Is Jimi Hendrix a Good Level Designer?twvideo01.ubm-us.net/o1/vault/gdc07/slides/S5121i1.pdf · Is...
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Is Jimi Hendrix a Good Level Designer?
(yes, here’s why)
Is Jimi Hendrix a Good Level Designer?
(yes, here’s why)
Daniel SussmanEric Brosius
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
GDC 2007
Daniel SussmanEric Brosius
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
GDC 2007
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Who we are.Who we are.
Daniel SussmanProducerHarmonix Music Systems
Eric BrosiusAudio LeadHarmonix Music Systems
Daniel SussmanProducerHarmonix Music Systems
Eric BrosiusAudio LeadHarmonix Music Systems
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Key Aspects of a Beat-Matching Game
Key Aspects of a Beat-Matching Game
• Each song is a game level
• Player follows visual cues that follow musical content
• Completely linear experience
• Each song is a game level
• Player follows visual cues that follow musical content
• Completely linear experience
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Who Cares?Who Cares?
• If the song is your game level, your audio team is your level design team. Why?
• Sound designers have the skill set to understand and manipulate the musical content
• If the song is your game level, your audio team is your level design team. Why?
• Sound designers have the skill set to understand and manipulate the musical content
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Modern Level Design Rules ApplyModern Level Design Rules Apply
• Variation vs. Repetition
• Tension vs. Release
• Pacing & Progression
• Variation vs. Repetition
• Tension vs. Release
• Pacing & Progression
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Variation VS RepetitionVariation VS Repetition
• Repetition builds skills
• Variation teaches new skills
• Variation keeps you from being bored stiff
• Repetition builds skills
• Variation teaches new skills
• Variation keeps you from being bored stiff
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Tension VS ReleaseTension VS Release• Tension and Release
are inherent aspects of music that lend themselves to very compelling game play
• Guitar Solos are generally followed by a chorus or verse –classic tension and release
• Tension and Release are inherent aspects of music that lend themselves to very compelling game play
• Guitar Solos are generally followed by a chorus or verse –classic tension and release
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Pacing and ProgressionPacing and Progression
• Moment to moment: Pacing in song
• Song to song: Pacing in campaign
• Moment to moment: Pacing in song
• Song to song: Pacing in campaign
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Song Content is ImportantSong Content is Important
• Duh.
• Song structure has huge role in experience
• Duh.
• Song structure has huge role in experience
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Choosing songs is important, here are some things to look for:
Choosing songs is important, here are some things to look for:
• Inherent difficulty
• Pacing
• Playability
• Musicality
• Inherent difficulty
• Pacing
• Playability
• Musicality
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The Importance of ToolsThe Importance of Tools
• Note Authoring
• Chords
• Sustains
• Star Power
• Note Authoring
• Chords
• Sustains
• Star Power
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A note about difficulty tuningA note about difficulty tuning
• Inherent tie to song data – in expert modes, you often have one to one correlation of notes to cues
• You need to maintain musical integrity, even on easy modes
• Structure is good. You want rules that clearly differentiate easy from expert
• Inherent tie to song data – in expert modes, you often have one to one correlation of notes to cues
• You need to maintain musical integrity, even on easy modes
• Structure is good. You want rules that clearly differentiate easy from expert
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Easy is easier than ExpertEasy is easier than Expert
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Why Star Power is importantWhy Star Power is important
• GDC word from 2003: Orthogonal– Gives you health OR– Gives you points
• Allows for level balancing without taking away notes
• GDC word from 2003: Orthogonal– Gives you health OR– Gives you points
• Allows for level balancing without taking away notes
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Different songs yield different types of experience
Different songs yield different types of experience
• Unrelenting Assault
• Mixed Encounters
• Death Match
• Boss
• Set Piece
• Unrelenting Assault
• Mixed Encounters
• Death Match
• Boss
• Set Piece
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Unrelenting AssaultUnrelenting Assault
• Helmet: Unsung
• Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room Last Night?
• Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench
• Helmet: Unsung
• Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room Last Night?
• Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench
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Unrelenting AssaultUnrelenting Assault
• Lots of persistent rhythms
• Very physical gameplay
• Endurance is a factor
• Lots of persistent rhythms
• Very physical gameplay
• Endurance is a factor
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Mixed EncountersMixed Encounters
• Blue Öyster Cult: Godzilla
• Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend
• Cream: Crossroads
• Blue Öyster Cult: Godzilla
• Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend
• Cream: Crossroads
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Mixed EncountersMixed Encounters
• Noodley bits between verse and chorus bits
• Short cycles of repetition and variation
• Noodley bits between verse and chorus bits
• Short cycles of repetition and variation
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Death Match Death Match
• Suicidal Tendencies: Institutionalized
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood
• Suicidal Tendencies: Institutionalized
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood
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Death MatchDeath Match
• Tons of wankery
• Few repetitive themes
• Lots of sight reading / “instinctive” play
• Tons of wankery
• Few repetitive themes
• Lots of sight reading / “instinctive” play
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Boss SongBoss Song
• Megadeth: Hangar 18
• Ozzy: Bark at the Moon
• Megadeth: Hangar 18
• Ozzy: Bark at the Moon
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Boss SongBoss Song
• Song has inherent ramp to difficulty (starts less hard, ends wicked hard)
• Ass-kicking solo at end of song
• Song has inherent ramp to difficulty (starts less hard, ends wicked hard)
• Ass-kicking solo at end of song
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Set PieceSet Piece
• Hendrix: Spanish Castle Magic
• Boston: More than a Feeling
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Hendrix: Spanish Castle Magic
• Boston: More than a Feeling
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
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Set PieceSet Piece
• Lots of variety and different parts
• Musically visceral – translates well to little plastic guitar
• Include lots of different types of gameplay
• Lots of variety and different parts
• Musically visceral – translates well to little plastic guitar
• Include lots of different types of gameplay
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Us being jerks (i.e. how to mess with your fans)
Us being jerks (i.e. how to mess with your fans)
• The Sword: Freya• The Sword: Freya
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Why Freya is a pain in the buttWhy Freya is a pain in the butt
• Very physical, repetitive gameplay coupled with patterns that are physically difficult to complete
• Subtle differences in note authoring and rhythm of song
• Very physical, repetitive gameplay coupled with patterns that are physically difficult to complete
• Subtle differences in note authoring and rhythm of song
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What else does our audio team do?What else does our audio team do?
• Set animation cues
• Set lighting cues
• Set animation cues
• Set lighting cues
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QuestionsQuestions
• Eric likes Deep Purple, a lot . . . still
• Daniel was a metalhead in high school
• We can’t tell you what Harmonix is working on (hint: it’s not Accordion Hero)
Contact: Daniel: [email protected]: [email protected]
• Eric likes Deep Purple, a lot . . . still
• Daniel was a metalhead in high school
• We can’t tell you what Harmonix is working on (hint: it’s not Accordion Hero)
Contact: Daniel: [email protected]: [email protected]