Al Anselmo - Game Designer and Level Designer

    Broken Bridge

    Hi guys, I'm looking for your feedback here.

    Recently I was requested to build something in Unity, so I've whiteboxed a small level in the engine to demonstrate some lighting and shader usage (post-processing and optimization as well but the former could easily harm the latter, so don't consider them here).

    Even though I started with a daylight scene, baking lightmaps using Bioshock Infinite as a reference for the light and shadow tones, I later on decided to change for a nighttime because I thought that way the light usage would be more evident.

    So, I ended up creating a level set in an outdoor area and during the very night. (I'm not sure if that was the best decision to make because I guess it made things more difficult ).

    To help to communicate possible team members about the level in question, I did a sketch and wrote a one page level design doc to outline the current storyline/ context, what the level design goal was and how that should be played:

    [Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/brokenbridge_LDD_.png][Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/brokenbridge_sketch_.png]

    I've got three questions for you all:

    1) Is it really possible to light a level and achieve GREAT results, even though ALL you have is blocked out/ whiteboxed geometry (no props, no artistically-created textures etc)?

    2) How could I improve the lighting in this scene?

    Take a look at the screenshots below or download the executable here (~25mb) to play it.

    3) What exactly do you understand as "shader usage"?

    I'm not an environment artist, but I got some diffuse textures that fitted the level's theme and created their normal maps afterwards. To conclude, I created materials in Unity to receive those textures and applied them accordingly. With that, I believe I could prove that, providing the right textures, I was able to create the materials and apply them to the scene.

    [Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/ss1.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/ss2.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/ss3.jpg]

    I don't know if I'll include it in my folio in the future, but I'm sure there's an opportunity to improve things here.

    This is very important to me and I'm really looking forward to any feedback you can give (even opening my eyes to how much I suck would be ok, I guess). I'm currently available in the market and doing projects on my own, so I count on you guys to give me some pointers on how to improve my craft

    Thank you so much!

    The key to a solid early implementation of a design is to keep it clean, clear and consise ... I always liked the way Naughty Dog and Valve do it (we also do this at Crytek)

    [Blocked Image: http://images.eurogamer.net/articles//a/1/0/1/4/6/7/3/level1.jpg.jpg]

    Heres and example of a scene broken down into basic white/grey box

    [Blocked Image: http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/4207/unchartedcubes.jpg]

    The problem with texturing and lighting is your already distracting the observer before you've even proven the design. Sure, at some point you will add lights but assigning really ugly textures doesnt help get the point across.

    You could take this maya scene above and add some simple text describing the player path and events - if lighting will play a major roll in the design, then it's worth showing before and after, explain why the lights are there.

    The bridge scene can be explained with a few screenshots from a 3d scene, extremely low poly. First showing the view at the start, so setting up the scene. The second being after the bridge has collapsed, with arrows or pointers showing the intended path.

    Your sketch is really good, and is quite clear what you want to do, the only issue I see is the presentation in 3D, your attempting to make the scene more complete than it needs to be.

    Quote from 2d-chris

    [Feedback]

    Thank you, Chris!

    I appreciate and agree with all you said.

    I didn't feel very comfortable of applying the art and lighting there, because I was aware that being part of a game that should be playtested, lots of things could be changed/ iterated. I would avoid any aesthetic element. But, as I was requested to show off lighting and shaders in Unity, I ended up doing that.

    So I believe that in the end I wasn't so crazy of thinking that applying those things in a whiteboxed phase wasn't a good idea...

    Is this presentation in 3D better now? More readable, isn't it? ;P

    [Blocked Image: http://www.anselmo.gd/temp/broken_bridge/bb_whitebox.png]

    Webplayer of the whiteboxed version (1,2mb)

    yup that defo gets the design across much better ^^

    I'm not sure just the bridge requires it own document though, but it's good practice. You can describe the basic design of an entire mission on a few pages ^^

    My portfolio has been updated! (resume as well)


    Improved the layout, added a new game and removed clutter. With less sections, I could move the menu higher up, making it easier and faster to see the projects. I believe my portfolio has become more relevant with this update

    Added Monaco.


    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/cksPvSj.jpg]

    EDIT: forgot one of the most important things: including the first game I was credited for contributing!

    Okay, my main feedback is that your portfolio is very heavy on the text, analysis and thinking and thin on content. I'm assuming 99 out of 100 game studios prefer solid content (released maps, projects, mods) way more than text detailing your design process etc. If the content is good, it speaks for itself and they assume you know your stuff.


    Monaco QA: I'm assuming this was an unpaid position. Also, was it an actual "position" or did you simply have access to the game and submit feedback?

    GRASP: This could potentially lift your portfolio if the game shows promise (even though it's not released). However, you don't actually showcase anything about the game?

    Portal 2 Maps: Since these were made using PETI their Portfolio value decreases. You've got miles long articles about them, but how come one only has 87 subscribers? Why did it fall short? Are the maps the best they can be? You should really push your content in terms of quality.

