dm-zharplista level design document

MP LDD Sky Silcox www.skysilcox.com

DM-ZharPlistaUnreal Tournament 3

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Designer: Sky Silcox

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Table of Contents

DOCUMENT REVISIONS TABLE....................................................................................................................................................... 4

LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................................................................................ 5

QUICK SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................................................................. 7

GENERAL GAME FLOW..............................................................................................................................................................................7MAJOR ELEMENTS....................................................................................................................................................................................7MAJOR OBJECTIVES.................................................................................................................................................................................. 7ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS........................................................................................................................................................................7

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................................... 8

MISSION LOCATION.................................................................................................................................................................................. 8GAMETYPE(S).......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8ITEMS/POWERUPS....................................................................................................................................................................................8DIFFICULTY..............................................................................................................................................................................................8MISSION METRICS....................................................................................................................................................................................8

LEVEL DETAILS............................................................................................................................................................................... 9

THEME/MOOD........................................................................................................................................................................................9SPECIAL CHARACTER/VEHICLE NEEDS...........................................................................................................................................................9KEY ASSETS AND EXACT AMMOUNTS...........................................................................................................................................................9USER INTERFACE...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9GAMEPLAY MECHANICS.............................................................................................................................................................................9BACKSTORY/HISTORY................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

VISUAL REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................................................... 10

AREA 1: NAME.....................................................................................................................................................................................10Terrain/Vegetation........................................................................................................................................................................10Models/Architecture......................................................................................................................................................................10Textures/Lighting...........................................................................................................................................................................10Characters/Vehicles.......................................................................................................................................................................10

AREA #: NAME.....................................................................................................................................................................................10Terrain/Vegetation........................................................................................................................................................................10Models/Architecture......................................................................................................................................................................10Textures/Lighting...........................................................................................................................................................................10Characters/Vehicles.......................................................................................................................................................................10

DETAILED MAPS........................................................................................................................................................................... 11

LEGEND REQUIREMENTS..........................................................................................................................................................................11OVERVIEW MAP.....................................................................................................................................................................................11WALKTHROUGH/DETAILED MAP DESCRIPTION.............................................................................................................................................11

Area 1.1......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11Area 1.2...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11Area 1.#...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Area 2.#......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Document Revisions Table

VERSION DESCRIPTION UPDATED BY DATE

1.0 Initial Version of Document Sky Silcox 06/26/2009

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List of Figures1. Level Image (note the lighting colors, direction, and the open ceiling of the architectural space) <by Raphael Lacoste>

2. Level Flow – Entire Level

3. Color Palette

4. Level Sections

5. Vegetation Growing on Old Tile Floor < http://www.andybrouwer.co.uk/blog/uploaded_images/7142-787344.jpg>

6. Rock Texture Concept (ignore the color of the textures) <by Dylan Cole>

7. Courtyard Architecture Concept (note the floor, columns, and textures while ignoring the pristine nature of the space)Necris Characters Attacking <www.images.google.com>

8. Support Static Meshes Cavern Rock Floor Concept (note rock temple integrated with the cavern ceiling as well as lighting effects) <www.images.com>

9. Architecture Concept (note the bottom of the floating structure) <by Daniel Dociu>

10. Necris Tentacle Concept (note the tentacles and debris)<by Daniel Dociu>

11. Directional Lighting and Texture Concept (note the cast shadows and arches framing the view)

12. Interior Lighting Concept (note light color)<by Raphael Lacoste>

13. Temple Concept (note walls, debris, and lighting effects)<by Raphael Lacoste>

14. Necris Characters Attacking

15. Walkway Meshes

16. Cavern Rock Floor Concept (note rock temple integrated with the cavern ceiling as well as lighting effects) <www.images.com

