Planning and Designing a Level

This chapter takes a close look at designing maps. There's little actual technical info in here, rather it's a guide on what to do, what to avoid, posting your level, and so on.

Running UnrealEd
Before Starting
Pros and Cons of using real-world maps
Using DOOM/Duke/Quake maps
Designing the Level
DeathMatch Level Design
Once your Level is done

Running UnrealEd

A lot of people have problems getting the editor to run in the first place. UnrealEd is currently still in the beta phase, and it shows at times.

Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them:

RAM

You need lots of RAM to run UnrealEd. Large maps can use over 200MB (!), so make sure your virtual memory setting is high enough.
As Windoze is too stupid to manage its own virtual memory efficiently, I suggest forcing Windoze to create a permanent swap file. I've set the minimum size equal to the maximum size (250MB), and this seems to work okay.
You'll also want to run a defrag over your hard drive after changing this, making sure the swap file is in one piece (this'll speed things up).

VB5 runtime library

Incredibly, UnrealEd makes use of Visual Basic. Most probably, you won't have the necessary DLLs on your system (I wouldn't touch this junk), thus you'll have to download them from Epic Megagames: vbrun50.zip
Unzip it, run the SETUP.EXE and reboot your PC afterwards.

RichText Fix

Another fix you should apply afterwards is this one: RichTextFix.zip.
Unzip the two files included into your \Windows\System directory, but be sure to backup your original files first.

Before Starting

I know you're eager to start building the level (why else are you reading this FAQ?), but there are several things you should do before firing up the editor and designing away:
Play the Game
Play the whole game from start to finish. This will give you lots of ideas on what is possible and what you'd like to do.
Look critically at how things happen: doors opening, aliens suddenly appearing, lights changing, gears rotating...
View the Maps
Use UnrealEd to have a close look at the existing maps.
How do these doors open? What kinds of tricks were used to work around the limitations of the engine? Where are sounds used, and to what effect? How many (or how few) polygons are in the players view at any time? Things like that.
Have a Theme
Please. Don't build yet another crashed spaceship. We've got several already!
Try to think of something original and take some time to really think about what you're trying to do: the New York traffic? A nuclear power station? An underwater base? A barren planetoid surface?
Also try to think what would fit into the theme and what wouldn't - make a list.
A .TXT file with a short story setting the mood and explaining your mission is also nice.
Draw a Map
Take some graph paper and draw the whole map first. Believe me, your level is going to be lots better this way. You'll be able to take your time and think about everything you want to include.
Another approach is to just make a rough sketch of the map with a good theme and create everything 'on the fly'. That's the way it usually ends up anyway :), but the map-drawing approach does produce nicer-looking maps.
Less is More
Zen, yes. Also known as the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Remember that you have lots of tools and tricks to create a map - don't use them all! Don't include, for example, lava just because you can. Don't use the force fields in a non-futuristic level. Leave out the security monitors in a medieval castle.
Rather build several levels, each based on one or two ideas.
Keep it Small
This sounds strange, seeing that Unreal can handle such large rooms, but beginners usually make the mistake of designing cyclopean buildings. Massive forecourts, towering walls, huge gloomy halls - all empty.
Rather keep the rooms small and full of detail - they will be more interesting and the game will run faster.
Time
You'll need loads of it. Buckets full. Much more than you think.
Especially the lightning, scripting and testing will take days.
Have a look at the original levels and see just how much time and care has been spent on them. Don't post a level which is substantially below the niveau of the original maps - nobody will like it.
Oh, and please spell-check your text messages.
Data
It is said that you should write what you know, and the same applies to level design.
If you've never really looked hard at a subway station, don't try to create one. Before designing houses or castles, have a look at some architectural handbooks - it's really worth it. Because your buildings mustn't just look good, they must also look realistic...
Read this FAQ
Don't jump into drawing your level half-way through reading this FAQ - wait until you have a good idea just what is possible with the Unreal engine.
Your First Level
Face it. Your first level is going to be something you'll be ashamed of after designing your third map. Don't post it.
Remember: the longer you spend on planning your map before actually starting work on it, the better it will become. Very very few expert mappers create their artworks by simply starting the editor up and fiddling around.

Pros and Cons of using real-world maps

There are lots of levels based on maps of the real world. Maps of your campus (hello, first years!), maps of your dorm, your apartment, your house.
The question is, should you use them?

Advantages

Real-world maps are drawn by professionals (ok, ok, I've also seen houses designed by blind idiots) who know what they are doing.
They don't forget to make the outer walls thicker than the inner ones. They don't forget the kitchen or the storage space. The halls are of the right width...in short, the whole map is realistic and believable.

