Archive: 25 posts

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Even though I have an idea for a multi-level campaign that I posted questions about making back at LBP2's launch, I both got distracted from creating levels and overwhelmed by all the technicalities involved. I'm trying to get back into proper level making now, but I want to start simple, and basically make a straightforward platforming level with no other genres or super-crazy logic. The question now is what should the setting be? I'm going to look at all the materials I have and think to see if I can come up with some sort of overall theme, as well as replaying favorite levels to try and get inspired for the level design. If anyone can think of a feasible theme that they'd like to see, post a suggestion. If I like it, I'll credit you in the level description when it's finished. But really, I just am wondering if anyone here has a method for coming up with level and layout ideas. I have a desire to make something, but just don't know what to make yet.

2011-08-16 03:40:00 Author: Behonkiss Posts: 229

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I think you have all the creative juice, as you said you get overwhelmed... the problem isn't coming up with an idea, it's seeing it to completion. For complex stuff, the trick is to use modules, or small parts, and don't be afraid to clash concepts while you create. At least for me. You can also freestyle if you have no ideas... especially with logic. Just pop piece a logic you've never used, or don't have an interest in, on cardboard and see what happens. Build it into a cage, or a background, or a platform. Add lights to it. Cut it up. Copy it and drop it in water. And so forth. Almost instantly you'll have some ideas forming, and if not, you're getting experience with those technical aspects of things, which makes further creating easier. Lubricate not just your mind, but your building process, so to speak. MORE TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION (not yelling, just easier to divide the post this way, hehehe)... I'd say for a simple platformer, the best thing is to use a single material, and just have fun building. Don't worry about logic at first, just build and build, and play it. Not to self-promote, but two of my levels are mindless, storyless platformers that use a single material... and they're evidently my most popular and enjoyable. Can't get much simpler than that! But they did still take several days or weeks to perfect... Not to further self-promote, but look at my Girl's Room series. Also very limited textures, but more complex logic. They're broken down into rooms, each of which I build separately, sometimes in completely different levels. This is great because if I'm feeling a bit of creator's block, or lack of inspiration, I can just shift the screen over and build randomly... I spend about 6 hours a night in Create mode these days, offline, and force myself to make SOMETHING... this is streamlined by having things in modules. If something doesn't work now, I can easily move it somewhere else later. I feel more productive, even if I create junk. This is just my advice. Every day I see dozens and dozens of better creators who seem to use very different techniques. There's no "wrong" way to getting inspired, really. What everyone will tell you is that you DO have to keep at it. Seeing something to completion, however you do it, is what matters! If you feel the desire to create, but don't have a goal, just get in there and exercise. Ideas will come!

2011-08-16 03:57:00 Author: Unknown User

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Typically, I come up with a crazy idea while randomly messing around in create mode; that, or something comes to me while I'm laying in bed at night, and I begin work the next day.

2011-08-16 04:11:00 Author: xero Posts: 2419

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All the ideas above are very good. To add more ideas: -If you have a specific theme in mind maybe look on google images for reference photos. Or you can visit deviantart.com it has a lot of art that's very inspiring. -If you can't really come up with anything by yourself try talking to your friends. Normally if I can't come up with a good idea, I like to ask my friends what they think or if they have any ideas. Sometimes they'll give me an idea and i'll just try to make it better so that it fits in my level. (Make sure to credit them though sense your just adding on to their idea.) -Something else you could do is play levels that match the theme or feel of the level you wish to create. Try to find things that you like about that level (Platforming, lighting, decorations, etc.) and also look for things that you didn't like and think of ways you could make it better. (If you feel like your not gonna remember what was good or bad; use the photo option in your popit. Take pictures of what you did like and what you didn't like that way you can just pull them up anytime.) That's all I have for now. Hope these ideas and everyone else's can help you out.

2011-08-16 06:20:00 Author: Mangarocks14 Posts: 262

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Once you have a theme, draw out a mind map and just write down everything that comes to mind. It's really helpful.

2011-08-16 06:24:00 Author: midnight_heist Posts: 2513

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Mostly intellectual conversations with my self...and tea.

