Full Gameplay Walkthough of the Level

Project Origin: Hobby Project

Role - Scripter & Level Design

Genre - Horror / First Person Shooter

Dev. Time - 1 Week

Made in - Unreal Engine 4 - Unreal Blueprints

Design Goals:

Make an introductary level for a First-Person Shooter with Horror elements.
Create an interactive and non-disruptiv tutorial segments.
Create a full level in a 3D enviroment, taking advantage of the 3D space.
Following personal design principles and designing with room for future expanding in mind.

Personal Goal:

First time working in a 3D space regarding Level Design and being a solo scripter.

General Concept

"The Salvage" is a first-person horror game set aboard an abondoned spacecraft, adrift in the infinite void of space. Players navigate through the eerie silence and oppressive darkness of titular ship, where every creak and whisper hints at the unseen horrors lurking in the shadows. The game blends survival horror elements with exploration and puzzle-solving, tasking players with uncovering the mysteries of the abandoned ship while evading the monstrous entities that now call it home.

This project was conceived with the goal of crafting an immersive horror experience that leverages the tension and isolation of space. By integrating the mechanics of exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival into the desolate setting of "The Salvage," the game aims to create a compelling narrative that draws players into its hauntingly beautiful yet perilous world. This venture into the 3D space of level design and solo scripting marks a significant milestone in my journey as a game developer, showcasing my commitment to blending engaging gameplay with a rich, atmospheric storytelling.

Target feel

In "The Salvage," we merge the isolation and mystery of drifting through the void with the adrenaline of unforeseen threats. Inspired by the aesthetics of Mass Effect's space carriers and the eerie abandonment found in Portal 2, the game sets the stage for a unique fusion of genres.

Aesthetic Blend: Sleek Mass Effect - style sci-fi meets desolate ruin, creating a universe where beauty and decay coexist.
Atmospheric Gameplay: The tension of Dead Space, ruined state is that this ship has been floating around space for a while and hasn’t been maintained during that time, giving the feeling that “something inside the ship was very much alive”, for a survival horror experience wrapped in an FPS framework.
FPS Dynamics: A thoughtful approach to FPS, emphasizing strategic engagement and exploration over pure combat intensity, akin to Portal's innovative puzzles rather than Battlefield's all-out warfare.

This approach crafts a world where every corner holds potential danger and every decision matters. It's not just about survival, but how you navigate the threats lurking in the shadows of a once-majestic space leviathan.

HIGH-LEVEL MAP DESIGN

"In 'The Salvage,' the map's design serves as both the stage and storyteller for the player's journey. This chapter provides a high-level overview of the map, dissecting its layout and the design principles that underpin it. Given the game's blend of genres and the emphasis on exploration, strategy, and survival, the map was crafted to gradually introduce players to the game's mechanics within an immersive and challenging environment.

Blueprint Overview: We begin with a broad look at the map, outlining its structure and the rationale behind its segmented yet cohesive design. This sets the context for a deeper dive into specific areas and features.
Design Philosophy and Decisions: Following the overview, the analysis shifts to a detailed examination of key sections. This includes insights into how the game's narrative and mechanics influenced the design choices, from the placement of hazards and resources to the arrangement of spaces that encourage strategic thinking and exploration.

For an in-depth visual comprehension of how these elements play out in real-time, refer to the complete video playthrough of the level available at the top of the page.

The initial section of the level (1-6) serves as a structured tutorial, introducing players to the core gameplay mechanics essential for navigating the game: Walking, Interacting, Jumping, Crouching, and Shooting. This part of the level aims to create a player-friendly environment for testing and learning these functions.

Introduction (1): The level begins with a straightforward corridor that leads to a door requiring interaction to open. Should players hesitate, a prompt "Press E to Open" displays beside the door, teaching them the basics of walking and interacting.
Jumping Mechanics (2): Players are then challenged to jump over a set of broken steps, employing the jump mechanic. Given the space station's damaged state, logically placed debris and broken architecture naturally introduce gameplay obstacles while staying grounded in reality.
Dramatic Introduction (3 to 4): The journey from points 3 to 4 features a scripted event that briefly introduces the looming threat aboard the ship. This encounter, starting with the player falling through unstable flooring, is designed to surprise and engage, setting the narrative tone.
Navigation Challenges (4): This section includes debris to navigate by jumping or crouching, facilitating straightforward progression without significant decision-making.
Exploration and Reward (5): This part encourages exploration by implementing the concept of negative possibility space, rewarding players who investigate less obvious areas, like beneath staircases, with ammunition or a weapon. This design choice effectively builds anticipation and satisfaction, enriching the exploration experience.

