Game Kit Lite Level Design

Version 2

    What went right during this play test was that the player was able to complete the level pretty easily. The players were not struggling too much while playing throughout the game. Some of the play testers liked how the level was not too difficult, and it was easy to understand where to go. Something that went wrong during this play test is that some of the health packs did not work properly so they had to be adjusted mid playtest.

In order to improve the level for next time I will need to fix the broken health packs so that they will work with the finished product. Another thing that I can do to improve the level is to add in a few more health packs or move the existing health packs around to better fit into the game. As the level started you were introduced to fighting enemies and jumping over acid pits, then later on there was a whole section of the level dedicated to jumping and there was also a section where fighting the enemies could be a lot. In order to not overwhelm the player at that point in the game I could add the health pack in the middle of the fight area or at the end so the player can get some of their health back while having to fight the enemies.

The critical path was obvious to the player. The only point in the game where the player could potentially get lost is at the start. That is only because at the start the switch for the door is right outside the starting area and there is a wall blocking its line of sight from the starting area. The only way to see the switch is to look around the area and not just run straight for the enemy and the door in front of the player. Other than that, the level is very linear as there is not much exploring for the player to do that does not advance them in the level.

In the level there were moving platforms. I used the moving platforms in order to slow down the player a little bit because without the moving platforms the player could potentially just almost speed run through the level and never fight or interact with any of the enemies. It was very obvious where the player was supposed to go as there were no other pathways in the level except the main path to complete the level. The only thing that the player could do to not have them advance through the level is to go backwards in the level and go from wherever they are back to the starting room.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Version 1

    What went right during the playtest is that the players were able to complete the game without too much difficulty. Something that the players told me that they liked was that they knew where to go and that the level was not too difficult. Something that went wrong was that some of the spots were too close together and some of the walls and doors were too small. With those things happening in the level, it allowed the player to just jump around the wall or door and skip certain parts of the level. Also, it allowed the player to not even try to open the door because they are able to just jump around. Another thing that went wrong was that some of the chomper enemies were broken and not moving around and chasing the player.

    To help improve my level for the next time, I could add some more blocks with the cluster of enemies. By doing so I would have some of them more hidden and allow them to almost ambush the player or catch them off guard. Another thing that I could add to the level is some health packs. While watching the play testers I noticed that there were a few spots that would have made the level a little easier and less stressful if I was to add some health packs, the reason is because they were running low on health and then had to go and fight more enemies and sometimes their best option was to jump into the acid and reset their health. I believe that the challenges were appropriate to the players skill level because when I would play test myself, I did not even think about just jumping around some of the doors and walls and I believe that a new player or even the average player would even realize that they would even be able to do that.

    The critical path was obvious as the level is very linear and there are no secondary paths that the player could take or explore. The only way to have the player progress through the level was to keep going forward and pushing the buttons for the doors and in doing so the doors would show the player where they are supposed to go next. The flow of the level was very smooth as the player would not get stuck anywhere and they were always going to the next spot they are supposed to go. The only time the player really stopped moving was to wait for the moving platforms or to fight the enemies. Something that I could do to the moving platforms is have them pause at the end for a few seconds before they go back the other way. This might cut down on some of that player waiting throughout the level.

    Throughout the level it was very obvious to the player where they were supposed to go. There were a few parts of the level where the player could get lost and that is at the first door and the third door. It could happen at the first door because the switch for the door is behind the player when they walk through past the breakable blocks so it is possible to miss it, but it is quite easy to find as all you need to do is turn around and then you will see it. It is possible to get lost at the third door because the switch for the door is right in front of the fourth door so the player could just think that the switch isn't working if they do not see the third door opening.