Steambirds: How handcrafted levels prevent game design iteration

http://www.lostgarden.com/2010/12/steambirds-survival-goodbye-handcrafted.html

by dirtyaura • 16 years ago

81 25 16 years ago

TheEzEzz5• 16 years ago

I can't stress how fantastic it is being free from the chains of handcrafted levels. You can really iterate and refine the core mechanics all the way up to end of production. It's liberating!

For some genres interesting levels are a must though. My own current project is looking at how to generate platformer levels that are both interesting and possible to beat. I've got a pretty powerful algorithm up and running, with a pre-trailer up at http://www.pwnee.com

sparky• 16 years ago

Great demo. I couldn't figure out another way to reach you privately, so check your YouTube messages.

LordLandon• 16 years ago

Man, is that awesome.

Fix your blag so that I can read it.

TheEzEzz5• 16 years ago

Turns out I'm a lazy programmer when it doesn't involve pretty moving graphics. I suppose the old blog deserves some code love too though. Should be fixed up now, thanks!

wtracy• 16 years ago

Your stuff looks really cool.

I was already kicking around the idea of using genetic algorithms for play-balancing strategy games (scoring the difficulty based on how many generations it takes to find a winning strategy).

It looks to me like you've taken the concept to a whole new level, though. Good job!

TheEzEzz5• 16 years ago

Thanks!

I'd love to play around with some genetic algorithms in a game design setting. It sounds like people have been having some success using it in StarCraft, and I think I could definitely find some use for it in my level generator. I might just have to explore that route for the sequel!

dkersten3• 16 years ago

That looks really, really awesome. Great work!

thristian• 16 years ago

I'm sure you already know about this, but people interested in randomly-generated platformer levels may well be interested in Spelunky:

http://www.spelunkyworld.com/

TheEzEzz5• 16 years ago

Awesome. Great to see some more procedural stuff out there! And they made it on to XBLA, that gives me a lot of hope =D

zupatol2• 16 years ago

I like the opposition of lifelong hobbies to disposable media.

Next time someone asks if games are art, dismiss art as disposable media. But seeing art as a consumer product is sterile. It's healthier to consider it a lifelong hobby. In the end, conclude that the artist is the one who plays the game, not the author.

I wasted so much time playing the first Steambird, it's great, a masterpiece! I really hope the second one won't become my lifetime hobby.

johnny22• 16 years ago

s/like/liken/ ?

zupatol2• 16 years ago

I was referring to this sentence:

Deeper, more meaningful systems yield lifelong hobbies, not disposable media

I like how he opposes lifelong hobbies to disposable media. It's completely natural coming from a game designer, but to me it also sounds like he unintentionnaly questions the meaningfulness of art. This inspires me sentences that are not entirely clear, late at night.

RodgerTheGreat• 16 years ago

For some genres, procedurally-defined levels are fine, but when handcrafted levels are done properly there's a pretty substantial difference. I'm reminded of an interview[1] with Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata discussing the first level of Super Mario Brothers:

  "But if you avoid the first Goomba and then jump and hit a block above
  you, a mushroom will spring out and you'll get a shock. But then you'll
  see that it's going to the right so you'll think: 'I'm safe! Something
  strange appeared but I'm okay!' But of course when it goes against a pipe
  up ahead, the mushroom will come back.

  At that point, even if you panic and try to jump out of the way, you'll
  hit the block above you. Then just at the instant where you accept that
  you're done for, Mario will suddenly shake and grow bigger! You might not
  really know what's just happened, but at the very least, you'll realize
  that you haven't lost the turn."

[1] http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol1_page4.jsp

obilgic• 16 years ago

Please make this game full screen !!!

T-R2• 16 years ago

The author makes a good point that randomly generated levels significantly affect the way that a game is played, but they shouldn't by any means be considered superior to handcrafted levels - players have different preferences for playstyles, and game designers should consider which playstyles they intend to appeal to when deciding on a genre and a level design strategy.

Consider the Megaman series - players are encouraged to master each level, and speed runs are a major draw and source of replay value. Similarly, part of the brilliance in the level design in Sonic 3&Knuckles (that disappeared from later Sonic games) was that it encouraged the player to try different paths to find an optimal route for finding special stages. Exploration and speed runs are a draw for the Zelda, Mario, and Metroid series as well - the quality of level design is a major selling point for the core audience of these series.

Randomly generated stages certainly have their advantages for replay value, but they also remove incentive for exploration and speed runs, which means you're potentially forfeiting the audience that prefers those play styles.

To go a step further into the realm of "video games as art", consider the RPGs and survival horror games like Fatal Frame - cinematography is a significant element, as is the player's emotional connection to certain areas. Randomly generated levels don't create as strong a connection with players, which diminishes the designer's ability to use locations as a significant story element. It would be difficult to create such strong storytelling without a high level of control over the environment.

Some genres, like Arcade Shooters, RTS, and FPS may lend themselves less toward these play styles, but it's certainly not restricted by genre, either - Bullet Hell shooters, like Ikaruga, for example, are designed with players who favor level mastery in mind. It all depends on the audience you want to appeal to and the game elements that you want to focus on.

dkersten3• 16 years ago

Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a beautifully crafted game (and one of the few popular platformers of the time where there were multiple routes through levels). Its still one of my favourite games to this day.

"consider the RPGs and survival horror games ..."

Speaking of survival horror games, the Left4Dead procedural editing of levels works quite well (though the general layout is handcrafted). I think a similar mechanism would work quite well for games where completely procedurally generated levels aren't desirable.

pbiggar• 16 years ago

One problem with Left 4 Dead is that you rapidly run out of levels (even though each level is very well designed).

I think random levels would work very well, especially for online gaming. If a team didn't know the level, it would really feel like exploring a dangerous zombie infested world.

masklinn• 16 years ago

> Exploration and speed runs are a draw for the Zelda, Mario, and Metroid series as well

And the Kong series.

TheEzEzz5• 16 years ago

> Randomly generated stages certainly have their advantages for replay value, but they also remove incentive for exploration and speed runs, which means you're potentially forfeiting the audience that prefers those play styles.

You can retain the advantages of static levels with randomly generated ones. In the game I'm working on you can specify the random seed used. A high score list is maintained separately for each seed.

jasonkester• 16 years ago

This difference is plainly visible if you look at games you're still playing over and over again after you've 'won'. I have a copy of Master of Orion that I've been playing since 1991.

podperson• 16 years ago

There's an insight here and a fallacy.

The insight is that behavior is more interesting and flexible than content.

The fallacy in the title is the idea of a "level" entirely encapsulating the gameplay opportunities. The point is that the game developer needs to trade off static content vs. dynamic behavior. Some "behavior" may look like content.

Or next we'll argue than randomly generated graphics are equally liberating,

Still, as always, an interesting article.

netghost• 16 years ago

Just a quick note, this guy did the art for my absolute favorite game of all time, Tyrian. Definitely worth some play on dosbox at the least ;)

T-R2• 16 years ago

Interesting. I was actually thinking about Tyrian as an example of a game where random level generation would work well (in contrast to those mentioned in my above comment), and wouldn't detract from nostalgia replay value. Another example would be X-COM. Both excellent games.

moultano• 16 years ago

Minecraft is the best example of this so far I think.

Steambirds: How handcrafted levels prevent game design iteration

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