Dadiu - Level Design by Sandra Louise Fagerli
Author
Fagerli, Sandra Louise
Term
3. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Pages
10
Abstract
This thesis documents a DADIU semester from the perspective of a Level Designer and outlines goals, methods, and lessons across three game productions: Ymerdrengen (phase 1), Rude Food (phase 2), and The Worst Knight (the graduation game). Within the given constraints (Unity, HTC Nexus 9, Danish/English builds), the author developed levels via paper and LEGO prototyping, grid-based enemy spawn patterns, greyboxing in Unity, and iterative refinement informed by UX feedback. Ymerdrengen combined a gyroscope mechanic with increasing complexity; Rude Food used swipe controls in a coordinate-based grid that enabled controlled spawn patterns and varied routes, though publishing was not pursued due to rights considerations. The Worst Knight subverted genre expectations by rewarding “bad behavior” (reputation loss) and involved tutorial design, a camera overhaul (from zoned to player-following), goal-directed camera animations, and AI navigation meshes. The evaluation reflects on areas for improvement such as overly square maps and player snagging, limitations of procedural quest and spawn systems (lack of balance and progression), the need for more device testing, and the importance of flow-based difficulty progression. A process analysis highlights how team organization, decision-making, and pipeline affected implementation pace, offering lessons about cross-disciplinary collaboration and leadership. Overall, the thesis provides a practice-oriented account of level design methods and the practical and organizational challenges of game production in an educational setting.
Denne afhandling dokumenterer et DADIU-semester fra perspektivet som Level Designer og redegør for mål, metoder og erfaringer på tværs af tre spilproduktioner: Ymerdrengen (fase 1), Rude Food (fase 2) og The Worst Knight (graduation-spillet). Under de givne rammer (Unity, HTC Nexus 9, dansk/engelsk build) udviklede forfatteren niveauer gennem papir- og LEGO-prototyper, grid-baserede mønstre for fjendespawn, greyboxing i Unity og iterativt arbejde baseret på UX-feedback. I Ymerdrengen blev en gyroskopmekanik kombineret med stigende sværhedsgrad, mens Rude Food anvendte swipe-kontrol i et koordinatesystem, der muliggjorde kontrollerede spawn-mønstre og varierende baneforløb; udgivelse blev fravalgt på grund af rettighedshensyn. The Worst Knight vendte genrens forventninger på hovedet ved at belønne “dårlig opførsel” (tab af omdømme) og omfattede design af tutorials, kamerarevision (fra zoner til spillerfølgende kamera), målanimeringer og navigation mesh til AI. Evaluationsafsnittet reflekterer over forbedringsområder som for firkantede baner og fastkørsel, begrænsninger ved proceduralt quest- og spawn-design (manglende balance og progression), behovet for mere enhedsafprøvning samt vigtigheden af flow-baseret sværhedsprogression. En procesanalyse fremhæver, hvordan teamorganisering, beslutningsgange og pipeline påvirkede implementeringstakten, og peger på læringer om tværfagligt samarbejde og ledelsespraksis. Afhandlingen præsenterer dermed en praksisnær gennemgang af level design-metoder og de praktiske og organisatoriske udfordringer, der opstår i en uddannelsesramt spilproduktion.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
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