Drawing a Map

also known as:

Classification

#method #medium/visual #process/designing #roles/designer #roles/artists #used-by/designer #used-by/artist #used-by/engineers #tools/digital #tools/non-digital

Intent

• Spatial outline
• Planning objectives, objects, interactions, gates and challenges
• Figuring out where and how often to place rewards
• Get a sense of the space by accurately depicting the metrics

Problem

• You might already have a storyline.
• You have a vision of what the map should look like, but you didn’t draw it yet.
• You have vision of the game aesthetic and the world the level/game is set in, but you didn’t connect it to the level layout yet.
• You know about the characters (Player and NPCs) and mechanics.
• You need to communicate your ideas to the team.

Solution Approach

• Draw a map to visualize your ideas of the spatial layout of the level.
• Connect all the pre-work you’ve done (defining the characters, the aesthetic of the world, the narrative etc.) into one comprehensive map.
• The concept draws inspiration from architectural drawings. Take these architectural drawing types into consideration:
  • Plan: top-down drawings of a space that show relations between hallways, buildings etc. -> Draw at least one plan for general overview of the level
  • Section: frontal drawing that shows the verticality of a level, can cut through buildings to show the different floors, often used in tandem with a Plan
  • Elevation: Also a frontal drawing but without cutting through buildings, instead viewing them from the outside, also used in tandem with the above
  • Axonometric: Cutting right through a building in 3D, not 2D, to see the inside and the spatial relations
  • Perspective: Draw with a vanishing point to “develop the visual art of a level” (Totten, 2019)

Application

Input

• Ideas and decisions about characters, mechanics, the spatial layout, the game world and its aesthetic, and the storyline.

Application

• Draw a map. You can begin with the player paths, with the layout of rooms or other gameplay sections, with the world details etc.
• Take other maps or real-life places as examples and references (add these references to Reference Collection).
• Decide on 2D or 3D views.
• Draw as many maps as you like and don’t shy away from throwing out some designs.
• Iterate over them and improve the detail of the maps.
• You can also add Gates that seal or open entries over time.

• It is possible to use visual cues and symbols to visually highlight important elements or give the player tips.

• An alternative approach of designing a map (Schell 2014 - A Book of Lenses, chapter 21):
  • Draw a space (any shape)
  • Divide the space into irregular sections
  • Comes close to a real map because of it irregularity

    Output

• Many, many maps and fragments of maps.
• Map, Sketch, Drawing

When to use it

• Explore the spatial relations and the limits and possibilities of the level.
• Find out where the character should start.
• Explore the story and narrative, where to put which hints, where to add a challenge.
• Decide on more story-based or open world gameplay.
• Place the NPCs.
• Find out how long the level will take to complete.

Relevant Roles using this model

• #roles/designer Designer #used-by/designer
• #roles/artists Artist #used-by/artist
• Engineer #used-by/engineers

Relevancy in the following processes

• Gamespace Prototyping Drawing a Map Step
• Game Development Pre-Production Step
• Iterative Map Design

Applicability

• Essential for every game designer during the planning and designing phases.
• Useful for communicating with artists and setting the level’s mood by adding details.
• A valuable reference for engineers to understand where to implement mechanics.
• Provides a good testing base and map for initial prototype levels.
• Remember, it’s still a concept that may evolve over time.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Effective planning.
• Incorporates artistic choices.
• Clarifies spatial relations.
• Precisely defines metrics.

Cons:

• Remains a conceptual stage.
• Requires the creation of multiple drawings.
• Subject to change over time.

Relation with other Methods

• Nintendo Power Method since it’s based on a map
• Should be part of Game Design Document
• Reward Schedule should be included when planning the layout of the level
• Mood Boards as aesthetic inspiration for the map’s looks
• Reference Collection as direct references for drawing the map and filling it with life
• Behavior Diagram: Describes how a player or other game objects behave within the map and level
• Critical Path Analysis improves the map
• Massing models the game in 3D
• Molecule Diagram structures the map, just like a Proximity Diagram
• Symbols and Visual Language can be used in the map

Examples

• Interactive Map from the Game “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) (Source: Zelda Dungeon)

• Slender Map (Source: Totten 2019 - An Architectural Approach of Level Design)

• Map sketch of Realm 1-B for “Spyro: A Hero’s Tail” (Source: link)

Relevant Tools

• Evolutionary Dungeon Designer to create 2D level maps and patterns or Computational Tools to help in the generation of terrain/landscape
• RogueGame Language as presented in [[ Languages_of_Games_and_Play-A_Systematic_Mapping_Study.pdf ]]
• Digital Art Tools
• Non-digital Design Tools

Relevant Literature

Totten [[ library/totten/An_architectural_approach_to_Level_Design.pdf ]]

Schell 2014 - A Book of Lenses, chapter 21

[[ library/Languages_of_Games_and_Play-A_Systematic_Mapping_Study.pdf ]]

Evolutionary Dungeon Designer (2D level maps and patterns)

...