Designing - Level Plans

I like to think that I have a unique way of planning out my levels. First of all when I have the initial idea, I like to work it out in my head first and then go into a 3D software package (in this case I used Silo 2) and block out the whole level with minimal detail . . .

I then like to split the level up into seperate sections and dedicated one full page of graph paper dedicated to that level. I fill the page with floor plans, gameplay diagrams and sketches . . .


This helps me to pay more attention to detail and also makes the initial planning of the level a lot more manageable.

Research - Workflow

I have been researching into the level design workflow som that I am better prepared when it comes to building my Half-Life 2 single player level. I found some useful articles on http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/

I found this article especially useful . . .

http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/worklfow_dm-icyapex-unreal3/level_design_workflow_tutorial.php

. . . and this article on how to increase your productivity was also very interesting . . .

http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/productivity_goals/60-60-30-of-level-design-productivity.php

It is important that I am efficient in planning my time to ensure that the level is not rushed.