Also, it's real quick creating a level from such a map since you don't have to think and design as much.

Finally, it's a great way to learn how the editor works as it forces you to implement some things you might otherwise be too lazy to work out (this, In My Most Unhumble Opinion, is actually the most important reason, especially in the beginning).

Disadvantages

Such maps are also boring.
Believe it or not, but most architects didn't design their block of flats for gun-toting maniacs chasing each other through the corridors.
There are too few places to hide and the map typically has a simple, utilitarian look.

Scale is a hassle as well. Ever looked real closely at a subway station? It's actually very big and empty. And very boring as an Unreal level.
So you'll have to scale everything down by quite a lot anyway.

Remember that it's great fun for yourself to run through a virtual representation of your house - but others who don't know you might find such a map terribly boring.

And the biggest disadvantage of all: you don't think enough about your level. The more time you spend mentally planning your world, the better it will become.

Using DOOM/Duke/Quake maps

Using a variety of converters (see the section on converters), you can import maps from other engines to Unreal.

Do everybody a favour: don't.
And here's why:

  1. We've seen these maps already.
  2. They aren't designed to take advantage of the Unreal engine.
  3. They aren't designed to work with the new monsters or the new weapons.
  4. It's a heck of a lot of work checking a level after conversion (for example, switches won't work), and it's easy to mess things up and even forget textures and the like.
  5. Many traps won't work, as the player can now move differently. This is especially obvious with DOOM maps (player can jump now) or Duke (player can't use a Jetpack).

Designing the Level

When designing a level, keep in mind that there is no formula telling you how to build a fun level. Unfortunately, I can't just tell you "Do this and that, and everybody will love your level".
But I can give you some tips and pointers.

Level Types

There are basically four types of maps:

Single Player

Single player maps are typically large and intricate, full of detail and clever monster ambush points. They are aimed at people who play them on their own.
For example, nearly everybody here in Germany plays in single- player mode, as the telephone rates are simply shocking.

Such levels take the longest to produce, and need the most careful debugging.

Co-Op

Few levels are actually designed for co-op playing only. If they are, they are larger versions of single-player levels, with a lot more monsters and perhaps the odd trap which can only be passed via teamwork.

DeathMatch

Since the original levels in Unreal are very very good as both single player and (usually, anyway) co-op, most people create DeathMatch-only maps.
These maps are small and fast, concentrating on action instead of the surroundings.
This doesn't mean that detail should be overlooked, though.

These maps need to be playtested a lot to make sure they're actually fun to play. Typically, they don't include much detail and you won't find any monsters, either.

My Room/Flat/Dorm/House/School/Town

These levels attempt to copy a real-world place with as much accuracy as possible. They are typically rather boring and only of interest to the people who know the place well.
The only use I personally see for such levels is to learn how to use the editor.

Choosing a Level Type

Your new level will usually be one of the above - very few maps succeed at being good at everything.

Single player levels are relatively easy to do - all you need is a good idea, lots of imagination and plenty of time. If you make the level large enough, you might be able to combine it with a co-op level.

DeathMatch levels are surprisingly difficult to create. Not only do tastes differ (by a lot! For example, do I Hide&Snipe or Chase&Blast?), but you have to do a lot of testing to make the level just right.
And even then, it'll only be just right for you, and others might not like it at all. See the section DeathMatch Level Design below.

The 'My very own room in VirtualReality MultiMedia DataHighway CyberSpace (tm)' theme we'll leave to the VisualBasic weenies.

Random Tips and Thoughts

## Feedback needed! In this section, I'd like to simply list tips and tricks to keep in mind while designing a level.

Working with UnrealEd

Do the rough work first
Build your house (or dungeon, or space station, or whatever) like you would build it in real life: start with the outer walls, add the rough rooms, connect everything up and only then add the details: glass in the windows, different textures, etc.
Save your Work
Save your level a lot. Use the 'Save As...' option to create several versions of your level. Thus, if an idea goes wrong, you can always return to an earlier version.
The more backups you have, the happier you'll be when (not if) UnrealEd nukes your map.
I hate to state the obvious, but you shouldn't trust your hard drive, either. Make copies onto disks.

