FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCE
Full playthrough without commentary
About my level
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Developed over 4 weeks half-time
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Focus on pacing and combat encounter design
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Made by using Unreal Engine 5.2
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Scripting
- Gameplay Events
- Player features
- Enemy AI
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Assets used:
- Blockout Tools Plugin v1.52
- RetroFPSAssets
- SFX from Soundsnap
- Music Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Goals
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Implement scripting for enemies and player controller
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Vertical layout design, combat design
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An immersive short experience inspired by quake and doom
Summary
War breaks lose after the negotiation with the aliens didn't go as planned. Now the lone surviving diplomat must fight their way through enemy patrols, to blow up the city and ensure planet Earth's safety.
Slideshow
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Encounter Design
Tutorial
Starting with defeating the enemy, the player learns basic combat and opens doors. They then progress to the hallway and get a snack kill with the explosive barrel.
To prevent the door problem where the player would stay in the initial door frame, I decided on a simple solution, lure the player in with no visible enemies and then lock the door behind them. This approach proved to be both simple and highly effective, with sound effects for player feedback.
Throughout, the tutorial emphasizes environmental interaction. Upon opening the exit door new enemies arrive, this keeps the player on their toes and builds tension while they backtrack. The player encounters the first ranged enemy with a clear cover. Upon exiting the player is rewarded with explosive ammo which adds layers to the gameplay, ensuring a dynamic and engaging learning experience.
First Encounter
The start section familiarizes the player with the game mechanics. The player starts at a vantage point with full cover where they can observe enemies through the air vent. This allows them to safely create a mental map over the room and plan their route. It was crucial to let players proceed at their own pace, especially since this was their first large enemy encounter. Additionally, they enter it through a point of no return, so to make the room more enticing to enter I placed explosive ammo on their landing.
This combat bubble is larger and lets the player navigate it themself to promote player agency. Both paths get you to the exit, with one that allows the player to use the cover as traversing. It rewards you with a health pack but you're at higher risk from ranged enemies since there is no cover.
The encounter ends with an elevator scene where the player dominates three enemies. This serves as a reward and a release of tension for the player.
Second Encounter
Subverting player expectations upon introducing a new enemy adds depth to this encounter. It creates moments of surprise and challenge, keeping players on their toes. Ensuring that encounters feel fresh and unpredictable.
Third Encounter
By placing enemies as breadcrumbs not only guides players but also builds tension and anticipation.
I wanted the player to feel powerful and agile in this encounter so I kept repeating the rhythm of always going right. Upon looping around they are rewarded with total domination from a vantage point.
Design Techniques
Reusing space
Upon backtracking, new enemies have spawned, and the player encounters them from a different entry points within the same space.
This approach aims to extend gameplay within the area and create a less linear experience for the player.
This works around the backtracking problem and elevates the pacing and heightens tension.
Denial and Reward
In this level I alternate between obscuring the landmark and revealing it. Communicating to the player that they're closer to their goal, this builds up the anticipation of reaching it and adds to the feeling of discovery.
Encourage Exploration
After the tutorial is completed the player is presented with a long-term goal through the landmark, and it's up to them to find the path to it.
To build on this path and reward exploration, I placed pick-ups for the player to discover. This rewards the player with benefits. I did this to create a sense of satisfaction to entice players to explore more.
Workflow breakdown
Gathering references
The first thing I always start with when creating a level is collecting a big amount of references. For this project I was heavily inspired by brutalism.
The next step for me was to write out the level on paper to establish what I needed and wanted to get a sense of how the playthrough could be.
Before starting the blockout I made a topdown sketch to test the walkthrough and get a sense of the full level.
Prototyping
I created a player gym early on where I could test metrics and quickly test and balance the enemy. This made it easy to ensure the features synergies with each other and felt good for the player.
This helped me speed up the production and not script my blueprint after perfection and instead aim after completion.
I instead followed the skateboard mindset and made everything after minimum viable project before going into the blockout phase.
Scripting
Enemies
Made a simple yet adjustable system for my enemies.
I take pride in creating the headshot mechanic, as it provides players with a strong incentive to aim at enemies heads. This adds depth to the gameplay making the overall experience immersive.
Player
In an effort to replicate the fundamental gameplay mechanics of Doom 2, I've implemented these player functionalities: movement, jumping, and the ability to wield a ranged weapon with two distinct types of ammunition.
I believe I've came sufficiently close to what I strived for regarding metrics and feel.
Polishing
Most of the polish was focused on the lighting and gameplay, making sure everything was readable before moving on to set dressing. After adding sounds for player feedback I started adding details from the references I gathered. Polishing up combat areas and creating a futuristic brutalist mood.
Hover for Timelapses taken during blockout to polishing
Reflections
Overall I believe I achieved most of my goals, the elevator section at the end I'd say is not on par with the rest of the piece when it comes to the combat. If I had more time to work on the project I would've iterated more on that and added a more intricate layout to expand the combat. Splitting it up into sections where the player has to interact with the tower, making the ending more memorable and challenging.
Creating the prototype early in the project led to more feedback sessions. This made iterating all the combat encounters much smoother since the layout was in an early stage. I can't stress how many changes I made during the second week. It was really rewarding witnessing the playtesters play through the encounters in so many ways, I'm thankful to all the people that tested it!