(Both SP and MP)
In this lesson, I will explain some of the things that designers will do (or will not do) to please the eye of the player. Some of this will seem so simple, and just downright common sense, but as every designer will find out, every detail counts.
THE TOILET BOWL EFFECT
The toilet bowl effect pertains mostly to outdoor areas, where the retaining walls of the map are at an even height--thus making you feel like you are in a giant cylinder, or toilet bowl if you will. Unless you are in the middle of a giant missile silo, there shouldn’t be any excuse for having the same scaled wall encompassing even a small amount of your area. Break it up! Even a guy from Nebraska, who is used to looking at everything at one height, can envision craggy terrain, small buildings, power lines, pipes, monuments, trees, cranes, highways, the list goes on and on of what you can do to build fake surroundings that close in the map while breaking up the horizon where sky meets the level. In the example below, I have shown you an example of some simple ways to break up the height of a level's surroundings, rather than a wall of equal height encompassing the level, like a toilet bowl.
THE MAN IN THE BOX
This is much like the Toilet Bowl effect, except it relates primarily to interior areas of your map. One of the worst things you can do, is build your map full of box shaped rooms. Box shaped rooms are easy to build, but creates minimal fun and originality. One box shaped room in a map probably won’t harm a level (it’s almost unavoidable sometimes in a modern setting), but if it’s avoidable, drop it from your map. Every room in a level should bob, weave, and twist with Over and Under elements whenever possible. It’s not asking for much, even rooms shaped somewhat like a H are more intriguing.
TRIM TRIM TRIM
I CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF TRIM!! Trim is so vital to the appeal of everything you see. Even if you are copying a real-world room without trim, trim the hell out of it. Trim is by far, the single most important thing in a room, next to a door and walls. Trim is a very easy way to make a boorish room come alive. It adds depth and shadows, adds character and perhaps a complimenting color an area is lacking. Heck, you might even trim out your trim in some instances! Sometimes you don't even need to explain what kind of trim it is, just make sure it is there! It doesn't matter if it is thin or think, concrete or track lighting, trim from ceiling to floor. In my opinion, it should be over half of your brush work.
CLOWN VOMIT
Also called, theme, or the lack thereof. A map should have a consistent feel about it. This is accomplished by carefully picking out a texture set that compliment eachother. My suggestion to you is building the room in your level that has the most detail first so you can get it looking the way you like it. The textures (art) you use should be the primary palatte for the rest of the level, giving it some universal look. Nothing makes a map look more gross than a map with three different texture themes throughout the map. For example, don’t make a orange and gray metal laden room link into a green and yellow stone room. A consistent look is key. Not that you can’t change up areas of your map, just be careful to keep some of the same colors that you’ve picked throughout it all.
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