The Crystal Mines
- Genre: 3D Action Adventure Shooter Platformer / PvE
- Type: Blockout
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Tools: Third Person Shooter Kit asset pack, UE Blueprints
- Iterations # 5
- Playtests # 4
- Role: Level designer (research and concept, blockout, scripting, encounter design)
Overview
Goal
My goal for this project was to create a level inspired from some of my favorite sci-fi action adventure games such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Metroid Prime, while also incorporating design elements from some of my favorite platforming games like Donkey Kong Country Returns
I used this project as an opportunity to improve my level design workflow and practice designing 3rd person shooter specific elements such as:
- Improving my pre-production process
- Practicing iterating my designs through feedback from playtests
- Combat Spaces
- Cover Layout
Level Overview & Technique Highlights
Setting/synopsis:
You are the bounty hunter Y who is in search of their latest bounty on a distant planet. The level takes place in an abandoned crystal mine/cavern underground where workers once refined the crystals in the mine for use as an energy source.
What starts as eerie and dimly lit becomes more brightly lit upon entering the further reaches of the mine that are lit up by the large glowing crystals found within.
In the level, players will have multiple combat encounters , light puzzle elements, and challenging platforming sections to overcome with a boss fight near the end that will reward the player with a new weapon after defeating them.
There are also optional data logs off the main path that give the player more insight on what happened before they arrived
Path Markers
Technique & Use-case: Used brightly colored and glowing objects to show the player on where they need to go
Context of use-case: Glowing yellow crystals highlight the way to the next area of the level and where the player needs to head towards
Technique Detail:
- Yellow Crystals: Highlight exactly where to head towards in order to progress
Cover Based Combat Encounters
Technique & Use-case: Designed combat areas that use cover to allow for avoiding enemy fire and to allow for multiple strategies to attack
Context of use-case: Each combat area offers various cover mechanic opportunities (such as flanking, blind firing, or cornering) for the player to strategize where to attack from and how to defeat enemies
Technique Detail:
- Machinery / Equipment Cover: Cover points laid out within each combat area represent machinery and equipment left behind from the mining operation to organically fit within the theme/setting of the level.
Storytelling Elements & World Building
Technique & Use-case: Gave backstory to what happened in the mine before the player arrived via data log messages
Context of use-case: Placed data log items near corpses and blue crystals to draw attention to them. They offered insight to the level’s backstory as to why the miners were there, what dangerous effects it caused to the wildlife, and hint at the dangers ahead for the player.
Technique Detail:
- Data Log Pickups: Each of these offered a glimpse into what happened to caused the mine to be abandoned. The first one is found on the main path and puts this into the players mind to search for them in the level
- Corpses & Blue Crystals: Used these to draw attention to the player that a data log is nearby to get more backstory
Walkthrough
Beat 1: Falling into the mine
Player begins the level dropped into the corridor leading leading to the mine. They move towards a light that is peaking through a hole at the end of the cave hallway. They see an elevator leading out but it’s blocked by debris and they must find an alternate route to get to the elevator
Beat 2: The Main Gate
The player reaches the mine entrance gate but the gate is locked and requires a light puzzle of destroying generators to unlock the gate
Beat 3: Entering the Crystal Mine
After opening the gate and walking through the player remarks to themselves wondering what the mining operation was for to add a sense of curiosity to the player on what the crystals were mined for
Beat 4: Encountering the Robot Guards
As the player progresses through the mine, they have their first combat encounter with robot guards left behind by the mining operation
Beat 5: Fragment of the Past
As the player progresses through the mine, they land on a platform with a corpse next to a data log that tells the player that the crystal mining operation was to refine crystals for use as an energy source
Beat 6: Crystal Mutant Wildlife
The player reaches a platform where they see wildlife of the mine mutated by the crystal refining fumes that are attacking the robot guards. The remaining guards attack the player
Beat 7: Boss battle with the Terrordactyl
The player reaches the center of the mine, and the only way forward is to drop down into a room where they encounter a large mutated creature and engage in a boss battle with them
Beat 8: Defeating the Terrordactyl
The player defeats the boss, creating a new exit, and acquires a rifle weapon for defeating them.
Beat 9: Testing the new rifle
After collecting the rifle weapon after defeating the boss, the player must use the new weapon to defeat enemies weak to it to progress through the new path.
Beat 10: Making a new way out
After defeating the enemies, the player discovers a damaged wall puzzle next to a machine that can be overloaded to explode and destroy the wall by shooting the fuses connected to it
Beat 11: Returning to the elevator
The player reaches a corridor after completing the damaged wall puzzle and opens a path to the elevator first shown at the beginning of the level, they can then flip the switch on the elevator to exit
Process Breakdown
Overview
1. Research, Ideation & Planning
I analyzed and researched 3 games, real-world references, and other medias as inspiration and contextualized it to my level idea “The Crystal Mines” to start mapping beats, sketch a 2D layout, and plan out a LDD.
