In week ten, we started to have real doubts as a team about the playthrough of our game as it drew near to the deadline. Our level designer John Houston was working extremely hard on researching different level design techniques and how the design of the village fitted with the mechanics of the game, but the more we thought about it, having this one level that would then take you to the inside of a temple didn't allow us to express the hard work behind the game itself.
Therefore, with great fear and risk, we as a team decided to rework the complete flow of the levels and how they have been designed, and because this was a team decision we didn't want to throw all this workload onto John, and that's why myself, Luke Shingleton, and Holly Boyle took a step back from our roles to join John on level design.
The thing about level design is that it should immerse the player into the game's story without any actual narration. John researched into this, which can be read at his 'Level Design Research & Techniques'. We wanted to guide the player with affordance and lighting. When I say we tried to drive the player with affordance, what I mean by this is because it is a VR game, everything in the game should be something the player can do in real life or has been playing a game or watching a show/ movie and said to themselves "Damn! I wish I could do that". This could be something a simple as pressing a button to open a room or something as crazy as using magic to blow down new paths for the player to take.
It was my job to tackle the reworked design of the main menu environment (can be read at 'Main Menu Environment Rework' blog), as well as creating the training area for the player to teach them how to use basic combat skills before starting the game. (can be read at 'Training Area Level Design' blog
Below you can see a before and after image of the new level, and you will be able to notice how it increased in just one week and how we now have five new levels from the three previous old that were no longer being used. Without teamwork from myself, Luke, John and Holly, this goal would have never been a success as it was a considerable risk to take at such a late point in development, but we feel it was worth it as now the player has more of an immersive experience.
Before
After
Level Breakdown:
Starts in the main menu - allows the player to change their options and start/ quit the game.
Training Area - teaches the player how to swing and throw the sword
Village - allows the player to put the skills they have just learnt to the test
Wizard Tower - introducing the player to the first crystal
Mountain Pass - teaching the player how to use the magical system by forcing them to shoot down objects to progress further.
Temple - putting all the player's skills to the test with a final boss battle.
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