2011-08-16 07:24:00 Author: comishguy67 Posts: 849

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Typically, I come up with a crazy idea while randomly messing around in create mode; that, or something comes to me while I'm laying in bed at night, and I begin work the next day. Pretty much this is how my ideas come to me as well, ha ha. Though mine usually aren't level-quality in my opinion.

2011-08-16 08:28:00 Author: Unknown User

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Heh, I swear I am an idea machine. I have always wanted to be a writer or a concept artist so I use and mix ideas in LBP. If they wont all fit in a game or will be better in another, I just save the idea in my head. I noticed something recently thats pretty weird but I will often zone out and decorate something while brainstorming. Like my planet or a costume or whatever. Other times when I'm laying in bed or at work I'l imagine how to make certain things logically and try it out next time I play.

2011-08-16 16:39:00 Author: Dortr Posts: 548

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When it comes to platformers, I have always been the type of person who loves to see realistic contraptions be used as obstacles, puzzles or tools. A good example is my clock tower level in which ropes, weights, scaffolds, a church bell and a clock's inner parts play their role in having you climb upwards. My inspiration for it started with the theme of a church tower, then I brainstormed through everything that such a structure could have. I even visited a few churches and cathedrals for it. In short, my inspiration comes from what I see in real life.

2011-08-16 18:24:00 Author: Antikris Posts: 1340

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Well, I don't actively try to brainstorm for ideas. I just wait til I think of something that would be cool, and make it!

2011-08-16 18:27:00 Author: Radishlord Posts: 706

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My problem is that I'm TOO full of ideas. Even if it's just a simple idea for a level I'll start thinking "Oh - I could add *this-that-&-The-other* to make it better" - and if I'm going to make *that* then I could make a *something* to make *that* better - but then I'll need to improve *this* aswell - and *the other thing* will need some more work " - until eventually the 'extras' that I've added will take more work than the core idea... and it ends up a half finished mess on my Moon

2011-08-16 18:37:00 Author: Macnme Posts: 1970

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Gosh, you guys are much different than I am. I am a pen and paper guy. I like to write everything out and take tons of notes. It amazes me that people can just jump in and make something good. I've only really ever done one platform level, and it was kind of meh. For that one I started with an idea, and drew 9 squares on a piece of paper. in the left column I drew a beginning middle and end in each square. Then in the appropriate rows I drew two concepts of puzzles for those. They were just simple sketches to remind me. Then i broke everything down into tasks and wrote out a list of things to check off. For the level I am doing now, I think I am up to about 5-6 pages of notes and drawings and diagrams on both sides of the page. That's just for a game where the camera never moves.

2011-08-16 21:14:00 Author: tdarb Posts: 689

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Another way to get ideas is to play or see other games. I was gonna make a water type level, but had no ideas so i went on youtube and started to search for games that had some type of water level and looked for things i might want to include in my level.

2011-08-16 22:20:00 Author: Mangarocks14 Posts: 262

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I just come up with stuff in my head

2011-08-17 00:43:00 Author: zzmorg82 Posts: 948

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Probly no one here has played my levels, but I just close my eyes and do what at that moment i think works best... I create blindly with no idea how it will play out (pun intended) intill its done. On my second to newest level, I spent alot of time just making something, then just deleating it all just to start that room over to find what works best. I think that work pays off (reached 100 plays) I feel like over the levels i have made, i have gotten beter at design.

2011-08-17 02:30:00 Author: Unknown User

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I either think of a type if gameplay, or a story. If gameplay, I just go in and start creating. I just create as I go, but I try a lot of things as I go. I'm a fairly slow creator because of that. I have no idea what I'm doing. But, as I try different things, it usually comes together some how. I have tried to draw out my levels, but that just doesn't work for me. So, if you look at the YouTube link in my Sig, you can see the first half of my level, Jumper. I wanted people to have to hit a special jump pad before they could move on, and I wanted it to start easy, and keep getting harder. So, I started creating - and two months later Jumper was done and published. It was a lot of persistence. I wasn't in the beta so Jumper was my learning level. My point is, there isn't a wrong or right way. I probably have the worst method for creating, but it works for me well enough. But no matter what, do these 3 things: Create, find inspiration (pictures, music, friends), and keep at it.

