作者：Joey Simas

介绍

我们都知道《毁灭战士》拥有非常优秀的关卡设计，该系列游戏的最新作品也延续了这一传统。当如今的市场被一些更有条理且具有战术性的射击游戏所主导时，全新《毁灭战士》的出现就如一股清流。iD Software成功让玩家觉得自己就像一个坏蛋。而从游戏音乐到关卡设计，游戏中的一切都对玩家操控Doom Slayer的游戏体验做出了自己的贡献。

DoomWallpaper(from gamasutra)

前提

Necropolis是出现在游戏较后面阶段的关卡。在这里玩家的任务是：“你将想办法通过地狱并找到Titan的核心—如此你将离Crucible更近一步，并且你需要想办法打败地狱中的黑暗势力。你必须摧毁Crucible的守卫并重新得到本来属于你的东西。”

关卡

Necropolis比大多数《毁灭战士》的关卡都更线性化。虽然它缺少探索过程，但这却能够用于弥补一个为速度而创造的关卡。在大多数比赛场上玩家都可以快速移动去躲避敌人的攻击，但是因为这一关卡的结构很窄，所以玩家会觉得自己一下子就到达地狱了，并且在这里没有Baron能够阻止你。

Map(from gamasutra)

而这一关卡之所以有趣便是因为其构成和发展，这也是我将在此着重描述的内容。最开始游戏将在玩家面前呈现出两扇门，一扇蓝色，一扇黄色。玩家需要花时间去寻找钥匙，或者，因为玩家是在地狱中，所以他们需要寻找的是头骨。

柱子会阻碍你的前进，所以你需要自然地转向以避开它们，同时你会看到一个闪着绿光的门，然后你便会想办法去杀死一些怪物。这种使用颜色和光亮去引导玩家的方法便是关卡设计师的第二种习惯，而这种方法也非常适合这一游戏。像在necropolis这样黑暗的环境中，蓝色，黄色和绿色都是非常吸引眼球的颜色，因为它们都具有非常鲜明的对比差。

在门的另一边，关卡将使用走廊和较小的比赛场去引领玩家前行。而利用打卡机制能够避免玩家在走廊中感到无聊。

一旦消灭了这个区域中的地狱黑暗势力，玩家便能够获得黄色骷髅并回到出口处。玩家将爬到壁架上并将黄色门放到对应的框架中，然后他般会看到下一个门开始闪烁绿色的光。这一关卡的设计便是让玩家不断向前进。而当玩家从蓝色门开始往回走时游戏便会结束。

在这一关卡中还有另一个能够突显光亮与对比差如何引导玩家的例子。即在房间中有一个平台区域能让玩家可以暂时忘记怪物放松一下。因为火把的光芒与房间的蓝色具有明显的差别，所以玩家会自然地注意到它们。在这里跳跃并不是一种挑战，这只是用于划分不同的打斗过程。玩家也不希望游戏关卡因此而放慢速度。同时玩家也不想像我们这样基于设计环境去了解关卡。相反地他们只是希望能够沿着设计师所设定的路径顺畅地前进。这也是《毁灭战士》能够获得成功的关键。

在接近最终房间的地方也是游戏另一个突出之处。在这里玩家可以清楚地看到自己该往哪走，并且玩家也会自然地被吸引过去。在这里墙壁，链条和骷髅都和玩家的目标相关。线条便是引导玩家通过某一场景的有效方式。

Doom(from gamasutra)

一旦到达了目的地，玩家将面对与Crucible Guardians的boss大战。

结论

不过这些只是我在《毁灭战士》中的体验。Necropolis的确是一个保持快速节奏的优秀关卡。我认为这也是有关如何创造更线性化关卡的有效例子。如果你将其当做一个整体，你便会发现它提供了和其它关卡截然不同的体验，因为它更具有针对性也更加直接。它让你有种强势冲进地狱的感觉。甚至连比赛场也让玩家有种快速移动快速射击的感觉。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转发，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Doom – Flow through Level Design

by Joey Simas

Intro

Doom has always been known to have great Level Design, and the newest entry in the series remains true to its glory days. In a market where more methodical and tactical shooters reign supreme; New Doom offers a refreshing experience. It’s fast paced, gory, run and gun fun at its finest. I was overwhelmingly pleased with how the game felt. iD Software did a fantastic job making the player feel like a badass. From the music to the level design, everything in game contributes to the experience of being the Doom Slayer.

Premise

The Necropolis is a level that appears later in the game. Your mission is this; “You fought your way through Hell and found the Titan’s Core- a portal that gets you one step closer to the Crucible and defeating the forces of Hell for good. You must crush the Crucible guardians and retrieve what is yours.”

The Level

The Necropolis is actually much more narrow and linear then most Doom levels. However, what it lacks in exploration, it makes up for with a level that’s made for speed. Most arenas will have you moving quickly to dodge enemy’s attacks, but the narrow build of this level makes it feel like you’re kicking the doors down to hell, and no Baron is going to stop you.

Part of what makes this so enjoyable is the composition and flow of the level, which is what I’ll be focusing on here. From the get go, you are shown your objective. Two doors, one blue and one yellow. Time to find some keys, or since we’re in hell, some skulls.

The pillar subtly blocks your path forward so you’ll naturally turn ever so slightly and see the green glow of a portal, and you’ll be whisked away to slay some demons. This use of color and light to direct the player is second nature for level designers, and its put to great use here. Blues, Yellow (bright anyways) and Green are really eye catching in a dark brooding environment such as the necropolis because they contrast so well.

On the other side of the portal, the level steers the Doom Guy forward with corridors and small arenas. Making good use of punch outs to break up the monotony of hallways.

Once you’ve done away with the forces of hell in this area, you’ll snag the yellow skull and return to the entry hub. Returning to place the key in the door is done nicely by keeping what’s important in the frame. You climb up the ledge, which puts the yellow door perfectly in frame and then the green glow of the next portal catches your eye. The level is designed to keep you charging forward. The same is done on the return trip from the blue door. I tried grabbing some gifs to show the flow in action, they were a bit too big in file size. Whoops!

Further in the level is another nice example of how lighting and contrast can be used to direct the player. In this room there is a simple platforming area that gives you brief respite from the demon hoards. Because the torches glow contrasts against the blue of the room, the player is naturally drawn to them. The jumps here aren’t meant to be challenging, it’s just used to break up the gameplay before another big fight. At the same time, you don’t want the level to slow down too much. The player will likely not even read the level the way some of us do, in the context of its design. Instead they will just flow naturally along the designer’s desired path. That is where Doom succeeds so well.

Nearing the final rooms is another nicely composed set. Here you can clearly see where you need to go, and again players should be naturally drawn to it. The walls, chains and skull all subtly draw lines toward your goal. Lines are a great way to lead the players eye through the scene.

Once you do get to your final destination you are treated with a boss battle with the Crucible Guardians; these guys. Whoops! Another Gif that was too big…

Summary

But that’s enough of my rambling about Doom. The Necropolis was a great level that kept the fast paced action coming. I think it’s a good example of how a more linear level can be done right. If you look at it as a whole, it offers a different experience then the other levels because it’s much more focused and direct. It truly gave you the feeling of breaking into hell by force. Even the arenas contribute to the move fast and shoot faster feeling.（source：Gamasutra）