Level layout:

Brief Overview:

This is an abandoned laboratory in the middle of the Arctic. Its deserted though noises suggest otherwise. It is rusty, lonely and creepy. The enemies are people mutated from over exposure form the toxic fumes or they are creatures from lab experiments.

Level 1:

Player starts in the entrance hall facing the 'focal point'. They can go through the door on the right to collect items.

They then use the door opposite the entrance door (which will now be jammed) and they start to try each door they come across, though allot the player will not be able to enter.

They then go into the first lab and experience the grotesque experiments by viewing them. They then go through the door and try all the doors in this corridor. They will need to read the note before they can get into the round room where there will be a key pad or key needed to get inside.

Here they encounter the first enemy, and collect their weapon.

They then go through the door to the stairs that was previously 'jammed' but after they have been in the round room it will become 'ajar' having the player notice they will explore and find they can now go through.

Ground:

They come across another grotesque lab and find they cannot get through the door on the opposite side till they have acquired the key from one of the 'padded rooms'. They then are able to go through this door and again explore all the rooms.

They then enter the Morgue and go through to the disorientating corridors (due to toxic gas that caused the lab to become abandoned).

There are some enemies here and once defeated they go on through to the stairs.

Basement:

The long corridor is a slope leading to the boiler room. They can go through to the cemetery where they encounter a puzzle which gives them extra items that are better than found items such as a larger med pack. They then go through to the next extreme sloped corridor which leads to the well. The player goes down the ladders inside the well. If the player misses the cemetery door for whatever reason they do not get the items from the missed puzzle.

The well ladders lead to a large door in a small room leading to the last lab of the level containing the boss.

*The numbers next to each of the stairs on the map show what stairs lead to their connecting stairs.

Level Idea 2 (quick sketch idea)

Photo Reference - Exterior:

Credits from left to right:

fooyah.com/02/02/11/windowless building is a bird nest factory

ghostsnghouls.com/20/6/12/charleston creepy old city jail

nunatsiaqonline.ca/16/4/11/telescope to be mounted in nunauats high arctic

Photo Reference: Interior

Credits from left to right:

Gavin Bird/Abandoned Hospital Research/gtbird.blogspot.co.uk

Gavin Bird/Abandoned Hospital Research/gtbird.blogspot.co.uk

news.com/Erinna Giblin/11/11/12/Photographer John Gray Braves Americas Abandoned Asylums

Gavin Bird/Abandoned Hospital Research/gtbird.blogspot.co.uk

etsy.com/HLG Photos/Urban Exploration (abandoned) Photographs

news.com/Erinna Giblin/11/11/12/Photographer John Gray Braves Americas Abandoned Asylums

Gavin Bird/Abandoned Hospital Research/gtbird.blogspot.co.uk

Credits from left to right:

brusnichka.com/Karl Fabricius/15/11/07/labratory of studying a human brain

brusnichka.com/Karl Fabricius/15/11/07/labratory of studying a human brain

environmentalgraffiti.com/10 most incredible abandoned mental asylum

environmentalgraffiti.com/10 most incredible abandoned mental asylum

environmentalgraffiti.com/10 most incredible abandoned mental asylum

environmentalgraffiti.com/10 most incredible abandoned mental asylum

environmentalgraffiti.com/10 most incredible abandoned mental asylum

Level Idea One:

My level following the 8 steps:

8 Steps of level design

My level – Abandoned Lab

1 Idea.

My idea is to design an abandoned lab out in the North Pole.

I am inspired and excited to create this level as it fills me with ideas as to what do with the different rooms and corridors. Labs can be full of twisted experiments with people and animals. The level will be from a horror game.

2. Purpose and Features.

The purpose of this idea is to create a level full of strange and scary items. A corridor full of rooms can create apprehension for the player, much like Silent Hill, you dread what you might find behind the door.

The reasons and purpose for this level is to confuse and frighten the player.

I want to pursue it to completion, as the ideas I have to fill this level are exciting and frightening.

