I often wonder if game level designers now play it too safe much like the movie industry does with its proven plot points.
I think about classic maps like de_dust being the Mrs Doubtfire of game level design..
I think about classic maps like de_dust being the Mrs Doubtfire of game level design..
AFAIK, de_dust (and de_dust2) were hastily thrown together by a young amateur (not in a bad way) map maker, not a professional and carefully designed + user tested level.
So maybe what we need more of, are designers and developers throwing shit together with less analytics behind their choices? It does seem like the more data-driven a decision is, the safer but also more "boring" it becomes.
If you make a game based on average metrics, you get a single, average experience. If you make a game for the average player, you make a game for nobody. (Although you do seem to make a lot of money ...)
I love that line