exploration in games
Level is very natural like, forest with fantasy aspects. The trees (and general environment) will replicate normal nature, but with neon sci fi twists. A good use of colors will also be used, we can use different colors for some of these aspects. Pink/Cyan neon leaves. It will also have some abandoned structures around, but the main focus would still be the open nature areas.
The player focus will be consisting of movement and exploration. The player will find various Hollows and NPCs while exploring. The NPCs can sometimes hint the player to a Hollow location which would mark it on the map.
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Some of my goals with the level design:
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The level is open but simple
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The player can see all the landmarks since the beginning
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The player can see landmarks after completing a Hollow
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The player needs to use the grapple
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The forest contains 3 important and 2 optional landmarks
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The player can see the next area and previous area from the forest (not loaded)
Design Philosophies - Landmarks and Rule of Thirds
​This level is the introduction for “Big Areas” which consist of exploration and finding the hollows to progress. These big areas use a lot of level design methods such as LANDMARKS, color theory, breadcrumbs and leading lines. For big levels and exploration of open areas, these methods are extremely important so that the player can explore, but never get lost.
As soon as the player enters the level, they will be in a tall mountain where they can see all the landmarks, from here the player gets all the freedom to explore, and they will always know where to go if needed.
Since this is the starting big area, this level is also more flat than the following levels, with the intention of making the player feel comfortable exploring, and the next big zones are more complex now that the player gets used to the mechanics.
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After completing a section of the forest, the player mostly ends up in a tall area, so they can have a clear vision of the landscape and decide their next destination
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Landmarks / Points of Interest
As the player enters the level the will easily be able to easily identify the landmarks. They spawn and see, from left to right, a village, a tower, an entrance, a big tree, a lake, and a forest. From here, the player can decide where to go, and the landmarks have been stablished from the beginning.
I used rule of thirds to stablish the very first scene that the player sees when they spawn in the level. ALL of the important landmarks can be seen within the first few seconds of starting the level.
From the first time you enter the level, you can clearly see big landmarks to have a reference on where to go. Also keeping the rule of thirds in mind to indicate important aspects of the level, such as where to go next, who to talk to, and general goals.
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I also added a lot of level design strategies to guide the player. Leading Lines, Breadcrumbs, lights, movement, and colors that pop out. These small things help the player a lot on guidance and not getting lost while exploring.
Sketches and Top Down Images
From the beginning, I wanted the player to see and recognize all the landmarks. Using the rule of thirds, I created this scenery that resembles the path they need to take. Here I'm showing off the important landmarks, which the player will remember when wondering where to go.
