Multiplayer FPSWalkthrough/guide video (I didn't make this video, I found it in YouTube) Hello, this is Eric, good to see you again since the last post. This time I will talk about the level design of competitive multiplayer FPS game, specifically Haven from the Valorant. Let's explore how this differs from the level design of the single-player game and what strategies are used for it. I hope this will help you build a multiplayer FPS. What is Valorant? Why Haven?For this post, I choose the Valorant's Haven. Valorant is a new IP released by Riot Games, the producer of League of Legends, benchmarked Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), one of the most popular military FPS. It well-appropriately combined the elements of hyper FPS to military FPS. Currently, there are four maps in Valorant, and I will analyze Haven, the only map that has three sites. About Haven-Map structure Alright, I'm going to talk about the map structure, which I think the alpha of level design in FPS. As you can see above, in the Haven, there are a remarkable amount of sections and they all have distinct features and concise names, which are for fast and accurate communication (such as strategic briefings or sharing enemies' location, etc.) due to the nature of the game in which a gun-fight occurs and ends in few seconds. The Haven's structure is the presence of a vast number of corners and cubbies and three sniper spots, which are A Long, Mid Courtyard, and C Long. I will keep the additional explanation and analysis for a while because there are many parts that are linked with the objects. Okay, now, check back the map quickly. It may be hard to see at a glance, but you can notice that Haven has an 'almost' symmetrical structure.
However, if its structure is perfectly symmetrical, the fun of the game will be pretty boring in my opinion. To prevent it, Haven designed to have different shapes and appearances for each site and routes. As a result, players are encouraged to come up with different strategies depending on which site they are playing around, and that will be remembered as a various game feels with one map. (From top to bottom A site, B site, C site.) The size of the map is small enough to take only about 20 seconds from site A to site C, and each team's waiting area is close enough to start the battle immediately after the waiting time is over. Therefore, the game flow of Haven is mainly engaged in the 5 main areas of A Long, A Short, Mid Courtyard, C Short, and C Long, where players can meet each other immediately after the round begins, especially the strategic points, A Short and C Short routes. However, the ability to predict each other's strategies and adapt to the situation is required because it is not known which route the offense team will come through and which route the defense team will focus on. (In the map below, the numbered parts are the areas I'm talking about) -Objects Now, it's time to talk about the omega of FPS level design. As in the map above, there are many kinds of objects in Haven, including boxes, doors, windows, and cargo containers, which play a role in creating various situations along with the structure of Haven. These are used as a cover for players or serve to provide a verticality. (See images below) The edges of wooden boxes, window frames, and wooden doors are penetrable, therefore players need to be careful when they stand behind it. (See the image below) Before we move on to the next topic, let me start the analysis from here again. The space-wise, level design of Haven has created a huge amount of hiding points and unique vertical sniper spots through the combination of numerous corners, small spaces, and objects all around the map. In particular, because there are so many corners in the composition of the map, the effectivity of "corner-picking" (tactics of ambushing at the corner and catching passing enemies) with SMG or Shotgun and sniping playstyle between sites and Longs are higher than the same playstyle in other maps. This sounds like a lot of disadvantages for the offense team, but if they succeed in attacking A Short or C Short, it's very easy to turn the tide. Because, if the offense team takes control of that section, the defense team must block at least two routes at the same time. So the balance of the map is fair enough. Also, it naturally encourages an environment to learn the basic playstyle of Valorant, in which all players can look in all directions as they enter in, devise tactics to block the opponent's view, and work with teammates to take control of the section. -Interactives 1. Spike In the Valorant's standard Plant/Defuse mode, there are two major interactive objects. The first one is Spike. Spike is a key interactive object in this game mode. (See the image below) Because the primary goal of the offense team is to plant this in any site within a time limit and protect it until it explodes. (See the image below) And the primary goal of the defense team is to prevent spike planting or defuse the planted spike. (See the image below) Spike's plant/defuse has a more significant impact on the game's victory than kill, so the offense team will take collective action if possible, while the defense team will be scattered to watch their all sites at the early phase of the round. Spike can also be used strategically because it generates noise when a player starts to plant/defuse the spike. 2. Ultimate orb Another interaction object is the ultimate orb. In Valorant, basically, when a player records a kill or death or plants/defuses the spike, that player's ultimate point rises by 1. If players collect all of these ultimate points, they can use the character's specific ultimate. However, if the player collects the ultimate orb, that player gets 1 ultimate point freely. (See the image below) However, there are great risks when acquiring this Orb. (See the image below)
But its benefit is so powerful that players can not pass it. So players may have the option of take risks to acquire it, take it while blocking the opponent's view, or avoiding temptation and going past it. ConclusionAs such, Haven's level design has a relatively shorter range of engagement than Valorant's other maps and has a lot of coverings, so even players who are not good at aiming can easily fight the enemy and able to practice various strategies that use of cover, sightline, and verticality, so even beginners can get used to Valorant quickly. Also, the color of the overall map is bright and colorful, which suits the fast pace of Haven, the interactive objects play a role that further doubles the exciting tension of Haven, and routes of the game may be a little complicated but it gives you a thrilling experience. I think this is one of the well made FPS-level designs because Haven has an unique gameplay experience compare to other maps of Valorant and most of them are beginner-friendly.
