Crafting Engaging Open Worlds: Expert Insights

The popularity of open world games has skyrocketed, offering players immersive experiences with endless possibilities for exploration and adventure. These virtual realms have become the pinnacle of modern level design, with sprawling landscapes, hidden treasures, and bustling cities. But what makes an open world truly captivating? This article delves into the key principles, techniques, and considerations that bring these vast digital worlds to life. Video games can be broadly categorized into linear, open world, and matrix types. Linear games focus on a critical path, with players navigating through a set path to advance. Non-linear gameplay, on the other hand, offers multiple critical paths, leading to varied player experiences. A matrix level structure features vast outdoor environments and indoor spaces, where the critical path is not predefined, but rather a list of coordinates to visit. To create engaging open worlds, designers must consider the core loop, an in-game cycle of skill checks that players go through. A skill check is an in-game challenge that tests the player's mastery of a mechanic learned earlier in the game. The order, frequency, and setup of differing game mechanics are crucial, as players can quickly become bored with repetitive gameplay. Level designers must also consider the POIs diversity rule, which states that at least three points of interest with different gameplay should be visible on the horizon, regardless of the player's location. Breath of the Wild is a great example of this, with its diverse points of interest, such as climbing challenges, navigational puzzles, and survival elements. When designing outdoor areas, fundamental considerations include the average time between introducing new events or points of interest, effective attack distance, maximum line of sight, and elevation limit. In contrast, designing cities requires a different approach, starting with macro design, emphasizing main entry points, and using navigational signifiers like leading lines and landmarks. The concept of a possibility map is also crucial, which includes the number of available paths and their respective weight. Fast travel points are also essential, with three general categories: flexible, stationary, and paid. Flexible fast travel points offer freedom and total travel control, while stationary points require backtracking and can create a radial pattern of exploration. Paid fast travel points motivate players to visit special places to gather resources but can dampen the sense of freedom if overused. Mark Cerny's three Cs – character, camera, and control – are also vital, as they need to be in alignment for a game to work well. Finalizing the character and mechanics before developing the world map can save time and effort in the long run. Optimizing mechanics and design by assembling test levels with various gameplay setups and obstacles can also help assess the range of movement and physics, ensuring that the mechanics truly shine.