Vent Grate as Initial Offensive Challenge (6):

Players encounter a closed door, leading to an introduction to offensive actions: shooting or a planned melee attack to break a vent grate, followed by crouching to pass through. This provides a simple and safe exploration of attack mechanics.
Initially, an explosive barrel was to clear the path, but concerns over player harm led to its replacement for a more direct interaction, enhancing the level design and ensuring a non-threatening introduction to combat.

Mastering Basic Functions in the Hangar (7):

Upon entering the hangar, the player's mastery of the game's core mechanics is put to the test in an environment marked by its minimalism and the presence of an enemy ship, which subtly points them towards their next goal: the control panel (17).
Navigation is streamlined through a well-lit pathway (16, 8), with the design intentionally locking all but one crucial door (to storage, 8), ensuring players are naturally drawn to their initial puzzle challenge.
To assist in orientation within the large hangar space and prevent feeling overwhelmed, a straightforward color-coded lighting system is employed: red signals locked areas, while green denotes accessible routes. This system cleverly educates players on the station's operational principles through visual cues, making learning both intuitive and engaging.

Navigating the Storage Room Challenge (8-9):

The storage room puzzle leverages the 3D environment, challenging players to climb boxes and shoot a crane hook to access a vent grate. Failure to solve within 45 seconds triggers a hint via character dialogue, aiding discovery without breaking immersion.
Key elements include the strategic use of lighting to highlight the crane hook, reinforcing the importance of observation and precision. The realistic arrangement of boxes as platforms enhances the setting’s believability. Successfully navigating this puzzle transitions into a tension-filled but non-harmful monster encounter, maintaining suspense without immediate risk.

Observation and Strategy in Turret Encounter (10-13):

Exiting the vents (10) presents the player with their first glimpse of enemy turrets through a safe, observational point behind glass. This setup allows players to assess the situation and plan their approach.
Players are offered three distinct strategies for navigating past the turrets:
1. Engage in traditional FPS combat by taking cover (11) and shooting the turrets.
2. Disable the turrets by shooting a connected fuse box (12), a tactical approach.
3. Utilize the ventilation system to stealthily bypass the threat (13), offering a non-combative strategy.

Reflecting on the design, introducing multiple bypass methods so early may have been an oversight. A more directed encounter with a stationary "training dummy" enemy type could have better served as a foundational combat tutorial, ensuring players engage with and understand core mechanics before introducing more complex choices.

Reward and Progression in the Armory (14):

Upon bypassing the turrets, players reach the armory (14), where they are rewarded with a new weapon, additional ammunition, and a keycard essential for story progression.
Doors in the game are color-coded for accessibility: green indicates unlocked, and red signifies locked. The acquisition of the keycard changes the status of specific doors, such as the one leading back to the hangar (15), making new areas accessible.
A design challenge encountered was highlighting the keycard with lighting to draw player attention. However, playtesting revealed that players often missed the door unlocking cue because their focus was directed away from the door at the crucial moment, suggesting the need for more effective signaling to ensure players notice and understand environment changes prompted by their actions.

Return to the Hangar with a Twist (15):

Upon returning, the hangar is now occupied by enemy scavengers, integrating narrative elements into gameplay. The environmental setup with crates offers both a logical narrative explanation and practical cover for the player during combat.
Engagements with the enemies can be approached in various ways: direct shooting, using environmental hazards like crane hooks to drop cargo, or exploding barrels for area damage. These options encourage creative problem-solving in combat scenarios.
For players struggling with ammo management, additional ammunition is available in the armory. This design choice ensures that all players, regardless of skill level, have the resources needed to overcome the challenge, emphasizing accessibility and player support.

The strategic placement of the armory nearby provides a "safe haven" for players to retreat and resupply, balancing the combat difficulty with opportunities for recovery.

Revisiting the hangar serves multiple purposes: it reinforces map familiarity, introduces new challenges within a known environment, and underscores the level's cohesive design by using the hangar as a central, recurring junction point.
With the keycard obtained earlier, players can finally access the control panel (16, 17) to open the hangar doors, allowing their teammates to enter and marking the completion of the demo. This culmination not only demonstrates the player's progression and mastery of the game mechanics but also ties together the level's narrative and gameplay elements, providing a satisfying conclusion to this demo experience.

