THE BRIDGE
A third person shooter
INTRODUCTION
I wanted to deep dive into combat spaces and design a cover-based shooter level based on Tom Clancy's The Division. I set out to challenge myself by having this level take place on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
DETAILS
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Developed in 7.5 weeks half-time
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Sofweares used: Unreal Engine 5, Gaea 2.0, Blender
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Made using MrWhiz TPS V2.10
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Inspired by Tom clancy's The Division
OVERVIEW
FRAMEWORK
I was determined to design a level around the Golden Gate Bridge, embracing the challenge of working within its unique constraints. The bridge's straight structure presented a unique opportunity to create a compelling experience. Instead of viewing the bridge's straight design as a negative, I used its inherent features to build an interesting and engaging level.
DRONE MECHANICS
ABILITIES
I wanted to make a drone that made a difference to the player. I added:
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Tactical ability - tagging allows players to see enemies through walls and let players plan their moves before jumping in.
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Offensive ability - Self-detonation - Allows players to detonate the drone near a target .
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DRONE SCRIPT
The drone's tagging and self-detonation abilities really complemented the combat style I was going for.
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For the player-controlled drone script, I used a line trace to detected enemies to tag. Script to the right.
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LEVEL FLOW
ACT 1
The first act of the level introduced the drone's tagging and self-detonation abilities.
The design emphasized verticality, leading players to explore the bridge's frame structure. This adds a change of pace and a sense of scale to the experience.
BREAKDOWN
The combat space features two enemies occupying a no man's land. The cover silhouettes promote a flanking lane.
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A sniper positioned on high ground controls the no man's land. The player can eliminate the sniper using their drone's self-detonation ability. This space eases the player into the combat and tutorializes the self-detonation ability.
USE OF THE DRONE
Act 1 is all about introducing the drone to the player. The player gets 3 drones in this act showcasing the drone's versatility: Offensive strikes (eliminating a sniper), reconnaissance (scouting an area), and self-detonation capabilities (destroying a propane tank to clear a path). This is showcased in the video below.
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LEVEL FLOW
ACT 2
Act Two intensifies the challenge. The Player faces a larger, more complex combat arena, requiring mastery of all drone functions.
A subsequent encounter in the supporting structures below the bridge. This encounter, drone-less, alters the pace and heightens anticipation for the finale. It also adds interesting verticality to the otherwise flat bridge.
BREAKDOWN
The second combat encounter begins with the player utilizing their drone to scout the area. After tagging all enemies and formulating a plan, the player can chose to keep the drone or detonate it on what they deem to be the most powerful target.
This space promotes movement, by using the flanking lane surrounding the no-man's-land. The player can chose to assault the no-man's-land head on or chose a flanking strategy.
​​Limited cover and enemy grenades encourage players to flank, seeking refuge in a flanking lane leading to the high ground.
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​This is showcased in the video below.
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LEVEL FLOW
ACT 3
Act 3 culminates in a dramatic twist. The player, expecting a final confrontation on the familiar bridge, utilizes their drone to detonate a large propane tank. However, this action triggers an unexpected collapse, transforming the combat space.
The bridge tilts down, placing all enemies on the higher ground, forcing the player to adapt their strategy.
The player must eliminate the remaining enemies and make a final jump to the helicopter for extraction.
BREAKDOWN
This combat space allows the player to scout enemies with the drone, build an expectation for the combat space, and then detonate the drone into a large propane tank.
This explosion tilts the combat space, subverting the player's expectations.
Suddenly, all enemies are in a position of strength due to their new high ground. The bridge collapse moves new cover into play, revealing a new flanking lane.
The flanking lane connects to a high ground that offers the player a high prospect and refuge.
PROCESS
PAPER DESIGN
My design process begins with paper design.
I use perspective drawing to visualize the depth of spaces, both for combat areas and the overall design.
This allows me to understand the space before jumping in to blocking out.
PROTOTYPE
I always start with a clear idea of what I want to achieve with a space. Then, I use simple shapes to quickly block out the design, focusing on getting the basic layout right.
It's all about conveying the intent of the space without getting bogged down in details.
WHITEBOX
After solidifying the blockout, I move to whiteboxing. I experiment with color and visual cues for player guidance, maintaining clarity and ease of navigation. The goal is a balance between detail and clarity for intuitive player experience.
PLAYTEST AND ITERATION
HOW I PLAYTEST
I conduct playtests focused on observing player behavior and reactions to understand if the design intent comes through in reality. I value getting feedback from the same group after each iteration to track how they experience the changes I do.
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Below 3 spaces I chose to rework after getting feedback from my playtests.
IDEA
In this space the aim of the design was to introduce the drone's self-detonation mechanic. This was done by forcing players to use it to overcome a powerful sniper guarding a no man's land.
PROBLEM
The tight design and immediate sniper ambush created a jarring first impression. This prevents players from strategizing by forcing them to directly deal with a powerful sniper.
SOLUTION
By expanding the initial space and adding 2 easy enemies before the sniper encounter, allowed players to engage in combat on their own terms before facing the sniper.
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IDEA
My original idea was to have a combat space centered around a clear flanking lane for the player, promoting movement within the space.
PROBLEM
The large container's high cover silhouette provided too much advantage, allowing players to bypass the flanking lane and dominate the encounter.
SOLUTION
​Removing the high cover container and replacing it with a low cover, along with enemy grenades, encouraged players to engage in the flanking lane.
IDEA
My original idea was a visually distinct break: a jump down into the bridge's frame, with combat between two catwalks separated by a large gap.
PROBLEM
The bridge frame offered a great break from traversing the bridge not only in environment but also in verticality. However the design felt that it was missing an opportunity in this break away space as the player directly identified the correct path. This space never made the player question their next move.
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SOLUTION
​An exploding barrel during catwalk combat would destroy the player's bridge, forcing them to seek an alternate route. A blinking exit sign reveals a hidden path, encouraging exploration and adding a sense of discovery.
WALKTHROUGH
CONCLUSION
Looking back, I'm really happy with how this level turned out. It feels immersive and engaging, and it's pretty close to the vision I had in mind when I started. It's been incredibly satisfying to see this project come together. I feel like I managed the scope of this level well.​
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A big takeaway was the strength in keeping to a real-world location and the limitations, but equally the advantages, it creates. I was able to create a fun level at a good scope due to leaning on the setting instead of envisioning a location from scratch. (I could use the time to work on the details and polish the experience instead of building the env from scratch)
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I wanted to simulate what a production of this level would look like "for a real game," exploring many different aspects like research and development, how a "real QA" team would conduct play testing, and prototyping mechanics from scratch. I now understand that design is meaningless without player input. It was really fun to create a fully playable drone!
I chose to construct my combat spaces to fit one play style to make this project more manageable. If I were to revisit this level, I would challenge myself to make even cooler combat spaces that fit every play style. I would probably opt to cut down on the scale and focus on creating really satisfying combat encounters.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this!