LAYOUTS AND DIAGRAMS
TYPE: Collection of Projects
RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Designed the layouts of the map. Modeled the entire level in UE4.
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Scripted AI Behavior of the enemies using AI Behavior Trees and UE4's EQS. Created a custom system that incorporates different behaviors such as patrol, attack and run away from the player.
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Scripted all the enemy encounters in the level. Used diverse techniques and triggers events to create encounters that are not repetitive and constantly surprise the player.
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Scripted player's abilities and inventory system
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Scripted camera security system. If the player is spotted, enemies are summoned from a specific point.
SOFTWARE USED: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator
INSPIRATION:
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Assassin's Creed: Origins
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DOOM
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Fallout 4
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Hollow Knight
"The Zoo" is a Bioshock-inspired first-person-shooter level. It is a project that focuses on technical skills. The main focus of this project was to become comfortable with scripting enemy AI and using this system to create interesting enemy encounters. For that reason, I looked at games like Bioshock 1&2. In my mind, these two games are very resourceful with how they stage the enemy encounters. They do a great job in utilizing each level's space and geometry to the maximum in order to create unexpected scenarios and remind the player that they should always be on their toes. This element, combined with the very meticulous use of light and sound, distinguish these two games in terms of the design of their enemy encounters. Having this as a starting point, I wanted to create a level that would take place inside this world. Based on my experience of the game, a space like a underwater zoo seemed fitting. Such a setting provided all those elements to create a narrative around this level, something very important to better define the nature of each space, as well as provide this layer of environmental storytelling that is so evident in Bioshock.
1. The WATER VOLCANO
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
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Connected rooms: Most Bioshock levels tend to feature a sequence of enclosed spaces connected with each other. The scale of those spaces varies based on many factors such as gameplay, potential cinematic events, story progression and intended emotional impact.
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Revisiting areas: In many occasions, there are specific areas that players visit more than once. These are central areas that function as junctions inside a level. What is important is that the player enters these areas from different points and each time something different happens. Although these areas are "reused", they do not result in boring and repetitive gameplay. As such, I made sure to design a layout that could make some areas reusable without forcing the player to do extensive backtracking.
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Believability: In general, many spaces in Bioshock games are realistic, in the sense that they make sense in the context of the game. These are spaces that are designed to resemble parts of a city with specific functions, routines and events. This was crucial for me to help me define a specific setting and the narrative behind it.
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
-
Connected rooms: Most Bioshock levels tend to feature a sequence of enclosed spaces connected with each other. The scale of those spaces varies based on many factors such as gameplay, potential cinematic events, story progression and intended emotional impact.
-
Revisiting areas: In many occasions, there are specific areas that players visit more than once. These are central areas that function as junctions inside a level. What is important is that the player enters these areas from different points and each time something different happens. Although these areas are "reused", they do not result in boring and repetitive gameplay. As such, I made sure to design a layout that could make some areas reusable without forcing the player to do extensive backtracking.
-
Believability: In general, many spaces in Bioshock games are realistic, in the sense that they make sense in the context of the game. These are spaces that are designed to resemble parts of a city with specific functions, routines and events. This was crucial for me to help me define a specific setting and the narrative behind it.
2. The QUARRY
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
-
Connected rooms: Most Bioshock levels tend to feature a sequence of enclosed spaces connected with each other. The scale of those spaces varies based on many factors such as gameplay, potential cinematic events, story progression and intended emotional impact.
-
Revisiting areas: In many occasions, there are specific areas that players visit more than once. These are central areas that function as junctions inside a level. What is important is that the player enters these areas from different points and each time something different happens. Although these areas are "reused", they do not result in boring and repetitive gameplay. As such, I made sure to design a layout that could make some areas reusable without forcing the player to do extensive backtracking.
-
Believability: In general, many spaces in Bioshock games are realistic, in the sense that they make sense in the context of the game. These are spaces that are designed to resemble parts of a city with specific functions, routines and events. This was crucial for me to help me define a specific setting and the narrative behind it.
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
-
Connected rooms: Most Bioshock levels tend to feature a sequence of enclosed spaces connected with each other. The scale of those spaces varies based on many factors such as gameplay, potential cinematic events, story progression and intended emotional impact.
-
Revisiting areas: In many occasions, there are specific areas that players visit more than once. These are central areas that function as junctions inside a level. What is important is that the player enters these areas from different points and each time something different happens. Although these areas are "reused", they do not result in boring and repetitive gameplay. As such, I made sure to design a layout that could make some areas reusable without forcing the player to do extensive backtracking.
-
Believability: In general, many spaces in Bioshock games are realistic, in the sense that they make sense in the context of the game. These are spaces that are designed to resemble parts of a city with specific functions, routines and events. This was crucial for me to help me define a specific setting and the narrative behind it.
3. The LAB
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
In the design of the layout, I turned to original Bioshock maps to emulate specific design decisions and practices. I knew that because of reasons related to scope, I would have to make a more condensed version of the examples I was looking at. However, I managed to isolate specific design elements that I used in my own design. More specifically:
LESSONS LEARNED
Key Takeaways
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Designing spaces and behavior together: This was the main focus of this project, both for its technical as well the design challenges. Simultaneously iterating on the design of the spaces and the behavior of the enemies is something I had little experience on and I am happy to say that now I can understand this interplay pore holistically. Creating spaces without the intended gameplay can only go so far, as adding enemy behavior is itself a tool to create more complex levels, and consequently, experiences
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Being resourceful: The other challenge I wanted to tackle was to try to use simple techniques with more than one ways. I scripted 2 different enemy AI behaviors and I tried to add them in different scenarios by changing other variables each time. In some occasions, sound played an important role while (encounter 4) in others lighting and scripted animations added the intended variety (encounter 3). As a result, I created different scenarios with not so many tools. This was a big lesson for me, as it taught me that not everything has to be overly complicated to target a specific player experience.
Technical Skills honed:
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Enemy AI: For this project, I scripted the entire enemy behavior. I created two different AIs, an enemy spawning system and specific trigger events that activated said enemies. To be precise, one enemy class was the basic enemy type the player would encounter. This AI had the functionality of chasing the enemy, attacking, patrolling and spawning in specific occasions. The other AI had the functionality of running away from the player, by implementing the EQS system. Being able to create a robust and versatile AI system that would help me script different encounters was the main focus of this project.
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Camera Security System: This system was supplementary to the system mentioned above. In specific parts of the level, I recreated the camera system featured in Bioshock games; A rotating camera that whenever the player entered their field of view, enemies would spawn form a designated location. I was very happy to manage to connect this system with the spawner the result is a functionality that can be replicated, even for more diverse scenarios.
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Checkpoint System: I scripted a checkpoint system that would store the coordinates of the player whenever they would come close to specific devices in the level. If the player died, the game would start again, spawining the player at the coordinates stored.