Recap: Level Design I @ Wake Tech Spring '12

As with starting most semesters in the "Simulation and Game Development" program at Wake Technical Community College I was not quite sure how it would ultimately turn out. I'm always a bit anxious about different aspects of the classes, usually those that require me to present projects to the class. The projects in the class would prove challenging and fun through-out the semester. It would be a great learning experience with the help of my peers and the infinitely knowledgeable Brad Swearingen.

The Game Engine Everyone Loves

Throughout this semester we would be learning the popular game engine from Epic, the Unreal Engine 3. Specifically we'd be utilizing the Dec 2011 build. As part of the class we signed up with Design3.com to use their extensive collection of tutorial videos covering a wide range of topics with UDK (Unreal Development Kit). Design3 even went as far to show users how to build simple games step by step. This proves great for novices who want to see their work in action early on. Using "Kismet," Unreal's answer for those with more design intent to not rely specifically on programmers for simple game features.

Unreal would at first seem daunting with its list of features and learning exactly how to utilize them.  Design3 along with Brad's impeccable direction did a great job of keeping everyone on the same page with a lot of the features. The class made it easy to start in all the right places and find an efficient way to learn a lot of features in a short time and to avoid the ones that may only lead to more confusion.

Project 1 - Design a level with Four Rooms

Brad's first project would be to, as the title suggest, design a map with four rooms. We had just learned some of the basic features of creating rooms and geometry within UDK's editor. As with most things I took the idea and ran with it.

The assignment was simple.

1. We were to create only four rooms all connected by hallways. Rooms could be any size we desired.
2. The rooms could not be on the same 'Z' axis. All the rooms connected had to be at different heights from each other.
3. The rooms had to be populated with assets from UDK's content browser that was filled with plenty of meshes and materials to use.

Not content doing just the bare minimum I was getting impatient with learning only the basics and wanted to read ahead in the class by a few weeks. So instead of just creating the four enclosed rooms I decided to build an entry way that would be in the form of a Mayan pyramid. This pyramid and the sign are the only two items I built myself for this project. I only had one week to complete the project so the texture for the pyramid is not completed.

Using my own assets proved a little more challenging at first than I had anticipated. I learned a significant amount of information about UDK's packages and about collision models.

In my Pyramid I had a hole at the top that would act a passage way to drop the player into the assignment for the class.

 

 

 

 

Project 2: Design a multiplayer map w/ two rooms

The second assignment involved building two room death match map.

1. The death match must have two main rooms with any number of smaller corridors and rooms we chose.
2. The map must have weapon spawns, if large enough vehicles spawns, and spawn points for up to 16 players.

Again, I chose to go beyond the confines of the assignment to learn as much as I could during the process of creating our maps. There were no confinements put out by Brad that we had to have small or large map and that those maps could not be either outside or wholly inside.

UDK's terrain editor was calling my name. I knew I wanted to creat a fairly decent sized map and I knew I wanted to create an outdoor map.

Inspiration for the level came from one of my favorite maps of all time. In Halo 1 there was a map called "Sidewinder." It was a horseshoe shaped map covered in ice. While UDK's built in content in the browser mostly inspired jungle terrain I could not take the icy approach I intended. Instead I just borrowed the horseshoe design and imported the Mayan pyramid from my previous level. I decided to have two pyramid on either side with bases built into the wall. Brad encouraged us to think symmetrically with this assignment.

I learned a substantial bit about the terrain editor and applying tiling textures to the terrain so that I could overlay them for a more realistic blending of grass, pathways, and rock.

This was a fun level to build and design. It received a significant response from the others in the class when we were presenting our projects. (Can't say that I didn't mind the attention). One student even asked if I had an prior experience with UDK. When I replied "No," he appeared shocked. I'm certainly not a professional but I do like to do my best and find something within a project that truly inspires me.I like to learn and further my experience with each of the projects. I wanted to think outside of my normal confines and explore new options and avenues of creation with each level.

Project 3 - Design multiplayer map w/ two levels not connected

 
**Unfortunately I no longer have the files for this.

This map was assigned and supposed to be designed after an old Unreal Tournament map that had two bases on two different levels not connected by any bridges or corridors. It was a wholly outside map.

If I find the files I will upload the results. It had one of my favorite pieces I had completed.

Project 4 - Fun with a Terrain Level and CTF

It wasn't really until over half way through the semester that the Terrain Editor would be introduced into our projects as a requirement.With this new feature now part of the requirements our levels were given extended time for tweaking and building.With this assignment we were given four weeks to complete the task.

