Level Design Challenges & Solutions Elisabetta Silli - Level Designer - EA DICE
 
Vertigo and Metrics Streaming content The  analog nature of Faith’s   movement
Challenge: To convey the feeling of vertigo and enhance the first person body experience, we pushed all the jumps to the very limit. This led to unclear affordances and very difficult jumps.   
Solutions: Moving all the non-reachable surfaces further  away from the play area. Strategic placement of red objects in the  player path.  Adding special objects such as ramps at  the edge of buildings.
Challenge: Every time you exited an area we needed to unload the previous one and load the next. Between them, we had to create streaming zones big or busy enough to confine the player    until the loading was finished.     
Solutions: Safe streaming zones with elevators. Combining small movement puzzles  with animated objects. Movement puzzles.
Challenge: Due to varying player speeds and the ability to string moves together, it was very hard to predict and restrict where the player could go.
Solutions: Strategic building and object placement. Adding objects like special fences that the player couldn’t climb or vault over. “ Non-movement volumes”
Time Trial: Transforming weakness to strength. Alternative to the multiplayer. Added value for the player.
Takeaways: Lock and test metrics early. Plan ahead streaming content. Fun comes first.
 

Level Design Challenges & Solutions - Mirror's Edge

  • 1.
    Level Design Challenges& Solutions Elisabetta Silli - Level Designer - EA DICE
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Vertigo and MetricsStreaming content The analog nature of Faith’s movement
  • 4.
    Challenge: To conveythe feeling of vertigo and enhance the first person body experience, we pushed all the jumps to the very limit. This led to unclear affordances and very difficult jumps.  
  • 5.
    Solutions: Moving allthe non-reachable surfaces further away from the play area. Strategic placement of red objects in the player path. Adding special objects such as ramps at the edge of buildings.
  • 6.
    Challenge: Every timeyou exited an area we needed to unload the previous one and load the next. Between them, we had to create streaming zones big or busy enough to confine the player   until the loading was finished.    
  • 7.
    Solutions: Safe streamingzones with elevators. Combining small movement puzzles with animated objects. Movement puzzles.
  • 8.
    Challenge: Due tovarying player speeds and the ability to string moves together, it was very hard to predict and restrict where the player could go.
  • 9.
    Solutions: Strategic buildingand object placement. Adding objects like special fences that the player couldn’t climb or vault over. “ Non-movement volumes”
  • 10.
    Time Trial: Transformingweakness to strength. Alternative to the multiplayer. Added value for the player.
  • 11.
    Takeaways: Lock andtest metrics early. Plan ahead streaming content. Fun comes first.
  • 12.