Structure
is the organisational
basis behind the way
rooms are formed and
arranged. First we need
to be clear about what a
room is. Here's a
definition.
"A room is an empty
space surrounded by
walls whose only
entrance or exit is
through a door."
That means you can't
walk out of (or into) a
room without opening a
door first. Also, you
can't enter one room
without leaving another
room at the same time.
And finally, any two
rooms you can travel
between are always next
to each other.
Now that we're clear on
what a room is we can
get specific about the
way rooms are formed and
arranged.
Rooms are formed using
these fundamental
constructs:
a) the square (an empty
space shaped like a
square),
b) the rectangle (like
the square but longer in
one direction),
c) the corner (leads
into two different
directions),
d) the T-junction (leads
into three different
directions) and
e) the intersection
(leads into four
different
directions).
Every room you see in a
Wolf3d level is built
out of those constructs.
The size of those
constructs depends on
how many cells you use
to build them. For
example, the smallest
square is built out of a
one cell, the next
smallest square is built
out of four cells and
the next smallest square
after that is built out
of nine cells. Alot of
the rooms in Wolf3d
levels are built out of
a single construct. The
first six rooms in E1L1,
for example, are built
out of single constructs
(the square, the
rectangle and the
T-junction).
Usually rooms in Wolf3d
levels are designed with
symmetry in mind (see
the ghost level -
E3L10). Sometimes rooms
are designed with an
identity in mind (see
the swastika maze -
E6F3).
Rooms in Wolf3d levels
are often arranged
depending on the
objectives of the
mission. For example, it
may be necessary for the
player to obtain a key
before gaining access to
the main elevator room.
In that case there must
be a single door which
leads the player to the
main elevator room, but
which cannot be opened
without the key.
In some cases rooms are
arranged around a main
central room. This is
clearly demonstrated in
E2L1 where all rooms
(except the secret rooms
and the elevator room)
are connected to the
massive central
room.
Many other interesting
(and bizarre)
arrangements are
possible. In E6L10
(secret floor) the rooms
are grouped into four
quadrants, which were
designed as if
individual levels by two
different authors. In
E6F3 (the swastika maze)
the rooms are packed
together a continuous
pattern.
Well that pretty much
covers the design aspect
of structure in Wolf3d
levels. Hopefully the
reader has gained a
better understanding of
how structure is used to
create good Wolf3d
levels. Perhaps then the
reader may be serious
enough to study the
levels alone. Look at
the levels you like and
ask the question, "Why
to I like this level?".
Find the
answers.
Audibility
dictates how guards
should react when the
player makes a noise in
another area. For
example, you can fill
two different rooms with
the same floor code so
that when you're killing
guards in one room the
guards in the other room
are alerted to your
presence. If guards are
deaf then floor codes
have no effect.
Since there are no
situations in which you
would want more than one
type of floor code in a
single room, the only
question we need to ask
is, "When do two
different rooms use the
same floor code?". Once
we have answered that
question our floor code
settings are taken care
of.
Firstly, it shouldn't be
surprising that we would
use different floor
codes for rooms which
are a far distance
apart. Only when rooms
are near each other (or
next to each other)
would they possibly use
identical floor
codes.
Secondly, some surfaces
block sound more than
others do. Wood, for
example, blocks sound
much less than brick
does. Therefore we
should make the
behaviour of sound
between rooms more
realistic by taking
these surfaces into
account.
So when do two different
rooms use the same floor
code? Two rooms share
the same floor code when
the walls between them
do not block the
transfer of
sound.
Here
a wall is a four-sided
solid block, which takes
up the space of a single
cell. You will never see
two walls side-by-side
with clashing textures
in a well-designed
Wolf3d level. Often the
level designer will have
to use doors to hide
these clashes. The only
time you will see
clashing textures in a
well-designed Wolf3d
level is when the level
designer has decided not
to use doors to cover
them up. In these
instances the level
designer must ensure
that the clashes are
made perpendicular to
each other; i.e., that
the walls whose textures
clash are made
corner-to-corner and not
side-by-side.
The other side of
texture selection is
concerned with interior
design. The most
interesting levels often
use various types of
textures like wood,
stone and brick. Signed
walls (walls with
pictures and messages on
them) are also used to
add variety to a level.
These are all artistic
considerations.
Looking at many of the
levels in original
Wolfenstein I see alot
of symmetry in the way
the geometry is laid
out. Human beings love
symmetry. To the human
brain symmetry is
beautiful because it's
easy to visualise. You
know when you say a lady
is easy on the eyes? In
the same way we say
symmetry is easy on the
mind.
We shall employ a method
of achieving symmetry in
our map geometry. The
simplest symmetrical
model that can be
designed in Wolfenstein
is the plain rectangular
room. The rectangular
room is symmetrical
along four different
lines. They are the
horizontal, vertical and
diagonal lines which
pass through the center.
We are going to use the
rectangular model as the
basic framework on which
we design all other
rooms. That's step
one.
STEP 1: Make a
rectangular room.
The rest is just adding
on to that framework
without destroying the
symmetry of the room. To
do so one must mirror
every addition about
each of the four lines
of symmetry. For
example, if I put a
column at the top of the
room, I should put a
column at the bottom as
well. If I put a floor
lamp in the upper left
corner of the room, I
should put three in each
of the remaining
corners. That's step
two.
STEP 2: Make incremental
changes to the room
while maintaining
symmetry.
You will probably want
to make a compromise by
not mirroring all your
additions over all four
lines of symmetry. That
can be an effective way
of adding character to a
room and avoiding a
boring level. That's
step three.
STEP 3: Add more to the
room without creating
all four symmetrical
reflections.
Good
levels have enough
ammunition and health
for the player to be
able to work with. If
there are too many
guards to kill and not
enough ammo or health to
kill them with then the
player will most likely
not enjoy the level
(probably because he/she
ends up losing). That
makes my first rule.
RULE 1: Supply
ammunition and health
appropriately for the
difficulty of the
level.
Ammunition and health
items should be grouped
into clusters of items
which can be easily
obtained all in one go.
The same applies for
treasure items. It is
undesirable to have
small amounts of
ammunition scattered few
and far between in a
large room. That makes
my second rule.
RULE 2: Group
ammunition, health and
treasure in
clusters.
Keys are heavily guarded
rare items usually
penetrating deep inside
a dungeon or labrinth.
Keys often appear at
dead ends in long chains
of rooms and door ways.
That makes the third
rule.
RULE 3: Place keys in
well-defended areas
which take time and
effort to reach.
Finally, items found in
secret areas have little
reward when those items
are in abundant supply
already. That's the last
rule I have.
RULE 4: Make secret
areas worth looking for
by rewarding the player
with items not already
supplied outside the
area.
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