The Invisible Hand

One of the key tasks of a level designer is to manage “level flow,” the path that the player takes through the level. At the same time, level designers must attempt to make this flow management as invisible as possible. On the other hand, creating a complete, “realistic” environment without flow control is both technically infeasible and frustrating for players, as they have no idea of where to go or how to get there. This leaves the level designer with the unenviable task of having to lead the player almost invisibly and to create environments that feel large and non-linear despite the need for linearity. To combat these conflicting aspects of level design, designers use elements such as light, shadow, color, sound, and shape in different ways to attract or repel the player and guide him, almost imperceptibly, as the designer wishes.

Using the Bartle player types as a basis, my thesis project defines three core motivations for player navigation:  achievement, exploration, and combat.  The theory behind the project is that every player is primarily motivated by one of these three instincts.  Players with different primary motivations may react differently to a given flow control device, but players with the same motivation should usually react the same way.  An effective flow control device is one that elicits the same reaction from players with the same primary motivation while an ineffective one elicits many different reactions.  My project analyzes the effectiveness of the most common flow control devices, within the context of a complete Half Life 2 level, using this criterion as the basis.