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Project 13
Thesis Multiplayer FPS Map focused on Verticality Principles and how they Contribute to Combat and Critical Path
Quick Summary
Design Goals
Demonstrate the various principles of verticality in a multiplayer FPS map
Develop a methodology for implementing verticality as a way to effect:
Combat situations
Weapon Placement
Critical Path Guidance
Lines of Sight
Differentiation of Space
Development Facts
Engine: Unreal Tournament 4 (UE4)
Responsibilities: Verticality research, verticality implementation methodology, design, blockout, gameplay implementation, basic texturing, and lighting.
Development Time: 6 months
Game Mode: First person shooter
My Design Process Overview
Research games (Halo, Destiny 2, Unreal Tournament 4, Overwatch) and develop criteria for the principles of verticality
Create initial paper designs and blockouts in sketchup highlighting various combat motifs for vertical advantages/disadvantages
Research each weapon in Unreal Tournament 4, identifying strengths/weaknesses and where they are best suited (lower elevation, flanking position, splash damage high elevation, etc.)
Sketch a paper map of the design and create a quick blockout that can be iterated on for flow and pacing.
Once flow and pacing are per the design, all necessary gameplay elements (Health pickups, weapons, armor, lighting, conveyance) are placed and gameplay testing begins.
Conclude the map with a publication article and textured surfaces, no aesthetics.
Video Playthrough
My Design Process
Research: Understanding Verticality, (Summary)
When researching FPS Multiplayer games, it was important to select games with vertical movement mechanics. This meant both core mechanics and advanced movement mechanics as both require vertical map design to support a variety of players of all skill levels.
Weapon Placement
Halo 5: Maps like Plaza and Coliseum featured 4/5 primary levels of verticality with a strong emphasis on weapon placement. The game features a concept of control weapons (power weapons) that are advantageous for a team to control. These maps focus on positioning control weapons (as well as others) in an area where they can be immediately used to their full potential. For example, the rocket launcher on Coliseum is a splash damage weapon, capable of killing fast and multiple enemies at once. This requires a position that has increased sightlines to other areas of the map and reduced cover to allow for greater sightlines and easy target acquisition. An important note is to balance a powerful weapon position, and with the reduced cover as a result of open sightlines, this means that acquiring the rocket launcher is a high risk, high reward gameplay moment.
+ Click To Expand Halo 5 Coliseum Map +
Flow and Lines of Sight
Destiny 2: Midtown offers a variety of vertical platforms and flow paths that are used to support various weapon archetypes. This means the map requires long lines of sight for sniper and scout rifles, medium cover based areas for pulse rifles, and narrow sections for smgs and shotguns. Taking the long lines of sight as an example, Midtown uses verticality as a way to break up the line of sight by offering an alternate flow path that flows back into the long line of sight, amongst other flow options. This allows for a player to continue progressing through that flow path while also breaking the long line of sight temporarily. Another example in Midtown is how verticality is used to provide increased flow options into an area. Coming in to the mid section from High Street or Shop offers direct entrance and elevated entrances into mid, which either puts players on equal elevation during combat, or gives one player a height advantage.
+ Click To Expand Destiny 2 Midtown Map +
In the following section, its important to note that all combat advantages for an elevated player are disadvantages for a player at lower elevation, and vice versa.
Combat Advantages
Elevation increase equates to an increase in visibility. With the increased invisibility, the player has a greater chance of seeing potential enemies and preemptively positioning themselves in an aggressive way.
Players on elevated platforms and surfaces have the advantage of having the head of the opposing players mesh (lower elevation) as the closest part of the body to their gun. This means landing critical headshots is easier for players at a height. Therefore, the distance between their gun and the opponents head is less than their gun and the opponents body/feet.
+ Click To Expand Height Advantage Demo +
Combat Disadvantages
Players at elevation, while having the increased sightlines and reduced cover, are also subject to ambush from various directions.
Players at lower elevations have increased cover to balance the high reward of players at higher elevations making it easier for them to seek cover and maneuver out of a point of contention.
+ Click To Expand Increased Cover at Lower Elevation +
Critical Path, Guidance, and Differentiation of Space
Changes in elevation allow for health pickups and armor pickups to be placed in positions that require players to travel upwards to acquire. As a result, this allows players to create a mental map of the space based on the pickups they want/associate with the varied elevation.
Elevation, even minor elevation changes like ramps, break up the planar field of view in a point of contention. Therefore, elevation can act as a landmark (especially when tied with powerful weapons placed on various levels of elevation) and help in creating a mental map.
My Map Design
Map Design Goals
5 levels of verticality
2 points of contention, each featuring multiple levels of verticality
Weapon placement using verticality to aid in mental map formation
Items and armor pickups to emphasize vertical spaces
Multiple flow options and vertical flow options
+ Click To Expand Map +
Weapon Placement
The Flak Cannon is the shotgun of Unreal Tournament, meaning it deals heavy damage at close quarters and flanks enemies well. Therefore, I used verticality here to place the flak cannon at a much lower elevation (compared to the rocket launcher) and also around areas where Verticality was being used to increase flow options to a single destination as this supported the ambush style of gameplay the Flak Cannon thrives on.
Verticality allowed the rocket launcher to be placed in a position where it was most advantageous, creating a reward for players who wield it. Because it deals splash damage and can also damage the player, it begs to be placed in a position that offers the greatest sightlines as well as the lowest possibility for causing self damage.
Flow Options and Nested Flow
Within the map, I used verticality to amplify the number of flow options in and out of a space. As a result of doing this, I created nested flow options. Nested flow options are smaller, tighter vertical flow options that allow the player to quickly reach a single destination using verticality. These nested options exist in a much large, circular flow design with verticality implemented.
Breaking Long Lines of Sight with Vertical Flow Options
To break up the long lines of sight along this flow path, I used verticality to provide a quick way for players to navigate around to the same end destination.
Height Advantage/Disadvantage Balance
Points of contention and areas with height were balanced based on the advantages they provided. With jump pads providing faster access paths to powerful weapons (the rocket launcher), they were balanced with reduced cover to create a high risk high reward dynamic. With areas that had powerful weapons and increased sightlines for faster target acquisition, these were balanced similarly with multiple elevation access points for ambush gameplay and reduced cover.
Guiding the Player using Elevation and Pickups
To help the player navigate the map and create a mental map of the playspace, minor health pickups and armor pickups were placed at elevation points. This was create a visual association between pickups and elevated points in the map.