Role: Level Designer
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Team Size: 5
Project duration: 3 weeks
During one of the courses in school we were as a team tasked with making a prototype for a boss scenario. We decided quickly that we wanted to make a giant character that you as the player fight as an underdog to beat. The end idea that we came up with was that the player fight against a fire giant inside a big volcano landscape
During the development of this project it was my responsibility to:
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Design, blockout and iterate on phase 1 of the scenario.
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Cooperate with other designers to design, create and balance different mechanics and blueprints.
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Decide metrics, scale and setting fitting two different phases each with a unique layout.
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Playtest and performs playtests with others as to recieve feedback and change designs that were faulty.
Process:
1. Deciding metrics
The first step during the development of this project was to decide metrics for how big the arena was supposed to be, size of the boss, jump height, dash length, etc.
Having these part decided early on made it much easier when i started to block out the space and play around ex. how far apart platforms should be from each other to be both readable and reachable.
Notes for metrics I took early on during the project
The first thing I did during the start of the project was to come up with a design for how phase 1 of the fight could be unique.
- I wanted the scenario mechanic to be unique to the phase.
- It was REALLY important to play into the theme of the project and be fitting to the setting.
- I wanted the mechanic to change the level in a dynamic manor. This means it would create new opportunities and challenges for the player, as they move around the space.
After brainstorming a with a couple of sketches I had divided the play area into different sections that each had a unique layout.
Each of theses sections would also move up and down individually. Using lava as a reference point for the player to know how high/low each section has moved, it created a dynamic battlefield to fight the boss in.
Thematically this fit the scenario as the boss could be controlling the earth beneath the player, as well as the lava level itself which could sink or rise independently.
I started with creating a basic layout of the arena that later on could be iterated on.
I also created new goals for the level itself:
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Keep the space open, giving the player the opportunity to move around a lot.
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Make the space feel fluid - Always have a place for the player to move around to, not matter where in the level they are.
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The level should feel alive - The moving areas should be noticeable to the player when they play.
I started with creating a basic layout of the arena that later on could be iterated on. I made each corner higher as I wanted the level to "lean" inwards towards the boss, so that it's always in focus.
Having decided on a scale for the boss I used it as a reference for the size of the different areas and how big they were supposed to be.
At this point it had been decided that the boss would have multiple different attacks that force the player to move around. All of the boss attacks however should be able to reach the player no matter where they are located ex. the boss should still be able to reach the player with their melee attack if the player is located in the far back of a corner. It was therefore important to make the space feel somewhat realistic when it came to scale.
Level after a couple of iterations on the level when the corners had been developed further.
Finished with defining the scale and size of the space, I continued working on each individual corner so that they feel unique. Since the time frame for the project was relatively short I decided to keep the themes relatively simple for each corner:
Corner 1 - Highest point in the game, weird paths to reach high point so the player doesn't camp.
Corner 2- Few platforms. easily submerges into the lava.
Corner 3-
Corner 4-
I also decided to work on the areas between the corners, lowering their base level and filling them with lava. This gave a more distinct reference as to where each corners "starts" and "ends".
I also created jump-pads that greatly assist the player when they have to move vertical quickly.
I also added the lava element in the game in the form of a white plane to serve as a visual for how each platform would look once they had moved up and down. It made it possible for me to simulate how the environment would be impacted by the change of height, and also allowed me to playtest different paths and jumps.
Reaching the end of the three week project I reached a point where i was relatively happy with the layout of each of the four corners.
I also divided the entire map so that each corner could be made into a separate blueprint. Doing this allowed me to control their height with a blueprint that one of the tech designers had constructed.
I continued with added walls to the entire section so that the player would be trapped together with the boss and not fall outside the map. This also included creating a blueprint for the door that closes behind the player as they leave their spawn area.
Finalized layout for each of the corners within the arena as well as individual pictures for each corner
Having set out with the goal to create a dynamic and changing level that plays into the theme of the setting, I believe that the end result of the prototype conveys the intended gameplay loop that we as a team set out to create.
I also believe that the level design goals i created for myself were accomplished.
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I believe that the space is open and readable, giving the players opportunities to move around a lot.
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I made sure each new platform the player moves to has at least two other platforms, always giving the player a new place to move no matter where they are.
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The individual movement of each corner is noticeable when playing the level.
Having reflected on the level since finishing the project, there are some changes I would make to it.