WIP - Horticulture

[Inksworth]

Hello again!

I'm starting a thread for my next project. I've been playing with the idea for a while, so I'm going to create an industrial green house. It will be a single-player level where you have to solve problems in order to progress.

I'll post concepts as soon as I have them ready.

[BasketQase]

Intriguing. Can't wait to see what you've got in mind!

[Inksworth]

@BasketQase: We'll see if it pans out well at all, haha. :P

Okay, so I spent yesterday and part of today trying to make a matte painting to illustrate what I was thinking of doing... If I weren't doing it on my tablet I would have burned it. I'm not much of a traditional artist, even if I'm not too bad at texturing.

Anyway, the concept is as follows: I'd like to create a "technology meets nature" sort of environment. Essentially, I want to create a massive industrial green house. I'm toying with the how the two themes should balance, but I know I want to emphasize the artificiality of the space. I'm also going to try using as many standard UDK assets as I can. I already know I'm going to have to make a few assets like flowers (I don't like the UDK ones) and most of the industrial elements. The HU- set is too gritty for what I have in mind. Some of it should be useable, though.

As I mentioned previously, this is a single-player level. I'm looking for 5-8 minutes of gameplay with the following goals:

1. Start in barracks, alarms sounding.
2. Travel through plant nursery to the security station :: Toggle alarms & get firearms.
3. Restore Ventilation via turbine rooms. :: Remove obstruction from fans.
4. Restore Hydration via underlying pumps. :: Prime three pumps.
5. Exit greenhouse to industrial tram :: End Game

I'm thinking about how to pace combat, since that's a cornerstone for setting the pace and feeling for the level. If I switch to Source, I'm looking forward to working with headcrabs.

I'm going to keep trying to create a matte painting to establish my aesthetic and rough spatial ideas. Not that I feel like it's necessary, but it's a hobby I keep wanting to get into. Plus it's always nice to have a new skill to entice a studio into grabbing me.

LDD coming soon!

[BasketQase]

Sounds cool! Seems to me I recall there being an industrial greenhouse-ish level in one of the Parasite Eve games . . . maybe the second one? Could have some inspiring ideas in it . . . : ) Also, though prolly too gothic and gritty for what you've got in mind, Batman: Arkham Asylum has a greenhouse area for the Poison Ivy stage.

Plus it's always nice to have a new skill to entice a studio into grabbing me.

Careful you don't end up with so many skills that you come across as too general to do the work they want. Most studios (at least the big ones) are looking for specialists who are very good at one aspect of development. Though, I'd think that anything that builds traditional art skills and improves composition, color and lighting skills like matte painting requires, would help with level/environment design. : )

[WarrenM]

Most studios (at least the big ones) are looking for specialists who are very good at one aspect of development.

That's not entirely true. Epic wants people who are more well rounded, to be honest. If you're a good all around LD who also knows his way around 3D Studio Max, that's more valuable than someone who excels at using, say, Kismet.

More skills == more tools == more options.

[Inksworth]

More skills == more tools == more options.

This is how I see it, too. Primarily I want to be a level designer, more on the sit-down serious discussions with the game designers and organizing player training, goals, and designing the "fun" moments. And then making them happen in the level editor. I'm not afraid to open up Maya or Zbrush to get a certain look down. I need to learn 3DSMax at some point soon, though.

Since I'm not on a mod team (I'd love to be, but haven't found one that fits), I end up trying to do a little of everything. Regardless, I like trying new things, so I'm happy to hear this from WarrenM.

Anyway, I'll be posting the relevant points of my LDD a bit later today, probably after lunch.

[Inksworth]

I finished the rough layout, and chose an initial color palette. This is a fairly straight-forward circuit map, moving in a full circle as you perform actions. Since I don't have much in the way of a narrative figured out for this, I figured this would suffice, and allow me to make a smaller, but more detailed space.

It's a relatively simple level. My goal is to have a complete thought in terms of player experience, so I think this works pretty well. If there were a larger narrative, or I had the resources to do specific enemies, I would. My next project after this one will possibly be in Crysis 2, which will give me a lot of options.

[BasketQase]

That's not entirely true. Epic wants people who are more well rounded, to be honest. If you're a good all around LD who also knows his way around 3D Studio Max, that's more valuable than someone who excels at using, say, Kismet.

More skills == more tools == more options.