2011-08-17 03:21:00 Author: CYMBOL Posts: 1230

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have lots of sugar and try to sleep ( works for me! ) it gives me crazy ideas, but it comes together. ( none of them published so far.... lbp2 will be driven to insanity when they are ) and makes me laugh alot coz most of the ideas are so outrageous, attempting to create them is funnyy also playing in create mode with my good friend embernova gives me ideas for lvls, which me and him usually end up attempting. also good fun. good luck with your lvl!

2011-08-17 12:38:00 Author: nerzdadestroyer Posts: 1527

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I do it through a variety of methods. I most often just create an image of what I want to do in my head and them go right ahead and make it. For my latest level however I started to have so many ideas and how the different rooms interconnect with each other I was starting to get worried I'd forget a lot of details or not sure it would even work! In this case I drew out a rought outline of the level structure with annotations and I felt much happier after doing that. I know what my goal now is and that the whole conecpt will work well. To build up the details of a level like the visuals and decorations I often play a lot of levels with a similar premise to see if I can get inspiration from them. A key example is how recently I saw a really nice visual element of a level I was playing (using 3 different materials arranged in a certain way) and this conecpt has now become the prominant feature of my level's aesthetic. Another thing I do mainly for story related elements (as the story I'm working on is quite complex) is I keep notes in my phone. Often great ideas come to me at bad times like when I'm in bed or at work, in this case I'll make a note of it - most importantly when in bed because while in a drowsy state I struggle to remember things the day after. Then a few days later I'll read through my notes and realise how genius some things work out and that I did in fact, totally forget about the whole thing! The best advice I'd say though is to definitely play similar levels, take snapshots, borrow concepts and develop them into your own thing.

2011-08-17 17:08:00 Author: Xaif Posts: 365

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Sometimes i play an old favourite game, or watch a film. Inspiration can come from the strangest things.

2011-08-18 01:07:00 Author: gigglecrab Posts: 232

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Alot of my ideas come to me just during the day when I'm bored...

2011-08-20 23:47:00 Author: Undarivik Posts: 442

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They just pop in on their own.. however, sometimes I start to mature those ideas (such as an Othello game I'm planning to do; I recently did some paper sketches about it, and concluded that it is reasonably easy to do)

2011-08-24 06:53:00 Author: OrwellianStuff Posts: 90

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Am I the only one that records dreams?

2011-08-24 11:23:00 Author: WESFUN Posts: 1336

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Am I the only one that records dreams? your the second to third person who records dreams and the first to publicly tell people. we dont want these muggles knowing about the dream fields! a good way to find ideas is to take pictures of things and look at them together and let your mind begin work.

2011-08-24 21:37:00 Author: nerzdadestroyer Posts: 1527

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Since I am not versed in level creation AT ALL, I can't comment on brainstorming for level ideas. Costume designing can be a discipline in itself for some people though, so whatever. For me, I absolutely NEED a springboard for an idea, I can't just spontaneously come up with something out of the blue. However, the springboard can vary greatly from one costume to another. In one case, I already had a very crude costume of the character. I was playing with a friend one day with a different but equally crude costume, I shoved the complete crocodile DLC on it and joked "Hey look, I'm Espio in a Vector costume!" It was funny to the other player, but it also led me to think about actually working with the crocodile costume as a base. In another case, I'd wanted to do the character for a while but couldn't think of a decent starting point. I then came across someone who'd done the same character in their Sackbot costume gallery and thought 'Ooh, I like that combination, it works!'. I proceeded to save the costume before effectively stripping it down and redesigning it myself from scratch to something that was personally what I had in mind. Long story short; I look everywhere and anywhere for inspiration, even from simple things like conversations with other people.

2011-08-25 19:50:00 Author: Vector-Espio-Fan Posts: 119

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Best place for ideas is to play in create mode. I spend hours making all sorts of random crap, and sometimes an idea springs from a single contraption I've built. I'll then save it as an object and forget about it. Granted, most of the time they get filed under the "To Continue" heading, but try and remember that creating is playing. Go mad. Muck about with things. Mess around with water, or change gravity. Make small creatures or machines. Play around with the stuff you don't feel confident with and I guarantee something will spark an idea. Good luck!

2011-08-27 17:05:00 Author: Frogmeister Posts: 236

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