Lumber – Nick Verducci

Lumber

Platform:
Windows PC

Engine:
CoDRadiant Black (Infinity Ward engine
based on id Tech 3)

Language:
C-based CoDRadiant Script

Tools Used:
Radiant Level Editor

Duration:
2 weeks

Completion:
Initial Layout Done

Team Size:
1

Role:
Concept, design flow, white box, spawn points, objective placement

Download:
Lumber

Overview:

A small to medium sized symmetrical level set in a lumber yard. Multiple routes allow for quick access to every area without the frustration of being shot from every direction. This map has a good balance between open and closed areas to protect from kill streaks to keep the game play fun and balanced.

Please see below for design flow and documentation and click the download button on the left to be taken to the workshop page for Lumber.

Design Documentation

Level Flow:

In this level, the main paths can be broken up into three main lanes, although a fourth could be argued that leads to the hanging structure inside the main barn. Since this level is symmetrical, each area needs to be distinct in order to minimize player confusion. With that said, each lane in this level has distinct architecture and flow to make gameplay interesting. The top lane, or big barn, is more open inside with long lines of sight right outside the entrances. The middle lane splits off and goes into the big barn as well as the water area and the bottom lane goes into another loading dock building that overlooks the barn and water area. While each separate lane is it’s own distinct area,they still flow well together as the overall level can be seen as a figure 8 style of flow.

Iconic Spots and Types of Players:

I believe that a multiplayer map should have ‘iconic’ locations in which players will remember or talk about to others from their time playing the level. For lumber, I wanted the open area where the B flag is to be one of those. There are tons of wall run spots and double jump spots and that area is just overall chaotic (think what it is like to play on Rust or Shipment). The architecture of the wooden beams that come out of the barn to the mansion looking loading dock allows for this.

Due to the fact that this level supports advanced movement (double jump, boost jumping and wall running) I wanted to make sure that the advanced players have options to utilize those mechanics as well as supporting the casual players who do not use those that much. In the center of the map, there are options for both types of players as to not force players to play a certain way.

Framing and Level Design Principles:

When it comes to playing multiplayer maps, players need to be aware of where they spawn and where they can go when they enter a room or location. This is one of my favorite parts of creating a level because it requires some thinking and involves architecture and figuring out realistic placement of objects with respect to the fiction of the level. With this level, I spent a lot of time making sure the player did not have to do 180’s to enter a new area or get confused when they get shot from somewhere. The image to the side shows some of those principles in place. Elements such as overhangs or rounded corners near an entrance allow for the player to automatically get what is happening or where enemies may come from.

Iteration and Research:

This multiplayer map went through the most iteration during the paper phase. I was mainly trying to figure out the best layout for competitive game modes such as CTF. My process mainly involved me sketching the main routes players can take, and how well each would flow into one another. I also got some valuable feedback from a Senior Level Designer at DICE on the layout as well. The top picture to the side is my final layout of the map that I used to rapidly white box the level in the editor.

Since this was my first original multiplayer map, I had to do some research on the best practices and what layouts work best. When it came to spawn points, I looked at some similar levels in the same game franchise and the available routes players had when first spawning at the beginning of the match. This helped me understand the common routes that levels had and why they worked. With that info, I set out to use that info to create the spawn areas for Lumber.