3. Locations and Environment.

Where- A (not quite) abandoned lab out in the middle of nowhere in the North Pole. The exterior is a plain grey concrete building that looks neither welcoming nor particularly unpleasant. It gives the player no idea.

The interior is dull, grey, full of cobwebs and abandoned experiments and jars, failed experiments and bedrooms, canteens etc.

Its set in the future, but the lab was abandoned more in the 40s and 50s. The weather and time of day is not noticeable as the player spends all their time in the abandoned labs, when they travel from one to another the time of day and weather changes.

4. Photo reference.

I will give this section its own blog post.

5. Story.

The environments story is it was once a test centre during the war, the scientists wanted to find ways to poison the Nazis in various ways. This particular lab was abandoned after an experiment went wrong and the air was too toxic to work in and people died from the toxicity, it is now safe for people to walk around but the damage means it was left to disrepair.

The player finds himself or herself there after visiting the Arctic as part of a family who travel for scientific research around the world. The weather means the family got separated and found different abandoned labs. The first level sees the player playing as the mum who has found the nuclear research lab. They all must find their way back to each other or their Winnebago.

6. Objectives and Obstacles.

Goals the player has to complete in this particular level are, once they find themselves in the lab, the front door jams. So they must move forward through the corridors looking in each room to help them find objects needed to progress, such as keys to get into the next corridor or to the stairs. Puzzles will also be in the game, small ones that mean the player can get to an item they couldn’t reach before or it may open a locked chest or wardrobe to get more clues as to what went on and to get to the next section of the level.

Enemies will also feature. These will feature mutated people and animals. The boss at the end of each level will be a scientist still there and heavily mutated. His presence will be felt throughout the level, as with each levels scientist.

I will create an Obstacle Mind Map Tree for this.

7. Top Down Map

I will do a separate blog post for a few sketches of level ideas.

8. Focal points

I need to think about focal points for my level, they must have a functional and aesthetic purpose. When the player sees it for the first time or gets a hint its there, they want to reach it causing them to move forward in the level. Once they do know of whatever the focal point is they can then use it find themselves in the level should they get lost. So it needs to be noticeable and obvious as a focal point, like a statue or something. These can also make the players feel good as it shows progress. It does need to make sense; my level is a lab so it could be, a statue of a famous scientist or a memorial of some kind.

New design sheets for high and low poly models:

Work for the next two weeks:

Initial planning for my level, using my theme Frozen Planet.
Initial idea- Thriller/horror game from my two models from last semester. Going from the frozen planes to an abandoned scientist lab and exploring the building.
A blog post each on the stages of level design lecture detailing my level.
Some reference examples:

unknown, Opacity, http://www.opacity.us/image1165_the_lab.htm

Sunny Kalara, Ghostly Pictures of Abandoned Neutrino Lab in Russia,  18/04/08,  http://talklikeaphysicist.com/2008/ghostly-pictures-of-abandoned-neutrino-lab-in-russia/

Pacing and Tempo:

FUNDAMENTALS:

Movement impetus- How fast the player goes through the level.

• ·      Increasing Impetus- Continual movement. Pace a level in a basic way, introduce a threat from behind, enemy behind makes the player more want to run rather than hide. Present an objective ahead, a reward to move ahead. Something to aim towards. Imposing a time limit. Narrow physical options, corridors can make the player move faster as there is less to take in and look at. Focal points, makes the player want to get to it. As simple as an item the player can see at the end of a corridor etc. Architectural pressure, this is more psychological. Getting to an object before it is taken away. An mpc leading the way, a leader of the group or partner etc.
• ·      Decreasing Impetus- Slowing the player down. Soaking up atmosphere, making them explore the immediate environment. Wow moments. Obstacles, lush scenery. Thinking about how to progress ahead. How the player moves, the terrain can physically slow the player down. A threat ahead, increased tension. As the player can see the threat before they see the player the player has to think and slow down about how to progress. Open world games because of their multiple routes. MPC halts or slows player through dialog or role-play. Collecting inventory items. Story exposition, cut scenes for example. Though it can effect the player from feeling progression, don’t let the player feel bored.

