Interview Tom Hanrahan

Tom Hanrahan is currently a Level Designer at Monolith Productions. Before working at Monolith, he worked at Timegate Studios on the games F.E.A.R Extraction Point, Perseus Mandate, and Files. This guy has been designing levels since he was 14 years old since he had a lot of free time (even though he was getting a C in his geometry class). When you start designing and making levels, you first have to start in doing stuff for fun and making all types of things when you have free time.

            He basically starts by designing small test rooms or areas in order to get ideas started. It basically helps him design an architectural and lighting theme for the level. Once he has his theme done, he will come up with a layout for the entire level.

            If the them is already in place and the concept artist has already dictated what he should be designing, then he usually start by drawing a complete layout for the level and then make sure that what he creates matches the scale and style of the concept.

            There is also the fact of finding inspiration and all types of references everywhere for architecture. The best thing to do as a level designer is to go to places and travel according to him. It is necessary to visit certain places to get a good sense of how you want your levels to shine and what type of aura will be good for the game play.

            The most common mistake he finds in a level design is the lack of detail. He knows that getting the main shape of the level is important, but playing in a level with no interesting qualities or little qualities is bad for a player’s experience. Even if a section of a level won’t take long for a player to explore and pass through because the part of the game is fast play, a player will capture the undetailed parts of the rooms and will hence see the game experience as intense as it should be.

            Something to always keep in mind is how you always have to make sure the level you are creating is made for fun game play. That being said, he believes that architecture has two main roles within a game level which is creating a sense of place, mood, and purpose. Then you will have to facilitate the sense of a purpose and what the player needs to do in the level interaction. Consistent architecture will unify the entire level with ease and will make the level shine much more than having a bunch of different mixed styles in the architecture.

GreyBOX Design Mock Up #2

                         For this homework assignment we were given the task to complete the gray box mock up and the import that again in UDK. I worked on lighting a little bit but mostly just re-aligned my environment in order to look like a whole so I can be able to rebuild the scene in UDK. It was a straight forward assignment and have much more to do in order to finish the level design.

Military Base UDK

             For this homework assignment we were given the task to go ahead and create a game room for the models we prepared last time. It was a difficult job to set up for someone who is inexperienced in UDK. It was pretty straight forward importing the fbx files though. The one thing that really annoyed me was creating geometry in UDK, but I only think the reason for that is the weird key selections for their tools and the shortcuts are pretty weird as well.

Rough Box Layout

The way this game will be created will be similar to a batman/metal gear sort of game play with a lot more futuristic twist in it. It will have a retro type of art work that will be similar the animation Ghost in a Shell and have other characteristics that will make the ambience seem old and futuristic at the same time. The way the team will correspond will be work that will be shown in the bullet points and will be done according to that order in the requirements section. It will only take 4 weeks for the team of 16 to finish the game, so there will be a lot of times where we would have to push work through in order to meet our deadline.

1.      Time: The design team would have about 4 weeks to work on this assignment since it is one level.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files. It will be important to add a good programmer for writing scripts and it will be more efficient if it is going take one person to do the job.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 16 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character is an important asset to the game so that is always a must have. There also need to be a good environmental layout in order to get all of the assets placed well (shouldn’t take that long to make).  There has to be props and buildings for this environment, including 5 different enemies for the player to counteract with. The game has to be programed in the Unreal Engine and the game play has to be spot on with the description as well.

5.      Purpose: The level will be a single player story mode level that will be consisting of a retired vet (35 yr old) trying to rescue a hostage that can lead her to a Mob Boss from the city who seems to be connected with a weird drug that can let a person experience time in a slower pace.  It will be placed in a suburban city slum with a rainy type of weather. The main character will have tights on with spy gear and assassination gear as well. The level will be about half way in game time so it will be a challenging level to play through and the main character will need to find an enemy to get info from the level (hints).

