The way levels are built now is different than 15 years ago. You have so much more control and flexibility with meshes than BSP. Your city example? Make a few road pieces and city blocks in a 3D package. Now you can snap those together to make your scene. Need more detail? Modify the asset. Now every instance takes on those changes. How would you do that with BSP?
Make some building shapes. Stretch, squash, rotate. Stack them. Get creative. Write a blueprint that accesses those pieces and places them dynamically. Now your city is different each time.
BSP? Get out the caulk and hint brushes. Visibility right now- culling volume.
Some of those automated construction methods you talked about? You obviously haven’t seen the blueprint construction demo with the rail pieces. With some more effort you could probably make a whole series of blueprints that created sidewalks/windows/doors whatever.
Faster prototyping? Google Sketchup- export. It’s easy for people who don’t have time to learn an extensive 3D package.
is going to come off as harsh but I can only assume you are inexperienced with designing levels for games because you are taking the position that since it doesn’t match your expectations, it is inadequate. I’m not defending the engine either, it’s not perfect. And I have no reason to care if someone thinks it sucks or not.
I would take your assessment that the level tools were lacking more seriously if I thought you had spent more time looking into construction methods and providing creative feedback.
Instead you plainly stated that UE 4 needs better tools and if we don’t agree with you, we are wrong.