How to build a good Sokoban level?

如何设计一个高质量的推箱子关卡?

Requirements for the making of Sokoban levels

制作推箱子关卡的必要必要条件

In principal, everybody who is capable of solving Sokoban levels is also able to build

原则上，有能力解开推箱子关卡的人，也能设计推箱子关卡。

Sokoban levels. The quality of the creations is determined by three main factors:

推箱子关卡的质量取决于以下三点：

Experience in solving levels Originality and difficulty of levels solved in the past Ability

1.解决关卡的经验；2.关卡的难度和独创性；3.测试者（指玩游戏的人）的能力；

of the testers That is: The probability of someone who has only solved a couple of small

即：解决几个小而简单的关卡

and easy levels to rapidly build original and difficult stuff is close to zero.

是很难迅速构建出原创的有难度的关卡的；

Good work requires a decent tool (Construction Kit) .

工欲善其事必先利其器（关卡编辑器）

Such an Editor Tool should have the following

一个好的编辑器应该有如下特点：

features: Comfortably saving, loading, and

1.舒适的保存，读取；

deleting of level drafts Overview of saved works

2.删除关卡的草稿；3.保存作品的概述；

Intuitive controls that allow for quick placement

4．直观的控制；5.允许快速放置

of game elements Cut & Paste of level areas

关卡元素；6.剪切和粘贴关卡区域

Built-in test mode or tight-coupling to playing

7.内置测试模块或与播放模式高度耦合

mode Sanity check (is the number of boxes equal to the number of goal fields?) Ability to

8.正确性检查（箱子和目标的数量相符？）9.添加元信息功能，

add Meta information, like name of the level, author, comments at Solutions can be

比如关卡，作者，评论；可以以不同的速度查

viewed different speeds The SOKOFUN Pro editor (Figure on the right)

看解决方案SOKOFUN Pro编辑器（右图）有很多

has lots of useful features.

有用的功能。

Design Strategies

设计策略

In my opinion, it is advisable to follow different strategies for the construction of

笔者认为，采用不同的策略去编辑推箱子关卡是一个明智的选择。

Sokoban levels. Avoid a cookie cutter approach. Otherwise, you may end up with many

避免千篇一律的做法，否则你会有很多相似的关卡，

similar levels that bore the players.

这会使玩家感到厌烦。

In the beginning, an experienced critic is indispensable. Once you reach a certain level of

在最开始，一个有经验的批评者是必不可少的。一旦你达到了一定的专业水平后，

expertise a "movie" mode can help you to detect weak points in your creations, without

 “电影”模式可以帮助你发现创作中的弱点，而不需要解决人类

consulting a human player.

玩家的经验；

Too many levels of the kind “SOKOBLUE”

太多这样的推箱子关卡

(Figure on the left) show: Symmetry can

（如右图）表明：对称是非常无聊的。

become boring. Additional disadvantage:

以及：

Solving such levels is very hard to plan.

这些关卡非常难以计划解决方案；

Players switch to trial-and-error methods in

在这种情况下，会采用“试错法”去

such cases.

解开关卡。

The following building strategies have proven successful in the past years:

以下的推箱子关卡设计策略在近几年中被证实是成功的：

Beginners should apply the trial and error method: Set up a goal area. Freely spread

初学者应该采用试错法：设置一个目标区域。在目标周围自由的

boxes around the goals. Put up a surrounding wall and start playing. You will soon

分布箱子；然后在周围围一堵墙，然后开始进行游戏，你马上会

notice, whether your first draft works at all. Ensure it is solvable! Then continue to refine

注意到你的关卡是否行得通，一定要确保他是可以解决的！然后继续优化你的

the level. Remove superfluous spaces, move game elements closer together. Make the

关卡。移除多余的空间，将游戏元素移动，使他们紧凑一些，使开始的布局

starting configuration more complicated. Continue with several Refinement-Testing

更复杂一些，然后继续进行几个测试，迭代优化；

iterations. This might be tedious, but it usually results in hard levels. Finally try to create

这个过程可能会很乏味，但通常最终会做出质量过硬的关卡；最后尝试去

levels that appear to be unsolvable in the starting configuration!

创建在最开始的布局中看似无法解决的关卡。

"The Worm" (Figure on the right) is an example of

蠕虫（右图）是一个伴随着三层交替

a highly condensed level with three alternating

循环以及一个有趣的开始布

loops and an interesting starting configuration.

局的高度浓缩关卡。

Disadvantage: It is a so-called "one way level", i.e.

缺点：这是一个“单向道关卡”，也就是说：

you are guided automatically to the solution.

你会被引导着去解决关卡。

Experienced level designers often use

有经验的关卡设计师经常会使用

the "goal area method" :

“目标区域法”：

At first, set up the goal area. This is done in such a way that allows to fill the goal fields

首先，设置一个目标区域，这样做只允许以

in only one way. Thereafter place the other game elements in order to make it

一种方式完成目标。然后放置其他关卡元素，这是为了让玩家

particularly hard to fill the goal area in the predetermined order.

很难去按照既定的顺序去完成目标；
This is done by applying the alternating loop method :

这是通过交替循环法实现的：

For this the boxes and walls have to be arranged just as trap doors of sliding doors. To

为此箱子和墙壁必须像滑动门，活板门一样被布置，为了改进，

progress, you have to open or close these doors which results in alternating loops. Use

你必须打开或关闭门，这就会产生交替循环，

this strategy if you have in mind long solutions.

如果有长远解决方案的话，就可以这样用。

"Micrace" is

"Micrace"是

an example of

一个关于

how

如何

trapdoors and

使用

 sliding doors

这个方法的

can be

的例子。

used. The "Parking Lot" method is another popular strategy. Some spaces close to the

“停车场”法是另外一种流行的策略。将一些区域规划为

goal area are planned as "parking space" for boxes. Early on these spaces have to be filled

箱子的停车位，这些空间在初期必须被填满，

to be able to fill the whole goal area in the end.

这样才能最终填满整个目标区域。

Another excellent approach to make a level more attractive is the so-called "Trapper"

另一个让关卡更有吸引力的好方法叫：

method :

“陷阱”法：
Try to arrange the boxes in such a way that suggests a certain rather easy solution.

试着把箱子布置出一个简单的解决方案，

Following this idea should however not lead to a real solution. Some experience is

但遵循表面上的想法并不能解开该关卡，设计这种布局

needed to devise such configurations. It is of course important that the trap is not too

是需要一些经验的，当然陷阱不要太明显，

apparent. One way of achieving this is to offer lots of superfluous free space. Offer the

达到这一目的的办法是提供大量额外的自由空间。为玩家

player additional area to move around boxes that is useless for the solution.

提供额外的区域来移动那些对解决方案毫无用处的箱子。
A pretty mean but effective strategy is the "Dummy" method : This strategy is only

一个相当卑鄙但却很管用的策略是“伪装”法：这个策略是只有

effective if used very sparse, especially following levels that employed the "Trapper"

在很稀少的情况下才有效，尤其是在接下来的关卡中使用了“陷阱”法。

method. The "Dummy" method hopes that the player avoids simple solutions, fearing

虚拟法希望玩家避免简单的解决办法并害怕陷阱。

traps. In this case, the simple solution should indeed work out. You might for instance

这种情况下，简单的问题的确会被想出来。例如你可以把

place a box very close to the goal area, allowing to push it onto its destination directly.
箱子放在很近的地方，让玩家直接把它推到目的地。

"Triumvirat" (Figure on the left) has been successful,

“Triumvirat”（左图）已经成功了，

because the solution looks much easier than it really is.

因为解决方案看起来比实际要容易得多。