6.      GamePlay: The game play will have to start with the character on a rooftop of a cheesecake factory patrolling the area. She will glance at the other factory that seems closed down and she will find guards taking the hostage inside (scene will have a lot of lights flashing with circular spots). The main character is able to change weaponry with the directional buttons and move with an analog (including moving the camera with another analog). She will be able to sneak attack with a range of different weapons. Hand to hand combat will be one of her specialty and will be used a lot during gameplay, as well as shooting fights. The game will have a lot of secret passageways for the character to infiltrate the place in different places (making gameplay unique once in a while) and will be able to do certain take downs with different styles in undetected. Once inside the building, she will head towards a door that is electronically locked and with a key as well. The electronic lock is located to the left of the building in the basement, guarded by one guard. As soon as the guard is killed or knocked out, a guard 3 times the size will start fighting the main character. The key will be located in the opposite of the building in the cellar. It will be booby-trapped and will have alarm triggers that will end the level in failure. If 3 guards sound a call in a wooky takie it will end the level in failure as well. As soon as the main character opens the main door, she will be encountered with the hostage and a Mob Leader she’s been tracking down as well. You will be placed in a situation that will have to base your instincts to the test. The player will have 2 different choices, either shoots the leader including the hostage, or scare off the leader with an electric current destroying the lights in the building created by you right hand’s glove. If the player chooses the first one, he/she will find it more lengthy and difficult to find the Mob Boss. The second choice will let you find more detail from the hostage from their central point of operations and an idea for their plan for the city, but the Mob Leader you let escape will confront you again, with more tricks up in his sleeve that the player will find more challenging than the last confrontation.

7.      Theme: It will be a cheesecake factory located in Tokyo Japan. It will be futuristic, but it will still have that lingering past in the slums since people are still poor and can’t really afford the luxury of modern technology. There will be many different tall buildings in the back ground with a lot of color lights coloring the main ground the player will be located in.

 

I strongly believe that the design team will be able to finish the project in time. It will be a simple task to get it all done in 4 weeks since we will have about 16 people working on the project and they will be evenly distributed when it comes to skill in what they can and should do. The only issue I came across is the tech that they are going to use and if they are able to make it in time. There seems to be a lot of crunch time when it comes to assets and how they will make them will be a concern. The only thing that I believe will be fine is the quality of the work. Since it doesn’t have to be modern type of work (high definition work form modern counsels), the art shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

4 Room Lighting

This game will be having a mid-evil sort of style that focused the fictional myth of witches. It will basically consist of a hunter that was trained from a very young age in the art of hunting witches. He lost his entire family to these witches, and during the game you will be finding out the way they control the whole estate and how everything is being manipulated by them. This will be the last level were you will have to free other hunters from a certain doom to help you defeated these witches.

1.      Time: The design team would have about 6 weeks to work on this assignment since it is one level. The level will have clichés in order to convey ideas more clearly to the gamers with a positive feed back.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 12 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character is an important asset to the game so that is always a must have. There also need to be a good environmental layout in order to get all of the assets placed well (shouldn’t take that long to make).  There has to be props and buildings for this environment, including 5 different enemies for the player to counteract with. The game has to be programed in the Unreal Engine and the game play has to be spot on with the description as well.

5.      Purpose: In this level you will have to free hunters in order to fight the 3 witches and kill them once and for all. You will have to fight through other types of enemies along the way.

6.      GamePlay: It will be a RPG type of game that will have a lot of types of weapons and attacks for your character in order to fight the enemies.

7.      Theme: Mid-evil.

 

4 Room Gray Box

 

                For this assignment, we had to create a dungeon that has 4 rooms in order to be playable and visually interesting to a player. Since it is a rough version, it mainly has to get the main view to it in order for me to get the main overall shape of the level. The hardest thing to do for me is the amount of space I had to decide on making this level. Since there is going to be enemies all over the level, the player will need enough space in order to fight through it. It will be important to get the character/enemy sizes to conclude the size of the whole level, but since I don’t have that information I can just change the sizes eventually.

2 Gray Box Design

The way this game will be created will be similar to a batman/metal gear sort of game play with a lot more futuristic twist in it. It will have a mid evil/western sort of style in it when it comes to character design, weapons and some buildings. The rest of the style will be modern through out the entire game play. It will enforces a main character that happens to be a Native trying to protect his home land and the ones who live in it from having and ancient curse destroying them all.

1.      Time: The design team would have about 6 weeks to work on this assignment since it is one level.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 12 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character is an important asset to the game so that is always a must have. There also need to be a good environmental layout in order to get all of the assets placed well (shouldn’t take that long to make).  There has to be props and buildings for this environment, including 5 different enemies for the player to counteract with. The game has to be programed in the Unreal Engine and the game play has to be spot on with the description as well.

5.      Purpose: The level will be a single player story mode level that will be consisting of a native from south America trying to stop coal miners from exposing horrible truths of the past (turning them into plain diggers of a site) and uncovering the curse that will doom people living in that land. The main character will have to find a way down the hill undetected or in any way possible and find a way to blow up the whole place. Good way to do it is to use the tnt that they have scattered about.