Sorry, I meant in a broader scope. I consider Max to be part of a level designer's toolset (though I'm perfectly willing to be wrong about that ; ), and I agree, the more skills within your chosen discipline, the better. But I've found it to be much harder to sell your skills to a prospective employer when you're a jack-of-all-trades than if you're a specialist. An employer will always take someone who is excellent at one discipline (art, audio, design, coding, etc.) over one who is good at several. That's been my experience anyway. I only meant to caution that one be careful not to pick up so many skills that one isn't particularly great at any one of them.

By the way, do you work at Epic? I noticed Alex said you helped out with the judging of the pirate thing and your comment here shows you know a little about their staffing choices.

...

. . . and back to "Horticulture"

@Inksworth: I like that you have a clear plan and process for what you're going to make. Where did you get your process from? Alex's book? Classes? Also, when you call it a "circuit map," is that a term you came up with to describe the level or are there a set of fundamental level formats that I could go study up on? Admittedly, there wasn't much in the way of game/level design principles back when I was taking classes, so I feel a little outdated when it comes to my formal training. : /

[Inksworth]

@Inksworth: I like that you have a clear plan and process for what you're going to make. Where did you get your process from? Alex's book? Classes? Also, when you call it a "circuit map," is that a term you came up with to describe the level or are there a set of fundamental level formats that I could go study up on? Admittedly, there wasn't much in the way of game/level design principles back when I was taking classes, so I feel a little outdated when it comes to my formal training. : /

I've read a lot of books on level design. Some good, some bad. Most books I've read degrade into being a how-to on a given engine, or spend a bit too much time on set dressing and visual design. I'm not entirely sure if anyone else has used the terminology I threw out there, but I've spent some time enumerating a vocabulary. I really, really like the Rudolf Kremers book off the top of my head.

It helps to have a short hand for "maps where you go forward and then end up back where you started." :P I'm not sure if there's a standard vocabulary, though it helps in class to have something.

Also, thanks. When I designing a level I try to figure out what I want the player to do, see, and figure out before I open up the editor. It saves me a TON of time. In the past, I've stared at a big, blank wall in BSP and thought "I have no idea what to do next..." and it ends up sometimes being days before I get out of the rut. Pre-planning keeps that from happening.

I've got a good enough idea of what I want to do, so I'm going to get going on the BSP rough-out tonight.

[nathanbarrett]

Hey Inksworth,

I'm liking the idea you have. It's simple but very cool, I can't wait to see some more progress! One question; how did you create that floor plan in that previous post? The layout and color palettes.. It doesn't look like a Paint job. Did you use Photoshop, or is there another program better for drawing plans like that?

[Inksworth]

Hey Inksworth,

I'm liking the idea you have. It's simple but very cool, I can't wait to see some more progress! One question; how did you create that floor plan in that previous post? The layout and color palettes.. It doesn't look like a Paint job. Did you use Photoshop, or is there another program better for drawing plans like that?

I created the layout in Illustrator. I used to use Photoshop, but the pathfinder tools (boolean operations) make it a LOT easier to form more complex shapes and outlines for quick planning.

Sorry for the lack of updates, guys! I'm considering moving this to a different engine like Source or Quake 4.

[Deltathunder]

Cant wait too see this Inks matey.
Why consider changing engines.UDk has everything you need.

[Inksworth]

Cant wait too see this Inks matey.
Why consider changing engines.UDk has everything you need.

For this project, I'm thinking more and more I want to push the single-player aspect. The stock UDK unfortunately doesn't come with much in the way of enemies beyond the bots, and they function (even when being influenced by Kismet) as multiplayer-styled enemies instead of being balanced for single-player.

[Inksworth]

I've spent the last few days learning Hammer. It's pretty different from both the Doom 3 engine and UE3, like the two were put in a blender or something. I've never worked with the Source engine before, and there are some things I really like, and some things I don't.

At any rate, it's a new engine for me, and I'm flailing about trying to get the hang of it. Here's a quick WIP shot of the starting area. I'm deviating a bit from the original plan since I'm not even going to try making my own assets for this project.

Also, could a mod change the "UDK -" in the thread title to "WIP -" for me? I don't think I have that ability.

[AlexG]

Also, could a mod change the "UDK -" in the thread title to "WIP -" for me? I don't think I have that ability.

Done.

Keep up good work. Looks like you are getting a good grip on Hammer.