http://worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/how-to-plan-level-designs-game-

environments-workflow.php

Idea

• Seemingly abandoned sci-fi space station where the player is trapped in tight spaces and long

corridors with an unseen terror.

• Use of blood and harsh lighting tells the story of what happened as well as narrative screens and

notes scattered around the environment

• Company AI still functions fine but no human life in sight

• Based on games like Doom 3 and Quake 4

• Create an atmosphere and tension by using lighting and environmental warning signs

Purpose and Features

The reasons for creating a map in this setting and to achieve what I am trying is to learn how to create

an intense atmosphere and setting for any future projects/work. Also, the idea of telling a story through

design features and without any text or obvious references is very appealing and seems like a challenge

but being able to do this well would be a very useful skill to have. I will also be learning a lot about

Unreal and modular modeling which are very important skills for a lot of companies today.

As stated previously, this project could give me some of these essential skills which could allow me the

opportunity to get a job for a company I’d like to work for.

The key features of the level include:

Narrative development through environmental design

Effective lighting and decal design

Atmospheric, tension filled arena

Claustrophobic corridors and a real sense of dread

Location and Environment

The setting for this level is a seemingly abandoned futuristic space station inhabited by an unknown

enemy. The level will take place aboard the station in and around the tight, long and dark corridors. The

year is 2178 in deep uncharted space aboard an active, but hostile, space station. The whole level is an

interior space so there won’t have to be much in the way of out-of-map detail. Although I may add the

standard window into space to give the player a feeling of isolation and hopelessness.

Photo Reference

As I couldn’t really gather any photos of spacecrafts or sci fi interiors I have instead opted to include

some images of games that use similar styles of environment design with a similar theme also.

Story

Thoughts of loneliness and desolation plague your rotting mind. What was once an overwhelming sense

of dread and despair now beckons your soul to its everlasting stasis. Wandering the endless corridors of

an empty shell, you find yourself descending into a state of insanity you once thought was bound to

certain personalities. Terror strikes an impending sense of doom which keeps your mind active; the only

way to survive intact is to face your fears.

The vessel the level takes place on is an active space station, used by scientists and marines for research

and communications. The unnamed vessel is one of a fleet of 6 which all seem to have lost comms with

one another. The fleet is assigned to a previously uncharted area of the universe in order to study a

possible new species, whilst the marines were sent as backup and as an underhand way to study their

prime enemy in the battle that wages between Earth and Cromitron 6.

You are a marine and part of Charlie squad, you and your squad were assigned to study an enemy base

on a nearby rock formation. However something went wrong and the fleet were attacked – you are

unsure of what’s going on and unable to contact any of your friends. Was this an experiment gone

wrong with the new species or did the Cromitrons find out about your subterfuge?

You find yourself in the administration department of the ship, desperately trying to contact any

survivors you know you must reach the comms centre but you feel like you’re being followed by

something inhuman.

Objectives and Obstacles

The main objective of this level is to reach the comms centre to try and gain contact with any survivors.

The player can complete this by simply getting to the comms centre, however some areas will need

updated clearance or some doors may be locked entirely so you'll have to find another way around.

The obstacles the player will have to overcome are some of the previously stated things like locked

areas and environmental puzzles; however the main obstacle will be trying to keep your sanity and

humanity. There is a twist however as in order to do this you will need to be scared.

Top Down Layout

Here is a very basic top down layout I mocked up in photoshop to represent how the level will look from

a birds eye view. The focal points are all marked on the mockup in text; however lots of other key

features are not currently displayed as this was only a very basic mockup of what the final product will

look like so I can go into SketchUp and make a 3D mockup of it as well.

As you can see there are lots of slim, winding corridors to fit with the overall theme of a claustrophobic

space station. Lots of the corridors will not lead anywhere or will be blocked by a restricted door so the

player will have to explore to find what remnants of the crew he can and be cautious to keep

themselves alive.

Focal Points

The focal points on this level include the entrance of the administration block, a window into space, a

broken elevator and the comms centre entrance.

The first major focal point is the entrance of the admin block, or the start of the level. This opening

scene will start off the narrative and give the player some idea of what is going on, but also will remind

them that they need to complete their objective and they are not alone. This should give the player

some real incentive to continue forward. The scene itself will consist of lots and lots of blood splattered

onto computers and desks, ruined architecture and failing systems; reminding the player of how

dangerous the threat is.

The second major focal point is a window into space - this scene will really drive home the ideas of

isolation and hopelessness. The scene itself will be a window looking onto a distant planet reminding the

player how far away any sort of support is - making them want to progress but also providing a jaw

dropping background.

The third major focal point is a broken elevator. This scene will consist of a broken elevator covered in

flames and blood, there will also be some clues as to what is going on to further the narrative and keep

the player engaged. This will also hopefully encourage the player to move on through the level and

challenge them to find another way up, which could also mean they let their guard down.

The fourth and final focal point of the level is the comms centre entrance. This is the end of the level and

will hopefully really drive home the themes touched upon by the rest of the level. It will also serve as

some kind of context of how bad the situation really is. The scene will consist of a ruined doorway with

some more narrative clues scattered around.

Visual Development

Whilst none of the featured materials in this section are mine I still believe they convey a good

representation of the kind of feel I am aiming for with the final product of the level.

This first image conveys the sheer scale of the experimentation going on aboard the ship, and the

players character wouldn’t know this at this point so it would be a shock for them also, adding an

element of believability to the character.

This second image shows a good idea of how the window into space I am talking so much about will

look, however it will be at the end of a long corridor with branching paths either side instead of how it is

visualized here.

This third image shows the sort of detail I would like to add into the environment with all the pipes and

extended arches giving the area a more fleshed out look rather than just having flat 2D textures applied

to a plane with normal maps.

Making Lists

For this level I will be using the same blueprint texture sheet as I did in my XB2002 module. This will save

time in the end as that main texture has already been completed; however I may choose to revise the

final sheet.

As for the models and textures I am sure I need they are:

- A broken elevator shaft

- A window into space

- Ladders and walkways

- Blood decals and textures

- Monitors and screens to give a sense of narrative

- Models for extra detail IE barrels, boxes etc

I will start to create these after I am sure that the master sheet is done and ready to use. Audio,

however is a very different story – I am currently unsure of whether to add a sentient AI to the whole

station to give off an eerie vibe and add to the already tension filled atmosphere. If added I will have to

write and record all of this dialogue myself then edit it to sound like a computer which is why I am

unsure as it could be quite time consuming. The audio I am sure of though includes eerie bangs and

background noises to let the player know they aren’t alone. Also some sort of fairly heavy breathing just

to add to the atmosphere as audio is key in horror/survival game and can sometimes be more important

than anything visual. There will also be footsteps and I may add some triggered sounds but if so I don’t

want them to just be reduced to cheap jump scares.