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A level designer creates the digital environment for a game, placing characters and items. They may create the geometry for a level, manipulate objects, or create scripts for events and enemy behavior. Other responsibilities include testing, creating textures, and adjusting lighting.
In computer game development, a level designer creates the actual digital environment that a player will interact with when playing the game, and places the game’s characters and items in that environment. Different game development companies define the role of a level designer differently. In some cases they are responsible for all aspects of putting together a specific level of a game, while other times the focus of their work is just a very narrow part of the level, like lighting or character identification. A designer generally needs to have some programming knowledge and proficiency in some three-dimensional (3D) modeling programs. The work is very important to the final product because it incorporates all the elements that were created by the rest of the game development team.
In some companies, a level designer will create the geometry for a level, including polygons for terrain, walls, ceilings, and other structures. Creating a map can be a very detailed process and involves presenting a player with a challenge without being overly confusing. In certain projects, the level designer may be creating objects in a 3D modeling program, while other times all of the objects used to create a level are crafted by separate artists and illustrators and placed as decoration objects.
Depending on the type and scope of a project, a level designer’s job can mean different things. A more limited function of a level designer is to manipulate only the objects on a level. The level geometry has already been created by a separate team member known as the environment designer. Level design in this scenario means placing objects, such as game characters or weapons, in strategic positions to present a challenge to the player. It may also involve modifying some parts of the environment, such as locking doors or pulling triggers to move objects around the level, to further complicate the game.
A game design company might also ask a level designer to create scripts to control events in the level or the behavior of enemies and characters. This may require some basic programming knowledge to script quickly and effectively. The designer is usually chosen to write the scripts for a level because he or she is familiar with how the map works and can better integrate object movements so they feel more natural.
There are other responsibilities a level designer can have. This could include testing or recommending statistical balance for enemies in a level, creating two-dimensional (2D) textures for new objects used in the environment, or adjusting lighting and particles for rendering. Larger game development companies often create their own design tools for creating levels, which can help simplify the process, while other times standard 3D modeling software plug-ins make the design process possible.
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