Scripting Review - Turrets

Developing The Salvage with Unreal Engine 4 and its Visual Blueprint Scripting, I faced the challenge of incorporating enemies within the confines of my timeframe and expertise. Stationary turrets emerged as the ideal choice for several reasons:

Simplicity in Design: Their stationary nature simplified the coding process, fitting well within the project's scope and my current level of expertise.
Dual Engagement Strategies: They introduced an engaging gameplay mechanic, offering players the option to confront them head-on or employ strategy by deactivating their power source, effectively disabling the turrets without a direct confrontation.

Fuse Box

Before engaging with the turrets, players will encounter a crucial component: the fuse box to which the turrets are connected. This setup plays a vital role in determining the turrets' operational status. Here's how it works:

Checking the Fuse Box Status: The game performs a check to see if the fuse box has been destroyed (i.e., shot by the player).
- If the Fuse Box is Intact (Not Destroyed):
  - The turrets remain active, and their behavior scripts—Update Range, Update Rotation, and Fire Weapon—continue to function.
  - The red light on the turrets stays on, indicating they are operational.
- If the Fuse Box is Destroyed:
  - The turrets' red lights turn off, serving as a visual cue that they have been deactivated.
  - All turret behaviors are disabled, rendering them harmless to the player.

This mechanic not only adds a layer of strategy to the game but also emphasizes the importance of environmental interaction for overcoming obstacles.

Enemy Range and Firing Projectiles

Upon entering a turret's vicinity, the interaction between the player and the turret is governed by distance. Here's the breakdown of this mechanic:

Determining Player Proximity:
- The turret constantly evaluates its distance from the player, comparing it against a predefined "attack range" variable.
- If the Player Is Within Attack Range:
  - The turret activates its attack sequence, which involves several actions:
    - Sound Effect: An audio cue plays, signaling the turret's activation and impending fire.
    - Projectile Launch: A bullet blueprint is instantiated at the turret's muzzle location, simulating the firing of a weapon towards the player.
    - Firing Delay: There is a brief pause between shots, allowing the player some time to react or move out of range.
  - This process repeats as long as the player remains within the turret's attack range, keeping the engagement dynamic.

This setup not only heightens the challenge but also encourages players to either swiftly navigate through the turret's attack zone or find alternative ways to neutralize the threat.

Design Consideration:

Reflecting on the turret's detection mechanism reveals an area of improvement that intertwines with the learning journey of game development. Despite its current limitation—where turrets may target the player through obstacles—it serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities in crafting realistic AI behaviors. This instance, while not ideal, still falls within the scope of the project's intended functionality, showcasing the essential behaviors expected from an enemy. Moving forward, this experience underscores a valuable lesson in refining AI to consider environmental nuances, ensuring challenges are both fair and engaging for players.

Turret Rotation Mechanics

The turret's design incorporates a sophisticated tracking system, allowing its head to rotate towards the player's position once they enter a predefined range. This mechanism is detailed further by:

Utilizing additional variables and calculations to ensure the rotation follows a smooth, curved trajectory rather than a direct line. This enhances the realism of the turret’s movements and contributes to a more refined and visually appealing enemy behavior.
The smooth rotation mechanism significantly improves the engagement quality during player-turret interactions, adding a layer of polish to the game's combat dynamics.

Conclusion

This level stands as the opening act for a game that melds First-Person Shooter dynamics with Horror elements, meeting my goal to craft an engaging, straightforward tutorial within a 3D environment. My venture into 3D level design and scripting has successfully leveraged the dimensional space to not only teach basic controls but also to establish an immersive, strategic setting. The careful introduction of game mechanics like cranes, fuse boxes, and turrets ensures the gameplay is digestible, setting the stage for a game world that can expand, with the hangar serving as a strategic hub. Embarking on 3D level design and scripting on my own was a major personal milestone. It allowed me to embody my design principles effectively and gain invaluable experience in crafting a cohesive, adaptable game environment.

In adhering to my personal design principles, I've constructed a level that not only serves its immediate purpose but is also thoughtfully laid out to allow for future expansion. This flexibility is evident in elements like the crane, fuse boxes, and turret enemies, which introduce gameplay mechanics gradually, avoiding information overload and setting a solid foundation for the narrative and gameplay to evolve. The design of the hangar as a recurring hub underscores my aim to create a cohesive and expandable game world.

On a personal note, tackling both the challenges of 3D level design and the intricacies of scripting single-handedly has been a rewarding journey. This project has not only allowed me to apply my design principles in practice but has also provided me with invaluable experience in managing and executing a complex design vision from the ground up.