During my second year at Teesside University I was given the opportunity to work on my portfolio and pre-produce some work for a Final Year Project. I decided that my Final Year Project would be a series of Action-Puzzle Levels designed in UDK using the default UDK packages and models with some minor changes made. The focus of my project would be Kismet scripting and gameplay.
Below are two video recordings of a completed run-through of my level.
The setting of my level is an underground containment facility entirely automated and ran by robots. My final year project will focus on the player as he escapes containment during a malfunction in the system and makes his escape, ascending through the facility, completing puzzles, and evading capture from the robots sent after him.
The gameplay will focus on both Puzzle and Action segments, each floor of the facility will contain at least one puzzle and one arena-style segment in which waves of enemies will assault the player and he must escape before being overwhelmed.
The gameplay will focus on both Puzzle and Action segments, each floor of the facility will contain at least one puzzle and one arena-style segment in which waves of enemies will assault the player and he must escape before being overwhelmed.
A quick layout plan of the level I produced. Key areas are labelled as I planned out the level progression. After the level was Whiteboxed and basic assets were placed where I saw fit, I focused on ironing out area's that either didnt mesh well with the environment or didn't work with the scripted sequences.
Overall I was satisfied with the level being a base for my Final Year Project, I was able to work on enough scripting within the level to make a convincing and sensible level progression for the player to follow and the results of various playtests by outside sources showed that the player was able to understand the puzzle, what needed to be done, and where he/she may of messed up, as opposed to blaming the level being unfair or unclear.
This would be a small section of my Final Year Project however, as I intend to make multiple levels like this one that all follow in a consistent manner and gradually increase in difficulty and scale.
Below are various beauty shots taking within the Editor to further highlight key area's within the level.
The Elevator Shaft the player starts in, this section was originally meant to be lit but time constraints forced me to focus elsewhere in the level.
The first hallway the player enters in from the elevator shaft. 3 doors; the closest leading to the Control Room, the next one along leading into the main Puzzle Room, and the Blast Door at the end of the hallway (currently locked as shown by the red flourescent light).
Inside the Control Room, various power cables hang from the walls and ceiling. A window looks into the Generator Room where the Puzzle takes place.
An alternate angle from inside the Control Room, this time looking at the entrance from the small hall the Breaker Switch is kept.
The Leaking Pipes flooding the Puzzle Room and preventing the player from accessing the generators.
The Generators in the Puzzle Room within a fenced off section, the pipe valve that controls the leaking water is also shown to the right.
The Puzzle Room, showing the window leading to the Control Room, a fenced off section containing the storage tanks filled with gas that will later be used against the player, and a Power Switch used in the Puzzle.
A closer look at the fenced off Storage Tanks.
Looking into the Gas Chamber from the Puzzle Room.
Inside the Gas Chamber section of the Level, showing the window that looks out to the Puzzle Room, the Ventillation Shaft entrance (to the top left), and various assets that can be moved, destroyed, or used for cover.
