Releasing a quality game each year, Insomniac are at the top of their game and put most developers to shame. Letting us in on their methods of genius is a treat, and today they bring us an exploration of how they create single player levels. From paper to game in nine “easy” steps.

1. Designers create rough map.

From paper to screen, a level goes through many iterations. Often times designers start sketching out setups with paper and pencil, then transfer to a vector map for the Environmant Artists to start fleshing out. The Designer and Artist will work closely to define what these spaces are, how they should look, feel, etc.

(Please click on the images to enlarge them.)

2. Designers create scale rough of their map.

3. Changes are made to the map based on scale rough.

The Designer scale rough is a crude model built by the Designer to check out their spaces and make sure it will work for what they were thinking. Sometimes a space just doesn’t feel right when you get it in 3D from a paper map, so adjustments can be made with little effort. From here, the map is retrofitted before handing it off to the Environment Artists.

4. Map gets pitched to Environment artists, who work closely with Designers to flesh-out the spaces.

Many times, the designs change radically once Designer and Environment Artist begin problem solving.

5. Environment creates Environment rough, where the space is made to feel “real” (i.e. Where does that road go?)

6. Design and Gameplay programmers wire enemy encounters and stub in story elements (usually text on screen at this point)

7. People play the game. A lot.

8. Design and Art make changes as needed.

9. The polish work begins.

There you have it, a day in the life of Insomniac level creation. Rather them than me! To look at HD screenshots of Resistance 2 please follow this link.

Note, multiplayer maps get much more time in rough so they can be play-tested for balance, action funneling, exploits (like camping grounds) and player capacity.

Thanks and Credit goes to Insomniac.

Tags: designers, gameplay, Insomniac, Playstation 3, programmers, PS3, Resistance-2, single_player

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