1. Map must use a terrain layer with correct layer textures applied 
2. Map must have 16 spawn locations
3. Map must have weapon, vehicle, and CTF flag spawns

Out of the semester this was the biggest map that I built. I built a map that had a castle theme with a village. I wanted to create a symmetrical map without being as completely symmetrical as Project 2. I set out to use content from within UDK to build something I found engaging and interesting for the player.
Brad suggest at one point to add some underground tunnels or pathways that would give alternative routes. I decided on using some teleporters to an underground tunnel system. The tunnels would converge on one spot with access to a warship that could teleport  to the player level.

The map was divided into four different sections for me

1. The Castle
2. The Village
3. The Forest
4. The Underground tunnel system

I wanted each section to have a unique feel to it so that the player would know where they were at any given time in the game. I tried to populate each area to have a lived in used feel to it. The only one that could have used more love would have been the village area. 

This level taught me a lot about planning ahead. I tried my best to plan most details out or at least block out most parts of the level before fully committing time to building the space only to decide it wasn't fully working.While we were given a decent amount of time I incorporated a lot of things into the level that would prove time consuming. I had teleporters placed around the map. Some that went to specific locations and some that would randomly place the player at another location. The links between these were time consuming to test each for accuracy and validity. In the forest section I originally had much more of a forest but found this slowing down the FPS dramatically. I learned a big lesson on LODs at this point. All the trees I had constructed in SpeedTree only had the High LOD version. Seeing I did not make any Low LODs at the time most of the trees were anywhere from 5k-20k poly's each. BIG MISTAKE!

Project 5- Final Level and Cinematic

This project would include a level that used all of the techniques we had learned thus far through out the semester. The only new element we would be covering in depth that we had not before would be how to create a cinematic.

1. Create a level with Terrain Editor
2. Have 16 spawn points, weapons, (optional) vehicles
3. Map can be a Death Match or CTF Match 
4. Must use at least one custom mesh with accompanying package
5. MUST have at least 4 interactive elements in the level

 We would have nearly a month an a half to complete the project. Along the way we would do several presentation to go over our progress thus far. One such presentation would be the "White Box" with our map blocked out. Another would be closer to the end of design with a cinematic show casing our map in its entirety and showing off the our four interactive elements within the design of our map.

I've had a fascination with Egypt for a long time. In that fascination I stumbled across an island name Philae.
What was unique about this island and the temple found there was that it was underwater. Originally the temple sat on a small island in the Nile river. With the completion of the Aswan Low Damn in 1906 the temple and island were flooded. Over the course of many years the temple would be relocated brick by brick to a new location to preserve the landmark.

Using this island temple I was able to chose a location that was appealing, supplied me with a decent challenge as I would have to create temple from scratch (granted it's not final build worthy I am satisfied with my results), and find some interesting elements that would be interactive in the level.

Two elements I knew I wanted to include right out were to have the water be triggered and rise covering the majority of the island, and secondly to have some hidden walls that would open when approached.

The water level rising would prove to be a challenge that required much reading through documentation and dedication to getting it completed in a way that felt real and looked interesting. The challenge was to get the plane with a water shader to act like a water level. This included looking into water volumes, finding ways to get objects to have a buoyancy and look like they are floating realistically, and to affect the players in a positive or negative way when the trigger was set in motion.

A portion of the map that would surface about half way through my design because I just wanted more, was to have an underground three level area for players to fight. In the end I think these felt like two unrelated areas, but I had fun developing both while learning a lot of tricks to speed up my productivity.

 

*The water rising effect in the level is sped up to show off the feature. In game it was much slower rising and lowering

Class Overview

This was one of the more entertaining classes I've taken during my time with the SGD program. I honestly didn't think I would find the class as engaging as I did. I think a lot of the enjoyment of this class and be turned toward Brad Swearingen. He was very supportive during the course and offered great constructive criticism. All of the projects throughout the semester built off the previous project in a clear and concise manner. I never felt overwhelmed by any one project aside from my own desire to create something more than the base requirements.

The biggest challenge in the class to me was not the projects but gathering the courage to will myself up in front of the class for our weekly presentations on projects and progression.

As a side note: during my first semester taking my documentation class I was often a stuttering mess while in  front of the class, almost to the point I've wondered if anyone even understood a word I said.

However, this semester would prove different in that respect. I found that presenting and discussing the projects we had been assigned and presented weekly that I was able to quell that feeling of anxiety. I found that discussing my projects and answering questions during the presentations helped ease some of my tension in front of crowds. The fear is still there, but I think it can be overcome in specific instances where I feel confident in what I am presenting.

I found it particularly rewarding during our lab time in helping those around me. Especially, if they were trying to do something similar to what I had done. I was able to quickly help them while Brad was making his way around the room helping others. I like that feeling of knowing enough to help others.

The class and group of people in this semester were fantastic to work with and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future.