For the version two of my 3D game level, I had an in-class playtest to have a couple people try it out. Compared to the first version I added some more rooms to the end, and improved some existing rooms with more hazards and checkpoints. For instance, there’s acid in several rooms now, and some more platforming in the room that introduces enemies. This also opened up the first room a little bit more.
Everyone liked the platforming a lot. Nobody got lost or confused on where to go, and everyone had an easy time figuring out what to do. Some people experienced some light and simple challenges with the platforming, but everyone seemed to find this enjoyable, and it was never to a degree that was frustrating.
Many players made quick work of the first few rooms, possibly seeming bored. Most of them had to re-do a couple jumps on the last few rooms, and faced some minor challenges with the enemies. Everyone completed the level quickly, but about half of that time was spent in the tutorial sections. That’s the major reason I think a few more challenge rooms at the end would be a major improvement.
In terms of improvements, I think the level should be a bit longer. It advances the mechanics at a good steady pace. The last few rooms are when things start to get interesting, when players have to clear out enemies in a room whilst they take on its platforming challenges. Extending that out further with new rooms would be an improvement.
Additionally, sections such as the acid pit in the first room that preview the upcoming area with the moving platforms or the upper window that lets players look back on where they came succeed in giving the level a sense of cohesiveness. They work to create an environment that feels interconnected. I think expanding the level would benefit from this: using height variations and acid pits to let the player see the connections between the level’s challenges.
Certain rooms could also be expanded to aesthetically make it feel more open. Primarily I’m thinking of the first room with the moving platform and the first room with a switch. Having some more height variation in these rooms would help make the level feel more like a real environment. If future versions introduce something like collectibles, I think levels would benefit greatly from being more open.
The last room that has some platforming and several enemies to me scratches the surface of the design starting to get more interesting and dynamic.
Overall things went very well. There were no major errors or glitches, and nobody had difficulty or got stuck anywhere in the level (since it’s supposed to be easy). For this type of game I really want to emphasize exploration, so I think having bigger areas with more nonlinearity would benefit it a lot. More deliberate structures could be an improvement as well. I like the contrast when the player goes indoors towards the end of the level.
For the next 3D level we design, I’m definitely going to have a combination of outdoor and indoor challenges with a focus on interesting and intuitive platforming. A couple flavor elements in the environment would also be a good way to encourage players to explore. I definitely want to experiment more with activatable objects and switches.
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