UDK – Matheus Pitillo

November 25, 2012 — Comments are off for this post.

Mission Design Document: The Factory

MISSION DESIGN DOCUMENT: THE FACTORY - ACT 02

Act 02 – Overview

In the Act 02 of "The Factory", the level will introduce the Second Base Area (B2) of the Old Robot Factory. The player needs to find a way to turn ON the factory system again - by finding the battery and plugin in the core - to be able to access the elevator to the third base floor. During all his way, the player will need to protect himself against two new Enemy AI, that will be activated right after the energy gets back. One enemy is in patrol mode and the other one hanging around. By restoring the energy and taking the new Time Weapon, the player can cross the laser corridor by delaying the time speed, and finally access the elevator. Accessing the new elevator, the Act 02 ends.

Estimated Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated Gameplay Duration: 5-6 minutes

Objective 01: Find the battery
Here the player begins in one side of the Base Area (B2) and needs to cross all the way to the other side, in search for the battery that will turn everything on. This first objective provides a good example of dark scenarios and dodging experience that the player will feel during the gameplay. To access the room that the battery is, the player will need to go to the top floor and destroy the glass floor, since the bottom floor has all doors closed from outside. The goal is to find the battery.

Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated time to complete: 2 - 3 minutes

Player Progression:

Start the mission right after access the B2 Floor;
Run and make your way ahead to access the next room. The player will face two different paths:
- By accessing the ventilation tube, the player can go to the right and avoid the first wave of enemies;
- By following the normal path, the player will face the first wave of enemies, but can also get a special Sustenance Reward: Armor Vest.
- If the player loses, the game restarts from the beginning.
Make your way to the second floor to be able to access the top room;
Destroy the glass by shooting the pillars in the room, and breaking it with the impact;
Get the battery and finish the first objective.

Objective 02: Plug-in the battery in the Core

Just after have taking the battery, the player will need to do all his way back to the Core central room. This second objective forces the player to explore the level again by using different paths and analyzing how the level will change after the energy is on. The goal is to plug-in the battery in the Core System. By connecting the battery in the Core, the player will get a Time Weapon.

Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated time to complete: 1 minute

Player Progression:

Start the mission right after have taking the battery;
Run and make your way ahead by exiting the room through the door which was closed by outside;
Follow ahead avoiding the attack of the enemy of type 1 and access the stairs;
Plug-in the battery in the Core System achieving a Access Reward with the energy ON;
By connecting the battery, the player will get as a Facility Reward a Time Weapon and finish the second objective.

Objective 03: Access the elevator

With the battery connected in the Core System, all the level will start to turn the energy on. Lights will start to glow and some environment changes will happen. The enemies of type 2 will also turn on, finally attacking the player in patrol mode. The third objective explores how the level is changed after the energy is restored to the factory. The goal is to cross the laser corridor by using the power of the new Time Weapon and accessing the elevator, finishing the Act 02.

Difficulty: 8/10
Estimated time to complete: 2 minutes

Player Progression:

Start the mission after have taking the Time Weapon;
Face the first wave of new enemies that are awake now: o If the player shoots the enemy he can paralyze it for a determined time;- If the player loses, the game restarts from the last checkpoint.
Follow ahead and access the stairs to the bottom floor;
Face the new wave of enemies 1 and 2 together;
Access the laser corridor;
Use the Time Weapon to slow the time and the movement of the laser:- If the player use the Time Weapon he can slow the time and cross the corridor;
- If the player touches the laser he loses, and the game restarts from the last checkpoint.
By accessing the elevator the third objective ends and also the Act 02.

Enemy Types:

01. Hanging Robot - Far Type

Hanging Robot is one of the oldest robots AI created by humans. Different of most of the other AI, he does not need energy to stay awake. But in consequence, he cannot move around, as he is always hung in the ceiling.

Hanging Robot has standard range behaviour. He is always away from the player. By being hung from the ceiling, he reacts to the physical environment and can be easily manipulated by the player when the player shoots him. But he can't be destroyed. Hanging Robot can only attack the ones who enter inside his radial range. Reward: There is no reward by shooting/killing the Hanging Robot.

02. Patrol Robot - Near Type

Patrol Robot is a recent robot AI created by humans. They need energy to stay awake, since they have very strong weapon damage. Their body are composed by metal pieces and very long legs.

Patrol Robot has patrol behaviour and they move towards the player. By being shoot for a number of times by the player, the Patrol Robot enters in paralyze phase and this is how the player can get advantage and run away. Patrol Robot cannot be destroyed. Reward: There is no reward by shooting/killing the Patrol Robot.