- Analyzing Games: I drew inspiration from Metroid Prime, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Donkey Kong Country Returns to guide my level design.
- Researching Real-World References: I studied mines and cave interiors, especially those with unique characters like crystals and colorful minerals to help visualize my level’s spaces.
- Exploring Other Media: I looked at Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones for ideas on how to depict a vast mine with futuristic technology.
2. Level Design Document
LDD: I created a level design document to keep track of and organize all information about the project. This included:
- Level Objectives
- Narrative & Setting
- Gameplay Mechanics
- Level Beats, Flow, & Pacing
Beat Sheet: I created a beat sheet detailing each player experience by type (combat, narrative, puzzle, etc.), intensity, or sequence and organized them using a color-coded key.
2D Map layout: My first layout was just to have a basic understanding of where the beats and locations are. I simply sketched it on paper and used colored ink pens to identify important areas, items, beats, and add more context.
3. Blockout 1 - Prototyped Rough Layout From Level Design Document & 2D Map
Results: Got a feel for the sizing of the platforms and where things would be placed in the level. Reconfigured some of the layout from what my original 2D drawing had in order to improve the flow of the level
Goal: Wanted to have a clear idea of the spatial identity of the level, so I could visualize the flow of what the finished environment might look like
Implementation/execution:
- Built the first 3d layout to get an idea for the sizing of the level and how it flowed
- Planned out the main platforming sections and spacing out platform locations
- Planned out the main vista shots for each area
4. Playtest & Iteration 1 - Expanded level spacing & guiding affordances
Highlight 1
Results: Expanded the level for each major platforming area while adding more details to better signify the cave/mine theme of the level.
Feedback & Problem: The current layout doesn’t really give a good idea of what the space should feel like and needs more to have the feeling of a cave
Solutions:
- Add more color to the layout to better differentiate what each part of the level represents (mining equipment, rock formations)
- Expand platform areas to give the feeling of an open cave setting
Highlight 2
Results: Added more affordances to the level in the form of crystals to guide the player on where to proceed in the level
Feedback & Problem: The current layout might be confusing to the player on where they need to go next
Solutions:
- Add yellow crystals surrounding the doorways that players need to reach in each platforming area to help convey that message more clearly
5. Blockout 2 - Prototyped Narrative & Fleshed Out Level Spacing
Results: Added more colors to differentiate objects in level, expanded overall size of the level, added more affordances to the player on where to go, and added narrative elements
Goal: Wanted to address concerns from playtests where players still were unsure of what the level’s identity/scale was like and where they would need to go to next in the level
Implementation/execution:
- Added in narrative placeholders for narrative beats of the level
- Addressed feedback and added in affordances to the level to guide the player on where they should be going
- Added walls and floors to give a better sense of the scale of the level and it’s mine/cavern theme
6. Playtest & Iteration 2 - Refined level identity & added environment variety
Highlight 1
Results: Changed layout of the level once again and added a wider view that now better conveys the goal to the player when they are in the vista shots
Feedback & Problem: Vistas do not feel like proper vista shots and aren’t adequately revealing the goal in the distance
Solutions:
- Reconfigure sizing of the openings the player enters each new area to widen their view
- Refine layout and placement of goal in the distance to improve affordance of the goal
Highlight 2
Results: Reconfigured the level layout to be more forgiving in platform areas. Added more variety to platform elevations and added winding paths in certain sections of the level
Feedback & Problem: There is a lack of variety in moving around the level spaces and it the platform can be too challenging
Solutions:
- Add more variety to the level layout by adding more winding paths
- Make platforms bigger with different elevations
- Add climbing to specific platforms
Highlight 3
Results: Increased the sizing of the levels combat areas and added cover points to them. Added rock pillars to better signify the cave theming of the level
Feedback & Problem: Combat areas feel too small and lack identity of the level theme
Solutions:
- Increase sizing of combat areas and add cover to better signify they are combat areas
- Add details to level to better convey the level identity
7. Blockout 3 - Prototyping Encounter Spaces
Results: Overhauled the level layout to better convey goal locations, added more variety to level platforming/layout, increased combat area sizes, and added more cave like structures to improve level identity
Goal: Add more identity to the level, add more variety/forgiveness to the platforming/layout, improve goal affordances and refine combat areas sizes
Implementation/execution:
- Added in placeholder enemies and increased sizes of all combat areas from playtest feedback
- Redid the entire second and third areas to add more variety to movement along the level from playtest feedback
- Changed to a different toolkit (ThirdPersonShooter kit) and updated platforming to better suit new character movement style
