In the industry, the practice of doing a visual mockup to iterate on the style before you start arting up the actual game is typically called 'lookdev' or a 'beauty corner', depending on what sort of art you're doing and whether you intend to show the result to anyone else.
@@SubzeroBlack68 Greyboxing is the opposite. That is when you build levels without graphical direction. What OP is saying is that Lookdev is when you build a tiny level to test out the visual style. After you work out the visual style, you can apply that style at scale to the greyboxed levels.
6:43 this moment right here filled me with more confidence than anything seeing your unity workscreen. You really arent doing anything we cant do with enough time and effort. Thank you for sharing
Excellent video!!! (2:45) Another great feature of white-boxing is that you can pull the camera back while developing, take a screenshot, then pull the actual layout of your level into Photopea and analyze it when planning changes. While you certainly can do that with a more-polished level, the white box geometry offers a very simplistic view whereas some ground textures that look great up close may be confusing when looking at the map from afar.
Once again 10 days 2 late for feedback, but maybe you'll read it: 1. Nice job with the video and your process of creating levels :) 2. THANKS for adding content to wanted shadows! 3. Don't dump every mechanic via text. Dont' tell, show or Let the player find out! If there are breakable boxes then maybe position a stationary monster between boxes. While attacking this monster the player will see the boxes break. Or maybe let a monster break a box with an attack when you enter a specfic room. 4. Remember to stack mechanics even in a tutorial. You know how to break boxes and shoot levers? Then let the player break boxes to shoot a lever next. Having little puzzles with stacking mechanics is maybe the most difficult part to create, but also the most satisfying gameplay for the player. Much love for your videos, keep it going!
I really struggle with level design. This video is invaluable. Showing the thought process that goes into making a level. I appreciate this. Thank you! Hopefully, you can do more thought process styles of videos.
Excellent! I must admit that we started building our levels first to make them good, then try to find out what goes where. For our next game we will definitely go for more sketching and whiteboxing before making it pretty. I learned from someone that it’s called a ”Beautiful Corner” when you make the sample section to show off the art style and make sure it looks great :) One suggestion, when panning to show the door opening, you should use some easing in/out to make it smoother :) keep up the great work! 😅
Haha yeah I think everyone starts like that, but one can only improve from there ;) never heard of the "beautiful corner" term but it sounds exactly like what I mentioned in the video, great piece of vocabulary! Regarding the camera, yep thats fixed in the current version, just some old prototype systems that ended up being replaced that caused that ;) Thanks! :)
Instant sub. I've been taking a very similar approach to creating the world for an FPS Metroidvania game. I'm currently finishing up the final art mockups and beginning greyboxing, but I've been a bit worried that the art mockups wouldn't translate too well onto the greyboxed environments. This video gave me an immense amount of confidence as your game looks absolutely stunning. Wishlisted, and I can't wait see see where you take this!
Thank you! Glad you liked the video :D Ooh that's awesome, I feel like Metroidvanias in a more Metroid Prime style are definitely missing compared to other approaches in the genre, so I look forward to see how it turns out! Yeah I think everyone worries about that at first, but I'm sure it'll turn out great! Thanks and good luck!
I was jealous of you being this good since you are so young. But shoot man you won me over. Thanks for explaining so much of your process. Must have taken a long time to put this all together. Subbed.
@@Conradical your dedication and discipline are clear. I'm 34 and only been doing dev for 4 years. Looking forward to following your channel. Thanks for all you teach in your videos.
Seeing your map sketch makes me want to know what kind of process you go through setting your goals for a map. Because there's already an impressive amount of thought put into it before you even start whiteboxing!
Haha thanks! Usually I just set myself a criteria of points that I need the level to accomplish, like an ice level might have: - introduce ice block - develop ice block - combine ice block with fireball attack in puzzle - introduce ice enemy - introduce big ice enemy and then I craft the sketch in such a way that checks off all of those boxes :) Have to have all the mechanics done in advance of course so that you know what it looks like to combine these things!
I belive that even if you disable things in hierarchy, they are still load to memory when you play level. At least thats what I was told. And with Switch little memory sometimes every free space matter, and you could make load times smaller :)
Hello, a very beautiful project, please share your knowledge on how to make a level, at least for an example of a small island, not necessarily in detail, at least just a brief retelling of how you make tracks, place grass, whether you use textures or shaders, I'm a beginner and have no idea how it is implement it because it turns out you need a large mask (texture)4096x4096 px or it's multiple textures
In the industry, the practice of doing a visual mockup to iterate on the style before you start arting up the actual game is typically called 'lookdev' or a 'beauty corner', depending on what sort of art you're doing and whether you intend to show the result to anyone else.
Someone else also mentioned this, didn't know of that term before posting the video! Great term to put to the concept :)
Really? In a few studios I have worked at they called it Greyboxing or Blockout phase. I guess its just a regional thing.
Isn't that essentially the same as making a cake slice? Or nearly the same?
@@SubzeroBlack68 Greyboxing is the opposite. That is when you build levels without graphical direction. What OP is saying is that Lookdev is when you build a tiny level to test out the visual style. After you work out the visual style, you can apply that style at scale to the greyboxed levels.
6:43 this moment right here filled me with more confidence than anything seeing your unity workscreen. You really arent doing anything we cant do with enough time and effort. Thank you for sharing
Glad to hear that :) Yes! Anything is possible if you just go for improving incrementally!
Excellent video!!!
(2:45) Another great feature of white-boxing is that you can pull the camera back while developing, take a screenshot, then pull the actual layout of your level into Photopea and analyze it when planning changes. While you certainly can do that with a more-polished level, the white box geometry offers a very simplistic view whereas some ground textures that look great up close may be confusing when looking at the map from afar.
