Cleaver Fever-Moose Forest Stage-

Design Breakdown

Table of Contents

Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Background and assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Pre-production work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Alpha build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Beta build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Final build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Objectives:• 2Dsidescrollingmap• Incorporatemultiplecamerasystemswhileretain-ing2Dgameplay

• Useenvironmentalhazardstomodifypre-existingjumpmechanics

• Encourageexperimentingwiththemultipletypesofjumpsavailabletotheplayer

• Requirehigherjumpingtechniquefromplayertoproceedtofinalstage

Background and assumptions: TheMooseForeststageisthesecondleveloftheCleaverFevergameunderdevelopmentfortheschool’sproductionteam.Theplayerwillhavelearnedallthebasicjumpmechanicsbythispoint. Thelevelshouldtaketheaverageplayerabouttenminutestoplaythrough;theplayerwillbeprovidedacheckpointroughlyeveryminute.Inordertopreptheplayerforthelaststageofthegame,manymoreinsta-killhazardswillbeusedtowardsthelatterhalfofthestage.

Pre-production Eachlevelwasbrokendownbyitsleveldesignerearlyonsothatthegoalsandobjectivesofeachlevelcouldbeclearlylaidoutandcomparedagainstthelarg-erscopeoftheentiregame.

Moose Forest sections Theforestwasbrokendownintotwomainhalves:agroundsectionandacanopysection.Eachofthesesec-tionswasthenbrokenupintofivesmallerareaswhichwouldeachhaveauniquegameplayelementaswellasacheckpoint.

• Section 01 - Forest introduction -IntroduceSpidermoosecharacter. -EstablishthreatofWhompingWillowtree -Offerfirstalternateroutethroughmap• Section 02 - Bramble Bridge -IntroduceChunyuncharactersanddemonstrate howtoavoidthem -UseBlowingTreestoteachplayerhowtocope withwindmechanic,whichwillcomeupseveral timesthroughoutstage

• Section 03 - Underbrush -Spidermoosedestroysalternatepath -Encourageexplorationbyshowingalternateroutes prominently• Section 04 - Hedge Maze -Switchcameratotopdownviewtoofferoptimal viewinthemaze -PopulatemazewithChunyunsthatmustbe jumpedover• Section 05 - Hollow Tree -Providetransitionintocanopiesoftrees -Playerrideselevatoruptreeassawbladeschase afterthem• Section 06 - Moose Tree -Looppatharoundontoitselftoshowofftheartof thecanopyarea. -HaveplayerinteractwiththesleepingSpider mooseinordertoprogressforward• Section 07 - Loose branches -Branchesfallastheplayerstepsonthem,forcing themforwardquickly -Increasenumberofinsta-killhazards

• Section 08 - Windy bridge -Alternatingwinddirectionsincreaseplayer velocityingivendirections -Offerhealthpickupforplayerswhohavemastered thishazard• Section 09 - Moose walk -PlayerridesatoptheSpidermoose’santlersashe walksthroughforest -Playermustavoidbrancheswhichmaypushthem offtheantlers -Thislow-risksectionintendedasrewardforcom pletingdifficultwindybridge• Section 10 - Mushroom tree -Playerjumpsuptreeonshelfmushrooms -Halfwaythrough,playermustrunuptreeassaw bladeschasethemupwards -Atthetop,rewardplayerbyhavingthemrescuea lockedupfriendlyNPC

Alpha build Wemadeanalphabuildoftheroughlyhalfwaythroughproduction.Thiswasusedanevaluationforareaswhichneededtobealteredorcut.

TheBrambleBridgewasanearlyareaofconcern.Eventhoughthisareawasintendedtobethefirstdif-ficultareaofthemap,manyplayerswerespendingfartoomuchtimegettingpastitduetofrequentdeaths.Sawbladeswereremovedandinsta-killgapswerere-ducedinnumber.

TestingprovedtheHollowTreetobeabenchmarkmomentinthemap.Thiswasintended,asitmarkedtheendofthegroundsectioninthemap.However,thebladeswhichwouldharasstheplayerwereverydiffi-cultforplayerstoavoid.However,someplayerssoonbegantorealizethattheycouldsimplyspamthehighjumpandmissthebladesoneachcycle.Thiswaskeptinasmostplayersdidnotmakethisconnection,andprovedaniceunintentionalrewardforexperimentingwiththedifferentjumpmechanics

TheMoosetreesec-tionwasthefirsttobecut.Theintroduc-tionofapuzzlecon-fusedmanyplayersinalevelwithnootherpuzzles,andtheneces-saryassetswerebeingputonhold.

Thewindbridgesectionprovedtobetheareawiththemostfrequentnumberofdeaths.Manyofthesewerecausedearlyonduetothelackofpropercommunica-tiontotheplayeraboutthewindhazard.

Themoosesectionbeganmuchmorepopulatedwithhazardstoavoid.However,thesewerehardtoavoidwhenstackedsoclose,sotheywereeventuallyreducedinnumber. Theplatformsinthemushroomtreeoriginallymovedhorizontally.However,thiswaslaterremovedasitbroketheconsistencyoftherestoftheworldandalternativehazardswereused.Manytreebranchesinthemushroomtreewerealsoincreasedintheirdiametertomakethemeasiertolandonwhenjumpingatfastspeeds.

Beta build Thebetabuildwasputtogetherthree-fourthsofthewaythroughproduction.Unfortunately,manyas-setshadstillnotbeencompleted,buttheirplaceholdersprovedsufficientastheirgameplayhadbeenprettywelllockeddown.

Theoriginaldesignofthespidermoosehazardwasthemsimplysteppingonthepathatsetintervals.Itwaslaterchangedtohavethespidermoosewalkontothepathasthiswasmoredramaticandhelpedthespider-moosefeellikeanactualcharacterinsteadofsimplyahazardtobeavoided.

Extrabridgeswereaddedtothebramblebridgesec-tiontogivetheplayerachoiceoverwhichhazardstheywouldratherencounter.Thisalsoworkedwellforim-plementingsecretpathsinthisarea.

WaterwasremovedfromtheUnderbrushareawhenitbecameclearthattheChunyunswerehardtoseethroughit.

Teleporterswereaddedtothemazetokeeptheplayermovingforward.Thepathswerealsowidened,astheChu-nyunskeptgettingcaughtontheedgeswhentheyweretoonarrow.

Acollapsingbridgewasmovedinplaceofthemoosetree.Thissectionalsomadethecollapsingbranchesfeelredundant,sotheywereremovedaswell.

Bridgeswereaddedintothemoosewalksectiontohadsomeeyecandyupontheircollapse.Thesemomentswereusedasarewardforcompletingthewindbridge.

Theupperhalfofthemushroomtreewasmadeintoamoreintensemomentbyhavingthetreecollapsewhiletheplayerjumpedupthroughit.Thiswasaddedwhenanotherstudentsuggestedaddinganothertensionin-creasingelementattheendofthemap.

Final Build Thefinalbuildwasputtogetheraftertwentyweeksofwork.Muchofthelightingandparticleworkwasdoneintheweeksafterbeta.