Is Jimi Hendrix a Good Level Is Jimi Hendrix a Good Level Designer? Designer? (yes, here’s why) (yes, here’s why) Daniel Sussman Daniel Sussman Eric Brosius Eric Brosius Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. GDC 2007 GDC 2007
Who we are. Who we are. Daniel Sussman Daniel Sussman Producer Producer Harmonix Music Systems Harmonix Music Systems Eric Brosius Eric Brosius Audio Lead Audio Lead Harmonix Music Systems Harmonix Music Systems
Key Aspects of a Beat-Matching Key Aspects of a Beat-Matching Game Game • Each song is a game level • Each song is a game level • Player follows visual cues that follow • Player follows visual cues that follow musical content musical content • Completely linear experience • Completely linear experience
Who Cares? Who Cares? • If the song is your game level, your audio • If the song is your game level, your audio team is your level design team. Why? team is your level design team. Why? • Sound designers have the skill set to • Sound designers have the skill set to understand and manipulate the musical understand and manipulate the musical content content
Modern Level Design Rules Apply Modern Level Design Rules Apply • Variation vs. Repetition • Variation vs. Repetition • Tension vs. Release • Tension vs. Release • Pacing & Progression • Pacing & Progression
Variation VS Repetition Variation VS Repetition • Repetition builds skills • Repetition builds skills • Variation teaches new • Variation teaches new skills skills • Variation keeps you • Variation keeps you from being bored stiff from being bored stiff
Tension VS Release Tension VS Release • Tension and Release • Tension and Release are inherent aspects are inherent aspects of music that lend of music that lend themselves to very themselves to very compelling game play compelling game play • Guitar Solos are • Guitar Solos are generally followed by generally followed by a chorus or verse – a chorus or verse – classic tension and classic tension and release release
Pacing and Progression Pacing and Progression • Moment to moment: • Moment to moment: Pacing in song Pacing in song • Song to song: Pacing • Song to song: Pacing in campaign in campaign
Song Content is Important Song Content is Important • Duh. • Duh. • Song structure • Song structure has huge role in has huge role in experience experience
Choosing songs is important, here Choosing songs is important, here are some things to look for: are some things to look for: • Inherent difficulty • Inherent difficulty • Pacing • Pacing • Playability • Playability • Musicality • Musicality
The Importance of Tools The Importance of Tools • Note Authoring • Note Authoring • Chords • Chords • Sustains • Sustains • Star Power • Star Power
A note about difficulty tuning A note about difficulty tuning • Inherent tie to song data – in expert • Inherent tie to song data – in expert modes, you often have one to one modes, you often have one to one correlation of notes to cues correlation of notes to cues • You need to maintain musical integrity, • You need to maintain musical integrity, even on easy modes even on easy modes • Structure is good. You want rules that • Structure is good. You want rules that clearly differentiate easy from expert clearly differentiate easy from expert
Easy is easier than Expert Easy is easier than Expert
Why Star Power is important Why Star Power is important • GDC word from 2003: Orthogonal • GDC word from 2003: Orthogonal – Gives you health – Gives you health OR OR – Gives you points – Gives you points • Allows for level balancing without taking • Allows for level balancing without taking away notes away notes
Different songs yield different types Different songs yield different types of experience of experience • Unrelenting Assault • Unrelenting Assault • Mixed Encounters • Mixed Encounters • Death Match • Death Match • Boss • Boss • Set Piece • Set Piece
Unrelenting Assault Unrelenting Assault • Helmet: Unsung • Helmet: Unsung • Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room • Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room Last Night? Last Night? • Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench • Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench
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Unrelenting Assault Unrelenting Assault • Lots of persistent rhythms • Lots of persistent rhythms • Very physical gameplay • Very physical gameplay • Endurance is a factor • Endurance is a factor
Mixed Encounters Mixed Encounters • Blue Öyster Cult: Godzilla • Blue Öyster Cult: Godzilla • Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend • Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend • Cream: Crossroads • Cream: Crossroads
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Mixed Encounters Mixed Encounters • Noodley bits between verse and chorus • Noodley bits between verse and chorus bits bits • Short cycles of repetition and variation • Short cycles of repetition and variation
Death Match Death Match • Suicidal Tendencies: Institutionalized • Suicidal Tendencies: Institutionalized • Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood • Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood
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Death Match Death Match • Tons of wankery • Tons of wankery • Few repetitive themes • Few repetitive themes • Lots of sight reading / “instinctive” play • Lots of sight reading / “instinctive” play
Boss Song Boss Song • Megadeth: Hangar 18 • Megadeth: Hangar 18 • Ozzy: Bark at the Moon • Ozzy: Bark at the Moon
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Boss Song Boss Song • Song has inherent ramp to difficulty (starts • Song has inherent ramp to difficulty (starts less hard, ends wicked hard) less hard, ends wicked hard) • Ass-kicking solo at end of song • Ass-kicking solo at end of song
Set Piece Set Piece • Hendrix: Spanish Castle Magic • Hendrix: Spanish Castle Magic • Boston: More than a Feeling • Boston: More than a Feeling • The Police: Message in a Bottle • The Police: Message in a Bottle
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Set Piece Set Piece • Lots of variety and different parts • Lots of variety and different parts • Musically visceral – translates well to little • Musically visceral – translates well to little plastic guitar plastic guitar • Include lots of different types of gameplay • Include lots of different types of gameplay
Us being jerks (i.e. how to mess Us being jerks (i.e. how to mess with your fans) with your fans) • The Sword: Freya • The Sword: Freya
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Why Freya is a pain in the butt Why Freya is a pain in the butt • Very physical, repetitive gameplay coupled • Very physical, repetitive gameplay coupled with patterns that are physically difficult to with patterns that are physically difficult to complete complete • Subtle differences in note authoring and • Subtle differences in note authoring and rhythm of song rhythm of song
What else does our audio team do? What else does our audio team do? • Set animation cues • Set animation cues • Set lighting cues • Set lighting cues
Questions Questions • Eric likes Deep Purple, a lot . . . still • Eric likes Deep Purple, a lot . . . still • Daniel was a metalhead in high school • Daniel was a metalhead in high school • We can’t tell you what Harmonix is • We can’t tell you what Harmonix is working on (hint: it’s not Accordion Hero) working on (hint: it’s not Accordion Hero) Contact: Daniel: daniel@harmonixmusic.com Contact: Daniel: daniel@harmonixmusic.com Eric: eric@harmonixmusic.com Eric: eric@harmonixmusic.com
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