Power up placement in MP levels

[Sean]

I was just wondering, what are levelmakers opinions on placing power ups in levels? I find the Seeker power up is a popular but slightly overrated placed event in popular multiplayer levels, CTF or otherwise. Mostly I am wondering what in the layout dictates the power ups that are placed, regardless of unpowered ammo.

[Ragnarok!]

Ragnarok's guide to powerups!

1) Deciding how many powerups in the level:

This often depends on the scope (duel sized or 7v7 etc.) and style of the level. If you want action packed gameplay, then put more powerups in my opinion. If you want a level more about control and taking advantage of spawn times etc, then I'd go for less powerups. There's no harm in placing two of the same powerup in one level by the way, so never shy away from that idea if you feel the need to do it.

2) Deciding what powerups to use:

Well this is something I usually do while making the level, and it's difficult to strike a balance if you want different powerups in the same place of the mirror image of a symmetrical level. You have to design the level to suit that. So pick powerups that you think will be strong in the level, and that compliment the layout. So for example, I place bouncer powerups opposite to RF powerups because I put a varying amount of slopes and large horizontal corridors to somewhat balance them out. If your level has lots of fastfires, then why not throw in a blaster powerup? If the level has an emphasis on seekers, then throw in a seeker powerup.

3) Deciding where to place powerups:

Powerups are usually placed away from other areas of interest of the level (i.e. bases or carrots) or have some sort of thing preventing you from getting them immediately after doing something, or killing two birds with one stone by camping in one position. While I don't mind them being relatively close, my point is just not on top of eachother.

Next, you wanna know where to actually place them in the level. I tend to put the stronger powerups like Seeker PU around a difficult place in the level, so it's not easy to get the powerful gun, or I make it very central to the level so everyone can get it (usually not the latter). Where specifically to place them? Well, I tend to put powerups in places they work best, so a bouncer PU near thin walls so you can shoot through the walls, or a toaster near open space, or RF in long corridors. Alternatively, I also like putting strong powerups in choke points, like small dead ends (nothing too drastic) as people are bound to camp there in bigger levels and what better place to kill campers than in a small dead end?

4) What to do once you've placed the powerups:

I'd usually throw some ammo around it, make the layout or eyecandy look like something of interest spawns here, or at least throw some ammo around it in a cool shape to signify something spawns nearby. And furthermore, if you're ever gonna place a blaster powerup, please just throw a load of fast fires next to it, noone's bothered to walk around the level and collect them in most cases. :(

5) Finalizing your decisions:

Well, I find when I make levels, some powerups end up being overpowered in certain levels, like bouncer in most of my levels (probably because of how I make them). To counteract this I sometimes just remove the powerup and change it for something else. Or swap it for another powerup in the level to change their placements if it makes the level work better.

Hope this helps at all, but uh, I wouldn't know I haven't made levels for a while now.

[Seren]

I still consider myself a beginner in both, creating and playing MP levels so pardon me if I'm totally wrong but I could just never understand the idea of "putting ammo where it's the most useful". So many level creators seem proud saying their level is like that, while I wouldn't really think of it as of an advantage. Contrary, I believe a much better idea is to place it where it's totally useless - discourages camping and keeps a player in move, because he/she has to collect ammo and use it in different places. This applies to powerups too, and not only this - imo it's also a good idea to place powerups of only the most useless (in a given level) weapons. This way using ammo that isn't powered up becomes an actual alternative: if it's easier to hit an enemy with it, who cares it deals lower damage?

Btw, what I said is not advice, rather another question. I didn't try these ideas in a level yet. I'd like to hear a professional opinion on my theory, and are my ideals all wrong or could I base a separate style on them, leading to good levels.

[Ragnarok!]

My opinion in that is players want to play a level to have fun, as I've only recently realised. While I also encourage usage of the entire level so people have to move around, in most cases, people want things for convenience sake. For example, EBs at the opposite side of the level to a powerup in a wall... You'd go for the EBs, come back, and pow, someone's taken the powerup. Weak example yes, but this goes for most scenarios... In a 16 player situation, imagine taking a powerup and not being able to make kills with it because you're in a section of the level where the powerup is rendered useless? In the time you take to go to the other section of the level, you can die on the way making you pretty much waste the powerup and life. This will *discourage* people from going for that powerup in future. People tend to have more fun if they get the powerup and overpower people with the sheer force of double damage, and that's how it should be.

As for putting useless powerups, I'd only use that as a way to provide ammo, else I'd never encourage it, especially if you're trying to make it a section of the level you want people to go to.

[Obi1mcd]

I still consider myself a beginner in both, creating and playing MP levels so pardon me if I'm totally wrong but I could just never understand the idea of "putting ammo where it's the most useful". So many level creators seem proud saying their level is like that, while I wouldn't really think of it as of an advantage. Contrary, I believe a much better idea is to place it where it's totally useless - discourages camping and keeps a player in move, because he/she has to collect ammo and use it in different places. This applies to powerups too, and not only this - imo it's also a good idea to place powerups of only the most useless (in a given level) weapons. This way using ammo that isn't powered up becomes an actual alternative: if it's easier to hit an enemy with it, who cares it deals lower damage?

Btw, what I said is not advice, rather another question. I didn't try these ideas in a level yet. I'd like to hear a professional opinion on my theory, and are my ideals all wrong or could I base a separate style on them, leading to good levels.


It depends on the type of level you're making, too. If you're going for strategy-based gameplay that requires lots of skill to dominate, then this would probably be a good route to go. Then again, I sort of prefer levels where I can just grab a PU and some ammo and start shooting stuff. Mind you, you don't have to pay attention to this, since I've only been playing online a couple of months, and have never made an MP level.

[Seren]

I admit, I can't imagine it working well in big games, or rather, games too full of people, where there's no chance to get to the "usefulness spot" without dying (even though, note that if you can't prevent dying on your way, it either means such spots aren't that necessary for kills, or someone has actually reached one of them). By "useless powerups" I didn't mean Ice, EB and Pepper Spray as you probably understood, but one of the other weapons which is just hard to use in the level, due to its layout. Take a level where Bouncers are the best type of ammo, and place them without a PU and RFs with a PU in it - a player gets a choice between a heavy weapon and a light one. Almost like in a serious FPS game. And about your example, I was never too much into PU in the wall idea, however again, in small games it shouldn't make a harm. Spawn time should be lower than normally though.

You two also made me realize I'm not thinking about fun while level-making. Not that I'm going to change that. I feel more like an artist than an entertainment provider and I won't resign of it, even if it results in my levels not being fun to play in. I heard MULCH is fun to play in too, and imo it's not a good example of the art of level design.

[Ragnarok!]

People revel in simplicity is all I'm saying. :)