Greyboxing Another Narrative Diorama!
I’ve really been giving SabreCSG a shot but boy! Do I miss my ProBuilder. There have definitely been ups and downs to both tools. ProBuilder I’ve found to be more challenging in its lack of snapping to a metre grid but SabreCSG, I feel just doesn’t have a certain freedom that ProBuilder does.
The last time we did this exercise I was really happy with what came out of it but with this one, I really wasn’t. Like, not at all. I’m just going to throw some screenshots of my greyboxing throughout the post but instead of talking about what you can clearly see, I’m going to talk about what you can’t. What I did before this ‘level’ became the way it is.
Starting with how I’ve been pushing myself in 3 areas; - Scaling (Test Early. Test Often) - Settle on Simple (Being okay with not making something amazing, yet) - Incorporating Level Design Elements (Leading the player, something interesting every 5 steps and not making the player feel boxed in).
Because I’m testing my design techniques in all these areas at once, I feel like the level of comfort I had in what I was producing has GONE. COMPLETELY.
I’m sure ‘Future Boo’ is looking back and thanking this determination to not retreat into the warm, safe places of Unity and Design. I’m totally sure she is.
Scaling: Using real life measurements to make the levels feel natural. Making sure the player doesn’t feel like that chair is towering over them. And testing to see if they can actually walk through that doorway.
Settle on Simple: I don’t have the skill to make the levels that inspired me to be sitting in this classroom. I have the determination and the passion, but coming to terms with not being good enough has been a real learning curve. One I’m glad I’m getting my head around earlier rather than later. 3 buildings in a village is totally fine. ...For now…
Incorporating Level Design Elements: Watching the pros make it look so easy is nothing short of awe-inspiring. All the games make sense all at once, and Level Design is the thing making my heart fall. I thought I was so clever, “I always seem to know where to go! That can’t possibly be coincidence! I must be a genius!”
...So I never actually thought that but comparatively, I came pretty close. Truth is, giants like Insomniac and Naughty Dog were holding my hand so lightly I didn’t even feel it. And that’s what makes them great.