6.      GamePlay: The game play will have to start with the character on the top of the hill, where he/she will get there by using a tractor. It will be loud so if you get close, the enemy will spot you. You can either choose to do this mission in secret or follow up with force and gun fights.  There will be enemies all over the level and it will have certain assets that the player can use, like wild animal calls to help the player, bombs (both with players equipment and area items), techniques (for sneaking, demolition, gun fighting, etc), and fighting combos. One way to blow up the mine will be using the boat that is used by the enemy, drive it inside the mine, and blow it up by igniting the boat filled with TNT. At the end of the level, you will have to run away from the explosion and make sure you leave none alive to expose the horrible truth that was hidden there.

7.      Theme: It will be located in a south American forest and it will have many different assets in the level. The level will be partly medieval/western when it comes to vehicles, weapons, characters, and some buildings. The rest will be mixed with modern and Aztec.

 

I strongly believe that the design team will be able to finish the project in time. It will be a simple task to get it all done in 6 weeks since we will have about 12 people working on the project and they will be evenly distributed when it comes to skill in what they can and should do. The only issue I came across is the tech that they are going to use and if they are able to make it in time. There seems to be a lot of crunch time when it comes to assets and how they will make them will be a concern. The only thing that I believe will be fine is the quality of the work. Since it doesn’t have to be modern type of work (high definition work form modern counsels), the art shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

Geometry

These page numbers goes over the importance in composition of levels in general when it comes to the geometry in it. Without the geometry, there can be no level, lighting or texturing. They go over how geometry is used in a very crucial way to show how the world the player is immersed in is realistic. It is important to take architecture in consideration, including the way the geometry look esthetically interesting. It is important to keep in mind the way the geometry connects to the buildings, like pillars and the way the connect, not just the main pillar itself.

MidtermFinalVersion Level Design

 

 

                The game that was combined from my past designs happens to have some pretty interesting concepts with it. It attains a time frame during the future in an activist type of year like 2045. The main character is a wanted criminal that is known to break in government files and revealed their secrets in order to get them known to the world around him or her. Many things lead the character to travel in order for his location and his identity to remain concealed and for the character to have the upper hand in all types of operation. During the past, he/she was forced to live in exile with no technology in order to let things settle down from the recent events. After that period 3 years later, he/she returns in hope to find a normal life within the city. Little does he/she know that the city has turned extremely corrupted and has a lot of people suffering.

            One of the first levels is a simple task in order for the character to recall his/her techniques by helping the landlord get his freedom back since he was wrongly convicted of stealing a million dollars from the bank he works in (he wired money over the years to his own accounts). The level starts with the character finding out the truth of the matter without the landlords consent at the bank during night hours. The main characters memories of his/her former teacher tell the player how to play through the level. It basically lets the player know how/where to infiltrate locations, how to hack into modern AI robots and equipment, how to sneak, and how to use certain equipment/techniques   (like stun weapons and luring type of items to drive the enemy at a different location).

            The level this document is going to be based on is during half of the games content and story line, where the main character is driven to find an imposter that posses like him/her in order to black mail other evil and decent groups alike in order to control the whole world. The level’s main objective is to infiltrate a high security compound and find data links and information that will lead you to the imposter. The level will have the main character start form the outside of the building and will have many different possible ways to infiltrate it. It can be done so by using vents, doors, roof or underground sewage.

            The main way the gameplay works is to be stealthy and not to confront enemies only when the situation calls for it in order to reach your objective. Besides enemy AI and cameras to hack so you wont leave a trace of your whereabouts, you will need to hack enemy personals hub devices. Not only are those devices used in order for them to communicate amongst one another, they also obtain key data that will allow the main character to access rooms with higher clearance passage. There will be two guards that will have key data for the main central Hub terminal that is used as a communication link with the imposter. The level will be considered to be hard since you will need to approach enemy guards undetected and close by in order to hack their hubs and steal their data.

            One technique that the character will have is be able to control enemy AI’s for a couple of seconds in order to steal data with them. The one bad thing is that the AI will know the location of the hacking accordance and you will be forced to move away from the location right after the hacking stops. In the end of the level once the main character has the Intel, the whole compound will be alerted and it will force the main character to run away from the scene and escape the compound alive.

                                                                                                                      

1.      Time: The time frame of the level design will be about 6 weeks in order to accomplish. It will consist of holidays as well so the make up days will be appointed in order to use time efficiently. Deadlines will be strict and will have many things planed out in a calendar in order to make sure the projects doesn’t fall behind track.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 12 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character will be done by now since the game will be a type of RPG game format where the player is able to choose the sex and physical characteristics of the main character. The personality of the character will also be customizable by the player in order to show more originality during play-troughs. It will also add a lot more value during replays. The environment of the level has to be spot on when it comes to modeling and texturing the props, enemy personals/AIs, and backgrounds. Gameplay introduction to the new ability introduced to the character will be key to drive the player into a new profound feeling that will real in the player more towards the completion of the game. The animation sequence in the beginning of the level, end, introduction to the new ability, and hack completion/chase will be necessary to finish the level with a professional touch.

