Відео

A great tool for level design and environment design is the Fortnite Unreal Editor, it’s a more streamlined version of UE5, meaning that you can learn how to use an industry-standard engine while creating levels or gameplay scenarios for an existing game, using a really modern and powerful tool

10:17 which game is being showed in the background?

I was LITERALLY about to message you on linkedin, thanks for this!

Great content, super valuable advices. I'm already working as a Level Designer and I'm still really glad to have access to all these feedbacks. Thanks.

Oooh I didn't know one of the D2 level designers was talking about the game on youtube!! This is awesome! Dishonored is my all time favorite series, and the second game especially is my favorite for its depth. The brilliant marriage of world building/story telling and level design is just *chef's kiss*. Here's hoping for more brilliant spaces to explore in Dishonored 3 someday! 1800's World's Fair level when? =p

Some fantastic advice about the interview stage itself, there!

Any student I meet who wants to become a level designer - I'm just going to send them this video, so many good takes condensed into an 18 minute video from so many experts Man Steve Lee you are THE go to channel for level design and offer such a huge benefit to the whole industry

This was excellent, thank you Steve

Thanks so much for this! It definitely clears up some of my concerns. A few outstanding questions I have about applying for jobs in AAA FPS or third-person shooter games are: 1. If we haven't worked as a level designer in a professional capacity yet, what's a good size and scope project to target for eventual inclusion in a portfolio? A 15-minute Half-Life 2 level maybe? And how much time would you expect to put into that, not counting the time to learn the tools? Does this depend mostly on the company we're applying to and game we expect to be working on? 2. Despite engines and tools not mattering as much, I still don't think my portfolio will be taken as seriously by most studios if I include levels made in really old engines like Doom or Quake, even though those are the easiest games to create things for. Is something like Half-Life 2 with more modern scripting as far back as you would go or is there still enough value in levels made for older games as well? Are levels made in things like Dreams, Doom SnapMap, or Halo Forge still generally accepted too? 3. What kinds of projects tend to really stand out from the pack in portfolios? Any good recent examples that you've seen?

"It seems to me that a major problem is the lack of a unified platform where level designers could showcase their work similar to an art station for artists. Because if you try to search on UA-cam or ArtStation for gameplay videos with blockouts, you find very little. And people lack a visual reference of how this portfolio should look like."

I would have a follow up questions how do you sell your portfolio as a Lead Level Designer? Most of these answers are for beginners, but I actually do struggle with a Lead portfolio 😩

This is super useful advice on level design generally, because, while you were enumerating all the points I was also imagining various moments in games I played that followed that advice and how it made the level more memorable. Thank you for sharing this insight!

My biggest problem right now is that even if my portfolio was really good, I can't seem to find any entry level level design jobs to apply for. Searching for entry level design jobs on various sites make all the posting disappear the moment I filter for entry level or even junior level. How in the world are we supposed to get a job in this industry if there is no place for us to start from?

kinda wondering where actual environment artists fit in the pipeline? cause I'm getting the feeling that you only see Level Designers doing all the block outs and then the rest is filled in by prop artists

The 4th question there was a spot about don't show early work. Is that talking about the projects that are old or talking about screenshots in early development?

Great video ! Thanks to you and to all of the level designers who contribute to the video.

Thank you for this amazing video, Steve!

great video :D about to update my portfolio, and I guess it's time to start deciding which projects really deserve their spot in it ^^

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for right now.

This is such an amazing series! Love your channel, thank you!

There is a way to fix this. Start by making Doom and Quake levels.

The Ray Bradbury story is such a touching homage in Fallout 3. I remember it so vividly that when the actual short story came up in my writing class, I could immediately recall that house in the game. More than anything it's a testament to how these large scale games are made meaningful by individuals with their own interests and life experiences. It really shows when they leave a company. Amazing interview :)

This is normal in CS. Not saying it's good, but it's normal. It could've easily been a tall fence or a brick wall.

it's 5:23 in the morning, and I'm making notes really good video, thank you for that

Can i use fan games that have tools inside them to make levels? Let’s say a fan game has a level builder inside it.

One of the best tools people can use now is UEFN. It comes with a character with full locomotion, AI with built in scripting, and tons of assets to choose from. The editor is based in Unreal, which is widely used across the industry, and you can easily publish your maps and have them be fully playable. Don't discount the software because its Fortnite, its actually an amazing tool for level designers and can help people learn skills and establish styles.

game engines are just a executable controled by dynamic libraries or script in text.They come with their own editors and why did you say they can't be used for making levels?

i have never played bioshock before...So in your video,the player was following the rail by just the animation control?

I still remember booting up the Unreal editor and using the BSP tool just to make some levels but it was so unsatisfying because I couldn't walk around them unless I messed with some blueprints. Then I switched to Doom and Black Mesa and I am really happy with the editors available despite the limitations of the engines the games run on.

I believe that game jams projects are not to show high quality games. They show how close to high quality you can get within a few days. Time is money. I would rather hire someone who can get to high quality faster than someone who takes 2 years to get a high quality prototype. No?

"The point here is to see the process as an exploration of ideas and not just an exercise in blandly sticking to your plan that you went in with." I feel validated. I have never made a level where its final iteration resembled its first draft more than 60% of the time in terms of its layout.

🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

It would be crazy if it was coop and another player was driving

loll ..any two bit nimrod can download unreal engine, open quixel bridge link and drag and drop and make a single "scene" look nice. a scene is not the same thing as a level. we've had a lot of wannabe environment artists applying to our studio with these artstation portfolios full of scenes that they grabbed out of their ass cause they've seen one too many of these speed level design videos on youtube. none of them know what's actually involved in making a complete playable level. they cannot work from ref, or concept art and certainly cannot take feedback. they consistently fail art tests. we now only hire seasoned environment artists that someone in the studio knows and has worked with before. usually when we hire it starts with a text message because we are friends and it's a small community. and don't even think about hiring these gnomon kids. you will end up just wasting your time. they are so unprepared it's kind of a shame really cause that school used to be top notch quality.

Simplified explanation. Level Art is creating worlds that have the sole purpose of looking good in the end... Level design is designing levels that can actually be interacted with by the player considering every technical detail involved like LODs, floor clipping, AI routes, player actions that will alter the world to allow them access to other areas etc... Level Designers take what Level Artist create and make it actually work in-game.

half life 2 reload sound 😅

he's right

get over yourself..

Its very nice to see you visibly try to take on this issue with tact. that part of communication will make it easier for everyone to accept the potentially "harsh truth" that level design is in how you play through it.

i got your point ma man, but designing is also art. when you compose some pre done props to make beautiful art it is also design. But yeah, you definitely need another level of knowledge if you want to make a good level design for playable games

I was not mislead by those videos. They are just moving blocks and changing material properties here and there, but the depth goes way beyond. as 90% of the people are dreaming to make games, those videos as starters are misleading people in a giant scale. because what video games need is 'not a static map', its far more complex. Thank you for this video, now i can confirm i got the grip of the right thing from the start.

This was so helpful. The little steps showing me how and where to install things really helped. Thanks!

You’re the only person I’ve heard say it should only be the best of what we can do. With the best of what we can do usually being under an NDA, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,

This was a great level, i just want to ask what course you took for college, i want to also become a level designer. Thank you in advance

I am level artist at Ubisoft, and these "speed level design" videos inspired me 5-6 years ago to learn Unreal and start doing the "environment art". So I don't disagree with you, LA and LD are way different, but they still great source for motivation and inspiration.