17. Column

18. Vortex Static Mesh (used below the temple)

19. Exterior Texture and Architecture Concept (note the scale of the structures as well as the arches) <www.flikr.com>

20. Architectural Static Meshes (tower tops and spires)

21. Figure 21: Rock and Lighting Concept (note the stalactites and environmental lighting and fog) <by Dylan Cole>

22. Texture Concept <www.images.google.com>

23. Lighting and Post Processing Concept (ignore the setting) <www.photobucket.com>

24. Krall Character Concept http://www.gamea.com.cn

25. Floor Mesh

26. Infection Tube Meshes

27. Temple Concept (disregard the sky and open setting of the structure)<by Daniel Dociu>

28. Textures and Lighting Concept www.planetunreal.com

29. Figure 29: General Lighting and Mood Concept (note the overall mood minus the setting) < Thom Tenery>

30. Texture Concept

31. Door Trim Models P a g e | 6


32. Necris Character Concept http://features.cgsociety.org/stories/2007_12/UT3/images/Necris_02.jpg

33. Level Overview and Scale

34. Level Key

35. Level Sections

36. Level Layout - L1

37. Level Layout - L1-L4

38. Level Layout - L2b

39. Elevation

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Quick SummaryDM-ZHARPLISTA is a fast paced, open, 2-to-16 player multiplayer Deathmatch level for Unreal Tournament 3 that is set in a decaying, Nanoblack-infected temple in a deep chasm in the earth. Players spawn at one of 16 points on the map and battle in an open environment with jump pads for the highest kill ratio before time runs out while avoiding death.

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Gameplay Overview

General Game Flow

Figure 2: Level Flow – Entire Level

Example Flow

Player spawns at north western spawn point Player runs north to grab the Link Gun and east to the jump pad Player collects armor and health vials mid-air and lands The player hits the ground, kills an enemy, and runs south to the ledge The player moves east, dropping off of the ledge into the courtyard Player moves south, grabbing a shock core and hitting the jump pad The player flies to the outlying tower, grabbing health and the Shock Rifle Player hits a jump pad and flies back to the main temple, then moves north Player hits the north jump pad and bounces to another jump pad, then flies to the top of the center tower The player grabs the U-Damage and passes through the teleporter Player appears on the second level and hits a jump pad back up to level 3 The player drops down and moves to the center, taking the lift to the Keg-O-Health The player masterfully Shock-combo’s an enemy for the final kill

Original DM-ZHARPLISTA level flow used as a requirement for this project. The strength of the original DM-ZHARPLISTA’s original layout remains in tack while adding large thematic changes.

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Major Elements Nanoblack-corrupted, Turkish temple floating in a giant cavern Slight tremors every 5 minutes Other Elements

o Atmospheric settingo Floating temple and architectural structureso Beautiful, Turkish-style architectureo A mountaintop temple under the groundo Nanoblack particle cloudso Frantic Deathmatch in true DM-ZHARPLISTA, open-arena styleo Limited covero Copious amounts of verticalityo Opportunities for players to pull off skillful shots while airborne

Major Objectives Getting the most kills before time runs out or the preset number of kills before other combatants Avoid being killed Picking up weapons, powerups, and health before other players Move through the map in a pattern that maximizes chances of getting pickups Carefully choosing what weapons to use in what situation The player certainly loses if she stops moving Moving fast, jumping often, and moving in unpredictable patterns is essential to success Making intelligent decisions on what path to take based on health, armor, and the situation is key The player will lose if she moves in a predictable way Tarrying too long near a dangerous drop-off is a sure path to defeat Avoiding falling from the edges of the safe play space is key to success

Environmental Hazards Jumping to L2b platform and to the U-Damage platform via jumpad are the most likely places that the player

flies off of trajectory and falls to her death Camping the L2b Shock Rifle platform asserts itself as a risk as stray rockets easily knock players off A player can easily be knocked off of the edges of the playspace if standing or running too close to an edge to fall

to her death into the ocean of Nanoblack below Player may take falling damage if falling from the U-Damage tower to the courtyard floor The player may be knocked off of trajectory during a jump pad flight and fall into the abysmal depths of

Nanoblack

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Technical OverviewCan come from abstract with changes as needed

Mission Location Setting – The future in a temple within a gaping cavern beneath the earth’s crust in Turkey Time of Day - 1:15 PM Season - Spring Weather – Sunny and dry with light clouds

Gametype(s) Deathmatch

o Min Players: 2o Ideal Players: 4o Max Players: 16

Team Deathmatcho Min Players: 2o Ideal Players: 4o Max Players: 16

Duelo Min Players: 2o Ideal Players: 2o Max Players: 2

Items/PowerupsWeapons

2x Rocket Launcher 2x Link Gun 1x Shock Rifle

Ammo

2x per Link Gun 2x per Rocket Launcher 1x per Shock Rifle 2x Enforcer Ammo

Health

1x Keg 4x Medium Health 30x Health Vial

Armor

1x Armor Vest 1x Thigh Pads

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DifficultyOn a scale of 1-5: 4

