Low Level Game Design

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Low Level Game Design

• Atoms, measurement and hierarchies

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Ben Cousins

• Six years in the industry
• Four as Lead Designer
• Previously worked at Lionhead on BC
• Currently at SCEE London Studio
• Just Completed Fired Up on PSP

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Session structure

• Overview what is low level game design?
• An atomic model
• Measurement techniques
• Hierarchies

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Overview what is low level game design?
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Overview what is low level game design?

• Games are a series of inputs and outputs

The faster this loop is completed, the lower the
level
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Overview what is low level game design?

• High level example

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Overview what is low level game design?

• High level example

This loop completes in several hours
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Overview what is low level game design?

• Medium level example

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Medium level example

This loop completes in several minutes
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Overview what is low level game design?

• Low level example

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Low level example

This loop completes in less than a second
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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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Overview what is low level game design?

• Each level is nested in the other

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An atomic model
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An atomic model

• The lowest level loop possible could be our
  atom
• Having an atom equivalent for game analysis could
  be really useful

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An atomic model

• Analytical method using Adobe Premiere

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An atomic model - layers

• Level 4

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An atomic model - layers

• Level 3

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An atomic model - layers

• Level 2

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An atomic model - layers

• Level 1

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An atomic model - data

• 340 primary elements in the total of 208 seconds
  of game play
• An average of one new input every 0.6 seconds.
• Every 18 frames a player is making a new input

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An atomic model - data

• Of those 340 elements, 95 involve making the
  character run or walk in a straight line.
• 92 involve making the character change direction
• 55 of all player input
• For a 15 hour experience those inputs 22
  thousand times each!

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An atomic model - data

• In the course of the mission, control is taken
  away from the player for 54 seconds one fifth
  of playing time
• The game saved once after a total of 340 primary
  elements
• Mario was not killed once during 340 primary
  elements
• The camera was adjusted 16 times

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An atomic model - uses

• Terminology
• Organised analysis
• Concentration on constant feedback per element
• Concentration on low-level elements

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Measurement techniques
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Measurement techniques

• "One measurement is worth fifty expert opinions"
  
• Howard Sutherland
• US Senator -West Virginia 1917-23
• Member of the Knights Templar

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Measurement techniques

• Measurement is usually used
• When no expert is available (e.g. following a
  cookery recipe)
• When experts disagree (e.g. science)
• To stop cheating (e.g. sport, commerce)
• Precision (e.g. engineering)

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Measurement techniques

• We generally can benefit
• When no expert is available (e.g. if we are
  working on a genre we are unfamiliar with)
• When designers disagree!!
• Precision

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Measurement techniques

• Some examples
• Time
• Distance
• Density
• Area

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Measurement - time

• Really useful for action games
• By measuring finished games you can find sweet
  spots in various actions

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Measurement - time

• Jumping times in 3rd person action games

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Measurement - distance

• Helps in layout of levels
• Particularly in multiplayer maps

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Measurement - distance

• Choke point measurement in de_dust

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Measurement - density

• Needs complex measurement system and a new unit
• Adobe Premiere method shown earlier
• Measuring events per primary element may prove
  useful in years to come

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Measurement - area

• Most data from the game comes through a 2D screen
• Examining how this space is used can be helpful

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Measurement - area

• Chinagraph pencil markings

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Hierarchies
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Hierarchies

• (from Greek hieros, sacred, and arkho, rule)
• Ties the rest of the subjects together
• There are two meanings of the word in common
  usage
• Upper levels of the hierarchy are 'superior' to
  the lower
• Lower levels are 'contained' in the upper

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Hierarchies

• Consider a game as a hierarchy rather than a
  list or a bundle of features
• This can help organise features in the designers
  mind, and also aid scheduling

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Hierarchies

• List - typical in GDDs.
• For example
• Running
• Jumping
• Climbing
• Ledge Catching
• Pickups
• Team Commands
• Buttons
• Doors
• Weapons
• Traversing
• Unarmed Combat
• Vehicles
• Turrets
• Missions
• Story

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Hierarchies

• Bundle - typical in Lead Designers head ?

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Hierarchies

• Hierarchy

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Hierarchies

• Hierarchies needn't replace lists altogether
• Much more useful for design organisation and
  scheduling
• Coders often like working with them
• Work up the hierarchy, not moving up a step
  until you are happy with the previous one

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Recap

• Definition of low level
• Shortest game loops
• Premiere method
• Atomic unit
• The correct amount of emphasis for these units
• Measurement
• Helps us keep track of things that are easy to
  miss, and to get wrong

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Recap

• Data, as well as opinion should be part of our
  toolbox
• Organisation of this data in a well-organised
  hierarchy can help development
• These methods augment, not replace normal working
  methods

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• Ben Cousins
• ben_cousins_at_scee.net