- Updated opening area to have more cave-like features to improve the level’s identity
8. Playtest & Iteration 3 - Improving level pacing & platforming game balance
Highlight 1
Results: Changed the layout of the first area to be 3 smaller sections that wrap around the map and teach the player game mechanics in each section
Feedback & Problem: Open area section at beginning of level can be a lot for player to absorb all at once and can make things not feel as interesting
Solutions:
- Breakdown larger open area into multiple smaller sections
- Reconfigure each area to slowly teach player mechanics and improve pacing
Highlight 2
Results: Refined platforming sections of second area to be more balanced by making jumps closer and increasing sizes of platforms
Feedback & Problem: Platforming in second area of the level is too challenging and could use some bigger platforms and different positions
Solutions:
- Move platforms closer to each other
- Increase size of platforms
- Update air control parameter on player controller
9. Blockout 4 - Adding Basic Scripting
Results: Split the opening section into 3 small areas, added checkpoints, increased platform sizes, and further added to level’s cave identity
Goal: Continue to add more identity to my level, make platforming sections less challenging, improve pacing in beginning section of the level
Implementation/execution:
- Split the first platforming area into 3 smaller sections to improve pacing and due to player feedback about feeling overwhelmed in this area
- Added a puzzle, inspired by Metroid Prime, to the beginning of the level to add gameplay variety
- Added even more rock-like structures to the level to further improve the level’s identity and sightlines to hint at the player’s goal for reaching the second area
- Reposition and resized platform areas to better suit player movement abilities and from player feedback
10. Playtest & Iteration 4 - Improving level identity & combat cover placement
Highlight 1
Results: Changed the layout to improve balancing by incorporating more cover at the start of the encounter and for less open areas to be attacked from
Feedback & Problem: Combat encounter 2 of the first area does not have a cover that benefits the player at the start, leading to easy shots from the enemies
Solutions: Go over you solution that you implemented to address the problem.
- Added more cover areas at the start of the combat area
- Narrowed opening of area for less ambiguity on where to go for cover
- Decreased enemy AI sight to not have them shoot until player is at cover
Highlight 2
Results: Added more details to the opening area to convey that the pathway to the exit was blocked and inaccessible
Feedback & Problem: Opening area of level didn’t convey enough to the player that the door leading to the exit was a door that was blocked
Solutions:
- Changed wall material coloring
- Changed style of door
- Put obstruction to door to convey path is blocked
Highlight 3
Results: Enhanced identity of the level by adding more color variety and lighting effects to level’s environment
Feedback & Problem: Areas were still lacking some identity and were not really showing the crystal mine/cave theming
Solutions:
- Adding basic shapes colored to look like crystals in the mine
- Used lighting to enhance crystals that are being used as affordances on where the player needs to go and also draw attention to collectibles
11. Blockout 5 - Incorporating Lighting & World Building
Results: Added lighting and other primitives to further improve the level’s identity as a crystal mine. I also noticed some balancing issues during playtests so I improved game balancing by lowering enemy AI damage output & health, and by improving cover layouts for combat encounters
Goal: Further added to the levels identity with lighting and other additions, fixed combat encounter difficulty issues, continued refining platforming
Implementation/execution:
- Improved affordances for guiding the player by adding in lighting to crystals that attracts the players attention
- I added world building by adding corpses next data logs that give backstory to what happen in the mine before the player arrived and foreshadow the level’s boss fight
- From player feedback, I added even more gameplay variety by adding another puzzle at the end of the level inspired by Metroid Prime
12. Playtest & Iteration 5 - Adding cover variety & an additional puzzle
Highlight 1
Results: Changed the cover layout from 4 identical options to a variety of 9 cover options and added another enemy to add more excitement to the encounter
Feedback & Problem: Second combat area lacked cover variety and combat options
Solutions:
- Change the types of cover available to the player
- Add more cover options to the player at the start of the encounter
- Give player a way to flank the enemy
Highlight 2
Results: Changed the cover layout from 4 identical options to a variety of 8 cover options
Feedback & Problem: Third combat area lacked cover variety and combat options
Solutions: Go over you solution that you implemented to address the problem.
- Change the types of cover available to the player
- Add more cover options to the player at the start of the encounter
- Add variety to how player can approach enemies
Highlight 3
Results: Created a similar puzzle to that from the gate puzzle earlier in the level and tie that into finding the exit out of the mine
Feedback & Problem: Ending of level needs more variety and could use another puzzle sequence
Solutions:
- Create a similar puzzle to that from earlier in the level that involves destroying generators to open a path