A Love Letter to Level Editors

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Level editors are a game feature near and dear to my heart. Even from an early age, I loved messing around in level editors, and seeing the things others make is just as exciting. In this essay, I explore how level editors free the potential of a game's rules.
Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=14052600
Twitter: / chariotrideryt
Koji Kondo Interview
www.ign.com/articles/2014/12/...
Music Used
Hopeful - Superliminal
There She Is - Portal 2
Fastfall - Dustforce
Space Fantasy - Super Mario Galaxy
Tree is Shift - Baba is You
Edge of Estate - The Norwood Suite
Eleventh Hour - OneShot
Games in Order of Appearance
Superliminal
Trackmania (2020)
Sonic the Hedgehog
Portal
Portal 2
Wargroove
Halo Reach
N++
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Remastered 1+2
ZZT
Warcraft 2
Super Mario
Mario Maker 2
Dustforce
Trackmania Nations Forever
Halo 2
Age of Empires 2
Baba is You
Infinifactory
Rhythm Doctor
Hotline Miami 2
Pikmin New Fortune
Little Big Planet 3
Dreams
Little Big Planet 2
Special Thanks for footage
Aryeh
TehSnakerer
Games & Culture
Kbash
HotCyder

Игры

Опубликовано:

10 июн 2021

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Комментарии : 57

@justflavio 2 года назад

Level editors are a low-risk way to get into game creation. And a lot of the people most dedicated to making levels tend to become the next game designers and developers

@Halxton 2 года назад

Level editors are an incredible creative outlet, and being from the early to late LittleBigPlanet community I've seen firsthand how otherwise non-creative people have blossomed into these astonishing artists across so many mediums. Level design, logic/programming, artistry with painting or graphic design, music composing, and so much more. All it takes is one easily-digestible and user-friendly creative tool inside a game to unlock the creative part of your mind. I know that myself and many others have been so inspired by LBP's level editor that we went on to be things like (in my case) a graphic designer, video game developer, etc. I hope the trend of including level editors continues long into the future of gaming, but I worry more and more as Sackboy: A Big Adventure steered the franchise away from its creative roots and Far Cry has ditched its level editor for the first time ever just for the sake of time and effort (maybe also budget).

@Chariot_Rider 2 года назад

I was in a very similar place. Its entirely possible that had I not played LBP, I wouldn't be here making game design video essay, because this game helped foster a passion for creative game design. I was also a little sad to see the direction of Sackboy: A Big Adventure because I had always felt the creative aspects of the series were what made it so memorable, but at least Dreams is carrying the LBP torch now. And I'm sure that lots of games will be carrying that torch for a long time. Even if most level editors aren't as deep as the one in LBP, if they get people thinking creatively, people will be inspired to develop creative hobbies

@FurizAlex Год назад

Coming back to this video 2 years later to say. That this is a brilliant video, I've always appreciate when ppl make level editors for they're game and especially when ppl push those tools to there absolute limit and encouraging creativity, It's always awesome to see :D

@VZed 3 года назад

Spent a lot of time in level editors over the years. Never got serious about any of them but the potential laid before me was always so intoxicating. That's probably where my gentle underlying addiction to Minecraft came from. Made me sad to learn, though, that anything created in Warcraft 3 Remastered's map editor is owned by ActiBlizz. Guess it's cheaper than paying designers to actually come around and build stuff for them. Great video!

@Snuffles10155 4 месяца назад

Level editors are the reason why today I work in the industry as a level designer, they served as learning tools/experiences growing up for me and then ultimately became my portfolio scoring me my first big job 💖 so thank you devs for taking the time to form editors in your busy schedules when creating new games!

@mastergazi 10 месяцев назад

I've made a few custom campaigns/levels in Hotline Miami 2 and I will say that it's very fun and rewarding to do despite how janky the in-game level editor is. After slowly getting better and more familiar with level making, it makes me wonder the choices the developers had for the original game (such as not adding more to the world and just exclusively making buildings and floor layouts in a purple void). Making your own stories and fun experiences with the level editor then seeing how other people react to them is probably the best part, even if the feedback is negative.

