Project: V∞id

06 Modularity

A few weeks ago I started to build some modular pieces out of my blockouts. It is a really interesting way to work with lots of overthinking and iterations till you have a point where you can just add more pieces to the kit.
I think I reached this point now.

I want to make my work as non destructible as possible and also safe time for creating similar pieces. For that I imagined a workflow to create most of the modules out of one base module.
With Blender I can use modifiers to help with this.

With my base wall for example that is 4 meters long I created a 2meter version, some corners, windows and doors. But if I change the base wall I will change all other pieces aswell.

With this workflow I now created lots of different pieces for my kit. Then I throw it in Unity and mapped my Testlevel with it. This way I saw which modules I missed and if they all fit nicely together.

It helps with iterating bc it is not frustrating. If you build smart your work is not hard.

05 interlude about planning

At the beginning there was nothing. There there was v∞id.

Like all projects it only can work in long term if you have a good plan and everyone in the project has the same picture. To plan something well we first had to talk about how to plan.

We are using Discord for all kind of talks about everything related to the project. Also we are using it as a library for all other sides and programs we are using to plan our game.
For all privat topics we have a separate chat group to have the discord server focused.

We are using Milanote to create the story and the worldbuilding. What happens before and during the game?
Milanote is a handy tool to have all your ideas structured and all in one view visible.

For working in engine we created a Trello board. Because I have experience with that kind of organizing tool from my last project and my wage work that I am doing atm I know that it helps a lot.

Last we created a simple Text Document as a GDD. All what is written there is a law! 

04 And Blocktober goes on

After reading a lot about Leveldesign I came to the simple words "go map".
So I went. 

ò_ó

The player has just the pistol to this moment.
The player is in a conversation with a character at this moment. The player don`t know if can trust this character.

The goals of this level
Get the shotgun.
Maze-like bc the hacking consoles controlling multiple doors.

Sequence
As in all levels the player starts at the trainstation.
There is just one door to leave the room.
Next room there is a door left to the player but locked.
Left and right are cells. In the cells are creatures locked in.
At the end of the room is a hacking console. 
Next to the console is a closed door. 
The character the player is in conversation atm tells to hack the console so the player has access to the shotgun.
The player is hacking the console.
The door to the trainstation is closing. The door at the entrance is opening but also ALL the cell doors are opening. The door next to the hacking console stay closed.
The character is telling the player that this wasn`t his intention. Something else should happen.
The player has to pass the room with all the enemies now free to chase the player.
The pistol is not enough to kill all the enemies or the player has not enough ammo.
The player has to flee through the open door.
In the next room is a hacking console to close the door.
There is a stairway that also ends to a closed door.
To the left is an open door.
In the next room is a hacking console.
On the left is a closed door to an empty room.
Behind the console is a cell with a creatures locked inside again.
The player has to hack the console - intentionally that the cell will open again but it will not.
Instead the empty room is opening. Also the door at the stairway and the door to the trainstation.
Inside the empty room the player will find the shotgun.
As soon the player will grab the shotgun the creature from the single cell will attack the player.
The player has to fight the creature. 
Then the players only way is to go through the door at the stairway that leads to the other end side of the cell track where the first console is.
With the shotgun the player now can fight the way back to the trainstation.

03 Simple Mind blocks

Bc I am on the road and don't have any default cubes with me I will continue blocking out more levels on paper. 

Also I am learning a lot about theory and practice about Level design the last days.

I feel more and more angry again ò_ó

I will link you my most valueable Inputs:

https://book.leveldesignbook.com/

02 It's Blocktober my dudes!

Ok now. So I started to block out some kit parts for getting the measurements right. I decided to make my first pieces 4m long and 6m high. It is wide enough for later dressing stuff and small enough that you don`t feel weird while playing. The ceiling should be high bc I have some ideas with that later on. This is the basic scaling I will work in. With that I created a set of modular kits to create a first Level.

The Level ò_ó

So the idea in this Level is to fight a boss to get access to an Item you need to leave the level.

In this level you are starting from the train station and you will leave there aswell. Through the window you can see the boss enemy who yells at you he will leave a super important item in this room and you will never ever get it.

After the lower door is locked you just have the option to leave the room through the upper door.
You are following the corridor and come to a closed door. Next to the door you can find a power supply.
After this is a dead end first you have to turn back and find the console where you put in the power supply.
Now you hack the system to open the closed door. When doing so the open door will close and you will have to take the longer way back to the now open door.

You will come to the room where the boss is waiting that you will give him some bullets in the face. Then you can grab the key to open the locked room where the boss has left the item behind.

With the super special item you can now go trough the door that was locked from other side and leave the level.

01 So what`s your story?

Before creating anything we had to sit down for weeks and talk about lotz of stuff like Style, Genre, Gameplay, Story and Worldbuilding. We are running a GDD and nailed down everything important.

Our game will be a Sci Fi horror Game mostly inspired from Dead Space 1 and Silent Hill. 

Without spoiling too much our story takes place in the far future on a space station.
The player is coming to the station for a job and has to fight the way out of the hell.

00 Something in the void

In my new project the goal is to create a full playable game. Lets see how far it will come. ò_ó

For the new project I work in a team with two others. I am responsible for Leveldesign and Environment Art.

The other two are:
https://www.artstation.com/redshithd

http://philipp-damm.de/