Level Design in a Day: Level Design Histories and Futures

In this 2015 GDC talk, game professor Robert Yang provides a deep conceptual understanding of what it means to design levels, current issues in contemporary architecture, as well as methodology for critically assessing what levels mean to us.

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[miahsbrokengarage]

Loved this talk. I wonder how many people complaining about the 'uhms' have ever given a talk to more than 3 people before.

[evelin.design]

Every 'Ummm' means a too complex subject of matters. He knows a lot of things and he just cuts subjects like that.
The extremely good talk was very helpful. Thanks for the sharing.

[pinkmuffin]

I wish I hadn't looked at the comments beforehand. I probably wouldn't have noticed the "uhms" but now it was really hard for me to focus on the actual talk.

[ryanb]

Good stuff. I like how he walked through the evolution of level design through the years and how form and aesthetics are treated as different disciplines. I realized that my next step is to study architecture. I didn't mind the "uumms" too much- it makes the monologue kind of rhythmic once you get used to it.

[sexyjutsuuser]

Found this talk very interesting. Perhaps I connect even more to this as I just got done with Architecture school and am looking towards a future in game design. I think what he fundamentally talks about is a common problem with Architectural design as well.... mostly in schools anyways. Students don't often really do the amount of case study they should be doing on a project. Functionality as well form in its optimum capacity would always resort from proper research and not just what appears aesthetically pleasing, its comforting to know that can also happen in level design for games.

For what he intended with this talk (which like is mentioned at the beginning clearly.... basically thinking about thinking), he got that point across very well. Public speaking blunders and all but that doesn't really detract from the message of the talk. Anyone claiming otherwise is definitely nitpicking. Whatever his views may be (and your opinion on them), are a very small part of an hour video and if you're so distracted by less than 10 minutes of that. I wonder how you manage to go through real life

[miroslavless]

Очень интересная лекция от Роберта Янга. Теперь я стал больше всего понимать о создании видеоигр, благодаря предприимчивости этого гейм дизайнера.

[christopherlin]

I think the talk is thought-provoking, didn't notice so much ummm at all until I read the comments after I finish watching.
Shame the comment is occupied by all the meaningless complaints instead of discussion about the actual talk.

[ValeryPetrov]

Great talk, thank you, Robert!

I especially liked how you flipped the 'form follows function' formula on its feet by asking 'who's function does this form follows?'. Sadly, in game design today this is a conceptual path too rarely taken due to commonly accepted conformist 'apolitical' stance (as evident from some of the comments to the video too).

I also think that actualizing postmodernist critique of architectural formalism and urban planning in the field of videogames is a viable approach. There's a great value in looking on levels as productions of social spaces and thus representations of sociopolitical processes, rather then fetishising them as politically-neutral 'things', that have some abstract aesthetic qualities.

With that said, I would like to note that videogame industry today have successfully incorporated some of the lessons of postmodernist thought and have made them serve production of the surplus value. I'm talking about user generated content, player motivation studies that rely on comprehensive data analysis from different player cohorts with different tastes, genders, socioeconomic statuses, etc. For example, in free-to-play industry today games are made to be consumed simultaneously by several different player groups, categorized by their paying capacity: non-paying players ('time rich'), small payers ('minnows'), medium payers ('dolphins'), large payers ('whales'). Not to mention social media communities that are cultivated around these games by the publishers and used as additional marketing platforms. So neo-modenrist formalism goes hand in hand with postmodernist inclusiveness and locality today.

[YermakTheMapper]

Very interesting and easy to watch talk, thank you!

[Lugmillord]

The amount of "uhm"s is a bit to high to stay focused on the actual talk, sadly. Especially when he stresses and prolongs it to He should try the clicker challenge where someone sits close to him and every tim he says "uh" a click noise is made by that person. Sounds stupid, but that really helps to reduce it.

[SinclaRx]

This was a very interesting talk uuuuhm, definitely going to watch more of these uuuuhm level design or uuhm game design related videos.


I’m just joking brother, I hope you wont be offended, excuse me 😂 it’s nothing negative really but a bit distracting. I can understand that it’s a habit and therefore difficult to realize. God bless.

[yobigochida]

I mean if you ignore the definition of the word cyborg you could say it's anything. The wheel, books, and smartphones is tool use. People with prosthetics are modern cyborgs.

[Mr_Twiglesworth]

48 minutes in, i read one comment now all I hear is uuuhm

[DavidKyokushin]

The content itself was good, but holy damn the ''Hummm''s every single sentence detracted my focus so hard.

[Art_of_Syn]

The check box for the shields bit at the begining (6:30ish mark) bugged me enough, so here goes... I understand the point he his trying to convey but the "tension" he is describing is misplaced. The idea of "tension" he is trying to highlight is: yes there is a reason for that checkbox but I don't need it so its more in the way than helpful. However, what hes feeling is that he's one step removed and has no idea what that REASON for that checkbox is. Its still the same feeling of tension but has a slightly nuanced difference.

Now I'm speculating here but as he was bringing up his issue I immediately thought of the reason that check box is there: A value of Zero for the AMOUNT of shields the unit has would mean the unit HAS the ability TO HAVE shields, they are just at zero by default. Meaning that if another unit, ability, or event that can grant shield boosting or recharge, damage, etc... will actually give that Marine unit shields or damage, etc.... Vs having that check box which DENIES that unit shields at all. It makes checks for things that affect shields very easy to parse. ie: this drain affects shield units> (checks all units that have that check box on or off) > if OFF: then ignore unit - if ON: then apply drain mechanics.

Of course this example doesn't mean I'm right and he's wrong, because I'm not the developer and can not tell you why that check box is there. More that his example was a bad example of Engineer vs Designer thinking and would be a BETTER example of how communication between different departments is essential, as well as having good documentation in general, especially for things distributed for use by outside sources.

[argonaut]

we don't deserve robert yang, he's too good for us

[lukefairhurst]

Thought I could ignore the "uuhhmms" despite what the comments said, but good lord they were louder and more frequent than I could've imagined. I feel bad, because it sounds like it's a great talk otherwise. Does GDC not have rehearsals or anything? Maybe they should hire a public speaking coach to run through these with the speakers - help them relax and put their best foot forward - because this isn't the only talk I've come across that has been marred by something like this. It's a shame.

[Sodebayashi]

i see some of the comments here are really trying their best to show the worst this industry has to offer in terms of political short-sightedness and bigotry

[Graysett]

Isn't this a reupload? I swear i've seen this before.

[jurybery]

i am seeing trend to include politics to otherwise neutral speeches. i am from eastern european country. this reminds me something a lot...