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Thing that bugs me about level design: Corridors.
When people make a box and connect it to another box with a corridor, that's not how buildings are. Corridors are the outside walls of rooms with a purpose, they aren't (usually) there by themselves.
When people make a box and connect it to another box with a corridor, that's not how buildings are. Corridors are the outside walls of rooms with a purpose, they aren't (usually) there by themselves.
As inspiration you can get these cards
Which give you real and example floor plans that again don’t just have a long corridor with nothing on the other side of it.
Or for larger structures for your example cities
Going back to corridors. So here is an example of a building with lots of flats in there and a long corridor. This corridor is designed to give you access to the rooms, not by itself. Nearly all its walls have a room on the other side.
Imply this in corridor designs.
Imply this in corridor designs.
I know, I know. I hear you say "But I am building a sci-fi spaceship MARK!!!" The closest to this we currently have is the ISS, go check out this awesome brochure with specs. It's basically rooms stuck together!
https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/508318main_ISS_ref_guide_nov2010.pdf
https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/508318main_ISS_ref_guide_nov2010.pdf
"But MAAAARK, I really like corridors!!!" For sure, they are great, you can do what you like, but make them different or interesting, check out @ALinkToTheFish 's take:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/66DgV
Ohh.. Cubes!
(don't use hexagons or @simonstalenhag will come for you)
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/66DgV
Ohh.. Cubes!
(don't use hexagons or @simonstalenhag will come for you)
there is a great talk by @WilliamChyr about @ManifoldGarden but in it I am pretty sure he hits on ways to make your corridors actually useful:
(he was also referencing another talk I am sure, go watch it, I can't do all the work for you)
(he was also referencing another talk I am sure, go watch it, I can't do all the work for you)
I guess this all comes down to make you as a level designer think what is behind the wall. And how you tell that to the player.
Whilst we are here. I have another gripe about ships in space. Considering they go so fast, why don’t they use that accelration for their gravity?
A game that did this very well is @fullbright ‘s @TacomaGame . In which the corridors lead from a central no-gravity Center to the spinning part of the ship that had gravity. What sells this is actually the light through the windows. As it speedily moves across the room.
And of course, their other game @GoneHomeGame which (famously?) has a corridor going all the way round the house, but into all the rooms. And it didn't feel like a "corridor" corridor.
There are a couple of little cheats but still, check out Steve's talk
There are a couple of little cheats but still, check out Steve's talk
Here is another good example of how when you get to "expert" level design the corridors melt away, in @radiatoryang 's "The Whiteboard Test"
First image you get if you google image search Level Design is this: BUNCHA CORRIDORS! Which irks me no end.
So if you are looking for some good stuff to read (aside from what I posted before) you couldn't do too badly in getting the Preproduction Blueprint from https://worldofleveldesign.com/store/preproductionblueprint.php (and follow @GameLevelDesign )
Even with just a door the space feels a bit more natural.
I guess I just hate being in and making interstitial places.
Thank you twitter, you inspired me to do a whole talk on my hate of corridors: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SODf6EK2foad_aNLQrNJUYqQpvu0EYG-4jcBmbyEFR0/edit?usp=sharing
