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Lyra: Third Person Shooter Level Design

A Third Person Shooter greybox level I did with Lyra package in Unreal Engine,

DESIGN BRIEF

  • Tasked with level design.

  • Worked solo

PROJECT DETAILS

  • Tools:

        - Engine: Unreal (Lyra Starter Package)

        - Procreate, Figma, Milanote

LEVEL OVERVIEW

PRE- PRODUCTION

IDENTIFY DESIGN CHALLENGES

  • Each section of the level needs to serve multiple purposes, enabling players to use the map in their own way.

  • Passive Wayfinding: Allows players to “read” the level while playing, visually guides the player's sight and prepares for further action, creating an engaging and immersive experience.

FINDING REFERENCE

  • Main theme: factory.

  • Use elevation to naturally form chock point.

  • Use balcony as vantage point.

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THE PROCESS

SKETCH: PLAN THE PATH AND SPACES

The level was planned to have 3 paths with symmetrical structure.

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*Spaces are circled in the sketch. *

*Lines and arrow are the paths, this sketch is only expressing the general direction of moving. *

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BUBBLE DIAGRAM (VERSION #1)

Based on the brainstorm sketch, I further added a  few paths so players could have more choices as they moving in the map.

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The first level block out is shown below.

LAYOUT SKETCH AND BLOCK OUT

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*All the colored blocks are stairs. *

Testing conducted within this level. It is undeniable that this level helped me establish a solid foundation for design and improvement, but there is still room for improvement.

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PLAYTEST RESULT

  • The three paths lack do not show distinct gameplay experience.

  • The control point sections are significantly elevated above the level, making the attacks outside of the section to be very predictable (yellow arrows), this will further favoring defenses from inside of the control points.

  • The indoor area (surrounded by green lines) is overly complex.

  • Numerous elevated platforms give players unbalanced combat advantage.

  • Going to the central area (surrounded by blue lines) for the shotgun is too risky, and the reward isn't enough. Players will probably avoid going there.

  • Two paths connecting two control points (surrounded by purple lines) and two double door (red lines) will further encourage players to not access the central area.

LEVEL ITERATION

BUBBLE DIAGRAM (VERSION #2)

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FIRST FLOOR

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SECOND FLOOR

FINAL LAYOUT SKETCH AND BLOCK OUT

* Slide to check the previous layout and final layout.*

* Slide to check the previous greybox and final greybox.*

LEVEL WALKTHROUGH

Differentiate the three paths based on movement speed and whether they are indoors or outdoors to offer players distinct gaming experiences.

PATH #1: THE ALLEY

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  • The path has the longest moving distance.

  • Let players reach the control point without going through the middle area.

  • Offer a safer route among the three options, reducing the chances of immediate intense battles.

  • If an enemy attacks from the end of the alley, players can use the factory's outer walls as cover and counterattack or change their path by moving to the right into the factory.

* The alley is the part painted in yellow. *

ALLEY: BEFORE ITERATION

ALLEY: AFTER ITERATION

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PATH #2: THE FACTORY

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* The factory is the part painted in yellow. *

  • The path with moderate moving distance and safety.

  • Simplify the factory layout for shorter player routes to the middle area.

  • Players can obtain the most powerful weapon at the factory's balcony without fully entering the middle area.

  • The balcony provides players with significant advantages by offering vantage point and weapon pick-up, but it's also vulnerable to attacks from enemy players on the opposing balcony.

  • This path does not allow players to directly reach the control point. Players have to leave the factory and enter the middle area to capture control points.

FACTORY: BEFORE ITERATION

FACTORY: AFTER ITERATION

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PATH #3: BACK DOOR

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  • The path with the shortest moving distance.

  • Let players reach the control point without going through the middle area.

  • Players expose themselves to combat right after they choose this path.

* Back door is the part painted in yellow. *

BACK DOOR: BEFORE ITERATION

BACK DOOR: AFTER ITERATION

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CONTROL POINTS

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* Control points are the part painted in yellow. *

CONTROL POINT (UP)

 BEFORE ITERATION

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CONTROL POINT (UP)

 BEFORE ITERATION

Lower the control points, put them on the same level as the middle area:

  • Preventing players who occupy it from having an overwhelming advantage.

  • Control points are still elevated: players need to stand on blocks to capture the control point and gain an advantaged view of the middle area.

  • Adding more entry to the control point(3 openings), attack routes are less predictable.

CONTROL POINT (UP)

 AFTER ITERATION

CONTROL POINT (DOWN)

 AFTER ITERATION

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SIDE WALK

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* Side walk is the part painted in yellow. *

CONTROL POINT (UP)

 BEFORE ITERATION

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Removed the two double doors, blend the side walk into central area by adding more entry to it. Players now have to expose themselves if they want to reach control points.

CONTROL POINT (DOWN)

 AFTER ITERATION

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THANK YOU FOR READING

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