This past week has actually been productive for me design wise, despite having to get through finals week (maybe it’s from all the procrastination I’ve been doing…). I’ve completed a few parts that I’ve been meaning to hash out for a while, and am now currently working on the level design for Fingeance. I realize that we haven’t gone over how levels will work in the game though, so I think I should elaborate before I go any further.

Level design in our game works fairly differently from other shoot ’em ups. Since a large focus is put on replayability and adaption in our design philosophies, we’ve established a level system that allows each playthrough to be unique, but not by the use of procedural generation. Levels are made out of several different small instances that last from 10-30 seconds (we call them “chunks”), with scattered minibosses and an end boss. This allows us to create experiences within the game that feel like full polished levels, but still have that random generation feel that is standard in most roguelikes. Some of the best chunks in the game have novel encounters you’ll recognize with experience, and because each session gives you different parts to play with, the encounters will still feel fresh.

With all that said, I’m working on improving the quality of some of the older chunks and levels right now. Early in the process, I looked to classic 2D platformers (Super Mario and the like) to help guide me. I would create chunks that introduced a gameplay aspect and build on it. I realized though that this strategy makes the level way too long, and slows down the pace of the game significantly. I’ve changed my strategy to creating shorter instances with more action inside, making a level more hectic but more fun too!

I’ll be sure to let you all know how the process is coming along next week. See you then!