FIEA Level Dev Blog

This past week, I focused on finishing more of the blockout for the foyer area in Crimson Knight . I completed the main floor plan and adjoining rooms, though I still need to finish the ceiling. Next, I’ll focus on ensuring the room connects seamlessly with the two areas being worked on by the other LDs, Kurt and Cameron.

  This week for capstone, I’ve been working on the blockout for our game Crimson Knight . My focus is on the vestibule/nave, the section players encounter as they enter the cathedral, which is the primary setting for the game. This area doesn’t include combat; instead, it’s meant to set the tone and tell the story of the antagonist, the Absolute, as it leads up to their first encounter. The vestibule also connects to other rooms that will unlock later in the game. For inspiration, I researched cathedral interiors, with a heavy focus on St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. I chose it because it’s the largest cathedral in the world, and I’ve visited it before, so I have plenty of personal reference photos from inside. One interesting challenge is that St. Peter’s feels almost too massive to translate directly, even for our fantastical world. Finding the right balance between grandeur and practicality has been a key focus.

  For my game analysis and LDD I decided on using The Last of Us Part II. The action-adventure asset pack Kevin helped us find is like a mix of The Last of Us and Uncharted series, so I wanted to stick with one of those to stay consistent. The pack is really comprehensive, and since I have those games on my PS5, it made sense to choose one of them. I ended up picking The Last of Us Part II because, while most Naughty Dog games are pretty linear, TLOU Part II gives more room for flexibility and exploration. Also, compared to TLOU Part I, TLOU Part II feels like it took a bigger step forward in making levels more expansive with room to explore or even bypass compared to the first game. I want to base my level off TLOU world because it blends nature and urban environments in such a unique way. The way the world has decayed over time creates opportunities for interesting transitions between spaces and the environmental storytelling shows what spaces used to be and how they’ve been repu...

This week, I’ve been continuing to block out more of my Far Cry 5 level. I’ve made adjustments to the scale and layout to improve the overall flow. I also added a climbable tower at the starting point, serving as a vantage point for the player. In Far Cry 5, bird's nests or towers near strongholds are often used to scope out the area and plan your approach, so I incorporated that mechanic into my level. The way the level is designed, players can even choose to complete it in reverse. One thing I’ve noticed while building this level is that the golden path isn’t always the path of least resistance, in this instance it’s just the most straightforward route through the level. In fact, it might even lead to the most direct and head on encounters. This adds another layer of choice for the player, depending on their playstyle.

 This week, I’ve been focused on three main projects. For my GDD5 pitch, I worked on Island Uprising , an action-adventure game blending parkour with breakdance inspired combat. I spent time refining the concept and preparing for the pitch. In RPP5, I started mapping out the UI and screens for our mobile game, where players take on the role of a barista fulfilling drink orders. We also began block meshing our FPS level, getting the foundational layout in place.

This week, we worked on the metrics gym for our FPS level. I focused on testing mechanics from various asset packs that fit the style of my level, which is based on Far Cry 5 . To get a better feel for how most missions play, I downloaded and played through both Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6 . I noticed that while both games have plenty of mechanics, the core experience usually revolves around attacking strongholds filled with enemies. The player typically starts by finding a vantage point to identify threats and then chooses to either attack stealthily or go in guns blazing from any angle.

In RPP 4, we’re making a story game. In my group’s game, the story is played through the perspective of a dog searching for his owner at night. I used this project to get more experience with landscape sculpting and planning guided path for the player to follow. Using the terrain painter made it easy to iterate on the path and sculpt the surrounding landscape. To guide the player, I used dense trees and other foliage as natural barriers, marking where they shouldn't go, and added colliders as a failsafe to keep the player on track. I also placed a mountain as a weenie. I also practiced sealing off parts of the level as the player progresses, ensuring they keep moving forward without backtracking.