@LordFaust 3 года назад

I'm fondly recalling all the custom CS and TFC Conc maps that really broke the FPS mold of the original games' designs. Although these were a little closer to mods than artifacts created by a proper level editor, I spent a lot of good times on user generated maps, and this video brought back memories I hadn't thought about in years. As always, terrific work. -F

@Chariot_Rider 3 года назад

There are so many cool CS and TF maps. My favorites are often the ones that lean into being really weird and surreal. There’s one particular Counter Strike Source mapper I came across and he makes these insane surreal nonsense maps but you play normal Counter Strike like nothing is weird about it. These maps definitely are closer to mods, but I still quite enjoy them

@iamerror 3 года назад

I'm only sad you didn't mention DOOM Wads! Still, great video Chariot! Whenever I break into a level editor my impulse is to try to make a level like the ones I already like from the game, (like making just a "good" Mario level in Super Mario Maker) which is quite difficult and not as rewarding as when I inevitable break that and try to actually just make something creative and fun.

@Chariot_Rider 3 года назад

There are some incredibly fun DOOM wads, but I wasn't sure if they really were in the realm of "level editors". To me, wads have always fallen a bit more onto the modding side of things. Pretty much all of my points still apply to DOOM wads though, but I wouldn't exactly say DOOM has a level editor, at least not one built into the game. For this video I was focusing more on in game level editors, the sort of thing you didn't need to install external software for

@iamerror 3 года назад

@@Chariot_Rider Fair enough, though I don't think we'd have the level editors we have today without DOOM's influence, not everything has to revolve around the 1993 shooter!

@rossyrg5089 2 года назад

@@Chariot_Rider There are two kinds of Doom wads. One of those try to adhere to the vanilla style, so these are those made my "simple" level editors (Example: Back to Saturn X). The other kind are truly mods that change the inherent gameplay quite significantly (Example: Project Brutality and similar things). Also Doom wouldn't be the game it is today without its level editors. Fun Fact: Final Doom started as a fanmade wad. Great Video btw.

@blasegg2396 3 года назад

Fantastic video! I'm always happy when love letters actually feel like love letters.

@user-id2nj2co1q 7 месяцев назад

Yeah, my favorite game gave us a map maker, but didn't allow for playing them in the game itself. For me it sparked the journey to rebuild the game myself. I have worked on it for over a year now programming it all from scratch. I now realise it will take another 2 years to have something playable. Challenges and creativity like this are so inspiring. Great video!

@LambHoot 3 года назад

this is such a good video, love the idea of level editors and players being able to uncover hidden design truths untouched by the main game 🙌

@cllaay 6 месяцев назад

Great video. This is essentially why dungeons and dragons is popular, its built to be a level editor of mechanics which other people can improve themselves over the years

@otakudoctor8423 2 года назад

Thank you for the video! I have renewed appreciation to level editors (people and app) in general and modders who passionately allow us to enjoy the things we have!

@JoshForeman 3 года назад

Great thoughts! I'm designing the level editor for a game called Blankos Block Party and all this stuff you mentioned is why I love the challenge. I really enjoy seeing the playful anarchy and unexpected home-brew game modes that emerge, which is why I'm pushing to get our win conditions and point scoring mechanisms as modular as possible. (the trick is keeping these things simple enough for players to intuit with the full support of UI/UX and visual affordance.)

@Chariot_Rider 3 года назад

Thanks for your comment! As you mention, modularity is super useful for creating really customizable systems so I can see why you are focusing on that. Good luck with the eventual launch of your game!

@geothepoly 3 года назад

Great Video. Games like Mario Maker peaked my interest in level design and I'm really glad about that, because it also gave me an outlet to make and improve my levels.

