Best Practices of Landmark in Level Design: Maintaining Player Motivation Using Denial and Reward
Ziyi HUA
Level Design
Best Practices of Landmark in Level Design: Maintaining Player Motivation Using Denial and Reward
My Thesis investigates how the level design principle of“ Denial and Reward” could be applied to landmark design to sustain player motivation and guide spatial exploration.
I built an artifact level called“ The Heart of Stonevale” using The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Creation Kit. The level is set in a semi-open environment with a hierarchy of global, regional, and local landmarks. It applies four best practices that set visible landmarks with pre-arrival obstacles such as combat encounters, locked doors, traps, and varied puzzle challenges, followed by proportional rewards that stimulate motivation and draw the player deeper into the world.
I chose this topic because I have always been fascinated by how open-world games like Skyrim manage to keep players moving forward and exploring when the
world offers a wide range of objectives. I wanted to identify and codify the specific design techniques behind that pull.
Through this project, I practiced pacing the introduction of objectives across the world, using landmarks as their visual anchors to hold player attention, and applying gameplay denials to heighten the sense of accomplishment players feel when reaching them. The project took nine months from research to final build, with over 600 hours spent building the level.
Working on this thesis significantly improved my skills in sightline control, compositional framing, pacing and balance, lighting design, and architectural layout design. I believe the best practices I documented will help me to build more engaging content that motivates players as I move into the industry.
40 LEVEL DESIGN