Let me begin by saying that this is not a book about game level design; rather, it is about creating art for a game world. This is an important distinction. Game level design is the point at which all the planning, technology, and design converge; and creating the art for that game level is only one part that feeds into that huge process. Yet it is an important part, one that requires you to be creative but also technically aware of the tools and processes being used to develop the game. In the back of this book you will fi nd a DVD that contains all of the software listed, all the fi gures from the book, and all of the fi le for the projects and exercises in the book. The 3D fi les are in the Max format and the images are both JPEG and Photoshop fi les.
One of the most important areas for the game artist is optimization, so the book begins with that topic. A game programmer at EA, Gary Strawn, laid out the problem this way: “[As I read through your book I was] constantly reminded how bad communication between artists and programmers often is. Programmers assume the artists will optimize everything, while artists assume the programmers are in charge of optimization. The truth is that it takes both. Every game is different and technology is always changing so it’s vital that the artists and programmers are in constant communication.”
The creation of the art for the game world happens before, during, and after the level has been laid out and tested—in other words, during production, the most intense time of the game’s life for the artist. So you, as a game or environmental artist, need to be ready to create art that fi lls many predetermined design and technical sockets quickly and iterate quickly through changes too.