Open World Inspired Game

Introduction

Summary

Individual solo project spanning 7 weeks of work.
Focus on designing and intresting area
Planing inteasted gameplay event
Level Desgin

To view an gameplay commentary, press the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LFOOLKETLM

This open world experience will be a zombie apocalypse game. However, this takes place during the Bakumatsu era, also known as “The fall of the Samurai”. So, the player will have access to both katanas and revolvers/muskets. The player's mission is to get to the temple and retrieve an old artifact. To get there, the player must deal with zombies/bandits, crossing the rivers, find a way into the city, and ascend the stairs to the Temple. Since it's an open world, there are other things to do, such as looking for upgrades, doing side quests for NPC's, and exploring. One unique thing on this level is the train tracks that split the level in two, where the lower part is the easier while the upper area is the more difficult.

Construction of Experiences and Areas

The Farmlands

Timelapse of the construction for the wheatfield. Originally, wheat fields were much larger and much more orderly placed in this area. After feedback, the wheatfield decreased in size and became more natural in the cultivation area.

Creating this open world level took much longer than expected. Many areas were redone, especially after feedback. The biggest problem I had was that the players got tired quickly in the open areas, like the wheat fields. So, roads had to be changed, things were added along the roads and points of interest such as buildings, watchtowers or other things were added in the distance to add interest to those areas.

And if I had more time, I would have spent more time on these open areas. So that the player always has a good experience regardless of where they are on the map. This is something that I will focus on in future open world projects.

The Rice Fields and Fishing Town

What was removed of the wheat field was replaced by rice fields and more work was put into its height. The fishing town went from quite an open area, with several ways in and out, to being more closed off with a linear beginning. Now the fishing town is a closed off experience, with the purpose of being a side mission area, which has only one way in and out.

The Swamp and the Forest

Timelapse of the construction for the forest and swamp area, in the beginning the forest and especially the swamp was much denser. After playtests and feedback it became clear that it was easy to get lost here. So, I increased the openness of these areas, so it became easier to look around. Additionally, I added signs and things along the walls to guide the players, so they don't get lost so easily.

The City and Temple

Timelapse of the construction for the city and the temple. This area went through some changes, especially the additional ways into the city, something that was added after feedback. Further, the temple was placed higher up, which resulted in that the player can almost always see their Long Time Goal.

Starting Area - Establish Goals and Learn the Controls

The first area is meant to introduce the player to the game's gameplay and the player's goals. When the player leaves the starting area, they will be placed at a vantage point, here they can see large parts of the map and will be presented with short, mid, and long-time goals.

What underwent the most changes were the farm area. Originally, all were a rectangle shaped, fenced off area. This was quickly changed to larger and more organic areas, where the player is led around curling paths. This is also where the player will be introduced to the means of transportation, a horse, as well as the first type of enemies, zombies, that come in different versions.

The most common will be the slow zombies. But scattered here and there, there will also be fast ones.

Wheat Field

This is the first large area that the player will explore. This begins in a more open area where the player has plenty of space to learn the controls for the horse. However, this will change to more narrow passages when they enter the farm area. Either following the crooked paths between the fields or walk through them.

The main threats here are slow zombies, which can often be spotted from a distance, but the player must be a little careful, because some zombies are hidden in the wheat fields and will wander out if the player gets too close.

Home Base

This level does include a small friendly town which represents the home base for the player, where they can buy items, get missions, upgrade weapons, and level up. The player can find shops, NPCS, a blacksmith and more horses should they lose their current one. The train tracks, which also splits the town in two, a Handcar can be found. This will be used in the future as a fast-traveling system to other levels.

This area is safe from the enemies, which allows the player to have time to inspect and plan the areas around the home base.

Seconed Area - Rice Field and Fishing Towns

This area focuses a bit more on narrow playfields, there are still areas here that are more open, like the rice fields, but The Forest and a Fishing Town, are not. Here also exits one of the big side missions, Fishing Town. Enter it and deal with the zombies and get to the cargo ship. This area is completely optional for the player to enter, just containing items and upgrades.

