Level Designer - Some questions

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What do I have to do? Is it only building maps and designing them? Or to invent maps and give it to someone who builds it then? Or invite them and build them?

I't depends on your boss. If you will be employed as a Gameplay Designer you will make only actions, AI scripting etc... Typical Level Designers makes all the design and brushwork/gameplay...

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- Is someone going to tell me what game I´m mapping for or am I part of the creators of a new game?

Sure!

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- And what about the time I have to work a day? (I think there are differences between each company..)

Level Designer had the most work in all game industry (I think so ) so you might spend some time after your 8 hour work...

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- I searched on the I-net and I found a line called: "Level Designers have to help to program a part of the engine." Is that true?

You mean that LD is programing in for eg. SeeSharp or C++? If you have that skills you can modyfy/add your ideas to engine but not with no permission form Programmers...

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- As you know every game has got parts (for example HL², 14 chapters). Will all designers work on one chapter or are there one or two designer for one chapter?

Don't know how it looks in Valve. I was working in some company and there we had our levels that noone could modify so everyone had own levels...

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- Has every Designer got his own office or are there two ore more people in one room?

It depends if company will find a space for 1, 2 or 3 persons in one room. Many times it's 10 level designers in one big room.

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- As you may know isn´t it possible to start mapping at the beginning of the game-create-process. So, what have the Designers have to do during the time models will be created and so on?

You mean what you should do to lern making maps? Just make maps, show them to us and read comments. It might give better ideas, you will learn what and how you should make maps...

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- I think this question is a bit stupid but: What does a Leveldesigner earn?

Typical LD allways earn not much - every LD should earn more becose the truth is that LD is most important in game industry... In my country earnings of LD isn't so good but it's much better than working in a factory or shop :>

Quote from Fяэ&a

I´ve got some questions about the job Leveldesigner. I want to become one, too, but I don´t really know much about it.I think a lot of you are able to help me.

I hope I can help:

Quote from Fяэ&a

- What do I have to do? Is it only building maps and designing them? Or to invent maps and give it to someone who builds it then? Or invite them and build them?

There are many different roles in the industry regarding level design and creation. These also range from different companies. The general way it works is that you create and build the levels, you may not be the only person working on a level though. If you get higher up, or depending on the workflow of the company you may be asked to design a level, usually with other people participating in the design progress. Sometimes you may just be given a brief synopsis of the level you must create, such as the theme or the style and main points and then you will have the design and create this.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- Is someone going to tell me what game Im mapping for or am I part of the creators of a new game?

Generally you'll be told what game you'll be part of, though you may be part of the design process, you will definitely not be the soul person designing the game and will most likely give in-site from a Level Designs point of view. This processor again, changes with every company.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- And what about the time I have to work a day? (I think there are differences between each company..)

Generally you day will be about 8 hours in length. As the game gets closer to its release date, or even publicity evens such as E3 you will more then likely have to work longer to get things done. "All-Nighters" are a big thing in the industry, or they used to be, now you just work into the evenings a bit more.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- I searched on the I-net and I found a line called: "Level Designers have to help to program a part of the engine." Is that true?

Generally not. Although you may have to do some scripting, which would be using the tools built by the programmers to tell NPCs and charecters what to do. For example, an enemy kicking down a door.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- As you know every game has got parts (for example HL², 14 chapters). Will all designers work on one chapter or are there one or two designer for one chapter?p

Every company has this differently. A game is a collaborative and team project all of the designs will be helping in every chapter and there will almost every time, depending on the size of the game be more then two or three people working on a chapter. Also in some companies level designs specialise in different areas, such as one person may do the lighting for all, or alot of the levels and another do the detailing or scripting.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- Has every Designer got his own office or are there two ore more people in one room?

Generally you all work in a number of rooms together, there can be many people in these large rooms. Kind of like the computer labs at school, except more spacious and personal.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- As you may know isn´t it possible to start mapping at the beginning of the game-create-process. So, what have the Designers have to do during the time models will be created and so on?

Well, models will be being created whilst you create your level. It isn't a one step process, all of the parts of the game are being created at the same time. Levels can even be created at the beginning or at least designed before the core engine is created/brought. It all depends on the companies work flow.

Quote from Fяэ&a

- I think this question is a bit stupid but: What does a Leveldesigner earn?

No idea, £30,000+ I think. I'm not sure.

A lot of your questions depends on the company. I have seen some companies where the designers just draw layouts on paper and some artist builds it. At our place we have some designers that are more toward the programing side and designers that are closer to the art side of things.

Quote from Fяэ&a

No idea, £30,000+ I think. I'm not sure.

Hah you gotta be kidding me, the last place I was at didn't pay that much, only the leads got that sort of wage.

Where do you work to get that pay?

Damn 30k as a starting wage for entry level designer, yes please.

Quote from dux

Damn 30k as a starting wage for entry level designer, yes please.

Starting at most places in the UK it ranges from £18-£20k for entry level designers, then goes up each year depending on the company and how much of a fat lazy bastard you are.

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how much of a fat lazy bastard you are.

Awww..

Well, in the company where I'm working atm, we all earn the same, coders, 2d artists, 3d artists, and level designer (Only me, so far).

I don't actually know what the wage was so I made an, admittedly bad estimate.

Quote from ^Slick

I don't actually know what the wage was so I made an, admittedly bad estimate.

That really depends on the company, and the country you are working on...

I was working in a biggest game industry company in Poland and they payed me 360 euro per month. It's about 4300 euro per year...

Slick wrote that LD is earning pounds 30 000 per year? It's 10 000 euro - now you can compare with my earnings...

A lot of people there (in that company) was caddish... Now you know why I leaved that job...

Whats caddish?

360€ per month?? Wtf, that's even less than the minimum salary here at portugal (380€), and our economy stands on the top3 European, counting from last, of course! :roll:

Quote from dux

Whats caddish?

Not acceptable behaviour

Game Developer released their salary survey data, might be interesting.

http://%7boption%7d

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":1iz74ao5]360€ per month?? Wtf, that's even less than the minimum salary here at portugal (380€), and our economy stands on the top3 European, counting from last, of course! :roll:

I know... it's very sad. Few weeks ago I was in other company and they wanted to pay me 600 euro...

Quality assurance/Testers, often seen as the "first step" into the industry, earned an average of USD 37,861. For three or fewer years of experience, however, the average salary fell to USD 26,410.

37 000 U.S. dollars = 27 138 Euros

27 138 / 12 = 2261€

ahah, I wish I had a salary of 2261€! :roll: I don't even have half of this.

Producers earned, on average, USD 77,131 across all experience levels

Great. the ones with 0 talent get all the money as usual.

Quote from seir

I know... it's very sad. Few weeks ago I was in other company and they wanted to pay me 600 euro...

Wow, thats really low. That amounts to £400, which is incredibly low here in England. I'd expect something like £1500 a month or something similar, even for the first job.

Thats only £18,000 a year. And you say that's one of the biggest companies in Poland, bloody hell man.

Then again, I don't know what things cost over there, in England we have a really bad housing situation which may affect things.