Analysis of level schemes for improving multiplayer shooters

The world of competitive games is on the rise, so more and more first-person shooters make their way into the world of eSports. However, not all of these new games are successful as competitive multiplayer games. The reasons for this may be game mechanics, level design, and sometimes an insufficient number of players. In this article I will reveal the basics of level design. We will not dwell on assets and resources that enliven the level, and discuss only the level schemes at which players can move and interact.

Foreword

Before you begin, it is necessary to learn a couple of principles. The most important is that each game is unique. Game mechanics and the capabilities of players within the game vary. We need to understand this when we proceed directly to the consideration of level diagrams.

Terminology

To understand the topic being studied, you need to get acquainted with some terms. The first is the “critical area” (choke point). The critical section is a place of the level in which there is an intense confrontation between the two teams, with the result that most of the player-player interactions are concentrated there. Another important term is the “line of scrimmage”. This line is imaginary and invisible to players. It can be used to determine the "side" (side) of each of the teams, as well as to highlight the goals presented at the level.
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Learning classics

The first level we’ll look at is Dust II from Valve’s Counter-Strike game. Dust II evolved over time, but the fundamental scheme remained unchanged. This level was released in 2001 and is considered one of the best FPS levels of all time.


The green line indicates the contraction line, the orange circles the critical areas. Blue lines indicate defenders, red - attacking.

Looking at the level map, you can see that both level targets are in the upper left and right corners. At the level there are only three routes. Note that there are only two ways to achieve each of the goals from either side. Each approach to the goal is a critical area in which the defenders are trying to block the attacking path to the target. The scrum line is not visible to players, but divides the level in the upper third. In this way, imaginary “sides” of the level are created in which players tend to remain if aggression is not required. Consider the fact that teams in Counter-Strike consist of a maximum of five players. What would happen if a third or fourth critical section were added to one of the targets? The defenders would be overloaded and could not successfully defend the site. The attackers would be able to take advantage of this, which would lead to an imbalance of forces. In addition, another goal would be ignored, so half the level would not be used.

Multiple goals at different times

Overwatch has fundamental differences from other games of this genre. It is of great importance upright position, because some characters are able to fly. Because of this new mechanics, the level design has changed, various tiers of heights appeared in it. Despite the importance of height, the overall routing of the levels did not change. This map is called Temple of Anubis. On it, as on Dust II, there are two goals.


Red lines indicate possible attack routes.

The difference here is that only one target is active at a time. The attacking team must capture the first target in order to attack the second. Attacking has three paths to the first target, each of which gives access to a different level of height. For the first goal, there are three critical areas. The first attacker is quite easy to go through and is relatively uncritical. For the next two, competition is more serious, because if the defenders lose control of them, they will completely lose their goal. Therefore, the scrum line is usually located between each of the critical areas in which the defending party rarely moves to the other side or never moves. When the second point is active, the principle remains the same. Despite the fact that the general form of the card is not just a box, the design of the new target is made in a similar way. There is still a clear line of battle and a new set of critical areas for which you need to fight.

What happens if player start points change?

In the levels created for Call of Duty games, you need to take into account the various game modes. Capture the Flag or King of the Hill can be used at the same level. An example of such a level is “Sovereign” from Call of Duty: Ghosts.


Spawn points change after the start of the game.

The level is highly symmetrical due to the Call of Duty respawn system: after the start of the game, teams appear on one of the sides of the card. Despite the fact that the design and level intricacies can seem complicated, in fact, the level can be divided into three routes. The objectives of each mode are located quite close to the imaginary line of the fight, or even even on it. Therefore, the main critical areas are directly on the line, which leads to collisions in places where targets will appear.

What can we learn?

The most important lesson here is in the design of levels “less” means “better”. If there are a lot of ways to the point, then it becomes too difficult to protect the targets. Having too many critical sections makes the choice for the team less important. A good level scheme is more important than aesthetics. Do not forget about the mechanics of the game when creating levels. Having created a level taking into account all these principles, then you can add visual and aesthetic details.