Asymmetric Level Design: Week 2

A quick run through of the design so far, only the capture point has been created. But it involves a high ground as well as a lower ground allowing for multiple routes around it. The level is also symmetrical at the moment, as asymmetry will come much later on after the level has been tested with real players.

Symmetry Vs Asymmetry

For my final year project at uni, I am studying the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical maps in competitive multi-player FPS. As I have just finished writing out the proposal for the project, I would like to be able to discuss the project in a less academic and more casual way, so I thought what better time to rebirth my blog with the research and my own individual views on the topic. I will also try and keep this blog updated with any progress I have made on the project, as well as any other interesting topics that pop up in my other modules.

For a designer symmetry can make life a lot easier, only having to design one side of a map and than being able to mirror it saves a lot of time. The designer would than have to create a specific art style for both sides to make it clear whose side you were on, to go for an easy example a red or blue team. Whereas one side would perhaps use a lot warmer colours on the higher end of the colour spectrum, and colder lower colours for the blue team. To differentiate the sides more different props and models can be added to the level, as long as these do not give any other tactical advantages like a higher view point or a better hiding place, generally in a symmetrical level if you can hide behind something one one side, you can probably hide in a similar spot on the other.

Team Fortress 2 uses a cold industrialised colour scheme to represent one team, and a warm rustic feel for the other.

Team Fortress 2 (2007) Valve Corporation

Of course this doesn't correlate to a real environment and could perhaps take some of the immersion out of the game, it is very rare that any natural environment is symmetrical. Asymmetrical maps usually have asymmetric game modes to go with them, usually with one team defending with another attacking, and in some cases one team usually have a very slight advantage, for example higher ground, or more cover. Symmetric maps generally have symmetric games modes, where both teams have the same objective, capture the opponents flag, capture the neutral point, etc. Even modern games that try to aim to have more natural environments use symmetry to make their levels fair, this is something that I hope to break, or if I can't at least solidify the fact that for a map to be competitive and fair it has to be symmetrical.

After the proposal has been handed in and marked I will upload it onto here to give a more grounded idea of the project in the near future.