5.      Purpose: Since the player is playing through a story mode that is strictly single player mode, the level will have to have strict and simple goals in order for the player to understand and have that sense on loneliness during the level. The main character will then use the skills he/she has obtained during past game play in order to accomplish the objectives during the level. The player will basically need to infiltrate a high security compound in order to get Intel from a communication link that will lead the player to the imposter that is trying to control the world through hacking capabilities. It will be key in order to get data from enemy personnel from their hub links each one has in order to unlock rooms toward the main terminal hub.

6.      Gameplay: The compound will have a lot of searchlights outside of the compound. There will be very few crawl spaces in order to be completely hidden from the dark, and those are crawling with poisonous insects and serpents. The best way to get inside the compound is to use camo, move slowly and freeze only when light is directly pointed at you. Other than that the player can also create a diversion using a hidden bomb (triggering it using a communication link cable from a distance that will be as close as possible to a vent that is highly guarded in order to trigger the bomb and get inside undetected). It will also be key to hide from personnel in the inside of the compound, but if the bomb was triggered, it will be very populated inside and will be harder for the player to maneuver. Once inside the player can use shadows and mechanical crawl spaces in order to hide and crawl away from guards. AI will be more difficult to avoid and might have the player confront them at times. It is important to take out an enemy or group of enemies as soon as possible without them alerting the compound or the level will end in failure. Once the player gets to the central terminal, a puzzle will appear to the player in a form of wires and circuits, then letters mix matching in order to hack through it. It will be a challenge since the room will be guarded and the player might have to hide several times during hacking process in order to get it done, but if the player obtains a hidden link away from the terminal then they only need to hide once. After the completion of the hack, the player will have to run away and escape the compound in one peace in order to complete the level. Certain things the player couldn’t do in the beginning of the level will be obtainable in the chase part of the level. The player is able to use ceiling tubing to cross bridges he/she wasn’t able to before since stealth isn’t a concern anymore. The AI will be harder during this level in order to get the feeling of flow together during the play-through and will be AIs that will try to out smart the player and possibly sneak behind him/her.

7.      Theme: The theme will be on an activist type of era that is during the year 2045 and 48. The style will be futuristic and punk kind of style. The compound however will have that highly military look to it that will reflect back to technological advances gained in those years. The style will be a realism type of style and will have a highly definition look to characters faces in order for the player to connect to the main character more and feel more like they’re the main character.

In conclusion, the game has a lot of content in order to make the level. The level will be successful if the team pulls it together and have the deadlines met. I strongly believe that the design team will be able to finish the project in time. It will be a simple task to get it all done in 6 weeks since we will have about 12 people working on the project and they will be evenly distributed when it comes to skill in what they can and should do. The only issue I came across is the tech that they are going to use and if they are able to make it in time. There seems to be a lot of crunch time when it comes to assets and how they will make them will be a concern. The only thing that I believe will be fine is the quality of the work. Since it doesn’t have to be modern type of work (high definition work form modern counsels), the art shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

 

Level Mixture Design

             The game that was combined from my past designs happens to have some pretty interesting concepts with it. It attains a time frame during the future in an activist type of year like 2045. The main character is a wanted criminal that is known to break in government files and revealed their secrets in order to get them known to the world around him or her. Many things lead the character to travel in order for his location and his identity to remain concealed and for the character to have the upper hand in all types of operation. During the past, he/she was forced to live in exile with no technology in order to let things settle down from the recent events. After that period 3 years later, he/she returns in hope to find a normal life within the city. Little does he/she know that the city has turned extremely corrupted and has a lot of people suffering.

            One of the first levels is a simple task in order for the character to recall his/her techniques by helping the landlord get his freedom back since he was wrongly convicted of stealing a million dollars from the bank he works in (he wired money over the years to his own accounts). The level starts with the character finding out the truth of the matter without the landlords consent at the bank during night hours. The main characters memories of his/her former teacher tell the player how to play through the level. It basically lets the player know how/where to infiltrate locations, how to hack into modern AI robots and equipment, how to sneak, and how to use certain equipment/techniques   (like stun weapons and luring type of items to drive the enemy at a different location).