Threat-

• ·      Environmental. Falling etc. Traps can slow pacing. Destructive landscape can fasten pacing etc.
• ·      Combat. Can slow or quicken the player. Being pursued will speed the player, a blockade will slow them down. A group of enemies can slow the player down as the player needs to figure their tactics out. 
• ·      Proximity of threats. A surprise close combat attack will quickly fasten the player. Enemies at a distance will slow them down. Finding cover can quicken the player.

Tension-

It occurs in the belief of an unknown danger; it is hugely significant when pacing a horror game.

• ·      The unknown is massively powerful; when a monster reveals itself it can take the scariness away. Hints and environment structure can achieve tension too.
• ·      Atmosphere can be excellent when executed well. Audio and striking visuals can achieve this.
• ·      The known. Sneaking around in the dark, stealth. The anticipation of being caught. Knowing what the monsters look like but not when they will appear.

Tempo-

Always think about ho will be playing it, put yourself in their shoes.

• ·      Tempo in Movement. High tempo is fats decisions, can be frantic. Low tempo is calm game playing. Have neither for too long. It’s determined by the mechanics and environment. Looking around and exploring is low tempo. More acrobatic movement will be high tempo, like battles. When there is great flow in the design high tempo is achieved.
• ·      Tempo in puzzles, their nature tends to be low tempo. Time pressure can make puzzles high tempo.
• ·      Tempo in combat. Usually high tempo. Requires high levels or reaction and split second decisions. General skirmishes it goes up then down, with a boss fight it stays quite high and completely drops once beaten.

Structures of Pacing-

• Peaks and troughs. How these fundamentals interact with each other. A game needs to use both well, using one for too long can ruin pacing. Timing of events can determine game pace. A sequence of events in a level can keep the game going. Mechanics need to work well together, as any mechanics put together wont always work. Pattern in gameplay can structure the form. The mechanics use to achieve the desired gameplay. How many things are happening at one time in the level? The number of enemies, heights of jumps etc.

Form- The manner in which the level and pacing is formed. It does not have to be just peaks and troughs throughout.

Timbre- Defines what is required of the player. The quality of the gameplay because of mechanics etc.

Dynamics- The specifics of the mechanics, how many shots fired, how much damage caused, how many enemies in a fight etc.

2013

Stages of level design

1.
IDEA:
Start taking a journal every where as ideas can come from anywhere at anytime.
Sketch to go along with the ideas.
How excited does this idea make me?
Am I inspired to create this idea?

2.
PURPOSE AND FEATURES:
What is the purpose of this idea?
Why do I want to pursue it to completion?
Why do I want to create the environment/level design?
What is the reason/purpose?
Know why I want to create this world.

3.
LOCATION/ENVIRONMENT:
Where?
Urban or rural?
Interior/exterior.
Time period.
Past/Future/Present.
Weather.
Time of day.

4.
PHOTO REFERENCE:
Mood boards for each area.
Set design, props, lighting.
Inspiration mood boards-TV, Film, Books etc.
A mood board just for interiors, one for streets, one for beaches etc.
-All this helps to structure a level.

5.
STORY:
The environments story.
What happened to it prior to the player getting there?
What is the player doing there?
What brought them there?
This will dictate the level.
There wheres and whys.
The environments history-Why are they there?

6.
OBJECTIVES AND OBSTACLES:
Goals for the player to complete.
Why does the player need to do this to progress?
Opposition the player has to overcome, puzzles, battles etc.
Design objectives and obstacles for the level design.
Obstacle Mind Map Tree!
- If the player does this, then that happens.
Think of the different scenarios.

7.
TOP DOWN MAP:
Starting sketching and planning maps-
Buildings, boundaries, landscapes, focal points, player paths, alternative routes, flow/pacing etc.
Sketched maps allow to change things easier.
Then put into Photoshop.
Then focus on player paths and focus points spawn points and enemy locations etc.

8.
FOCAL POINTS:
Functional purpose- player can orientate, find places.
Aesthetic- Environment more visually pleasing.
Makes the player want to progress, to reach the focal point, a feeling of achievement.