Once again 10 days 2 late for feedback, but maybe you'll read it:
1. Nice job with the video and your process of creating levels :)
2. THANKS for adding content to wanted shadows!
3. Don't dump every mechanic via text. Dont' tell, show or Let the player find out! If there are breakable boxes then maybe position a stationary monster between boxes. While attacking this monster the player will see the boxes break. Or maybe let a monster break a box with an attack when you enter a specfic room.
4. Remember to stack mechanics even in a tutorial. You know how to break boxes and shoot levers? Then let the player break boxes to shoot a lever next. Having little puzzles with stacking mechanics is maybe the most difficult part to create, but also the most satisfying gameplay for the player.
Much love for your videos, keep it going!
this video felt way better than the usual subbed! I feel like you know design really well you should talk more about stuff like this :D
That's awesome, so glad to hear that :) What kind of other topics of design would you find interesting to cover in a video?
I really struggle with level design. This video is invaluable. Showing the thought process that goes into making a level.
I appreciate this. Thank you! Hopefully, you can do more thought process styles of videos.
So glad it was helpful! And I'll definitely do more :)
Your creativity is out of this world!
Hahaha thank you :)
Excellent! I must admit that we started building our levels first to make them good, then try to find out what goes where. For our next game we will definitely go for more sketching and whiteboxing before making it pretty. I learned from someone that it’s called a ”Beautiful Corner” when you make the sample section to show off the art style and make sure it looks great :)
One suggestion, when panning to show the door opening, you should use some easing in/out to make it smoother :)
keep up the great work! 😅
Haha yeah I think everyone starts like that, but one can only improve from there ;) never heard of the "beautiful corner" term but it sounds exactly like what I mentioned in the video, great piece of vocabulary!
Regarding the camera, yep thats fixed in the current version, just some old prototype systems that ended up being replaced that caused that ;)
Thanks! :)
I really like how this one looks with all the lush greenery :)
Thank you :)
Dude this is my first time on your channel, game looks incredible
Wait until you see next devlog's stuff 👀
Instant sub.
I've been taking a very similar approach to creating the world for an FPS Metroidvania game. I'm currently finishing up the final art mockups and beginning greyboxing, but I've been a bit worried that the art mockups wouldn't translate too well onto the greyboxed environments. This video gave me an immense amount of confidence as your game looks absolutely stunning.
Wishlisted, and I can't wait see see where you take this!
Thank you! Glad you liked the video :D
Ooh that's awesome, I feel like Metroidvanias in a more Metroid Prime style are definitely missing compared to other approaches in the genre, so I look forward to see how it turns out! Yeah I think everyone worries about that at first, but I'm sure it'll turn out great! Thanks and good luck!
Wow, please do more things like this. I learned a lot!
Thank you so much! What specifically would you like to see more of? Always open to ideas :)
I was jealous of you being this good since you are so young. But shoot man you won me over. Thanks for explaining so much of your process. Must have taken a long time to put this all together. Subbed.
Hahaha thank you so much :) I have been doing this for 8+ years though, so it really didn't come out of thin air :)
@@Conradical your dedication and discipline are clear. I'm 34 and only been doing dev for 4 years. Looking forward to following your channel. Thanks for all you teach in your videos.
Seeing your map sketch makes me want to know what kind of process you go through setting your goals for a map. Because there's already an impressive amount of thought put into it before you even start whiteboxing!
Haha thanks! Usually I just set myself a criteria of points that I need the level to accomplish, like an ice level might have:
- introduce ice block
- develop ice block
- combine ice block with fireball attack in puzzle
- introduce ice enemy
- introduce big ice enemy
and then I craft the sketch in such a way that checks off all of those boxes :) Have to have all the mechanics done in advance of course so that you know what it looks like to combine these things!
2 minutes in and I'm really amazed about how simple and valuable this video is, I'm interested in talking with you in Discord.
Thank you :) There's a link to my Discord in the description, feel free to join!
you deserve more subs
Can’t wait to play it….❤❤❤
Hope you enjoy it when it comes out!
Wishlisted.
I belive that even if you disable things in hierarchy, they are still load to memory when you play level. At least thats what I was told. And with Switch little memory sometimes every free space matter, and you could make load times smaller :)
Yeah they do but the disabling is mostly for GPU reasons!
hey cool informative vid thanks! did you make your own assets?
Bought the bundle, can't be wrong at that price.
Couldn't agree more ;)
Can you make the vignette optional in the final game? The vignette hater crowd would love you for it
Hello, a very beautiful project, please share your knowledge on how to make a level, at least for an example of a small island, not necessarily in detail, at least just a brief retelling of how you make tracks, place grass, whether you use textures or shaders, I'm a beginner and have no idea how it is implement it because it turns out you need a large mask (texture)4096x4096 px or it's multiple textures
the gameplay you explained is closer to digimon
Reminds me of a Pokemon Rumble but WAAAAY better.
Funnily enough, despite how untalked about that series is, it was a big inspiration!
What did you use to make the models, environments, dungeons and textures, thats what in currently stuck on.
are you using unity in linear color space? this looks like you are on gamma color space
I believe the original test was in gamma, and the current one is in linear!
what kinda texttures do you use for your 3d models?
So how,do you send the game to friends?
Can be as simple as just exporting the game, putting it on google drive/dropbox/etc, and sending them a link :)
I know I wishlisted 💁♂
👀👀👀
Hola! I wanna ask u, how engine u use for game?
Hola! Uso Unity :)
How much you got from ur game on steam?
Casette beasts?
The concept for this I actually conceived before I knew of Cassette Beasts! Great game though!
Thats a really long way to say "top down creature collector". Very little if any Zelda or Pokemon roots from what it looks like
Nobody asked
Title is misleading...
nice
Thanks :)