    Silverhawk: Not very game-related imho.


    In the end, all this adds up to that the only real level design experience you showcase are two Portal maps made in PETI, which isn't a "true" editor. In my experience, "game designers" are rarely where they are because they could theorycraft ideas. They got there because they could deliever content (whether as artists or level designers) and ALSO were good with ideas and were allowed, at a later stage, to work more with shaping game ideas and mechanics.


    TLDR; you need more meat in your folio.

    Thanks for the feedback, Puddy! Monaco: exactly, it was unpaid (they sent me the game and a t-shirt, but still).I made sure to talk to the game's producer and level designer and ask him how I could add to my portfolio in a way that wouldn't seem like I did more than in reality... so I stated that it was a "community contribution" as I helped them doing things that QAs usually do. I have helped many games, but with Monaco I got credited and as it's a very known game, I figured it could be a good idea to include it in my portfolio. Some context: when Monaco started its closed beta, the devs selected a few players to help them out testing and providing feedback. As the levels got tested and tweaked after the other beta players and I suggest improvements, Pocketwatch Games opened the beta and started to call that first group of playtesters as "Beta VIPs". One of the differences between us and the rest of the players was that we had early versions of the game and a private section on the forum, where devs discussed things that were to be implemented later for the other beta players. For our contribution, we Beta VIPs got credited in the game.~> Do you think it'd be better if I wrote "Unpaid position" or "Unpaid contribution" there to make things even clearer?  Grasp: I included it to show that I'm currently developing something. I'm investing all my time on this project because I too believe it'll lift my portfolio.~> The game is not yet released. Do you think it'd be a good idea to remove it and only put it back after it gets done or I had created a trailer?  Portal 2 Maps: I totally agree. One of the maps doesn't have as much access as the other maybe because it's a lot more experimental in terms of gameplay and I didn't share it as much as the first one.~> Hmm now I guess it'd be better if I removed Indirect Ctrl from the portfolio... ._. Silverhawk: yep, not game related at all. I developed that to train my programming skills only.~> ...but if it isn't adding any value, I could remove it as well. I believe the value and quality of works showcased matter a lot more than the quantity. Thoughts? Thanks again

    Agree with Puddy, some of that stuff could cause more harm than good imo. Anyone can beta test a game and even if you are the best beta tester in the world... you are still not a developer. In a game production environment every developer is expected to give feedback anyway, so I don't see how being a QA in an indie game could help.


    I also think you should really decide what your ultimate goal is because that is not very clear in your portfolio. If your ultimate goal is to work at valve or develop shooters, then making a 2D game will definitely not help. Since you are investing so much time and energy into this I'd say to just go and get experience with real editors such as Cryengine, UDK, Hammer, etc.. Create a few multiplayer maps (preferably for games that people still play such as CS,TF2 etc...) or even a simple single-player campaign. Make something that a potential employer would be curious to play.


    The tricky thing with game designer positions is that nobody will hire you if don't have any relevant titles under your belt, and what I mean by that is to actually be someone that made in impact in a project. The easier and faster way to do that imo is by being a content creator (level designer, game artist, etc...), and then slowly climb the ladder until you have enough experience to be a game designer (which is really not about having ideas but about having experience. Anyone can have ideas but very few can actually execute them).


    Another thing that is kinda weird is to have how you perceive yourself in your portfolio (I'm talking about the main competencies section in your resume). Honestly, when we interview people here the most important thing we review is their work and their experience. If we think they are qualified for the job, then the person is invited for an interview and that's where personality comes into play.


    I would also be careful with "software competencies" as well, if you claim you are experienced with software A or B you have to prove it in your portfolio somewhere. (for example even though I know my way around Zbrush I don't even bother to have it on my resume, since I don't have any relevant piece created in that software).


    Hope that helps man

    Quote from Minos

    [gold]


    Thank you a lot Minos, I agree with you as well.

    I'm aware that I have to improve enormously and I punch myself on the face constantly for that. I'm starting to think that I should empty my online portfolio, because now it doesn't seem to add any value to me... I'm thinking about that as I write this.


    My professional goal is to definitely work with AAA games, with shooters being one of the genres of choice. I seriously cannot wait to create CSGO maps and a single player campaign on CryENGINE. The thing that gets me crazy is: my plan of developing the game Grasp was that this game would demonstrate my most recent skills. But, the time spent is already a lot more than I had intended. Unfortunately, Grasp's development is at a stage that if I decide to stop it and dive into the magic world of AAA, all those months spent would've been wasted, you know?

    I'm close to complete it. I need to finish Grasp to make all that time worthwhile.


    For future improvement: do you think I should remove the "Main competencies" section, as for what I understood that's not relevant until I get an interview?


    Thanks again for the always honest and kind words. It definitely helps

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