- level design -

ECOPOINt: hephaestus

STEP ONE: THE IDEA

MY PROCESS

For this project, I decided to create a symmetrical map. I chose this because the more I looked into it, the more I realized it is rather difficult to make a compelling and balanced symmetrical map.

For example, here are a few things I can foresee being an issue:

• To maintain TRUE symmetry, the design cannot vary much from side to side, meaning that obstacles or scenery placed on one side should be replicated on the other. This prevents advantage given to any one side.

• An absolute mirror symmetry in a level very often looks uninspired and or lazy. Either way, it tends to make for an unappealing level design.

• Symmetric levels on average tend to be smaller than other level types, leaving long range characters with a slight advantage. To counteract this, you need to break up the line of sight, otherwise characters will perch up on their own side and not be engaged into the full level.

I did think of a fun little mechanic, if it were possible to implement:

With the main lab in the center of the map being the control point, I like the Idea of the volcano becoming unstable as the capture percentage increases. To the point where at 99% capture, the volcano begins to erupt. At this time, players need to find shelter in one of the buildings before they close and the volcano erupts, killing all players not in a safe zone.

Ideally, this mechanic would force team fights at the overtime stage, as it would require players to rush into the buildings (the main lab being one of them) and likely engage enemy players.

step two: cONCEPT

I want this level to essentially be another research lab, like Ecopoint: Antarctica where Mei comes from. In my mind, this research lab studies volcanic activity similar to the way the Antarctica lab studied weather data.

step three: pre-vis

I am still in the pre-vis and scene composition stages. I am using loosely modeled designs to see what direction I want to go with the higher definition models.

At this stage I see a few issues I will need to work on:

• The level is still too empty and open. So I need to find ways to break the line of sight without making the small scene feel too cluttered, and the things I use need to have reason to be there and match the aesthetic of the level.

• I need to build up my asset library and make some office equipment.

BONUS IMAGE: Just a lighting error in Unreal Engine 4, but I thought it looked neat.