Level Flow

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Description

Flow refers to the difficulty of player movement through a level: in other words, how easily players can walk around and navigate the level. Although details / props may hamper or promote movement, flow is usually discussed in more generalized terms in relation to the layout of a multiplayer level, where player movement is much more significant than in singleplayer levels.

"Good Flow"

(define "good flow")

"Bad Flow"

(define "bad flow")

Implementation

Note that slower, stilted player movement ("bad flow") is not necessarily bad. For example, by placing a powerful weapon in an area with poor flow, a designer can associate risk and vulnerability with the possibility of a reward to create tension.

See Also

• Level Design In-Depth, Part 2: The Rules of Map Design - Although written in context for Splinter Cell, it provides a very accessible analysis of flow and layout for first-person multiplayer levels in general.