@anonymousanon3055 11 месяцев назад

Nice vid, thanks for making and sharing

@Necromorphicon Год назад

Grim Dawn and Spellforce 3 level editor is very powerful tools, love using them to just play around and build.

@gregorydalton8290 2 года назад

Great vid. Deserves a lot more views.

@le_plankton 2 года назад

really well made video mate. i subbed

@linguinnilucas4324 3 года назад

Glad to see superliminal in the video!

@innocentbystander1993 2 года назад

I appreciate the use of Norwood Suite music, love that game.

@DARK_AMBIGUOUS 2 года назад

I made a pinball game on my phone using the level editor in Badland

@clockwolf4359 3 года назад

I remember playing with custom levels in LittleBigPlanet 3, that was a good time. Another game like this that I've had my eye on recently is Dreams for the PS4. I've seen some cool games being made with that. I was never good at using level editors to make custom levels myself. But when Doom 2016 came out I tried to learn how to use snap map. It was the first time I actually enjoyed making and playing my own levels, even though they weren't very good.

@aminmontaze Год назад

Watched several videos about philosophy of level editors but this one is in another level! Thanks a bunch (Deserve a lot more views, what are you doing RU-vid?! 😒)

@ORANOID 2 года назад

Sadly, now love editors are not common.

@flurinjenal374 7 месяцев назад

Really cool video! Which one is your favorite game with level editor of all of them?

@Amonimus 3 года назад

I love trying to copy other games into Minecraft using command blocks. Emphasis on trying, but it's a fun challenge.

@MZmakesgames 3 года назад

Great content! You may consider adding more emotion and tone to your oral presentation. I think it will make your video more accessible to more people.

@katiaferreira1573 2 года назад

How to shearch games with level editors? I just want to find more :(

@nataliexists Месяц назад

heres a good game thats built around the level editor: I Wanna Maker. i have spent 700 hours in it and its just so fun!

@ismaciodismorphus3320 2 года назад

RU-vid really be recommending me portal 2 videos when i search for postal 2

@TheOrian34 11 месяцев назад

Level editors are how you birth the game devs of tomorrow.

@NeuroPulse 10 месяцев назад

What is the third portal campaign? The two player mode in Portal 2? I never played that because my friends suck.

@reasonium7760 2 года назад

Great video, thank you, and what game is that 13:00 ?

@Chariot_Rider 2 года назад

That’s a game called Dustforce. It’s a really elegant precision platformer about being a janitor

@lukasrainbow8275 2 года назад

Plants Vs. Zombies 1 and 2 would be really great games with Level Editors! Yet, we don’t get them anymore :(

@insertafunnyname478 Год назад

You can mod pvz 2 relatively easily for custom levels, although not officially

@lukasrainbow8275 Год назад

@@insertafunnyname478 I‘d honestly rather edit PvZ 1 but idk how.

@insertafunnyname478 Год назад

@@lukasrainbow8275 i think its possible, no idea how though

@lukasrainbow8275 Год назад

@@insertafunnyname478 No i think it is but i also like i said have no clue how

@leftovernoise 3 года назад

Great job!

@Sculler14 Год назад

Someone remade all of btd in surgeon simulator

@STANI420 3 месяца назад

Wish level editors were more common:/….

@elecboy5126 3 года назад

There’s also no way the musical variant of the noteblock (where the pitch is determined in the **editor** and the timing is decided **at runtime** ) wasn’t designed for music. music levels are a bad example of your point

@Razzbow 3 года назад

Are level editors a Roguelike?

@Chariot_Rider 3 года назад

No they aren’t

@ATOMarchive 2 года назад

what

@melgero Год назад

bro didnt include geometry dash??

@elecboy5126 3 года назад

I don’t believe Portal’s campaigns left much untread ground at all. Putting aside fangames with new mechanics, the ‘aha’ moments in most user created levels could be made in any engine. Bad take?