How do you go about creating Little Big Planet levels?

January 17, 2009 4:04 PM

How do you go about creating Little Big Planet levels?

I'm not asking about the mechanics, I'm asking about the process. I've played through all the tutorials and I want to start making my own levels but whenever I start I feel like I'm missing something (direction?). Is there anything online about creating levels from start to finish (planning and execution)? Some of my favorite levels include "Jack McSetback and the Spiky Stone of Doom," and "Sack and the beanstalk." These levels seem so polished and complete. Did the creators of these levels just start and finish and it all came together, or did they have a plan from the start? Any advice?

posted by crios to Technology (3 answers total)

I scream and cry and make things too big, then make them smaller, then realize I'm in pause mode, turn it off and everything falls in a heap. Then I turn off the PS3 in disgust.

I seem to recall reading something about an official program that would let you blueprint levels on your computer, but the one on their website doesn't seem very full featured.
posted by yellowbinder at 4:17 PM on January 17, 2009

I like to sketch out the basic areas with cardboard, even labeling some areas, to make sure I don't run out of room. However, until you have some experience making sequences of obstacles it's hard to really guess how big things need to be. Some of the more complex levels have to be planned pretty tightly, but there are a lot of great levels that seem like people just throw a door in and start building to the right. Don't forget a lot of the most skilled creators poured hours and hours into the beta, so they have a head start.
posted by ulotrichous at 9:40 PM on January 17, 2009

I've only published two levels so far, and neither of them is really a platformer--really just single-screen puzzles. But from the others I've been working on... basically you need to think about how to maximise switchbacks. There is nothing more boring than having to run for two screens of boring nothing!
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:51 AM on January 19, 2009