            The level this document is going to be based on is during half of the games content and story line, where the main character is driven to find an imposter that posses like him/her in order to black mail other evil and decent groups alike in order to control the whole world. The level’s main objective is to infiltrate a high security compound and find data links and information that will lead you to the imposter. The level will have the main character start form the outside of the building and will have many different possible ways to infiltrate it. It can be done so by using vents, doors, roof or underground sewage.

            The main way the gameplay works is to be stealthy and not to confront enemies only when the situation calls for it in order to reach your objective. Besides enemy AI and cameras to hack so you wont leave a trace of your whereabouts, you will need to hack enemy personals hub devices. Not only are those devices used in order for them to communicate amongst one another, they also obtain key data that will allow the main character to access rooms with higher clearance passage. There will be two guards that will have key data for the main central Hub terminal that is used as a communication link with the imposter. The level will be considered to be hard since you will need to approach enemy guards undetected and close by in order to hack their hubs and steal their data.

            One technique that the character will have is be able to control enemy AI’s for a couple of seconds in order to steal data with them. The one bad thing is that the AI will know the location of the hacking accordance and you will be forced to move away from the location right after the hacking stops. In the end of the level once the main character has the Intel, the whole compound will be alerted and it will force the main character to run away from the scene and escape the compound alive.

 

1.      Time: The time frame of the level design will be about 6 weeks in order to accomplish. It will consist of holidays as well so the make up days will be appointed in order to use time efficiently. Deadlines will be strict and will have many things planed out in a calendar in order to make sure the projects doesn’t fall behind track.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 12 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character will be done by now since the game will be a type of RPG game format where the player is able to choose the sex and physical characteristics of the main character. The personality of the character will also be customizable by the player in order to show more originality during play-troughs. It will also add a lot more value during replays. The environment of the level has to be spot on when it comes to modeling and texturing the props, enemy personals/AIs, and backgrounds. Gameplay introduction to the new ability introduced to the character will be key to drive the player into a new profound feeling that will real in the player more towards the completion of the game. The animation sequence in the beginning of the level, end, introduction to the new ability, and hack completion/chase will be necessary to finish the level with a professional touch.

5.      Purpose: Since the player is playing through a story mode that is strictly single player mode, the level will have to have strict and simple goals in order for the player to understand and have that sense on loneliness during the level. The main character will then use the skills he/she has obtained during past game play in order to accomplish the objectives during the level. The player will basically need to infiltrate a high security compound in order to get Intel from a communication link that will lead the player to the imposter that is trying to control the world through hacking capabilities. It will be key in order to get data from enemy personnel from their hub links each one has in order to unlock rooms toward the main terminal hub.

6.      Gameplay: The compound will have a lot of searchlights outside of the compound. There will be very few crawl spaces in order to be completely hidden from the dark, and those are crawling with poisonous insects and serpents. The best way to get inside the compound is to use camo, move slowly and freeze only when light is directly pointed at you. Other than that the player can also create a diversion using a hidden bomb (triggering it using a communication link cable from a distance that will be as close as possible to a vent that is highly guarded in order to trigger the bomb and get inside undetected). It will also be key to hide from personnel in the inside of the compound, but if the bomb was triggered, it will be very populated inside and will be harder for the player to maneuver. Once inside the player can use shadows and mechanical crawl spaces in order to hide and crawl away from guards. AI will be more difficult to avoid and might have the player confront them at times. It is important to take out an enemy or group of enemies as soon as possible without them alerting the compound or the level will end in failure. Once the player gets to the central terminal, a puzzle will appear to the player in a form of wires and circuits, then letters mix matching in order to hack through it. It will be a challenge since the room will be guarded and the player might have to hide several times during hacking process in order to get it done, but if the player obtains a hidden link away from the terminal then they only need to hide once. After the completion of the hack, the player will have to run away and escape the compound in one peace in order to complete the level. Certain things the player couldn’t do in the beginning of the level will be obtainable in the chase part of the level. The player is able to use ceiling tubing to cross bridges he/she wasn’t able to before since stealth isn’t a concern anymore. The AI will be harder during this level in order to get the feeling of flow together during the play-through and will be AIs that will try to out smart the player and possibly sneak behind him/her.

7.      Theme: The theme will be on an activist type of era that is during the year 2045 and 48. The style will be futuristic and punk kind of style. The compound however will have that highly military look to it that will reflect back to technological advances gained in those years. The style will be a realism type of style and will have a highly definition look to characters faces in order for the player to connect to the main character more and feel more like they’re the main character.