DM-ZHARPLISTA is surrounded by void, allowing the player to fall to her death at numerous places Taking jump pads is risky as well placed shots may knock the player off of her intended flight path and into

oblivion There is little cover in DM-ZHARPLISTA, making players easy prey even for well placed Enforcer shots, much less

for well aimed Shock Rifle primary fire shots Players can camp with the Impact Hammer at jump pad landing points and easily rack up kills

Mission Metrics Play Time: Server-determined

o Ideal: 10 – 20 min Total Area: 9,795 x 6,461 Unreal Units Visual Themes

o UN Rock – Cliffs and rockso Necris – Bulb tubes and technologyo Necris - Turkish

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Level Details

Theme/MoodPlayers feel a sense of wonder at the prowess of ancient builders when entering DM-ZHARPLISTA. This is juxtaposed against the strangeness and disgust of the bioorganic Nanoblack clouds and Necris infection tubes and the surreal and environment.

DM-ZHARPLISTA conveys a combination of beauty and horror by making use of:

Inverse landscape: Giant, cliff-life stalactites that dot the ceiling like small inverse mountains with a nebulous, sky-like void below

Askew atmosphere with solid structures resting on nanoclouds A feeling of connection to the real world is conveyed by allowing players to see a tiny bit of sky through the rock

ceiling above, connecting them to what they cannot reach Nanoblack clouds attached to the bottoms of broken, floating architectural supports Disturbed underground dust in the form of post processing effects Moody, directional lighting making heavy use of ciarro scurro like a Caravaggio painting Cave-like environmental sounds Erie environmental humming sounds

Special Character/Vehicle Needs This level uses standard multiplayer characters and models DM-ZHARPLISTA_Silcox includes no vehicles

Key Assets and Exact AmmountsWeapons

2x Rocket Launcher 2x Link Gun 1x Shock Rifle

Ammo 2x per Link Gun 2x per Rocket Launcher 1x per Shock Rifle 2x Enforcer Ammo

Health 1x Keg 4x Medium Health 30x Health Vial

Armor 1x Armor Vest 1x Thigh Pads

Interactive Elements 12x Jump Pads 1x Lift

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User Interface Pre-Game Information

o Loading screen with level title displays as level loadso Once the level loads, the game prompts player to click to begin the match

In-Game Informationo All players score start at zeroo As the game progresses, all players scores change based on number of kills and suicides

1 kill = 1 point 1 suicide = -1 point

Post Game Informationo Conclusion is reached when a player reaches the server-determined kill limito Scoreboard shows with all players and the next level loadso If the server is not set to cycle levels then the current level reloads

Gameplay Mechanics Prerequisite Skills – The ability to run, aim, pickup weapons, shoot, and the knowledge of Deathmatch rules Skills Learned – The player leans to avoid falling or being shot while moving and killing other players in an

environment with lots of verticality and little cover

Backstory/HistoryTen thousand years ago in Turkey, an unknown people built a temple in a large void under the earth dedicated

to their gods. A thousand years passed and the place fell into disuse. Periodically, over the millennia, various groups of peoples rediscover the space, refitting it to fit their needs, and like the original builders, leave it to disintegrate in the dark.

Liandri Mining Corporation stumbles upon the ruin in one of their exploratory digs, considering it for tournament use, installing respawners, but eventually deciding that it is worth more to the right group for its worth as a relic of the ancient world than an arena. That is, until they discover a strange power source below the ruin, a source that Phayder Corporation eventually transforms into Nanoblack, the Necris power source.

Liandri commences an archeological research operation they clear an entry hole above the temple. They sample its materials and extract various chemicals and minerals. Phayder Corporation gets wind of this activity, send inquiries and find that something below the ruin has properties that compliment their experimentation with the Necris process. After long negotiations, Liandri sells the site to Phayder Corporation and the creation of Nanoblack commences. In their haste, they create a highly volatile and dangerous Nanoblack. Soon it takes over the ruin causing strange anomalies to occur. Rocks begin to float and large pieces of architecture begin to levitate. An ominous nanocloud progresses ever toward the gaping hole toward the sky. They hastily attempt to destroy the site with explosives and seal the entry hole.

