Forgotten Trail
Type of Project: Solo Academic Role: Level Designer Size: Independent Duration: 3 Weeks Year Created: Early 2023 Software: Unity, Maya
Overview
In a level design class, we were given the task of making two points or scenes that could possibly be put into a game and connecting them with an interesting path. The goal of the project is to make moving from one point without any combat or gameplay engaging by using level design techniques such as guidance, prop placement, and environmental design. We were expected to 3D model and white box the level but used art assets for props from the Unity asset store.
Planning
I started my planning process by thinking about what spaces are typically enjoyed by simply walking around and observing the environment. I decided that creating an outdoor level would be effective and I being someone who enjoys nature decided to make a forest trail. I researched some games that involved walking outside such as The Last of Us, and Firewatch. I took some inspiration from them by incorporating a forest lookout tower in the first scene a player would see and an abandoned hydroelectric dam in the final part of the level.
The idea of the level was to place a couple of points of discovery throughout to keep player engagement. Once I got my level idea planned out I drafted a rough draft map to make sure the flow and the pacing made sense.
I created a diverging path to create player agency and encourage exploration while keeping my player headed in the direction of the main goal. Despite the player ending up at the mineshaft regardless of which direction they went, the player was given a different experience. The blue path was a beautiful dense forest walk with a downed log and wildflowers surrounding the path. For the red trail, I planned to have an abandoned cabin, that way the player would start to connect that this area used to be lived in and has since been abandoned. I would also communicate that to the player by placing dense foliage in front of the door of the cabin.
Both of these paths would be extremely open to give the player the feeling of freedom, serenity, and intrigue. After these paths would be the mineshaft which would create a cramped space to build tension for the big real of the hydroelectric dam.
Level Playthrough (Blue Path)
Level Playthrough (Red Path)
Creating the Scenes
The player starts looking up at a focal point in the midground of the scene. The player’s position is at a lower elevation than the focal point, the tower, to create a sense of resolve. I give the player a goal to move towards and utilize the space to emphasize the size and importance of the object. I also intentionally placed the tower in the center of the player’s view and made sure to find an asset that was a different color than the rest of the objects around the tower.
Between Scenes
The purpose of this assignment was to create two scenes and connect them. The difficult part of this assignment is how you make the transition between them interesting. Before in the planning portion, I explained how I created a diverging semilinear level structure in order to give players agency. I created two paths with different ways to engage the player in the environment. In addition to that, I made several points throughout the level where you can see the end goal regardless of what path the player chose.
Red Path
The Red Path offers engagement from environmental storytelling. The path leads to the right and has some empty space but allows the player to see the very top of a roof over a rise.
After they see the roof they go into a decrease in elevation to remove the temporary goal from view to encourage the player to move faster to see it again as they crest the mound.
The environmental storytelling in this part of the level is simply to reinforce the abandoned trail theme to the level. As the player sees at the beginning of the level, the tower is old and decrepit and this path offers some more information on who might have used that tower. I placed foliage and a downed log where a person would normally walk to the door to imply that it is abandoned. Another clue I give is an overgrown cut wood pile and wood-splitting stump with mushrooms on it.
All these elements help keep the players engaged as they move through this route and give them a reward of information for choosing this path.
Blue Path
The Blue Path offers engagement in the form of a beautiful environment. If this project were to be done on a larger team I would work with environmental artists to create a beautiful section for the player to enjoy.
Though this area does not offer information in the same way the Red Path does it gives the player time to take a brain break and be led forward through the space by admiring the beauty of the trail. This path reinforces the idea of the beauty of nature while the other trail implies how nature continues on regardless of if people are around or not.
Eyes on the Prize
The goal of this level is for the player to get to the hydroelectric dam. Throughout the level, I provide the player with different views of the dam to reinforce what they are supposed to be moving towards.
The first point where the player can see the goal is at the top of the hill with the tower. Then the next point is at the point where the paths break diverge. I make sure as soon as the player starts the level and reaches the point where they would make a choice they know what their goal is. Additionally, the dam has 3D audio of a waterfall to match the water particle effects signifying pouring water. So as the player approaches the dam through the mineshaft the sound gets louder and louder. That way the player has visual and audio queues to denote that they are approaching their goal.
For the final scene, I used the same strategies as the starting scene. I utilized foreground, midground, and background to create a vista-like scene for the player to have as the reward for completing the hike! I purposely placed the player higher than the focal point in the final scene to indicate the completion of the trail by having the player tower over their objective (the dam).
To set up the scene I used multiple pieces to set up an effective vista overlook. For the foreground, I used a broken fence and a thin tree to frame the focal point as can be seen below. The tree is a hard line to give a frame and discourages the player from looking somewhere else. The broken fence’s horizontal piece is placed at a 45-degree angle to point down toward the dam. Within the level the hydroelectric dam has a couple of features to draw attention. It has an animated waterfall particle effect, I figured that the visual movement of the water would help draw attention to the dam. Additionally, I used the contrasting man-made concrete gray color to denote the level of importance of the dam to draw attention to it. Another strategy I used in regard to color was utilizing the contrast of the river’s color to help guide the player’s eyes toward the dam as well. Moreover, I used the terrain’s shape in the background, to also point towards the dam as well via placing rocks and creating leading lines.
Mineshaft
The mineshaft within the level creates tension via a shrinking interior space. The purpose was also to alter the player’s environment to change the pacing and increase engagement. I utilized a tight space to create a sense of tension and juxtaposition within the level as the player had been in an exterior space. By forcing the player into an interior space and decreasing the space to move I encourage them to move forward. I also use 3D audio to help reinforce that they are still moving towards the goal by increasing the volume of water falling the closer they get to the exit.
As seen in the images, the player goes from a claustrophobic tight mineshaft to this huge reveal of the goal they have been working towards. Therefore releasing the tension that was built up in the cave to make the full reveal of the dam more satisfying to the player.
As you can see below, I have used different objects within the scene to intentionally draw the player’s eyes to the focal point via leading lines. The red arrows represent the objects I used that are the most noticeable, pointing to the tower. I used the rocks to point as ‘natural’ arrows to push the player’s attention to the tower. The orange arrows represent how I used the path's shape to create more implicit leading lines toward the focal point. Finally, I used the trees to help frame the tower, having the trees block the line of sight of anything else in the level making the players’ eyes naturally fall to the focal point.
Ending Notes
Learning Outcomes
The level itself I believe accomplished exactly what I sought to do, as for the class it got a high score. I was forced to utilize several techniques to properly guide and engage the player throughout the level. Using audio, guidance, leading lines, environmental storytelling, and effective use of space to create/release tension. I learned how to engage a player with a space without the assistance of gameplay systems.
I learned the importance of using several objects to guide the player to where the goal is. I also learned that in order to keep the player focused on the goal revealing the goal from different perspectives and angles is effective. The reason was that revealing it periodically allowed the player to be passively reminded of the goal. That way the player would subconsciously be seeking out the goal again to make sure they were going the right way.
Complications/Issues
This project’s main problem was the lack of time, I wasn’t able to create the lighting, and audio that I wanted. So on top of not being able to use gameplay to help carry through parts of the game players might dull I only had basic audio/lighting. Trying to create a space that is compelling enough to keep engagement and keep the player on the path was difficult. I solved those problems using basic spatial techniques such as leading lines and pathing.
The lighting proved to be an issue because at the time I didn’t know that lights and god rays are just as important as shadows. Since the level was mainly outside, throughout the level I wasn’t able to use lighting effectively to help guidance. Additionally, the issue with audio was that because of the lack of time, I wasn’t able to polish the level with audio queues.