In conclusion, the game has a lot of content in order to make the level. The level will be successful if the team pulls it together and have the deadlines met. I strongly believe that the design team will be able to finish the project in time. It will be a simple task to get it all done in 6 weeks since we will have about 12 people working on the project and they will be evenly distributed when it comes to skill in what they can and should do. The only issue I came across is the tech that they are going to use and if they are able to make it in time. There seems to be a lot of crunch time when it comes to assets and how they will make them will be a concern. The only thing that I believe will be fine is the quality of the work. Since it doesn’t have to be modern type of work (high definition work form modern counsels), the art shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

Multiplayer Analyzed

              The game of my choosing is the one and only acclaimed game called Demon Souls from 2009. It is a really good RPG game that I happen to play during that year and underestimated the potency the game had to begin with since they didn’t release that many copies in the U.S. This is a perfect game for an example since it goes through both amazing aesthetically interesting levels and gameplay. It is both easy and clear enough for the beginning player and challenging enough for the experienced player as well. It is important that a lot of the elements in the game that you can pick up is glowing brightly along the environment (even though some of them are secret and hidden away).

              For the core gameplay this game shines beyond imagination. According to the book, it is fundamental that you would have to offer enough variation on the core gameplay without altering it. The game definitely allows the player to add their own tactics to the game and how to defeat their foes and also how to customize the character for its mobility and the attack patterns they can do. You are able to have light to heavy armor, so the heavier you are the less mobility you will have but the more you can take hits. The lighter you are the more mobility you will have but it is advisable that you will have to avoid most attacks instead of taking them head on. Weapon choice is also fundamental; heavy weapons will give you less mobility but more attack, and vise versa.

              Most players love using light equipment except for the weapons to get a good overall balance of power, defense and mobility. When you happen to “Invade” another players world, you can kill the player and his or her souls. That being said, when it comes to player v.s player combat, all sorts of players can experience a lot of different kinds of attack tactics created by other players, combos, and also armor/weapon combinations. The amounts of experiences are amazingly big and varied in the game since it has many different elements to choose from as well.

              The environment also carries a lot of potential during game play all around. It carries a lot of secret passages and hidden places in order for the player to use tactically (a player can hide themselves from the enemy then appear when their back is turned in order to stab them from behind, and etc.). The one thing about this game, when it changes to a single player mode to a multiplayer invading mode or partner mode, it doesn’t change the flow of the game play at all. One way they do this according to the book is having the environment stay the same when changing the type of game play mode.

              The environment is also nonlinear so it will make all types of player constantly interested in playing the level and having many different types of item, boss, enemy, and player spawn locations in order to have more dynamic type of situations. The way everything it set up for the player is to make it a challenge to kill all types of enemies when it comes to the location in the environment (undead throwing bombs from roof tops, black night hidden in a corridor, etc.). It is a good way to keep the beginners engaged and experienced players coming back for more since the game only gets harder and harder as you play it.

              The way the game makes sounds that are fixated on objects help the players experience feel more real as they progress during the game. It is essential that the sounds are unique for every type of species and players themselves (because everyone in this game has everything customized) in order to bring the flow of the game closer to the players liking. The way the sound works in this game is so natural that the players don’t even realize it is really there. Player’s location can be pinpointed when they make sound according to the location (a cave will make a different sound), distance, and volume of sound they are creating.

              Many different players appreciate the sound since they definitely use it to their advantage when they are fighting enemies or other players in other worlds. They can use a knife in order to make a certain sound on a certain location to lure the player there and tactically ambush them. Certain ways to use it to your advantage is hide in a location and wait for the enemy/player to get in the rage of your characters ear and ambush them from behind as well. It is also tactical to run away at times or just avoid certain enemies as well, so sound will help you pin point their location of the enemy and avoid them. It can also help you determine what kind of mobility they have, weapon they’re possibly carrying, and how much stamina they have as well. According to the book, sound for this game plays a big role in gameplay as well as the way many other aspects of the game is played out (like the story plot).

              The one thing that is really bad in this game is how heavy armor/weapon wielders play out in this game. Blocking with a shield or having heavy armor in the game will eventually be pointless since the game gets harder and harder as the player progresses and plays through the game. For example, in the early or second play through a block can become very useful instead of taking the hit head on (even if you use heavy armor), but in late game everything basically can become fatal even with a block. The way that works is really annoying if you spent all of your time making your tactics based on that type of mobility, weaponry, and stamina and you wont have a good chance of defeating boss levels at that point. I had yet to have seen a player use those tactics successfully with an advanced type of playing format. Expert players will most likely use the lightweight type of attack tactic and try to avoid the other enemy instead of blocking their attacks or taking them head on.

