Level Design Ideas.

Alright so I'm looking for ideas, serious ones ofcourse, reguarding a level for an FPS, I'm looking for what people like most in a level.. things like Forest or Urban or Offices, Flat levels or multiple ones such as 1st floor, 2nd floor, do you like secret passages and such.. Please feel free to go into larger details if you want, I'll take it all very seriously.

Thanks,

Sy.

Cool. sounds like you're designing a level. For Counterstrike maybe?
Well if you're going to make this stand-alone I'd have a bit of everything. You could easily have some houses in the middle of some more rough terrain. Personally, I like jungles. It would give snipers a harder time. With houses, there can also be multiple entrance points like through a top floor window, a cellar and of course the front door. If it is Counterstrike the obvious place to put the bombs is the ground floor of the houses...

Well we are using Source and Counter Strike as a beginning set for level design, I'm sort of sketching out a level layout with paper first then I'll go from there.

I like open large open spaces levels with clear lines of sniping, like woods. I think it's in DoD that I played it but I remember a level based on the June 44 allied assault on a French beach with a uge gun overlooking it. Maybe in CoD, I can't remember.

Caryington wrote:

I like open large open spaces levels with clear lines of sniping, like woods. I think it's in DoD that I played it but I remember a level based on the June 44 allied assault on a French beach with a uge gun overlooking it. Maybe in CoD, I can't remember.

Problem with that design is that the team that occupies the cliff/hills will have the superior firing/sniping position leading to an imbalanced level and game. If you want to make that scenario balanced then you'll have to give the beach side some decent firing positions and cover. Maybe a few trenches?

Something I don't see enough of in games is Jungle terrain. It's probably a nightmare to put together but it looks great. Forests or Ice Plains are a close second for me.

Wow I love all of these ideas, I was personally thinking a sewer style level, but I could mix my idea easily with a jungle theme, I was thinking of having each team's main spawn point at a higher terrain, giving snipers a decent view across the map, then have a few different ways to cross through the middle of the terrain, unground tunnels/sewers, maybe a few buildings/shacks peppered with plenty of places to hide, maybe some tall grass or trenches. Thank you very much everyone!

Sy do you have Left4Dead or Left4Dead2? If you're looking at using the Source Engine I'd recommend downloading some of the huge multitudes of maps for these games as some are excellent, others goddamn awful - but all offer excellent insight into level design.

Most of the maps/campaigns featured on L4DMaps.com come with video-preview links which could make for interesting viewing.

Sewer? I suddenly can't help but think of Jin-Roh: Wolf brigade and the firefight in the sewers at the begining.
Tall grass? Bots/NPC always see you there. Sneaky shadow and hidden lovers like me often find that frustrating.
Jungle? Hmmmm! Nice idea, with swampish area of water where you don't know if you'll drown or not.

Both games were given to me from the school actually, I will have both downloaded tonight while in class I think. Also if you guys play online I'm totally up for some zombie bashing.

Sywyen wrote:

Both games were given to me from the school actually, I will have both downloaded tonight while in class I think. Also if you guys play online I'm totally up for some zombie bashing.

Why yes, yes we do

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