Overall, I am happy with how my research project went. I feel I have very much improved my level creation skills. Admittedly in the past, when it came to designing and creating levels it was a case of “I’ll just put this here, and that there, and that looks good.” This project forced me to think carefully of level layouts, flow and pacing.
Everything in levels are placed in a certain way not because it “looks good” but because it serves a very specific purpose. Considerations have to be made for what the player will be thinking in each area and how you could manipulate that in order to convey emotion, story as well as simply guide the player in an intuitive and fun way.
On top of that, I feel like I have learned a great deal of working with the horror genre. It is definitely one of the most challenging genres to work with due to it’s focus on manipulating player emotions (Which on top of that are different for everyone), very tight and concise level design, strong control over flow and pacing, as well as a strong focus on tension. I also learned a great deal through the surveys I created about player preferences, what elements are very powerful and what should be avoided, as well as a greater understanding and appreciation of how to work with large amounts of data, including inconclusive data.
This has been an enjoyable learning experience, and I am strongly considering taking this further in my fourth/honours year.
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