              Another thing this game doesn’t have that can be interesting (which is pretty bad in this case) is a cover system of any type. The one thing that annoys all types of players when it is multiplayer Vs. player is the magic and pyro-mancy attacks some use. It is annoying since those types of attacks always goes through most of players defenses (except magically defensive clothing, which is usually light but not enough defense. Some of them are also fast and can home into you so it desperately calls for mobility instead of heavy sluggish equipment wielding. It is hard for players to get past that fact, that being said many players goes through light equipment. The lack of a covering system may might as well be the lack of heavy equipment use in-between players in general.

                          To top it off, the game had many different positive reviews and it also had a lot of positive feed back. Many other games tried manipulating something that is similar to the game but not quite as the game, which makes it shine more from its uniqueness. It was grader the best RPG for 2009 and will be considered one of the top RPG games of all time. This game is all about the game play, so it only speaks for itself when you play it instead of reading articles about it. Anyone who hasn’t played the game should because they will appreciate it completely.

Abstract and Realistic Floor Plans

 

The game will be very close to an advanced RPG kind of game. It will consist of a story line that will have to do with a main character trying to find the main source of killings in his/her hometown.  It all starts with his parents’ death and later finds himself between the killer and his dead parents. The killer goes from town to town killing people and taking their possessions with him. The scenario will be placed in a wild desert with a Wild West sort of theme to it.

            One main thing that will make the game shine is the game play. It will separate the way the story plot will be laid out as well as the way the characters personality changes. The gameplay will be an explorer/adventure, detective, puzzle, RPG shooting game. The type of game will only be a single player type of game and will have many other types of games like a versus mode (where the enemy will try to hide evidence and get away with the crime and the detective).

            The level will place the main character/player in an alley that was right along the road where the character parked. You will have to find incriminating evidence from a doctor that has been taking patients with no family records or anything at all. It will be good since the character needs to incarcerate him in order to interrogate him (anonymous tip was given that he knew the killer of his parents). It will be a necessary for the player to complete the task undetected or with little suspicion from the doctor himself or his coworkers. The player will need to get a key that is planted on the doctor by introducing himself and take his coat, or he can pick pocket when he points out someone else that’s stealing. It will be imperative to stop the doctor when he finds out his documents are missing. There will be a shooting with his two security guards and his driver before the he drives away with the doctor.

Generic Level Design Based On Checklist and Clichés

The way this game will be created will be similar to a batman/metal gear sort of game play with a lot more futuristic twist in it. It will have Neo Japan type of art work that will be similar the animation Ghost in a Shell. The way the team will correspond will be work that will be shown in the bullet points and will be done according to that order in the requirements section. It will only take 6 weeks for the team of 12 to finish the game, so there will be a lot of times where we would have to push work through in order to meet our deadline.

1.      Time: The design team would have about 6 weeks to work on this assignment since it is one level. The level will have clichés in order to convey ideas more clearly to the gamers with a positive feed back.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used. MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game. The Unreal engine will be one of the fundamental tools used for the game production as well. Logic will be used for the audio of the game as well as many other programs including Midi files.

3.      Limitations: We would have to contribute 12 new assets for the level in order to make the work flow much better and less confusion on the art style and how it is going to be launched. There would have to be crunch time for those assets, which will be held 2 days to complete 3 different ones. The main character and environment layout will have to be completed first in order to get a good visual on the level. Then the enemy models will have to be finished in the end as well. Audio will have to be made as well during the programming of the game in the last week. There will be 12 people working on this project.

4.      Requirements: The main character is an important asset to the game so that is always a must have. There also need to be a good environmental layout in order to get all of the assets placed well (shouldn’t take that long to make).  There has to be props and buildings for this environment, including 5 different enemies for the player to counteract with. The game has to be programed in the Unreal Engine and the game play has to be spot on with the description as well.

5.      Purpose: The level will be a single player story mode level that will be consisting of a retired vet (35 yr old) trying to rescue a hostage that can lead her to a Mob Boss from the city who seems to be connected with a weird drug that can let a person experience time in a slower pace.  It will be placed in a suburban city slum with a rainy type of weather. The main character will have tights on with spy gear and assassination gear as well. The level will be about half way in game time so it will be a challenging level to play through and the main character will need to find an enemy to get info from the level (hints).

