third person action
Introduction
In this project I set out to create a third person action experience set in an old ruined city where the player is search of an old artifact. However, the they are not alone in the search.
Goals for this project
- Combat Space Design
- Composition
- Adventure
Project details
- Develop time 4 weeks half time
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Level Design
- Level assets made in Blender
External Assets
- JakubW Third Person Template
- Blockout Tools
Level overview
Level flowchart
1. Reveal
2. The tempel
3. The ruins
4. The tower
5. Ambush
6. Fight your way back
beatsheat
Gameplay
combat Space
In the level I had the ambition to design different styles of engaging combat. The design allows the player to be more stealthy in some situations and take out one enemy at a time. But also in the same space just go head-on if that is more the players play style.
In the older version of the level, the enemies had simpler patrol paths and stopped in one place. This created a problem for players that wanted to have options in play style. To fix this and allow for more stealthy play styles I gave the enemies longer patrols that allow the player to move around the space more.
Top-down over the space
This top-down represents the space shown in the video. The player has been trough this area once before, and now has to fight their way back.
Path 1.
This path will force the player to deal with an enemy to gain the advantage on the others. The path leads to an old tower that the player can shoot back at the enemies they just struggled with. The tower also acts as an vantage point and lets the player see different solutions such as an explosive barrel to shoot.
Path 3.
This is the sneaky path that lets the player pass the no mans land from path two and get a free shot on one of the enemies and confuse the remaining ones. However after the assault, the player will be left open on lower ground versus the next enemy.
Player agency
In my older version of the level a problem was that the level lacked choices and player agency. To fix this I added multiple paths for the player to explore and play with. This will offer different styles of approach, and also create player agency.
Path 2.
This is the “get them head on” path and is a more neutral battle field with a traditional no mans land that the player will have to conquer to advance. This path is designed to be more challenging to motivate the player to try other paths if they so wish.
fighting your way back
The hook with this level is that the player first gets to explore the level in a more relaxing state. Less enemies and more exploration. When the player reaches their goal we flip it around and increase the tension.
The player now has to fight their way back to safety in a level they are familiar with, but now with combat to make it interesting.
make use of the space
One of the goals for this level was to create a simple puzzle in the early section of the game that encourage the player to move and interact with the environment. I also wanted to make the puzzle use as much of the building as possible. This will help the player to familiarize as they return later and is forced to fight here.
With feedback and playtesting I tried to make sure that navigating between in the space would be quick and simple. This was to try and not frustrate the player if they would fail the puzzle a couple of times.
Establishing shot
Early in the level I designed to have an establishing shot that clearly highlights our long-term goal, the tower. The shot also gives hints to a mid-term goal and uses the temple on our left, our short-term goal, as a way of framing the shot.
In early testing players had sometimes forgotten about the tower after completing the puzzle in the temple. To give the shot a more lasting image I added destruction to it and a large tree on the top to make it stand out more. Player would now have a better memory of the establishing shot.
expectation and tension
When the player has reached the tower I wanted to design a moment to tell the player that things has changed and that action is about to start. After playing around with different ideas I decided to use the sequencer in Unreal Engine.
With it I created a short sequence where an enemy helicopter flies past, signaling that action is about pick up. Shortly after this, and dealing with the first enemy a flare gets shot in the sky to increase the tension, but also to create a moment of change.
Closing thoughts
Working with combat space is a bundle of joy. There are many challenges, design choices, and flavors to sprinkle. Overall, I’m happy with the level. One of my reflections is that some of the space felt much the same. With more time, I would change some of the combat spaces to be more different and not just shift from having the player on an advantage. To then having the enemies on the advantage. I would also go in and make sure to give the space more contrast between the enemies and the environment. Some areas became too “noisy” and could sometimes prove a challenge for the player to spot the enemies.
Working with the AI and finding tricks to make them feel more “smart” was a challenge. However, I have learnt a lot about how to think where the enemy in a combat space should be able to move and not. Having constant rush of enemies towards the player feels stupid and “gamey”. I learnt to use blockers for the navigation plane to construct AI paths that makes more sense and also gives the player hidden space where the enemy is less likely to venture.