Client Project Proposal

Given Brief:

To create an original and playable first-person level in either the Unreal Runtime or UT2004 application to a high standard. Successful completion of the project will develop and hone skills in the following areas:

• Demonstrable evidence of Level Design skills.
• Demonstrable evidence of Architectural design skills and the use of architectural composition.
• Demonstrable evidence of the ability of working to a strict technical brief.Demonstrable evidence of problem solving and adaptation from conception through to final product.
  

It is required that the level has stand alone texture and static-mesh packs (.UTX and .USX format).

There is also a requirement to include BOT/AI pathing in your level

You must choose one of the four following themes:

• Gothic
• Sci-fi
• Cartoon
• Contemporary

1. The player must be able to spawn.
   
2. There must be a lighting scheme.
3. The level must successfully load into the Unreal Engine with no compiling errors.
4. No more than 50 uniquely created diffuse colour textures may be used.
5. All textures must be your own. (No reuse of UT tex packs is allowed.) Any static meshes used must be your own. No re-use of UT static meshes is permitted.
6. Maximum individual texture size of 2048x2048 pixels.
7. Polygon count for the entire level: Min: 30,000 triangles Max: 100,000 triangles.
   

Theme Choice:

I have chosen to create the level in the theme of Gothic Architecture, and the level will have an old horror movie quality about it. The level will be set in a mountainous area, but the actual playable portion of the level is a bridge that spans a bottomless chasm. This bridge is a huge, ornate bridge leading to Dracula’s castle, which players may be able to spot in the distance.

Description and Level Layout:

The bridge will not be like bridges you might find elsewhere in the world, it is more like a fortress that just happens to be the only way across this chasm leading to Dracula’s castle. In the middle of this bridge lies a huge cathedral style building with high vaulted roofs and a high spire situated on the top that can be used by players as a vantage point or sniper position. This spire can be got to in a number of different ways, such as stairs leading up the sides of the building and a number of walkways running around the roof of the building. At either end of the bridge lie tall towers, each with a pinnacle on top. These too can be used as vantage/sniper spots, and can be entered from below by various sets of stairs. The sides of the bridge are blocked off by walls to insure that players do not inadvertently fall to their doom, but along these walls lies doors that lead underneath the bridge to a network of rooms. These rooms connect to everywhere on the bridge, and span as wide as the reach both tall towers, this ensures that players have a number of routes to choose to get to their destination. Parts of the bridge have fallen prey to the elements, and due to disrepair have crumbled onto the floor. These bits of rubble have proven useful to players who wish to traverse the bridge unharmed, by using them as cover to stay hidden. Also due to villagers using the bridge to get to Dracula’s castle, and with the inevitable battle between Vampires and Humans that ensued, many tell tale signs of battle are apparent such as discarded wagons and debris.

Inspirations:

What first inspired me in the design of this level was an Internet search into Gothic Architecture, where a found a bridge in Prague that was built in the Gothic style. I then started thinking about how a long straight open level could be very detrimental to the players playing the map, so I tried to think of ways around it by breaking the level up a bit. I went back to the church architecture I was looking at recently and wondered about how it would look if I put a building in the middle of the bridge, and I remembered about Tower Bridge in London with its huge towers. If I used towers like this, but made it so that there weren’t as many open spaces in the level I thought it could definitely work, and if I had bits of architecture broken and on the floor of the bridge, like big columns of stone, I could give players cover from enemy fire.

Textures and Meshes:

For my level I will be using an abundance of stone textures for different parts of the level, so players can easily tell what part they are in, and textures for the roofs are needed as well. Ornate textures based on Gothic carvings will feature a lot in this level also, so I will have a few examples that I will carry on research into. Statues on the walls of the buildings will be made in Maya, as will windows and doors. The rubble on the floor of the bridge will also be made in Maya, as will the debris like wagons and barricades.

Time Management:

• 28/01/08 – Hand in Proposal, carry on researching into Gothic Architecture.
• 04/02/08 – Plan layout of level.
• 11/02/08 – Start work in Unreal Editor.
• 18/02/08 – Continue work in Unreal Editor, make use of Maya and Photoshop for meshes and textures.
  
• 25/02/08 – Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop.
• 03/03/08 – Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop.
• 10/03/08 – Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop.
• 17/03/08 – Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop. Start to lay out bot pathing.
• 24/03/08 - Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop. Continue with bot pathing, and regularly play test level to iron out bugs and glitches.
• 31/03/08 - Continue work in Unreal, Maya and Photoshop. Continue with bot pathing, and regularly play test level to iron out bugs and glitches.
• 07/04/08 – Finish off the level, final play tests .
• 14/04/08 – Hand in work, and prepare for presentation.