Level Editors

One tool that tends to be specific to each game engine is the level editor. This is a tool that is used to create each of the levels within a multilevel game. The gmax editor was designed primarily as a level editor. Its ability to edit three-dimensional models is actually an additional feature. A game level is a set of both the fixed (e.g., terrain and building) objects and the moving objects as well as win/loss criteria that define one playable subset of a game. Commercial games that ship with gmax plug-ins provide the ability for players to create their own levels for use within the game. Think of the levels as the content that is executed by the game engine.

Even if you have no intention of releasing a level editor with your game, you may wish to either adapt an existing level editor for your game or create one. Our example game contained only a single level. Because of this, we were able to code the loading of the level components within the application. If your game will have more than a single level, it is better to create a level loader for the game engine. A number of level editors are available for existing games that you may use if you do not have the resources to create your own or the finances to purchase the gmax developer kit. The level editor to choose depends mostly on the genre of your game engine. If you are writing a third-person strategy game, the level editor for a first-person shooter will probably not work well for you.