What changed a lot in this area was the rice field, originally this was wheat fields. This was changed to a rice field for variation, and then, more work was put in the altitude on those fields. The town became more secluded, and the forest got a small witch house, which adds a bit of mystery to the area.

There are different ways to get to this area, the most common is to follow the main path from the home base. But there are other ways in, such as at the side path before the wheat field from where you can enter the forest.

Rice Fields

This area was originally a wheat field, but this was changed for the sake of variation, the area still has the same purpose as before, to be a bit of an open area. There are some enemies walking around here, a good place to use horse combat.

However, after feedback I put more work on the height in this area and have the player climb these heights to get a dispatch point where they can see and plan ahead.

The Fishing Town

The fishing town is one of the side mission locations on this map, the goal here is to get to the cargo ship. However, this place crawls of zombies, both slow and fast. So, the challenge here is higher than outside this town.

There is only one way into the town, from this angle they will get a view of the cargo ship, their end goal. There are different paths to that goal that favor different play styles. If you want to sneak, you can move in the dark alleyways, or you can take the open roads for clear field of view which benefits combat.

At the end when they reach their reward, there is a shortcut that leads back to the beginning, so this area has a clear Level-loop.

Third Area – Swamp and the Dark Forest

In this area, both the environment and mood will change when arriving. Apart from other areas, regardless of time of day (in-game), when entering, a fog smoothly creeps in and a thick mist lies above the ground.

With this change also comes a new enemy, in addition to zombies and undead animals, bandits prowl here as well. These new enemies are a bigger challenge for the player, they use both tactics and range, something the undead don’t use. This way, the player will have a varied combat experience.

What took the most work in this area was letting the player get lost in the swamp. Originally, it was super easy to get lost here, so a lot of time was put into increasing the size of the lakes, adding clearer paths and a tower that act as a Focal Point, so that players have an easier time finding their way.

The Putrid Swamp

In these areas, the player's visibility will decrease, the fog will reduce how far the player can see, resulting in a spookier atmosphere. To build on this theme, most of the enemies are hiding in the shallow water or in the vegetation along the roads. Something that forces the player to be more careful.

In the middle of this swamp there is a small house with a watch tower, this is used as a waypoint and a Focal Point, most of the path leads to and from this house. Here the player can climb up the tower and get above the fog. From here, they can see where they are and plan how to move forward.

The Dark Forest

The area that encircles the swamp is a dark forest, this area is a bit like the other forest on this level but is way darker and filled with more dangerous enemies. The most common enemy found here are bandits, enemies that are both smarter and uses ranged weapons. Here the player must use different tactics to survive.

In this forest also exist a path that leads to the bandit camp. It is also the same forest where the player can find a semi-hidden path that leads to a waterfall, where they can get to the other side of the river. This is one of only two ways to get over to the other side.

The Bandit Mining Camp

In the forest there is also a side mission area, a Bandit Camp. This camp is an old mine which has been taken over, the mine is placed on the mountain side and can easily be seen from afar. This mining area is built as an arena for the player, so when the players arrive, they will be led into a battleground with the bandits.

There is a mixture of melee and ranged bandits here, to clear the place from enemies, the player must first defeat all the regular bandits before the leader shows up. When he is defeated, you can take your reward and leave.

Fourth Area - Of Trains and Bandits

In this area we have one of the more interesting things to explore, the crashed train. But that's not all, two overrun villages and an additional Bandit Camp exist here as well. This area has been divided into two types of gameplay styles/themes, but the player isn't forced to follow them, all areas have been made for both stealth and combat to a certain degree.

Areas underwent some changes, some areas became larger, while others became smaller. For example, The Bandit Camp was originally thought to be just a small village. But since there are already small villages here, this was changed to a fishing village instead.

It is also here where the second way across the river is located, the player must first get through the train and then past the Bandit Camp to get across.

The Train and its Dead Cargo

The crashed train on the bridge is one of the two paths that lead over the river and to the city, but this is not an easy cross over. When the player enters the wagons, they will be met by a heap of dead passengers, some on the floor and others still in their seats. But not all are completely dead, because, among the dead are zombies prowling, waiting for the player to enter before they attack.