Do

Scale
Make sure the scale of your map is all right. Remember that scale is important! Unreal levels are usually smaller that their real-world counterparts.
Realism
Try to make everything look as realistic as possible:
wooden ceilings are usually tilted and are held up with massive beams. Often, corners of rooms (especially large ones) will be held up by stone pillars. And so on.
Lights
Light doesn't just come out of nowhere. Remember to place light sources and lamps.
Also, please don't overdo the use of colored light, it can look very artificial indeed.
Textures
Nothing breaks a game mood as fast as a misaligned texture! I know that UnrealEd can't align textures automatically (except floors and ceilings), so you'll be spending a lot of time fiddling with the Texture Pan option.

Don't

Monsters appearing
Please don't overuse the effect of monsters warping in! It's so darn unrealistic! Rather open a hidden door or somesuch, and have the opponents boil out from there.
Half-done Levels
Don't post half-finished levels to let others see your 'work in progress'.
What for? You'll only make a bad name for yourself if you release half-baked levels...

General Tips

Scare the Player
Scare the player. Dan Benge came up with the idea of breaking a (single player) level into scenes: lead the player into it (lots of ambience sound), lead him to the climax (Skaarj jumping in his face, whatever), reward him afterwards (triumphant music, power up, keys).
Tension is very important in a level.
Height Variations
Have plenty of height variations: stairs, lifts, ledges. Force the player to jump, too. But make sure that stairs have the right height (16 units), so the player can just walk up instead of hopping from stair to stair (unless you plan to build a 'Help-I'm-Shrunk' level...hmmm...).
Earning Weapons
Make players earn bigger and better weapons. Especially, guard the bigger ones well.
Slime Pits
If the player falls into slime, give him a way out (a button to press, stairs...). He should be punished for moving carelessly, yes, but not killed.
Secret Doors
Mark secret doors - a lightly darker or mismatched texture (forcing you to look closely) will do.
Crazy Stunts
Keep in mind that players will try anything - if they are crazy enough to try and jump to that ledge, reward them if they make it (and punish them if they don't >:)
Pacing
Pacing! Keep the player interested. This should also stop you from building mazes, which are plain boring to explore.
The Ending
Make it good! When the player finally managed to finish the level, make it worth his while. Explosions and large-scale destruction usually works well.

Typical Mistakes to Avoid

This section contains, in no particular order, common errors which you should avoid:
Too many textures
Do not use too many different textures. Rather, select a few which'll fit the theme of your map, and use these effectively.
This will not only make your levels look continuous, but will also make your finished map quite a lot smaller (don't you also prefere downloading a 220Kb map instead of a 930Kb one?).
Texture Alignment
I know I'm repeating myself, but misaligned textures are really a terrible thing to behold. Do avoid them.
Overlaying brush faces
Overlaying brush faces very often leads to mysterious graphics glitches (typically, one of the textures will appear and disappear suddenly). This is especially noticeable with 3D accelerators.
Thus a flat picture on a wall should stand out just a little bit - if need be, just a single unit.
Missing Player Starts
Make sure there are enough player start points! A map with just a single start point can't really be used for co-op play.
Missing Bot Navpoints
When creating a DeathMatch map, make sure that you didn't forget the Bot Path Nodes. Test them by playing against 8 bots, both as player and simply watching them as spectator. Are they using the elevators properly? Are they moving smoothly (if they appear to run in place, the path nodes are incorrectly placed).

DeathMatch Level Design

A lot of the info in this section I've shamelessly swiped from the excellent 'Deathmatch level design guidelines v1.0' from Brian Kidby (thekid@ornews.intel.com). Although for the game DOOM, these guidelines still apply.

##Please send me your thoughts and ideas, I'll be expanding this section.

Monster placement

Creatures (especially Creature Factories) can be used to supply your player with ammunition, but they usually just distract from the main aim of the game - nuke your opponent!

However, the addition of monsters can do a lot to generate the 'feel' for your level - minibosses might keep a large area clear for a long time, as nobody will want to get close to them if they don't have to...

Weapon placement

Power weapons

In contrast to DOOM, Duke or Quake, Unreal has no 'real' Power Weapons (weapons preferred over all others). However, few people use the BioGun or the disappointing MiniGun a lot in DeathMatch.
In nearly all DeathMatches I've played, the first priority of the players was to get a powerful weapon. The second was to start using it >:)

These weapons should be places as far apart as possible. This has three reasons:

Getting the gun
Placing the weapons far apart forces the players to cover more ground. Thus they meet more opponents, possibly trigger traps and learn the layout of the level.
Defending the gun
Many DeathMatchers will go to a power weapon and 'sit on it', waiting for the other players to show up.
If the weapons are far apart, the players won't see much action during their wait, forcing them to move ot to hunt sooner - much more exciting.
Covering tracks
In a new DeathMatch level, players like to keep the locations of the weapons secret for as long as possible.
If the weapons are far apart, the chances of being followed are so much smaller.

