CARLOS GUTIERREZ | Game Designer
The End is Nigh
I was tasked with designing, scripting, and decorating the first level in a 3 level campaign from conceptualization to final. Starting in Adobe Illustrator, the rough layout, combat encounters, and item placement were approved before blockout began using Hammer World Editor. Scenery objects were added in last.
Overview
Platform:
PC
Tools Used:
Duration:
~4 months (2014)
Role:
Level Designer
Detailed Info
The city has entered an unprecedented state of poverty. The streets have become slums with people standing around barrel fires. The crime rate is higher than it has ever been and residents have lost faith in the city. They instead have placed their faith in a religion that claims the rapture is coming. Today is that day!
Conceptualization
Once the campaign context was decided, I began building a map of the level in Adobe Illustrator. As I was designing the layout of the level I looked to many reference images of urban areas to keep the navigation believable. Combat encounters were designed to start minor and semi-frequent leading up to a large battle at the end. All encounters could be completed with a crowbar and/or a pistol.
 OverviewIncludes the narrative context, a legend explaining all symbols used, and an overview. This was designed to convey enough information for another level designer to read it and built the intended level. |  Section 1This page shows general blueprints for rooms and includes descriptions of the areas. |  Section 2More blueprints with descriptions of shown areas. Gameplay triggers are marked and written descriptions explain what is supposed to take place in the designated area. |
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 Section 3This page shows the key and weapon locations for the player. It also explains when and where an ambush should happen to the player. Details of the ambush include how many enemies should spawn and their locations. |  Section 3-2Player path is shown. Debris areas are marked to guide the player along the intended path. Trigger area for a foreshadowing moment is marked and explained. Enemy, weapon, and ammo locations are marked for those reading the document. |  Section 4The final area is shown with locations for debris, enemies, allies, weapons, and ammo. Document ends with list of assets needed to create the level. |
Building
Once the layout and combat encounters were set I started making a blockout in Hammer. The rooms and hallways were first to be constructed to keep core layout true to the document. Exterior areas were built next. Stairs, doorways, windows, and sidewalks were the final part of the blockout stage.
 Protagonist's ApartmentI made the protagonist's apartment cleaner than the other apartments because it's supposed to be more recently lived in/tended to. To create a gloomy/depressing atmosphere I used a light blue tint on the lighting throughout the apartment. |  City StreetThe city is supposed to be in a state of decay. To convey this I made abandoned storefronts with scattered bullet holes. I also added a burning car with graffiti to plant the notion of violent rebellion in the player. |  Abandoned apartmentThe player navigates apartments that were formerly abandoned, but are now occupied by cultists. Trash is strewn about the room, but the recent residents have left behind food and drink. |
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 Secret AreaI left the player some health, ammo, and armor in an odd area as a reward for exploring the nooks of the level. |  StairwayThe staircase took more work than expected. Hours were spent making sure the stairs were a natural size and the walls had to be sliced in interesting ways to get the texture to align with the stairs. This is also where the ambush takes place. Spawn points had to be placed where the player wouldn't immediately see, but also close enough that enemies would rush to the player quickly. |  Protagonist's BedroomI wanted to create a room that was simple and could get the player pulled in. To do this I used gloomy lighting and put a picture of the protagonist's family in immediate view of the player. |
Gameplay
Triggers, NPCs, weapons, and items were laid out after the blockout was finished. Trigger zones were used to open/close/lock/unlock doors and kill certain entities. Citizens were placed in the streets and apartment building to convey the impoverished status of the city. Only two weapon locations were made to keep the player feeling like a regular citizen fighting with what little they had.
 RaptureAt this moment the leader of the cult declares the rapture and the cultist turn to "purify" all in their way. |  AmbushAfter picking up the crowbar and master key, cultists barge through the entrance to attack the player. |  ZombieThis is the only zombie cultist in the level. They become featured more heavily in the next two parts of the campaign. |
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 Crash Site Part 1The player crawls out a window to see that the explosion they heard was a downed police helicopter. |  Crash Site Part 2After finding a handgun, the player can help keep the cultists off the cops or watch the battle play out and clean up the remains. |
Post-Mortem
This project taught me how much time and detail it takes to make an area believeable. If I could restart the project from scratch I'd keep it mostly indoors and end it with the crash site so I could focus more time on encounter balancing, world decorating, and making the set-piece much more epic.