Hospes Asteroid
Trailer
Type: Personal Project
Software Used: Unreal Engine 5.4, Adobe Illustrator
Genre: First Person Shooter
I wanted to use this project as a challenge of creating a level that would fit into a First Person Shooter game. The game I chose as inspiration for my level, was the original Destiny from 2014. I wanted to capture the same aesthetic of the moon environment in the game; with the starry sky backdrop in the beginning, transitioning to the dark caves as the player progresses. The level has a few scripted events, like the dropships flying in, and the player entering the datapack into the spire, which then triggers the alarm. I used the FPS Game Starter Kit asset pack to get a feel for the combat, and utilize some of the more advanced character scripting within it.
Walkthrough
Summary
The Hospes Asteroid is a new unidentified object that’s arrived into our solar system, with just enough size to act as a minor planet. It is said the Hive are using this as a cover to slip past our patrols, and scout out more routes for their bigger fleets. We need to touch ground on it, and prove they’re indeed inhabiting it. And if so, retrieve any data indicating what plans they have for attack.
Intentions
-
Showcase Scripting, Layout, "Combat Space" Design skills
-
Create accurate spaces that mimic Destiny combat, while enabling fun, rewarding gameplay
-
Script sequences that engage the player and create unique, memorable moments in the level
-
Practice close to long-range combat layout design
-
Tell a story through gameplay, environment, and scripted events
Constraints
-
Unreal Engine 5
-
•FPS Game Starter Kit (Character Controller, AI, and Equipment System)
-
First Person Shooter genre: Appropriate framework to facilitate gameplay in this genre.
-
5-10 minutes of gameplay
-
Level must have a start, middle, end point and have a clear sense of progression
Layout
Quest Overview
Step 1:
Start at entrance and encounter first enemies
Step 2:
Enter the caves and maneuver down the stairwell
Step 3:
Continue through the Armory and Barracks, encountering more enemies as you go
Step 4:
Cross the Bridge and fight your way through more troops
Step 5:
Enter the Hangar as new ships arrive with more enemies to combat
Step 6:
Fight the Boss and pick up the data pack he drops when dying
Step 7:
Enter the Data Pack into the spire and fight the remaining enemies while it uploads
Step 8:
Exit via the teleporter to get back to your ship
Level Design Techniques
Denying Affordance
Just after the first area, I wanted to utilize some environmental storytelling to deny affordance with the broken elevator. The elevator would exist to help move troops into the inner halls of the asteroid at a quicker pace, but is not usable by the player. They instead must take the main path down the canyon.
Key Iterations
Armory/Barracks
In feedback from a first pass at this area, I was told it felt more interesting for the enemies than it did for the player themselves. As my first real level project, I was fine with creating a space, but had trouble filling it with an appropriate amount of enemies and environmental obstacles to make interesting gameplay. I struggled with the balance of giving space for the player to move freely, while providing enough cover to make it fair to the player. I then spent more time playing destiny, and getting a feel for the pacing of the combat, and the location of the . full and half-cover. This helped me get a better grasp on the the different types of cover, and I then implemented these techniques accordingly.
Initial Design
Final Design
Image Gallery
Reference Board
For the planning, I referenced a lot of images from Destiny itself. I wanted to make sure the lighting gave off the correct vibe, and was insistent on giving the skybox just the right look. I used the Landscape tool to give the rooms a rocky and hard shaped look. I also made metal-looking structures, with some deeply rooted in the walls, to give the feeling that the aliens had lived there for a while. I also implemented statues and abnormal structures, to reinforce the alien atmosphere.