Level Design

Galactic Corsairs

Leap into a dynamic and challenging PvP environment in a free for all combat arena. Use the fluid movement system to gain an edge over the competition and dominate your fellow corsairs to prove your might to the captain and take your place as the top dog.

The Steps

The level design of galactic corsairs went through many iterations. Going from a PvE environment to a PvP had its own challenges. See the process here as it evolved. Below is a step by step look at the process along with the challenges and methods used to achieve success.

The Planning Stage/GDD

We laid out the game we wanted to make. In this stage of Game Design, the team agreed on a base of player movement and some general mechanics as well as the type of challenges that would keep gameplay interesting.

Research

Gathering references from real world ships, popular and successful sci-fi games and movies was critical to start building a theme that fit our game.

Designing the HUB

The Tone and Mood

Setting the tone and mood for the game would help define art style, game sounds and voice lines. Having a shooter with humor became a focus, and making an exotic landscape where players could enjoy the rush of combat mixed with some laughs was our end goal.

Wall Run

Rough Draft/Mechanics

With the player mechanics defined, creating interesting and challenging enemy mechanics became the new hurdle. This required a very solid understanding of all game elements.

Designing the Players HUB

The ship was where the player would spend their down time between missions, upgrade skills and plan for future missions. Making a space that was easy to navigate and memorable was the goal. Having a thorough understanding of the components of a real battleship helped shape the design of the HUB

Elements to Consider

The HUB had to be visually stimulating, easy to navigate, have separate and memorable sections as well as being an environment where the player can relax and enjoy in between missions. The layout had to make sense, as we intended for it to be a functioning battleship later in development.

Mind Map

Home can be a Battleship

White Box HUB

Laying out the basic model for the ship in whitebox helped share my vision for the space with the team. I was very proud that the layout I had selected and the way it was presented was received very well and required very little in the way of iteration. Constantly keeping the team up to date with progress was a major factor in my success.

Iterations

The HUB went through very few iterations. The layout included all essential components laid out in a logical way. Some spaces needed to be adjusted to accommodate a larger than expected player model and the staircases and stairwells that were included in the asset pack also provoked a few changes.

Working with Art Asset Pack

Working without a dedicated artist has its challenges. We elected to purchase a few asset packs and create an interesting and fun environment using what we had available. Having a limited number of assets and no artists pushed me to be more creative with what we had available.

Planning NPC Interactions

Adding NPCs to the HUB seemed a must, even with models as place holders the space felt more alive. Deciding which NPCs would have an impact on gameplay, their looks, voices, and purpose was a very fun process. Selecting a few unique models was the beginning of something that would make or spaces far more enjoyable at the completion of the game.

NPC Behaviours

Having interactive NPCs was important for making our spaces seem more lifelike. Writing voice lines for the project and working with the voice actors (and as one) was one of the most rewarding experiences in this project.

Create NPC Routines/Path

While the routines for the NPCs were not implemented during the gameplay, the groundwork was all laid out to have our NPCs daily routines with some variables was complete and ready to go. This simple system had the NPCs performing regular duties, and their voice lines changed depending on their current state and task.

Make Memorable Rooms

In a military vessel, the hallways could be potentially very boring and repetitive. Designing each hall and each room to make them memorable to help the player orient themselves and enjoy their experience was an absolute. Restricted by the assets from the asset pack, some creative thinking and building of my own prefabs made designing memorable spaces easier and mofre successful by far.

The Final Touches

Adding the final touches to the rooms including beautiful soundscapes and vfx made everything come to life.

Designing the PvP Arena

Against the Clock

The PvP Arena was an afterthought that ended up becoming the prime focus for the release of the game. With the pressure to meet the deadline and only one programmer, refining player mechanics and online multiplayer was our end goal. With that in mind and the pressure on, I threw myself at the task of switching gears from making open world areas to a competitive PvP environment.

Research

What makes a good PvP game? PvP was never a priority with the game design. Like any task I start my process with research. With all of the players mechanics well defined, my challenge was to use those mechanics to create a challenging arena where those abilities would play well against each other.

The Whitebox

Whiteboxing a level where the player can wall run, double jump and slide meant I needed a level that featured a lot of verticality. As a PvP arena, avoiding situatiuon where a player could grab a high powered weapon and corner up was also an issue I wanted to avoid. Promoting movement, motion and fluid combat was the goal with the design.

Highs and Lows

Creating a level that push players to use their movement abilities to gain an advantage was a crucial element to the design. Providing players with ample opportunities to use the environment in combination with the built in mechanics Getting sliding kills with a shotgun, wall running leaping and getting that sweet sniper headshot, all moments we wanted our players to experience.

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