Alien Crash Site
General
This level takes place in a crashed alien ship off the coast of Aruba. It is a first person platformer/puzzle game where you have to use alien terminals that interact with the ship. There are three paths that can be taken to reach the end. These paths are the Main Hall, the Side Halls, and the Ventilation Shafts. The paths split up then rejoin multiple times throughout the level but rejoin permanently before the final objective.
Project Info:
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Genre: First Person Platformer/Puzzle​
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Development Period: 1 month
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Responsibilities:​
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Create rough diagrams of a level that has a main path and 2 side paths.
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Create a mechanic as well as some secondary ones that fit in with the level.
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Create a working blockmesh of the level with a final objective.
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Reflection:
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What went right:
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Mechanic worked as intended.
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Playtesters were not lost in most parts
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Completing everything was not too hard.
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What went wrong:
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Debugging mechanic took a large portion of time.
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Some interactions were downsized due to time.
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Level looks unpolished.
Mechanic Showcase:
Interactable Terminals:
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There many terminal screens placed around the level that resemble computer screens. They have a glass screen and blue emissive buttons that can interact with the ship.
Artifacts/Intel:
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These are the level's collectables that are placed throughout the map. The artifacts are ship parts that go into the inventory while the intel gives the player information about the crew.
Full Playthrough
Planning
Design Goals:
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Paths: The level needs to have a main path and two secondary paths that separate and rejoin multiple times before staying as one near the end.
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Collectables: The collectables (Intel and Relics) must be placed in the side paths only to encourage exploration.
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Exploration: Allow the player to go back if they want to try different paths and allow all objectives to be complete.
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Feedback: Make it clear when players can interact with a terminal as well as knowing what doors are unlocked.
Design Rules:
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Make all paths and collectables optional.
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Only require the final choice to beat the level.
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Allow the player to return if they want to do everything.
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Punish players lightly when they die.
Main Sections:
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Cargo Hold - This is where the player spawns and is presented with multiple doors to take.
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Trial 1 - Where the paths regroup and the player raises pillars individually to proceed.
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Cafeteria - Where the player can complete the side objective of making and eating a sandwich.
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Trial 2 - A wiring puzzle where the player needs to transfer power to proceed.
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Trial 3 - Invisible bridges that can be revealed by a terminal.
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Core Room - Where the player decides whether to blow up the ship or siphon the core's contents.
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Escape Pod Bay - Where the player escapes, ending the level.
Level Drafts
Bubble Diagram:
First Draft:
Walkthrough Maps
Key:
Description:
The walkthrough map shows the different paths that can be taken, represented by their own color. The reference number refers to the step order that the path is taken starting at one.
The main path is represented by red, the side halls by green, and the ventilations by yellow. The trials will be represented by a white diamond with its number on top.
All Paths
Level Trials
Trial 1:
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This trial requires the player to raise the pillars from the pit individually to reach the next paths. Each button is assigned to an individual pillar to raise or lower.
Trial 2:
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This trial is a wiring puzzle that the player solves by choosing the correct wire shape and rotation to send power through.
Trial 3:
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This trial has invisible platforms that can be walked on, the path can be revealed by activating them in the terminal.
