Hi everyone,
since I wasn't able to find a topic that's specifically related to level design, and since I will add a few more questions to my main issue, I'm afraid, this will have to serve as a catch-all topic for now. Sorry for that
So, when it comes to villages, townships, cities and resting places, I'm often baffled. I got two paradigmas in my head that just don't want to go together. First would be the "straight forward principle". Keeping distances short, placing only buildings that have distinct purposes, putting the spot on gameplay. Second would be the "immersion principle", making sure every NPC has its home, creating roads in a much more realistic way (rather than just reflecting the shortest distance between two points), maybe adding some spooky empty houses and so on.
Do you want an efficient town that allows you as a player to manage your stuff as quickly as possible so that you can get right back into the action as soon as the player decides to? Or do you want a town that invites players to stay and literally feel the rest, their characters experience? Of course it depends on the type of game you want to create but how would you find the right balance between the two?
Adding to the topic, it would be great to read some general thoughts on this as well. Such as "savegame spots vs. saving from the menu", "exposition dump frequency in such places, narrative phrases" or "player homes" (like those you find in Skyrim for example).
Thank you guys very much in advance.
Have a good one
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