Enemy Groupings:

First Group: 3x Hanging Robot Group Behaviour: Controller

By being positioned and hung in the ceiling, the first group of Hanging Robots will manipulate the player in a way that he will need to choose between the best path to follow, and how to react according to the enemy position.

Second Group: 2x Patrol Robot Group Behaviour: Controller

As well as the first group of enemies, the two Patrol Robots will manipulate the player's strategy and path, by attacking him after they are connected with the Core System.

Third Group: 3x Patrol Robot / 1x Hanging Robot Group Behaviour: Master and Controller

Finally, the last group of enemies will behave in two different ways. The only Hanging Robot of this area of the level will behave as a Master and Controller enemy, since the player will need first to find the best strategy to avoid his attack coming from the up area, being manipulated by them. And second, acting as Master Enemy by improves the damage caused by the other 3 Patrol Robots.

Published by Matheus Pitillo in hidden

Tags: document, game design program, GD25, Level Design, Matheus Pitillo, Mission Design, Mission Design Document, The Factory, UDK, vancouver film school

November 9, 2012 — Comments are off for this post.

Single Player: Sand and Dust

Level Overview:

Game Engine: UDK

Sand and Dust is a 7.5 - 12 minutes vertical slice of a single player experience that includes two machinima scenes, one for the intro and one for the ending of the level. The experience consists of 5 goals with around 2 – 4 conflicts for each goal. The map also includes two paths at one point in the game in which the player is required to make a decision and solve a puzzle element.

Design Notes:
Sand and Dust is a Single-Player Map that features two very different environments, presenting a vast and warm desert and an old Maya Temple, full of nature. As the player walks through the desert, he needs to find a torch to guide him into the dark tunnels, revealing that there is another secret passage to the Maya Temple. During his way, the player will need to solve puzzles, changing obstacles and fighting against enemies, to finally be able to find the Old Relic.

Goals:

Find the Torch Light;
Traverse the Dark Tunnels;
Activate the water levers;
Solve the Maya Puzzle;
Take the Old Relic.

Screenshots:

Video:

Published by Matheus Pitillo in Level Design

Tags: game design program, GD25, Level, Level Design, Matheus Pitillo, Paper Layout, Sand and Dust, Single Player Level, Temple, UDK, vancouver film school

November 9, 2012 — Comments are off for this post.

DeathMatch: Dust Storm

Level Overview:

Game Engine: UDK

Dust Storm is a DeathMatch Level that focuses on prop dressing a level whilst maintaining the level designer perspective. As one of the VFS assignments, the goal with this Level was to take the fundamentals of Environmental Level Design and use it to adhere to the map gameplay that has been set out, as well decorating it with 3D Art Assets of UDK.

Design Notes:
For this project we received a whitebox / template of a DeathMatch Level, and it was required for us to Prop Dress the level from start to finish, according to the principals and guidelines of a DeathMatch Arena, maintaining the core gameplay of it in the map.

Dust Storm was a project to practice the new techniques of Terrain in UDK that we've being studying during the time at VFS. It was a try to create a Desert Terrain and to test the warm weather and strong lighting. My biggest references was the game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, trying to capture some of the light aspects of that game.

For this project we were evaluated in the following areas: Visual appeal, Gameplay Integrity, Landmarks, Theme, Continuity, Lighting, History, Contrast, Believability and Level of Detail. The instructors asked us to try to create the most believable background for the level, complementing and developing a story and a good theme.

The main highlight of this level is the large central tower in which the player can get the rocket launcher by traversing into the access points on the side of the tower, or cross through it by using the jump pad at both ends, and landing on the opposite side. So all the gameplay had to be focused around this main gameplay aspect.

Screenshots:

Video:

Published by Matheus Pitillo in Level Design

Tags: DeathMatch, DeathMatch Level, Dust Storm, GD25, Level Design, Matheus Pitillo, Paper Layout, UDK, vancouver film school, VFS, video, vimeo

November 9, 2012 — Comments are off for this post.

Capture the Flag: Metro Interitum

Level Overview:

Game Engine: UDK

Metro Interitum is a Capture the flag (CFT) Level with team-based gameplay; each team has a flag and the players attempt to retrieve the opposing team's flag to score. As CTF Levels are not focused solely on the 'killing' aspect, this level features more options for paths and must even follow some important rules to ensure there are enough options to successfully capture the flag. Metro Interitum features a Post-Apocalyptic Subway Station for 24 players, with each base (red and blue) supporting one side of the station and one line of the train. By capturing the other team's flag, the train line is activated and the train an additional hazard to the level.