6.      GamePlay: The game play will have to start with the character on a rooftop of a cheesecake factory patrolling the area. She will glance at the other factory that seems closed down and she will find guards taking the hostage inside (scene will have a lot of lights flashing with circular spots). The main character is able to change weaponry with the directional buttons and move with an analog (including moving the camera with another analog). She will be able to sneak attack with a range of different weapons. Hand to hand combat will be one of her specialty and will be used a lot during gameplay, as well as shooting fights. The game will have a lot of secret passageways for the character to infiltrate the place in different places (making gameplay unique once in a while) and will be able to do certain take downs with different styles in undetected. Once inside the building, she will head towards a door that is electronically locked and with a key as well. The electronic lock is located to the left of the building in the basement, guarded by one guard. As soon as the guard is killed or knocked out, a guard 3 times the size will start fighting the main character. The key will be located in the opposite of the building in the cellar. It will be booby-trapped and will have alarm triggers that will end the level in failure. If 3 guards sound a call in a wooky takie it will end the level in failure as well. As soon as the main character opens the main door, she will be encountered with the hostage and a Mob Leader she’s been tracking down as well. You will be placed in a situation that will have to base your instincts to the test. The player will have 2 different choices, either shoots the leader including the hostage, or scare off the leader with an electric current destroying the lights in the building created by you right hand’s glove. If the player chooses the first one, he/she will find it more lengthy and difficult to find the Mob Boss. The second choice will let you find more detail from the hostage from their central point of operations and an idea for their plan for the city, but the Mob Leader you let escape will confront you again, with more tricks up in his sleeve that the player will find more challenging than the last confrontation.

7.      Theme: It will be a cheesecake factory located in Neo Tokyo Japan. It will be futuristic, but it will still have that lingering past in the slums since people are still poor and can’t really afford the luxury of modern technology. There will be many different tall buildings in the back ground with a lot of color lights coloring the main ground the player will be located in.

 

I strongly believe that the design team will be able to finish the project in time. It will be a simple task to get it all done in 6 weeks since we will have about 12 people working on the project and they will be evenly distributed when it comes to skill in what they can and should do. The only issue I came across is the tech that they are going to use and if they are able to make it in time. There seems to be a lot of crunch time when it comes to assets and how they will make them will be a concern. The only thing that I believe will be fine is the quality of the work. Since it doesn’t have to be modern type of work (high definition work form modern counsels), the art shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

Level Creation Based on Check List + Floor Plan

Joseph Garabaldi

6/20/13

Level Design

HW

Generic Level Design Based On Checklist

1.      Time: The design team would have about 2 weeks to work on this assignment since it is one level that does have a lot to do but one main goal, and it contributes to the overall idea of the storyline.

2.      Tech: The game engine will most likely be used in UDK and of course MAYA and PHOTOSHOP will be used in order to create the models for the game.

3.      Limitations: Everything can be made in order to make the level flow out as it was written accordingly since we would have the people with the necessary skills to accomplish it. We would separate modelers with texture designers and lighting. Sound and software writers would be important for the game level as well.

4.      Requirements: There would need to be visual styles that go back to being relevant were queens are in time (like the medieval ages). Buildings will all have a gothic type of look to them and they all have a unified gothic choice to them as well, but it will be a modern type of setting so everything looks modern on the inside of the castle. Horse wagons would be used for a chase as well and they will be used in order to carry the player out of the castle in order to escape from guards with the queens jewels (the end of the level).

5.      Purpose: The level will be a single player story mode level that will be consisting of a theft from the queens jewels (player will have to do sneaking around the guards) only for the queen to find out they are missing later on (regardless).

6.      GamePlay: The gameplay will be relaxed at first with certain elements complementing that feeling when the character is sneaking around, but then it will become intense with the horse cart/wagon chase that will follow (enemies will use cars). During the level you will be able to steal more treasures from the castle in order for you to get more credits that earn you experience, weapons, armor, and tools for mission use. The level will be a 3^rd person movement level for the sneaking part of the level and then the car chase will be a shooting type of game play. There will not be enough room in order to create a boss level in this one. It wont have that many enemies in the beginning of the level but later on there will be since you are getting chased by the majority of the castle guards on foot then horse wagon.

7.      Theme: The castle will be located on a big hill that will be surrounded by a city during the modern age with a medieval sort of gothic style. The story will have to do with a lot of poverty in the city and the queen is taking all of the country side riches for herself.

The floor plan was made successfully but it was sort of difficult to figure out where the character will start up in the level first. Since the player will be shown the character climbing the castle from an edge then go to a courtyard that allows him to infiltrate the castle close to the queen from the dining room will be key to give out a message to the player which is the fact that the game is a sneaky mission type of game.

            It was a little hard creating the floor plan since the location isn’t really similar to all of us. All I was talking about during the whole process is that I am creating a castle interior.