In these wagons, where the player must walk through/past all the bodies, the experience will get more of a horror experience. This will last until the player is halfway through the train before being jump scared by a zombie and transitions into combat, and from there must fight their way through the rest of the train.

The Bandit village and the Bridge

This small fishing village is filled with bandits to fight. But all this can be avoided, this village is built to have both open areas/roads to fight in and have dark alleys and shelters to use stealthy sneak-through.

After all, the end goal here is not to rid the village of bandits, but to get to the bridge that leads across the river. Hence, I have made this area so that the player can decide for themselves how they want to achieve this.

The Final Area - A Ruined City and a Wonderful View

This last area is where the player’s final goal, the temple, can be found. But getting there depends a bit on how they came across the river. If they took the route through the waterfall, they will first arrive at the military camp, from there they can either climb over the wall or go to the main gate to get into the city. But if the player comes from the bandit village, then they will either use the main gate or the sewer tunnels to get into the city.

This area underwent different versions, especially the area around the city. From the beginning, the area in front of the city was supposed to be a battlefield, but this did not fit well with this cramped area, so it was turned into a military camp instead. The area outside the walls was meant to be more of a farmland, but this area was reduced in size and changed to be barricades and some docks.

The Military Camp

If the player took the waterfall path, they will first arrive at the military camp. This place has been overrun by zombies, here you can find everything from slow to fast, hidden to roaming, and to fully armored ones. A good mix of challenges and combat scenarios for the player to experience.

This area is full of destroyed tents, piles of bodies and barricades so that the player will really get the feeling of an old battlefield that took. Same as many other areas, the player can use different play styles here, stealth, on foot combat or on horseback. At the end of the military camp the player has the choice to either use a massive body pile to climb up the walls or follow the side of the wall to the main gates to enter the city.

The Outside of the City

If the player comes from the bandit village, they will be presented to two choices, either they can follow the walls to the Main Gate or follow the docks to the sewer system. If they use the Main Gate route, then they will be challenged with a bunch of enemies, some of them can be avoided by sneaking through the small wheat field, but most of them cannot be avoided.

However, the other choice is not as clear for the player, here they must think and explore to find out that they can use the sewer system to get into the city. Thus, most players will likely miss this way into the city, hence, players who explore a lot will be rewarded.

The Ruined City

The city is the final area of this level, the difficulty here is significantly higher here than in other places. But it's entirely up to the player how they respond to these threats, the city is built so that both combat and stealth are equally viable.

This city has several different paths to the final goal, depending on which way the player takes, they will find themselves in different places in the city.

A Rewarding View

The last challenge is to climb the huge stairs to the temple. Along the way up, they will meet groups of the enemy that will pour down towards them.

Here I also have created a scenario where the player will be turned 180 degrees and are now facing the way they come from. The reason behind this is to reward the player with a beautiful view of the entire level, a so-called Rewarding Vista. Where they can see where they started from and how far they have come, a feeling of accomplishment.

The last stretch is quite calm, a few enemies before you get to the temple and reach the end of the level.

Playthrough video with commentary

Closing Thoughts

While I was reasonably happy with what I was able to create in these 7 weeks, I never got anywhere close to what I originally planned. Originally it was intended to be fully playable, with scripts, combat, and other gameplay features. But creating this level took much longer than expected, so I ended up having no time to create the gameplay features.

In addition, I had a lot of problems with the level and the Unreal program, which also took a lot of time to solve. I had two big problems, the first was level streaming, where objects became invisible even though the player has line of sight of it. It took a long time of changing the settings to fix this problem. The other big problem was Unreal Engine’s foliage tool, where certain areas would immediately crash the program if you placed anything with the foliage tool there.

How I solved this problem was to first remove all the foliage from those areas, something that meant me having to redo a lot of work. After that, everything worked as it should. What I learned from this was that open world levels take much longer time than expected. You must always keep an eye on the performance, ensure that the streaming actually works and be prepared to put in the extra time needed to solve the problems that may arise.