Design Notes:

This Level was development by Pablo Ros and myself in a team. The name Metro Interitum came from the meaning of the word Interitum in Latin, which means “destruction”. We decided to create a 3-storied environment, with the first floor comprising the external area of the city, with the closed gates and the subway entrance, and the two subsequent floors being the subway station and the access to the train. We decided that the flags needed to be in the second floor of each station, and that from each side, the player should be able to see the other team's flag. For that, we opted to use a lot of glass materials and colours referencing the bases.

Development Rules:

Level Identification: identifying the level by identifying the goals of it and how those goals are being achieved;
Map Gameplay: designing a map that enhances the core gameplay and promotes the use of complex strategies by the players, various styles of gameplay and leverage core gameplay. The players can identify that we add all kind of things in the level, requiring that the player sometimes needs to cover, run, jump, crawl etc;
Hallways and Choices: One of the most critical rules for CTF Maps, we created at least 3 choices for the player to choose from, and between all of them, the hardest path to follow which contains the most conflict (the top outside area);
Rooms: We tried to create rooms that give to the player at least 3 paths leading in and approximately 3 or more ways to get out. But for some specific corridors, we decided to create a hard and one way path, that the player needed to chose if it was a better idea to take a short path, and be able to be attacked, or to get the long path with more options of path;
Creative twist: In our level what makes it different was the way that the trains are activated during the game. When captured the flag of the enemy, one of the trails and trains are activated, so the player needs to pay attention even more, to be able to cross the trail before be reached by the train. After took for the first time the enemy flag, the subway station will be always working on;
Points of conflict: The players can identify POC in the first outside floor, in which there is the most powerful weapon in the top area of the tree, that is only accessible using the futuristic hand elevator. Another POC area is in the glass bridges, since the player needs to be very strategical to cross it without being trapped;
Landmarks: besides the fact that we used lights with colours all the time, to help the player to identify where is his base, we also created two big structures using as Landmarks, with their respective colours, helping them to recognize their location.

Screenshots:

Video:

Published by Matheus Pitillo in Level Design

Tags: Capture the Flag, CTF, flag, game design program, GD25, Level, Level Design, Matheus Pitillo, Mission Design, UDK, vancouver film school

November 9, 2012 — Comments are off for this post.

Mission Design: The Factory

Level Overview:

Game Engine: UDK

The Factory is a Single Player Level divided into several Acts in which each member of our work team were supposed to cover one of the 3 storytelling acts (Act 01: Intro, Act 02: Confrontation and Act 03: Resolution). Each one of the Acts were done individually, but the whole Level had to make sense and complement itself, following the same genre, story and visual theme.

I was responsible for Act 2: Confrontation, a 5 to 6 minute gameplay experience . To do so, the player would be presented with a new type of Enemy AI for the first time, as well as some kind of reward that could give an extra weapon to him, or something that could influence the gameplay. Each Act had at least 3 main objectives, followed by 3-5 different enemies (Near, Far, Heavy, Minion) and 1-3 different enemy groupings using the enemy types that we created.

Design Notes:

As Level Concept, The Factory had the follow:

“In the future robots have become a part of everyday life. As we continued our inexorable advance with technology in the 21st century, we unlocked the desired milestone of Artificial Intelligence. Robots now work alongside their human counterparts, shackled by the Three Laws of Robotics. If a robot was ever not constrained by these laws, it is unknown what would happen… until today.

At a remote robot factory, a rouge AI appears to have been created. Its origin is unknown, but the military contract this company which has led the police to suspect clandestine research. All that is known now is that robots have taken over the facility and obey a different set of laws. Because of the potential danger to humans, a robot officer has been sent in to uncover and stop this AI before it can grow any stronger.

We begin outside the facility and must find a way inside and down to the heart of the facility.”

In the Act 02 of “The Factory”, the level will introduce the Second Base Area (B2) of the Old Robot Factory. The player needs to find a way to turn ON the factory system again – by finding the battery and plugging it into the core – to be able to access the elevator to the third base floor. Along his way the player will need to protect himself against two new Enemy AI that will be activated right after the energy gets back. One enemy is in patrol mode and the other one hangs from the ceiling. By restoring the energy and acquiring the new Time Weapon, the player can cross the laser corridor and finally access the elevator. By accessing the new elevator, the Act 02 ends.

Estimated Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated Gameplay Duration: 5-6 minutes

Goals:

Find the battery;
Plug-in the battery in the core;
Access the elevator.

Published by Matheus Pitillo in Level Design

Tags: Act 2, game design program, GD25, Matheus Pitillo, Mission Design, Mission Design Document, Paper Layout, The Factory, UDK, vancouver film school, VFS