Again, this is Eric and hope to see you again in the next post.
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2D Action PlatformerPlaythrough Video (I didn't make this video, I just found it in YouTube) Hello, this is Eric Kwon. In this post, we will explore the level design of Kirby: Squeak Squad. Basically, each text is talking about the image above it, so I hope you're not confused. Let's get started. This is the first screen you will encounter after you select an empty data file and see the intro cut-scene. You will be able to meet Kirby who rides down the stars. And the camera angle, which shows Kirby on the left side of the screen and the empty space on the right, tells us that this game goes from left to right basically. Now, you're going to manipulate this cute little creature to find the stolen cake. Of course, I will only talk about the first few stages of World 1 in this post. All right, let's run and jump first. The setups has prepared the empty ground and a low hill for that. As you may have noticed already, colorful backgrounds and characters, generally fast tempo music (which is calm in some worlds), gives the overall emotional tone of the game a bright, light, and cute feeling. Next, there are 2 enemies will walking towards player, first one will be a non-special enemy but the other one has special movements which player can holding the B button and inhale in order to copy its power (or shoot it as ranged attack). Then, the high hill, which tells you that if you press the jump or ↑ button in air, you can float around. Finally, using the game's core system. Once you inhale enemies that have a special ability, you can press the ↓ button to copy that enemy's ability. If the copying is successful, everything except Kirby stops for a moment, indicating that Kirby has power by wearing something. Of course, the status indicator at the lower-left corner also changes. What I'm revealing here is that the Kirby series is a 2D action-platformer that allows the player to copy the various abilities of enemies and solves various interactive puzzles based on those abilities. If a similar genre of Super Mario emphasized action, Kirby is emphasizing the puzzle more. All right. Let's move on to the next room through the portal. What would you do if you saw a block in the middle of a narrow terrain? Of course, you'll try to push or break. With this level design, it naturally tells you that the star blocks can't be passed but can be destroyed easily. After you knock out an enemy, there's cherry in a blocked pit. But what if the sliding tackle can't break the block like before? Let's use copied ability! This scene shows that no matter how big a star block it is, it's easy to get rid of it. Moving on to the next section, this is the first time you can get an item that increases your life. But the map structure is high up and there are several platforms for no clear reason, I think the designer has this structure to let you experience how the camera moves to upside. When you move on to the next room, there will be a pond that allows you to experience underwater conditions, and of course, an item has been dropped in the water so that makes you don't want to pass the pond. As you can see, when you get into the water, now you wear the water snorkel and you can't use copy abilities, except for a few. Don't worry. Press the B button and you'll be able to shoot the water instead of inhaling something. After you get out of the pond, you'll see a bomb block and the stone blocks. Stone blocks are never to be broken except smash the connected bomb block. The setups lets you know that the bomb block is fragile enough to break even by the air blast that comes out when you cancel from ballooning, so the platform is put at a high place to make you use and cancel the ballooning naturally. As you proceed, using the star portal with blue light, then the stage ends with a simple bonus game. If you play bonus games and open treasure chests (well there was nothing in 1-1 stage), you'll be on the stage selection screen. Let's move on to the next stage quickly, and you'll learn something important. If you go a little to the right, there will be your first bubble item, which is another key system of this game, and when you acquire it, the explanation pops up. This part is a little disappointing from the pedagogy perspective because it's the first time acquiring a 'different looking' item and it appears on the NDS's lower screen (bottom right in the video), which naturally stimulates curiosity to use and experience it. Let's move on. The acquired bubble item can store up to five items and can be used with a 'click' on the touch screen. If you use the ability bubble item, the previous ability would be eliminated. In this case, you acquired a sword ability and lost spark ability. It's time to learn