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Backtracking and Level Design - Making a Way Out - Extra Credits
Extra Credits
Overview
This video discusses the common game design problem of "re-traversal" or "backtracking," where players are forced to walk through areas they've already cleared, which disrupts game pacing. It explains why this issue is more prevalent in open-world games compared to linear ones and offers practical solutions for both. The core idea is that game spaces don't need to adhere to real-world logic, allowing for clever design tricks to create shortcuts and exits, thereby improving player experience and engagement. The video emphasizes that addressing backtracking early in the design process is crucial for effective level design.
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Chapters
- Re-traversal, or backtracking, is when players must travel back through areas they've already completed.
- This issue often arises in games when players clear an area and then must return through it with no new challenges or rewards.
- It significantly harms game pacing and player engagement by creating boring, repetitive segments.
- The problem is particularly noticeable in open-world games after completing objectives in dungeons or on top of buildings.
Understanding the re-traversal problem is essential for creating engaging game experiences, as it directly impacts player enjoyment and flow by preventing tedious repetition.
Having to walk all the way back out of a dungeon after defeating the final boss, with no new enemies or loot to encounter.
- Linear games often avoid re-traversal by ending a level with a cutscene that transitions directly to the next.
- In linear games, side paths that lead to dead ends can be designed to loop back and reconnect with the main path, avoiding backtracking.
- However, forcing a reconnect in linear games can cause players to skip content if not carefully managed.
- Open-world games present a larger challenge due to the sheer number of explorable locations, making backtracking more frequent and impactful.
Recognizing the different contexts of linear and open-world games helps in applying appropriate design solutions to mitigate the negative effects of backtracking.
In a linear game, a side path might lead to a treasure, but instead of forcing the player to walk back, a hole is blown in the wall to connect directly to a later part of the main path.
- Game spaces can be designed to defy real-world logic, allowing for shortcuts and non-sensical layouts that serve gameplay.
- For buildings, simple solutions include adding ladders or strategically placed rooftops for players to descend.
- For dungeons, designs can loop back on themselves, place exits near entrances (in terms of gameplay flow, not necessarily geography), or include lifts.
- Creative solutions involve using verticality and right-angle turns in paths to create length without advancing the player significantly along the main path, making the exit feel natural.
Implementing clever level design, such as creating alternative exits or looping paths, directly enhances player experience by reducing frustration and maintaining momentum.
A dungeon's lowest floor could be designed to be directly adjacent to the entrance area, accessible via a lift or a short walk, rather than requiring a long trek back.
- FromSoftware games are highlighted for their exceptional level design that minimizes frustrating re-traversal.
- These games often feature interconnected paths and shortcuts that allow players to bypass previously cleared areas.
- Creating these exit points also serves as natural checkpoints, breaking down large challenges into smaller, more manageable goals.
- This design choice introduces a risk/reward element: players can choose to find a shortcut and progress, or return to safety to cash in rewards, knowing they might have to re-fight segments.
Studying examples like FromSoftware's games demonstrates how thoughtful level design can not only improve pacing but also add strategic depth and reward player exploration.
In Dark Souls, finding a shortcut that opens a gate back to an earlier bonfire allows players to save their progress and avoid re-fighting difficult enemies.
- Addressing backtracking should be a primary consideration from the initial stages of level design.
- It is significantly harder, often impossible, to effectively fix re-traversal issues once a level is largely built.
- The larger and more complex a space, the more critical pre-planning for shortcuts and exits becomes.
- Minimizing time spent in empty, re-traversed areas keeps players engaged and immersed in the game world.
Prioritizing solutions for backtracking during the early design phase prevents major rework and ensures a smoother, more enjoyable player journey throughout the game.
Designing a large castle level with multiple internal loops and external shortcuts from the outset, rather than realizing halfway through development that players have to backtrack extensively.
Key takeaways
- Backtracking is a pacing killer that can be avoided with intentional level design.
- Linear games can use looping paths or direct transitions, while open-world games need more robust shortcut systems.
- Game spaces can be designed illogically to serve gameplay, enabling creative solutions for exits and shortcuts.
- Adding alternative exits and shortcuts not only improves pacing but can also function as checkpoints and create strategic depth.
- Addressing backtracking early in development is far more effective than trying to fix it later.
- Well-designed levels keep players engaged by minimizing time spent in uninteresting, cleared areas.
Key terms
Re-traversalBacktrackingPacingLevel DesignOpen-world gamesLinear gamesEngagement curveShortcutsCheckpoints
Test your understanding
- What is the core problem with re-traversal in video games, and why does it negatively impact player experience?
- How do the challenges and solutions for backtracking differ between linear and open-world game designs?
- What are some specific design techniques that can be used to create shortcuts or alternative exits in game levels?
- Why is it crucial for game developers to consider backtracking issues early in the level design process?
- How can the implementation of shortcuts and alternative exits contribute to strategic gameplay elements, as seen in games like those by FromSoftware?