CV
A hardened ex-cop aims to survive in a decaying America, doing any task that means he'll get to exterminate the alien insects: Arakni.
Mission design task challenged students to add a new entry to a preexisting game; testing our understanding of Player knowledge during an ongoing play campaign.
Creating a psuedo-Doom title, Arachna Z was an example of introducing new mechanics (such as a new Weapon or enemy types) in an ongoing title to display information clearly for ease of Player progression. This included creating level-blockouts from scratch to complement a preestablished moveset, and using industry-standard features to guide the Player, such as lighting, sound cues, and synergy with the Interface.
Expotalent 2018 Technical Artefact award winner.
Critical Tasks
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Solo developed in UE4 to understand the importance of Level Design. Focused on building an environment around a specific set of mechanics and player goals.
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A geometry toolkit was used to maximize level design efficiency, understanding player parameters and to iterate environment shape and pathways prior to an art-pass.
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The mission was designed around 3 gameplay beats to maintain player motivation during the session, Exploration (Tutorial), Combat Waves, and Item Collection. These micro activities each introduce one new mechanic or enemy before linking features to test player skill, and Hidden Collectables rewarded the player for mastering mechanics used in the level.
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Landmarks (also known as "weenies") were used to guide the Player. These acted as a reference point for players to return to during long-term navigation or backtracking, such as a pillar of light or a clear colour-associated area.
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Assets created using free materials, composed and reshaped in 3DS Max and imported into the UE4 Level around the blockout created.
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A scoring system was used to prompt players to master mechanics. Calculating secrets found, the time taken, and pickups collected, the Player can master gameplay before moving to a more difficult stage.
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