CGMA week 5 & 6
Bleak Winter
This week was a 2 part level, the first was an introduction to spatial clusters and districts with regards to level design. There was a focus on creating unique local landmarks to aid the player in creating a mental map of the space. The player has a choice of where to go so with that in mind creating landmarks that had multiple viewpoints was pivotal.
I used the extra time to create a personal marker of a level- combining as much as I could from previous weeks into one experience. I worked to make the space coherent with an environmental narrative running throughout.
The extra time for this assignment really helped me take it to the next level. I was able to take the feedback from the first week and build on it- It massively improved the quality of the level.
I’m certain this won’t be the last time I work on this particular level.
Development time: 2 weeks
Assets used:
IWALS - Jakub W
Synty Polygon
Ultra Dynamic Sky
The references this week where about creating identity in the space, making every area feel both unique yet still part of a coherent larger image. I made sure to consider how this town would have operated and that the layout made sense.
When a player is exploring an unfamiliar location they’ll tend to equate it with what they do know so keeping a similar internal logic I’ve found is a great way for ensuring the player doesn’t get lost.
CGMA week 5 & 6
Pre-production
CGMA week 5 & 6
Comparison/ WIP shots
This week I had the unique opportunity to iterate and expand on the level, the initial feedback from the instructor on week 1 was that the environment didn’t fully make sense and wasn’t challenging the player in basic navigation- mirroring how I felt working on the level. it felt like the pathways weren’t interesting or engaging for the player to navigate on a basic level. I really put the effort in to turn that around, make the level more vertical and more interesting but doing so in a way that was cohesive and built on the level foundation I had in place. I didn’t want to throw everything at it but work in a way that felt authentic to the level/ world I’d built initially.
I focused on creating pathways the player had to navigate around- make the player an active participant in navigation & doing so in a way that felt authentic and grounded in the setting vs. arbitrary.