The Necris attack earth and obtain information pointing them to the site. Uncovering the sealed entry hole, they send Krall servants into the site to prep it for the harvest of Nanoblack. They lose contact with their Krall scouting team and send in a unit to discover their fate. The Krall, influenced by the strange nature of the unstable Nanoblack, fly into a rage and attack each other. The Necris send in a recon team to investigate. Quickly surrounded by a mob of enraged Krall, they call for extraction but the nanocloud interferes with their communications equipment. Soon the Necris scouts enter an incoherent fury as well and attack anyone on site. A battle to the death begins with no end in sight as the Liandri-installed respawners hurl combatants back into battle again and again.

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Visual References

Figure 3: Color Palette

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Figure 4: Level Sections

Area 1: Courtyard Floor (L1)The courtyard floor consists of an old courtyard floor, tiled, retrofitted, and distressed with a little moss and grass growing up through the rubble due to the small cone of sunlight from the access hole above. In the center sits an ancient, arched foundation that used to hold the now floating tower hovering above it. The husk of the foundation now houses four jump pads and an elevator. The elevator takes the player up to the Keg-O-Health. The jump pads push the player up to Main Floor (L2) in the four cardinal directions.

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Terrain/Vegetation

Figure 5: Vegetation Growing on Old Tile Floor

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Figure 6: Rock Texture Concept (ignore the color of the textures) <by Dylan Cole>

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Models/Architecture

Figure 7: Courtyard Architecture Concept (note the floor, columns, and textures while ignoring the pristine nature of the space)

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Figure 8: Support Static Meshes

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Figure 9: Architecture Concept (note the bottom of the floating structure) <by Daniel Dociu>

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Figure 10: Necris Tentacle Concept (note the tentacles and debris)<by Daniel Dociu>

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Textures/Lighting

Figure 11: Directional Lighting and Texture Concept (note the cast shadows and arches framing the view)

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Figure12: Interior Lighting Concept (note light color)<by Raphael Lacoste>

Figure 13: Temple Concept (note walls, debris, and lighting effects)<by Raphael Lacoste>

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Characters/Vehicles

Figure 14: Necris Characters Attacking

Area 2: Main Temple Floor (L2)The Main Temple Floor consists of rocky terrain mixed with ancient/futuristic walkways. Toppled columns and arches litter the ground. A bridge connects its two platforms at the south end that spans over the courtyard below. At the outermost edges of the main floor exists a steep drop off into the murky void below. At the innermost edges exists a steep but safe drop into the courtyard area. At the northernmost edge sit two jump pads that lead up to the next tier.

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Terrain/Vegetation

Figure 15: Walkway Meshes

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Figure 16: Cavern Rock Floor Concept (note rock temple integrated with the cavern ceiling as well as lighting effects) <www.images.com

Models/Architecture

Figure 17: Column

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Figure 18: Vortex Static Mesh (used below the temple)

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Figure19: Exterior Texture and Architecture Concept (note the scale of the structures as well as the arches) <www.flikr.com>

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Figure 1: Architectural Static Meshes (tower tops and spires)

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Textures/Lighting

Figure 21: Rock and Lighting Concept (note the stalactites and environmental lighting and fog) <by Dylan Cole>

Figure 22: Texture Concept <www.images.google.com>

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Figure23: Lighting and Post Processing Concept (ignore the setting) <www.photobucket.com>

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Characters/Vehicles

Figure 24: Krall Character Concept <http://www.gamea.com.cn>

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Area 3: Tower Tops (L2b, L3, and L4)The tower tops consist of ornate floors, rocks, and debris. They boast an open view of the levels below and a closer view of the Infection tubes descending through hole above.

Terrain/Vegetation

Figure 25: Floor Mesh

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Models/Architecture

Figure 26: Infection Tube Meshes

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Figure 27: Temple Concept (disregard the sky and open setting of the structure)<by Daniel Dociu>

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Textures/Lighting

Figure 28: Textures and Lighting Concept www.planetunreal.com

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http://www.planetunreal.com/


Figure 29: General Lighting and Mood Concept (note the overall mood minus the setting) < Thom Tenery>

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Figure 30: Texture Concept

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Figure 31: Door Trim Models

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Characters/Vehicles

Figure 32: http://features.cgsociety.org/stories/2007_12/UT3/images/Necris_02.jpg

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Detailed Maps

Overview Map

Figure 33: Level Overview and Scale

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Figure 34: Level Key

Figure 35: Level Sections

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Walkthrough/Detailed Map Description

Area 1

Figure 36: Level Layout - L1

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Area 2-3

Figure 37: Level Layout - L1-L4

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Figure 38: Level Layout - L2b

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Figure 39: Elevation

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dm-zharplista level design document

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