a new interaction with new abilities. You can find some bushes right away and you can find 'something hidden' by cutting or burning these things. When you come to the next room, the explanation about the mix of the bubble items pop up and two food bubble items are arranged as if you were asking to try it. As I said earlier, it's an unnecessary explanation in my opinion, but we should understand it, Kirby series never had this system before. As shown in the explanation, if you 'drag' one bubble item and put it on another bubble, synthesis begins, you can get a better or random item. If you've experienced a camera moving up, you should experience a camera moving down. Next is collecting treasure chests, which is a kind of achievement. You don't have to collect all the chests, but some chests have items you need to get to clear the next stage. The important thing is that the box is also kept in Kirby's stomach like a bubble item. So you have to decide whether to give up the bubble item and take all the boxes or repeat the stage later to get the chests you didn't pick up. After that, you can see the Falling to Death section for the first time if you pass by simple enemies. Of course, you can see it at a glance and no object induces you, so you won't experience it unless you want to do it. Once you go out through the goal portal, as expected, the bonus mini-game is going on, and if you have a treasure chest, there will be an opening ceremony where Kirby dances to an exciting song. Let's move on to the stage 1-3 right away, which is the last level to talk about this post. Once you enter this stage, you'll see an unusual-looking enemy stationed alone like telling you 'copy my power!' First of all, press the X button to release the copy ability you're using, and if you absorb the pink enemy in front of you, you get the fire ability. On this stage, there are a lot of bushes to experience that fire can remove them, as I mentioned earlier. By removing bushes, you can find bubble items also or... ...hidden portals like this, and this time, a life up item has been placed in this room to encourage finding hidden paths in the future. As soon as you get out of the hidden room, there's a capsule of fire, and if you destroy it, you'll see the flames move over the ground. Moving on to the next room, with the first appearance of ladders, spikes, and the first battle with the mini-boss awaits. Here, the setups encouraged you to use the fire ability, which is to experience the interaction of ice and fire naturally by deploying 'fire' bubble items just before entering this small room. Also, you learn that you can copy the mini-boss' power, once you knock it down. Another! You should note that copied ability is ice. Because... The ponds are placed in the next room and induce you to experience the interaction between ice and water! The next thing you will encounter is Gordo, the traditional monster and obstacle of the series. It's not intimidating at first because it's trapped in a pit, but it's designed to make contact with curiosity. If you don't know who they are and try to attack them, you'll see they're invincible and you can't inhale them also, but you will be damaged by contact. Now, it's time for the last important interaction to be explained in this post. If you're using animal abilities, you can use the cross button to dig and move the dirt in the direction you want. Using this ability to find hidden items or portals is one of the puzzle elements. The long-awaited first encounter with the Squeak Squad. As soon as you acquire the blue treasure chest, they appear. Then the background music changes to a fast tempo and shows one of them moving towards you, which creates tension that you are being chased. Now, run as fast as you can to the goal portal. If you made contact with them, they would steal one of your treasure chests and run to a secret base somewhere on the map. Don't worry, if you get into the secret base on time, you'll be given a chance to retrieve the stolen treasures. Kirby: Squeak Squad's level design continuously provides environments where players can experience the interaction of the game. Is it because the key element of the game is to use various abilities to solve puzzles and pave the way? When a new interaction is about to emerge, the game is designed to provide players with the means to acquire the skills they need to experience it and to place objects that can interact immediately so that they can focus on understanding the game. The overall game feel is light, colorful, object and background are clearly distinguished from each other, and most obstacles are low-difficulty, so I think it is a simple game that can be enjoyed without stress.
Again, this is Eric and thanks for read this post. |
Eric KwonA.k.a Ricarto, major in Game Design at Columbia College Chicago |