End-of-year project
Gamagora
October 2022 - May 2023
Lead Design / Production
Context
This final year project for the DU Level Design diploma, this action-adventure game treats each fight like a puzzle to be solved.
During production, I wrote project management documents to facilitate collaboration between designers and the rest of the team.
Regular meetings helped to harmonize the levels with the progression of the game and the gradual introduction of mechanics.
Team size: 11 people
Game engine: Unreal Engine 5
Type: Adventure, Narrative
Play as the young rebel Ame in the port city of Mizutown, controlled by the mysterious Frogz gang. Help the locals and eliminate the others.
TASKS
My responsabilities :
-
Combat system design and 3C, Rational design of enemy AI
-
Design of exploration phases and combat arenas according to the desired game feel and pacing, and the progression of difficulty
-
Simple Blueprints
-
Lore writing, Worldbuilding
-
+ Asset integration, website and logo creation
OVERVIEW
Top Down
Level Flowchart
1
Start from the shelter
2
Interactions reminders
3
Exit from the shelter
4
Passage through the sewers
5
Exit from the sewer
6
Arriving in the alley
7
View of the main street
8
Arrival on the main street
9
Crossing the bridge
10
View on the restaurant
11
View on the letter
12
End of section, the following section accessible
PRE-PRODUCTION
Concept
GDD and Rational design
The project kicked off by drafting the GDD to clearly define the vision and serve as a reference for the entire team, to guarantee a mutual agreement on decisions and a consistency throughout production. Each team member was able to contribute by completing their respective part of the document. For designers, we have detailed the gameplay loop, the 3Cs, the game mechanics and the pillars...
The Rational Design documents I created allowed for easy balancing and integration during development.
Accessibility
In addition to my responsibilities, it was important to consider accessibility during development, which is why I created a short presentation of the possibilities according to our scope to present to the team.
Note: Blood & Tears is the former name of Bloodstain.
Level planning
In order to divide the work, we organized, with the Designers, the complete level that we wanted to create.
It was divided into sequences according to environmental sectors, to create a balanced rhythm between narrative and gameplay. This way, we could work around inconsistencies from one designer to another, leaving creative freedom for the level design team.
Sketches
Through sketches, designers can directly decide on the target pacing of the level, but also to create quick iterations without going into details.
For Ame's shelter, I took into account the moment when the Player encounters her: at the beginning of the game. I wanted to introduce Ame narratively through environmental storytelling, while also reminding the player of the movement and interaction mechanics.
Organization
References / Inspiration
They allowed for clear communication of intentions with the team, while serving to create environments and foster creativity.
Asset integration
The graphic designers could not integrate the assets, so I took care of it, while creating variations in floor textures to avoid repetition.
Backlogs
For better project management, I took charge of writing and keeping up-to-date the backlogs for all departments: from art, to design and programming.
Schedules
It could be difficult to stay focused on the work that needed to be done during remote work days. These schedules helped keep me on track and motivated to continue.
DESIGN TECHNIQUES
Onboarding
The shelter is the first open environment visited after the tutorial level, so it was important to add a reminder of the main mechanics.
First, for the fight in the training area, then with the interactions with the environment including the exit bridge and the levers, and finally, a well-executed dash to reach the exit.
This area is safe and allows for mistakes, enabling frustration-free learning for the Player.
On-screen composition
By using the camera strategically, I was able to guide Player's gaze to achieve several objectives:
-
Introduce the environments gradually, based on the information that was important to the Player
-
Supporting the narrative during the contextualization of the environment
-
Highlighting the path where Player should go
Points of interest / landmarks
The landmarks allow for faster familiarization with the environment. They correspond to:
-
Landmarks/points of interest such as bridges or rivers that help the player move around the environment
-
Propaganda and resistance imagerie
-
Unique intersections and crossroads
-
The importance of light on significant elements
Signs
I wanted to give clues using techniques to show what awaits Player:
-
An uphill slope will present an obstacle to overcome, just like stairs
-
A downward slope indicates ease, reveals what is expected, and provides security for the future
-
The passages below the visible level show that one must hide because of the hostile environment
STORYTELLING
Shelter
When designing Ame's shelter, it was important to showcase the personalities of the residents while.bringring a practical side to it.
Ame is a determined, resourceful and cautious person, therefore she has a training area set up close at hand. There are also mechanisms to hide the container where she rests and the shelter's exit for safety. The shelter is filled with junk to craft rudimentary furniture and layout. They used the environement and living conditions to their advantage.
Contextualization in the world
The environment is crucial to exposing the economic and political context and introducing the antagonistic clan of the game.
The little life present in the places visited consists of impoverished characters living on the street, followed by a violent person attacking one of them.
The area is also surrounded by a polluted river and lots of waste to show the ecological context of this dystopian world.
PROTOTYPING
Container camouflage animation + lever
Bridge animation
Exit door animation + lever
Codes in Blueprint
ENEMY AI
Melee enemy: Brute
Basic swordsman
Melee enemy: Swordsman
Swordsman who charges into an area and delivers a powerful strike in a straight line.
Ranged enemy: Watcher
Shooter that fires every X seconds if Ame is in sight
Ranged enemy: Rifleman
Shooter that fires bursts of N rounds every X seconds
Ranged enemy: Sniper
Shooter monitoring an area along a spline
Behavior flowcharts
Enemies rational design
