Game Content & Level Design
12 weeks of level design: one multiplayer level designed in the Unreal Tournament Editor for Unreal, and one single player level designed in base Unreal Engine.
Multiplayer Level
Task
The design brief for this project was to create a multiplayer level within the Unreal Tournament Editor in Unreal for the Capture the Flag game mode. The level was to be designed for either 2v2 or 4v4 player gameplay, and was required to:
- Offer support for various play styles
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Provide sensible pick-up items and locations
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Display “fairness” for both teams when considering level design
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Convey appropriate flow, considering both the level design and the type of game
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Provide verticality for unique gameplay, using various “levels” of flooring to the map
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Display appropriate textures, lighting and general attractiveness
An overview of the final version of the level.
Paper prototype of the initial base level shape.
The final version of inside the Blue tower.
An overview of the final version of the level.
Project Background
The first six weeks of the module were dedicated to this coursework, in which we individually were tasked with conceptualizing, designing and producing a level for the Capture the Flag game mode in Unreal Tournament. We were expected to draw up initial designs, then conceptualize them as whitebox versions in the UT editor, before play-testing and making any essential iterations in order to facilitate the gameplay style. Initial stages of development began by researching the game mode within currently popular games, studying what makes the maps used for their capture the flag mode fun, fresh and re-playable.
Drawing inspiration from maps within the both Halo 3 and Overwatch, I was particularly keen on making the level have strong symmetrical aspects, with asymmetrical sections in order to keep the gameplay exciting and unpredictable. The initial rough sketches and floorplans were produced, before then copying them over into UT editor to whitebox the layout. From this point, actually being able to play within the level made it a far quicker process for designing and testing the appropriate spacing required to facilitate the gameplay, offering multiple paths for players to navigate in their own play-style, whether it be a hot-headed sniper, a hidden shadows shotgun blaster, or the overly defensive.
Full Development Logs:
Single Player Level
Task
The design brief for this project was to create a single player level for a hypothetical first person stealth-shooter action game. This would present itself as the first level of the game, in which introductory player movement mechanics would be taught to the player, along with at least one puzzle element. The level was to take approximately five to ten minutes to complete a single run-through, and was to be themed around stealth and deception.
Final version of the player start area.
Paper Prototype of the player start area.
Screenshot of the Enemy blueprint, in which an "enemy" is triggered to move on a spline upon the player colliding with an empty object.
Final version of the player start area.
Project Background
The context of the game follows the main character, as assumed by the player, who has just been kidnapped under false accusations by the Glasgow Mafia. After being beaten senselessly and locked away in a van for transportation, an explosion causes the van to crash while travelling, in which the screen fades to black.
The level begins following this cut-scene, with the level being set in the near future of Glasgow which has seen extensive cuts to public financing, thus resulting in an increase in gang related crimes due to a lower police presence and power in the affected suburbs. As such, the aesthetic of the game conveys a rough, run-down and dilapidated version of Glasgow, which has been further enhanced through the use of appropriate textures and lighting.
The level follows the overall goal of eliciting the feelings of tension within the player. Despite the main character’s background of being an army reservist, the player is not meant to feel comfortable or powerful when in this opening level. The desired play experience for the game is a cover based stealth shooter, with the occasional puzzle in order to break up said fast-paced moments to allow players to utilise a different skill set. The desired tones of the level which I decided to follow are: deception, set-up, dark, moody, stealth, laying low, tense, betrayal, revenge, justice.
For this project, we were expected to make good use of the Blueprint system and flesh out the level with our own Geometry creations. A few additional assets from the Unreal asset store were also used to add character and a further sense of realism, such as the foliage and the vehicles.
Full Development Logs: