My Responsibilities
Refining and Innovating on the Level Design process
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I was tasked with overhauling the Level Design pipelines for Nearlight finding a more efficient and agile workflow of creating levels based on the teams size and expertise.
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Refined the level design pillars creating a modular blockout asset list for designers to use to quickly blockout out levels whilst adhering to established design metrics and mechanics
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Performing reviews and analysis of existing blockout levels
Creating fast paced infinitely replayable Arena Shooter Levels
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Concepting level ideas build around arena shooter modes to accommodate a wide variety of objectives such as area capture, pig capture TDM and asymmetrical round types
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I used node base designs top down plans and paper sketches based on brutalist inspired environment moodboards to match the games feel with the desired gameplay of the levels.
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These levels were then blocked out in Unreal Engine where they went through multiple company wide playtest and feedback sessions where the design team and I iterated upon the feedback we collected until we achieved a blockout level that facilitate fun and fast placed gameplay.
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After the levels were handed over to the Art Team we had multiple catchup meetings where i and reviews to maintain a balance of visual fidelity and fun gameplay.
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Tasked with creating a variety of levels from round specific maps made bespoke for a single gamemode alongside multipurpose levels designed to accommodate a wide range of objective types (Glitter PIG, Domination, Royal Tour, Deathmatch plus assymetric objectives.
Documentation and communication
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Creating level design documents and confluences to pitch level concept and outline specific design goals for each map.
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Creating a documentation template in confluence so that all created levels remain consistent and clear in their communication to other departments such as Art and Code.
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Organizing and running playtests 3 times a week with set playtest goals and feedback sessions across the company to prove the fun factor of both multipurpose and specialized levels.
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Organize sign offs and handovers of levels alongside presenting progress at end of sprint presentations.
Performing iterations to suit emerging gameplay and round types
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As Frenzies entered early access we iterated on the various levels and performed adaptations based on user feedback and to accommodate new game modes and round types.
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Performing regular catchups and reviews with both the Code and Art teams to ensure levels maintain their identity and feel throughout each stage of development
Design Support
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Supporting gameplay designers with round type design and having regular catchups with the design team
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Fixing level bugs and having close communication with QA to determine accurate repro steps for level related issues
Frenzies VR
What is Frenzies
While Working nDreams Nearlight I worked on the fast paced multiplayer arena shooter "Frenzies" for the Quest platform focused around fast and fluid gunplay with Juiced up gamemodes.
"FRENZIES is the chaotic PvP shooter for the ultimate show-off, combining nDreams’ precision gunplay with a lucky dip of frantic round types. Make friendships and ruin them amid a hail of neon-soaked gunfire in a winner-takes-all arena showdown. A new FPS from the VR pros at nDreams & Near Light, FRENZIES fuses the award-winning action of Fracked & Synapse with the mayhem of multiplayer PvP."
My Responsible Levels
I can currently showcase 8 of the levels i made for frenzies these include a variety of multipurpose maps made to accommodate a wide variety of gamemodes as well as specialized maps build bespoke around the functionality of a single objective. I have also created the matchmaking level and the game frontend which are used by players as soon as they boot the game and queue for match respectively.
All listed levels were concepted, created and iterated upon by myself, having overall responsibility for each level and managing communication between code art and design within the context of each level.
Frontend / Throne Room
The Throne room acts as the initial frontend level of the game where all players will load into as they boot up Frenzies. It is designed to accommodate customisation options and allow for players to experiment with the existing in game mechanics before progressing to a live match
The Lobby
The lobby is where all players will arrive and return to after starting and completing a match it holds room to accommodate for 12 players and various spectators allowing players the ability to customise their loadouts. It is designed to encourage social interaction with players that join by focusing their attention on the central platform with leading lines guiding their vision towards the center of the map
Wrecking Bowl
A specialized map built for the Carniball where players will have to grab a touchdown ball and run like hell to get it to the enemies goal essentially like a game of football with a lot more neon violence.
Mangle
A multipurpose map build to accommodate a wide variety of round types built off moodboards for a carnival fun house feature distinct large curved architecture guiding the player round the central tunnel landmark with additional flank routes to get them to higher verticality
Snake Pit
A multipurpose Asymmetrical map build around the theme of a brutalist Mayan temple and its innards. The level can be split into 5 distinct combat areas within the level with interconnecting paths and tunnels across multiple verticality
The central more open combat zone provides ample room for objectives and the distinct snake landmark. The other 4 are open top mini arenas providing room for more objectives and breathing room for players to flank and use verticality to their advantage
Kill Quarter
A multipurpose map build to accommodate a wide variety of round types built off moodboards from a sci-fi particle accelerator its brutalist architecture holds a large central bridge which gives players access to each level of verticality making it a central combat point for the level.
Pillar Fight
A specialized map made for the Red Light Green Light gamemode. designed to obscure vision and confuse the player encourage close quarter frantic chaos in the mod players can only shoot when the lights are green when they turn red damage is reflected onto them.
Dead End
A specialized map made bespoke for the button bash gamemode where players must run and fight in a tug of war style scenario to get to the other side of the level to bash a button that wins the round. The map is built with limited flank routes in order to achieve the desired feeling of tug of war style gameplay where teams that work together and support each other can push past the enemy team
