Level Design FAQ

What kind of things will I learn in Level Design class?

The Guildhall at SMU breaks education down into 6-month sections:

The first 6 months (terms 1 and 2) cover initial forays into 2d game design (term 1), multiplayer game design (term 2), introductions to 3DS Max and Photoshop, and plenty of the basics that every Level Designer should have. Students also take Scripting and Art minors designed specifically for Level Designers, allowing them to decide which path they want their career to take. The second 6 months (terms 3 and 4) extends a student's existing multiplayer knowledge with a team game, then moves to single player design. Students continue to work in 3DS Max and Photoshop, and choose which minor to concentrate on; Scripters work in a variety of languages, game-related and real-world, while Artists delve deeply into creating environmental art (both models and textures) for levels.

Term 5 is left open for an Internship position.

The last 6 months (terms 6 and 7) are possibly the most important. Students work on a team game in a modern-generation game engine while learning the advanced techniques and practices of Level Design. Students also work towards creating an online portfolio and resume demonstrating their best work, while taking part in practice interviews and developing the personal skills necessary to succeeding in the game industry.

What kind of applications will I be using?

Windows XP: If you don't know how to use Windows, learn it. All Guildhall computers are Windows-based and you don't want to be learning Windows at the same time as learning all the other applications, you'll just become confused and angry because you don't progress at the same pace as others.

MS Office: You really need to know how to use Outlook, Word and Excel.

3DSMax: Begins in Term 1 and continues all the way to Graduation.

Photoshop: Begins in Term 1 and is used most completely by those in the Art minor.

Level Editors: You will use a variety of level editors throughout the program, some used in the past are UnrealEd (Unreal Tournament 2004), Radiant (SiN/FAKK2/Quake3/Doom3/Quake4), Hammer (HalfLife2), Aurora (NeverWinter Nights).

Everything will be available on your assigned laptop when you attend The Guildhall at SMU, except for the game engines and editors - you will be told ahead-of-time which engines will be used and you are expected to purchase those games at the appropriate time. However, do not try to learn all the game engines at once. The Guildhall at SMU curriculum is designed to build on basic concepts and increase knowledge over time.