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All flows
Every step-by-step process, by section.
Graphics
World and levels
Gaea: first stepsFlowStep by step: set the size in meters, build a mountain and hills from nodes, erode them, check heights and slopes, and export a 16-bit heightmap that Unreal can import with meters intact.Terrain from a generator into the engineFlowStep by step: terrain from a generator or from real elevation data, a 16-bit heightmap, a size the engine accepts, the scale for height, the import into Unreal, and a check that meters stayed meters.Lake and river in UnrealFlowStep by step: a lake and a river with the Water system. The bed in the landscape, the level, the shoreline, the flow, the material and a check from the player’s camera.Plant a forest by rules in PCGFlowStep by step in Unreal: build a PCG graph that goes from bare surface to finished forest, with points, filters by slope and height, layers, clearings, exclusions for water and the road, and manual edits on top.Placing things along roads and shoresFlowStep by step in Unreal: PCG along a spline. Reeds by the water, rocks on the shoulder and fence posts along a path.How to study someone else’s levelFlowStep by step: play the level once as a player, draw it from above, mark the critical path and the side paths, the fights, gates and landmarks, time its pace, read what the designers said, and write down what works and why. The method behind the breakdowns in this part of the book.