The Hows and Whys of Level Design

Q: What is this book about?
A: Advanced level design: tips and explanations, theories and the do’s/dont’s of creating high quality game environments.

Q: Why do I want this book?
A: Throughout the years I have learned that certain methods simply do work better than others. I believe a lot of level design can be boiled down into a set of basic rules: what to do and what not to do. One could, of course, ignore all those tips and try to find out what works best independently, but that would be like reinventing the wheel. Why waste precious time when you can start with a solid base?

Q: Will the book help me learn a program or editor?
A: No it will not. There are dozens of books and tutorials out there that focus on just that, but mine does not.

Q: What does it cover then?
A: Anything to do with the creation of virtual environments. Unlike most tutorials and books, my book was not written for a specific engine or program. Instead, it explains how to create good-looking environments and well-playing levels. It explains why and how certain decisions should be made. It also addresses what kind of elements in an environment can increase the overall quality and fun in a level. These are the insider tips and tricks on how to improve an environment both visually as well as gameplay-wise.
The first half of the book consists of three major parts: Design, Gameplay, and Audio-Visuals. Each consists of multiple chapters such as Lighting, Texturing, Singleplayer Gameplay and so on. The second half of the book is made up of an Example chapter and an Interview chapter. The example chapter talks the reader through the entire design process of two UT2004 levels and one UT3 level made by the author. The interview element contains interviews with established commercial level designers, each one speaking on their topic of choice. The complete list of chapters and subjects can be found at the bottom of the About page.

Q: What is the target audience?
A: Anyone who has basic working knowledge of a game editor/modeling program. The book is not aimed at day-one beginners. In other words it’s main target group are advanced beginners and intermediates. However, well experienced people will also benefit from some parts of the book!

Q: What game/technology is it for?
A: The book has not been written with a specific game or engine in mind. The concepts explained in the book are, theoretically, universal and can be applied to a wide range of games. The strongest focus, however, is on first person and third person action games.

Q: Does this book has anything to do with the Unreal Engine or any of its games?
A: Not directly no. The book is written to be a general and universal guide to level design. It is influenced by the Unreal games though since I as author originate from the Unreal community. The book also contains dozens of example screenshots from Unreal games.

Q: Who are the interviewees and what did they do?
A: Cedric Fiorentino - Level Designer/Environment Director – Arkane Studios, Webzen/Huxley, Epic Games/Unreal and Unreal Tournament games.
Rogelio Olguin – Level Designer – Tactical Ops and Epic/Unreal Tournament 2004
Andrew Weldon – Level Designer – Natural Selection, Raven Software/Quake 4, Gearbox/Borderlands
Tom Hanrahan - Level Designer – Monolith, TimeGate/F.E.A.R Extraction Point
Daniel Luka - Texture and Shader Artist – Ubisoft Montreal/Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Rainbow Six Vegas, Valve/Day Of Defeat, Eidos/Deus Ex 3
Matthew Florianz - Audio producer – Spellborn/The Chronicles of Spellborn

Q: How do I know if I’ll like it?
A: There are two example extracts available on the example page. Check those out.

Q: The book seems to have a lot of do’s and dont’s. Isn’t it very opinionated?
A: Yes, it has many do’s and don’ts and, and as with anything, it surely is influenced by the author’s opinion in one way or another but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. On the contrary, my own view has gotten me quite far in level design. I must be doing something right. Firstly, one must first master the basics of a subject before one can progress. The book is aimed at helping beginners and intermediates master those basics. Secondly, whether one likes it or not, there are always many do’s and dont’s in any profession. Most level designers apply dozens of do and dont’s unconsciously. I have written down the one’s I’ve found.
Thirdly, the book never claims that the written do’s and dont’s are the only way to succeed. It does state however that the do’s and dont’s will make one’s life as a level designer easier and get beginners and intermediate up to speed.
Why waste years of research and practice to find out those basic rules by one’s self if one could start with a solid basis? No matter what engine is used, the car’s (or the game’s) wheels will always work in the same way.

Q: Do you plan to do a third and a fourth edition at some point?
A: Not really right now. I do not plan to update this book any further in the next few years.

Q: What are the details about the book?
A: The book consists of nearly 180 pages and more than 120 screenshots, all of them in full color.

What is the size and quality of the printed edition?
A: A4 paper size (that is your standard paper size), perfect binding paperback, 80# white interior paper, full-color interior ink, 90# white exterior paper, full-color exterior ink. The paper, print and color quality is great and of the quality one would expect of a book.

Q: Whats the difference between the PDF and the printed version
A: There is none apart from the fact that the PDF is obviously the digital version.

Q: Who is the publisher?
A: I am entirely self publishing my own book as an independent author with the help of a printer, Lulu.com. They take care of a lot of the traditional publisher tasks and they handles all orders.

The Hows and Whys of the Games Industry

Q: What is this book about?
A: The Games Industry: the pros and cons, how to get in, and what to avoid.

Q: Why do I want this book?
A: Because it will help you decide whether or not the games industry can offer you the career you are be looking for. It will also help you pick the right company and game for you, aid you in the application process, and help you in what to expect during the recruitment process.

Q: Will the book help me to learn a 3D package, programming language, or editor?
A: No it will not. There are already plenty of other books out there that focus on explaining how to use software to make something. This book however, focuses entirely on why you would want to learn anything related to game development, and the career possibilities inherent in such knowledge.

Q: What does it cover?
A: The content page features a detailed list of everything included. In short, it starts with a short introduction to the industry, continues by discussing the general pros and cons of the industry, and then goes into an in depth examination of the positive and negative aspects of a wide range of subjects such as game development schools and community mods. The second half of the book focuses almost entirely on the actual job application process: how to apply, how to pick the right studio, what to expect during the process and more.

Q: Who is the target audience?
A: Those who are interested in the video game industry, but who are still undecided as to whether or not to pursue a game development career, and those who have already made their decision but are looking for additional information and guidance before plunging in headfirst.

Q: Who are the interviewees?
A: The book features 23 interviews with games industry professionals in different positions, and different tenures. I tried to represent as broad a representation of the industry as possible by including developers from both Europe and North America, beginners and as veterans, programmers and artists, freelancers and people in permanent positions, and developers working on small projects and those who work on large productions.

Q: How do I know if I’ll like it?
A: There is an example extract available on the Example page. If you like it, there’s a good chance you’ll like the entire book.

Q: The book seems to have a lot of emphasis on pros and cons. Isn’t it very opinionated?
A: I tried my best to provide an objective and honest discourse on how the industry works as a whole – its problems, and its advantages. For nearly every negative point, there is a positive point opposing it. I tried hard to write an objective report and leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not this is an industry they wish to join. Also, in my opinion, it is very important to also cover the negative aspects of this industry, as way too many young people look at the industry through rose-colored glasses, or stumble into bad situations because of their blinded enthusiasm.

Q: What are the details about the book?
A: The printed edition counts 236 pages, where as the PDF edition contains 184. It contains ten illustrations. The cover is printed in color, while the interior is black and white print.

What is the size and quality of the printed edition?
A: 6″ x 9″ (15.24cm X 22.86cm), perfect binding, cream interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (100# weight), full-color exterior ink. The paper, print and color quality is great and of the quality one would
expect.

Q: What’s the difference between the PDF and the printed version?
A: There is no difference apart from the fact that the PDF is obviously a digital version. The PDF contains fewer pages as it uses a larger page size (A4) than the printed version. The content, however, is the same.