Starting-point weapons

Every starting point should have a pistol next to it, so the players are not completely defenseless at the beginning. This also gives them more confidence to go out looking for bigger toys to use.

On the other hand, some people prefere to place the starting points right next to 'normal' weapons - every start point next to a different weapon. This makes respawning interesting, as the kind of weapon available at the beginning (Flak Cannon vs. RazorJack, for example) radically changes the style of play.

Ammo placement

Amount and location

Place small amounts of ammo in high-traffic areas, and larger (not too large!) stashes in secret places. Adding a sniper spot near the bigger stashes makes life a lot more interesting, too.

Ammo Quantity Types

Easily accessible ammo should be of the 'small quantity' type, eg single rifle bullets big ammo boxes, as this eliminates waste when a player picks up more than he can carry.

Also, larger amounts of ammo should be strategically placed (see above).

Health placement

Rarely does health seem to be a problem in DeathMatch games.
Usually, players either die really quickly of a massive lead overdose, or they run and hide, sniping at their opponent.

Of course you should still place health around, giving players the chance to retreat and heal from a firefight. A nice little bunch of Nali Fruit in a high-traffic area makes life interesting...

Architectures

First off, let me say that level layouts are always a matter of taste.
Here are just some things which I like in DeathMatch levels:
Large, open areas
Fun! Show your aim at long-range pistol shooting, have Eightball Launcher duels, fight several players at once and have lots of space to move about.
Long, wide passages
Same as for large areas applies - running towards somebody, dodging his attacks while shooting your own is great fun.
Nooks 'n crannies
Such areas should not be too large, but it is fun as well.
Hunting somebody through narrow, twisting passages is an adrenaline rush in itself - is he hiding behind this corner?

This also makes for lots of nice sniping spots.

Balconies, bridges and towers

It's always fun watching your opponent walking under you, completely unaware of your presence until you pull the trigger...

Obstacles

Obstacles (pillars, crates, tables) are very important in DeathMatch, as they allow you to hide and dodge enemy fire.

Sniper spots

Sniper spots greatly add to DeathMatch levels and allow you to make the best use of the Sniper Rifle. They should always have an escape-route, though, just in case your first shot missed...

Once your Level is done

A finished level is far from finished - lots of things remain to be done:

Light and Shade

Light placement is non-trivial. See how efficiently Epic used light and shade in their levels? Do the same - carefully shade every single room. Add lamps and (perhaps colored) lights. Sunlight streaming through the windows. Coronas around bright lamps (make sure they doesn't slow down the level down too much, though).
Also make sure that the general light level is right - don't make it too bright (this makes the map look artificial), but keep in mind most of us don't enjoy playing in pitch darkness.

Lightning plays a major part in how realistic (and thus, how good) a level will look. Doing it well takes ages.

Details

'All those tiny little details...'
The TV in the corner. Blood on the walls. The perfect ambience sound in the perfect place. Good creature scripting. A convincing Skybox, fitting the theme of your level.

Such details make the difference between a good and a great level.

Realism

Your map must be totally convincing. As said, lightning plays a large part in this, but so does the map itself: are the walls thick enough? Are they too thin? Does that texture belong here? Have you used the right texture for the waterfall? Should you really use this type of monster here?

Testing

Lots! Play the level on your own. Play in in coop. DeathMatch it for hours (if you can't play in it for hours, something's wrong). Fine-tune it: is the window at just the right height? Is that elevator positioned in the perfect place?

Testing is really important - let your friends play with your level (without you being present) and listen to their comments.

Speed

Unreal makes heavy demands on your CPU. Don't inflate them artificially. Make sure the map runs fast everywhere. If some areas are designated to be battlezones, keep them simple to allow the engine some breathing room to display the enemies.
Mirrors and Coronas look good, but really eat into CPU time and should thus be used sparingly.

Do not, ever, post a level with 'only good on 3Dfx' in the description.

Difficulty

If you're told that your level is too easy, don't make it more difficult by simply adding lots more monsters! That's a typical newbie mistake - rather place the monsters in better positions and redo the layout a bit.
Adding a good monster script can do wonders, too: if the Skaarj rolls into the cover of a crate upon seeing the player, he'll be quite a bit more difficult to finish off. Several monsters working together (two tentacles and several Skaarj) can make even an experienced player sweat.

Posting your Level

When posting your level on the Internet or anywhere else, please adhere to the following checklist:


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