Perhaps you could begin with what you've learned in your career - what you think are the 2-3 most important things to keep in mind when designing levels.

I'd also like to know how you maintain a balance between puzzle solving and having enemies to kill. To a point where the one experiencing your mission never feels bored.

Originally posted by The D-Man:

Perhaps you could begin with what you've learned in your career - what you think are the 2-3 most important things to keep in mind when designing levels.

1. Firs of all - start designing using pencil and paper, not the editor. Draw your level on paper before you start placing objects in editor. This can save you a lot of time.

2. Start design from big things like mountains, buildings, streets and end with placing lamps in rooms and posters on walls. Make level prototype to check wheather your level from paper project is good or not.

3. Play your level as many as you can and iterate changes after playing.

I recomend to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on7endO4lPY and all other Extra Credits clips. There is a lot of very good knowledge.

Originally posted by Rabid Squirrel:

I'd also like to know how you maintain a balance between puzzle solving and having enemies to kill. To a point where the one experiencing your mission never feels bored.

Mainly by playing. There is probably no better way to balance as check what have you done. Give your map other and observe others reactions. Get feedback from other.

Yeah I would agree with that last statement to have other people play your level. Their initial reaction is often the most honest one. I use this for all sorts of things - recently I began designing a business card. I would show versions to people and carefully watch their reaction upon first seeing it - facial expressions, first words, etc. I learned a lot from just doing that and threw out a few designs before finding the right one.

Another question I have is in terms of Decor for various situations. Is there a rule of thumb for populating a room for example with objects? Becuase I often find myself staring at a room that looks bland and empty.

When you don't have own concept arts, find some reference pictures in internet and try to recreate room from pictures. This is the easiest way.

Guys, I'm wondering what else are you interested in, when it comes to Level Design in general. Feel free to list general knowledge areas or specific topics. Let me put it this way: imagine the best level ever. Now, what skill/knowledge do you miss to make it yourself?

For those who'd prefer to stay anonymous with their questions - no problem, we care about all questions. Please use this survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WK5T53H

Would like more static models shapes to work with, such as triangle, cone sphere, donuts hollow tubes and maybe some gears, this way sky is the limit of our imagination. :)

We are currently working on importing custom meshes so you will be able to add all what you want.

When you ´re stuck on one part of the
Map is it recommanded to work on another
Spot then come back later and once
The two locations are fine link them
With scenatio or path?

I mean when you ´re stuck because
Out of inspiration in a particular map location
Or facing all kind of problems.

When you are stuck with creation because of inspiration it's good to change location as you have mentioned or give your map somebody to play, and gather some feedback and ideas from others.

When we are working in teams, and somebody have no ideas, we are making brainstorms or searching some inspiration in internet.

Also it's good to give yourself some rest, and make something diffrent - play other games, watch some movie etc. After that you could have many new ideas and power to rebuild whole your map.

Jumping between diffrent tasks and maps is good to jump out from monotony - the one of reasons of lack of inspiration.

Also good concept and plan can help you. Because when you don't have plan you will be confused and don't now what to do next. Sometimes inspirations is not a problem, but no goal to achieve. Give yourself some goal, and inspiration will come.

Originally posted by Rafal Polito:

Also good concept and plan can help you. Because when you don't have plan you will be confused and don't now what to do next. Sometimes inspirations is not a problem, but no goal to achieve. Give yourself some goal, and inspiration will come.

Thanks a bunch.
For helping me i just drawed a basic
Plan of my map and every time i check
My map i write a to do list for the next
Time i open devTools.
Also i have many ideas in my notes
But it ´s hard to choose only a few
Of them...

Originally posted by Rafał Polito:

We are currently working on importing custom meshes so you will be able to add all what you want.

I hope so. It will be interesting to see whether we have to be in possession of a high-end 3D app such as Max or Maya or if we can get away with using something like Blender (free) for mesh creation and exporting.

I think my biggest gripe about the Developer Tools right now is just how much the community has had to put in to get the thing even halfway useable - I mean even basic stuff, like just getting accurate previews into the Asset Browser (imagine how useful it would be to be actually able to see a pictorial representation of each of the game's content assets).

But this is the same old story when it comes to dev support for mod tools... half-arsed at best, and even then only if we're lucky. I really hope Techland intend to keep issuing updates and improvements to the Development Tools for DL. Please don't let this end up as abandonware.

It will be possible to import FBX files, so you do don't must have high-end 3D tools. We sometimes also use Blender to create meshes and import do Dev Tools.

Originally posted by Rafał Polito:

It will be possible to import FBX files, so you do don't must have high-end 3D tools. We sometimes also use Blender to create meshes and import do Dev Tools.

Will it be possible to import blender animated meshes with bones through fbx?
I mean if the animation data is in another file than the mesh is there any plugin to
import animation or you need 3ds max for the animation import into the Devtools?