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Last Stand on Mars
Project Overview
Project Type: Finished game, published on Steam
Project Development: 3/2024 – 4/2024
Team: 2 Senior Computer Science majors
Role: Sole Level Designer
Genre: First Person Shooter
Engine: Unity Engine
Tools: Unity's built-in 3D Terrain Editor
Platform: Windows and Mac
Project Responsibilities
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Independently designed and built a variety of 3D terrains with Unity’s terrain editor to immerse the player and improve replayability.
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Implemented different combat positions to encourage strategic decision-based gameplay instead of instinct-based.
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Maintained quality standards on a one-month deadline while upholding responsibilities on other projects.
Level Design Process Breakdown
1. Define Problem and Constraints
This part of my design process involves defining the most significant problem to solve to ensure the project's success, as well as identifying the constraints to consider when creating a plan to solve the problem.
Problem
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Design and develop multiple expansive FPS levels that are both engaging and immersive.
Constraints
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Limited to using the course-provided 3D assets and Unity's Terrain Editor.
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One-month deadline.
Finished level showcasing expansive terrain
2. Create a Plan
This part of my design process involves creating a plan to solve the most significant problem while considering the constraints.
Plan
Utilize Unity's Terrain Editor to create expansive levels efficiently to meet the deadline, as well as implement FPS strategy to maximise engagement and use realism to increase immersion.
Unity Terrain Editor
I knew the only way I could create multiple large levels in such a short period of time was by leveraging the terrain editor. The more I worked with the tool, the more efficient I became with it, allowing me to not only work faster but make more complex levels as well.
Including other methods for level development would involve additional learning curves, each taking away from my very limited time. I focused my efforts on mastering one tool so I could produce quality results as quickly as possible.
Additionally, mastering this tool gave me the ability to incorporate other strategies in my level design. Without the ability to shape the environment as needed, it would not have been as easy to incorporate FPS strategy or realism into the levels.
This video showcases the Unity Terrain Editor and how it can be used to efficiently create level environments as well as implement details which improve FPS strategy and immersion
FPS Strategy
Levels that fail to engage the player are not memorable. By implementing opportunities to use strategy in the environment, the player is more likely to think of their next course of action rather than simply rely on instinct.
The way I accomplished this was by creating varied sight lines using the terrain editor. This can be done by incorporating high vantage points, cover, and a variety of other obstacles between the player and the enemy. Sometimes, I removed these obstacles to force the player to react to the absence of cover.
Whichever the method, the goal is to keep the player on their toes and force them to adapt to a variety of enemy combat scenarios, and their use of strategy ultimately will maximise their engagement.
Gameplay demonstrating the strategy elements incorporated into the environment
This level spawns the player in a position where they have no cover, and enemies have the high ground
The terrain in this level contains many sand dunes, which act both as cover and high ground
This video showcases a levels terrain
Pictured here are mars mountain ranges
This picture is of a massive sand dune on mars
Realism
Immersion, as it pertains to video games, is a psychological state where players feel fully absorbed, losing awareness of their surroundings and treating the game world as reality.
Levels that convince the player that the environment is realistic can greatly increase immersion of the player. The more immersed the player is, the more they will want to engage with the game. This ultimately results in increased player retention.
Understanding the goal is only half the problem. To create a realistic environment in a game, visuals, sound, and player movement need to match the desired environment as closely as possible. This often involves teams dedicated to these aspects individually.
With my limited time, I focused on matching the environment to Mars as closely as I could, given the constraints of the terrain editor and the requirements of the gameplay.
Mars' mountain ranges and sand dunes dwarf the size of Earth. So I emulated that size as much as possible. I also painted textures onto the terrain to match the colors and details of the planet.
3. Execute and Iterate
This part of my design process involves executing the plan created in the previous step. As well as iterating the whole process if needed to account for unforeseen problems that arise during execution.
Execution
In executing my plan for this project, I did not encounter any issues that required revisiting the problem and planning phases. Execution of the strategies I chose in the planning phase proved successful in solving the problem defined in the problem phase.
Immediate success of a plan is not always the case, but due to the circumstances requiring substantial results in a very short window, it was certainly ideal for it to have worked out this way. It can be said that the results were only this successful because planning was done very carefully, primarily due to the fact that failure was not an option.
Efficient Results
(Unity Terrain Editor)
In one month, I was able to produce five levels for Last Stand on Mars. These levels are expansive, incorporate FPS strategy elements, and have realistic detail. For this level of efficiency to be possible, mastery of an effective tool is required. The results of my work with the Unity Terrain Editor prove this fact.
This video showcases the size of two out of the five levels developed
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