BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUTS
For 2023's Blocktober, I wanted to take a different approach. Instead of focusing on one large project for October, I divided the month into creating 3 quick bite-size encounters. A way for me to practice and get a better understanding of different types of encounters and how their enemies are positioned. All these encounters were built with respective kits.
Allowing me to focus on:
Below are the 3 games I chose for inspiration...
Allowing me to focus on:
- Building the level
- Setting where enemies will spawn
- Laying out interactions (cover points and vaultable objects)
- Laying out resources (health, ammo, additional weapons etc.)
Below are the 3 games I chose for inspiration...
Bite-size encounter BLOCKOUT #1The inspiration for the 1st Bite-Size Encounter Blockout came from Uncharted 4's Auction Heist Shootout. |
BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUT #2The inspiration for the 2nd Bite-Size Encounter Blockout came from Lies of P's Lorenzini Arcade. |
BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUT #3The inspiration for the 3rd Bite-Size Encounter Blockout came from Spider-Man 2's Venom's City Takeover. |
BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUT #1
In this bite-size encounter, I wanted to create something that mimics 3rd person cover based shooters. Which is why I decided to look at the Auction Heist Shootout in Uncharted 4. In addition, I looked at the 3rd encounter in The Wedding mission in Sleeping Dogs. Since both of those games shared similar layouts and enemy placement.
The level consists of:
The level consists of:
- A starting lobby to give the player a place to spawn
- Two floors (Top & Bottom)
- A mix of enemy types (Melee-only, short to mid-range shooter, and sniper)
- A buddy AI to assist the player in combat (like Sam in Uncharted 4)
- Cover points
- Vaultable objects
- Resources (ammo, health, additional weapons)
- Spawn points for the enemy
- Respawn point for the player
BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUT #2
In this 2nd bite-size encounter, I wanted to practice with setting up ambushes. I had Lies of P fresh in my mind and these are common occurrences in the game.
So here's an overview of how the encounter plays out:
So here's an overview of how the encounter plays out:
- Giving the player the enemy's back is tempting. However, getting kicked by an ambushing enemy from the right is a surprise of its own.
- Next, 3 enemies (1 patrolling around) within a wider space with an enemy looking over the area from above.
- In the next area, the player is greeted by another enemy that comes around the corner.
- A shiny health kit lures the player in and then drops down an enemy from behind (Lies of P has instances of enemies jumping down, climbing up, breaking through glass, walls, doors, etc.)
- At the beginning of the encounter, the player was kicked to the ground. Learning from that, there is another enemy out of sight. Allowing the player to get two free stealth kills is executed right.
- Finally, the player finds the ladder, climbs up, and takes out the final enemy.
BITE-SIZE ENCOUNTER BLOCKOUT #3
In this 3rd and final bite-size encounter, I wanted to practice with small group of enemies and transitioning into larger group of enemies. From this and previous blockouts before this one-- a learned that health pools is an important part of enemy size. My thought process for encounter design (specifically for action games), the more enemies the lesser their health. It alleviates the frustration of players dealing with spongy enemies.
The idea of the space is that destruction has occurred and so there's debris. Then there's overgrowth in the shape of vines and building structures raised into the air.
Which make for good:
The idea of the space is that destruction has occurred and so there's debris. Then there's overgrowth in the shape of vines and building structures raised into the air.
Which make for good:
- Barriers
- Sightline Blockers
- Unique pathing to platforms
THE CITY (DECEMBER 2023)
--------*Flicking Lights/Flashing Warning*--------
To end off 2023, I took some inspiration from the last bite-size encounter in October, the recent Echoes of the Fallen DLC for FF16 and DMC5 to create a city being taken over. Playing those two things, I realize their encounters work in closed off arenas. Meaning either a trigger or something in those games is called-- 2 or more barriers are created to stop players from leaving the area. Once that happens, the enemies are spawned in, once the waves of enemies are done with-- the barriers go away to allow the player to exit the area. |
Layout & learning IN THE CITY
Throughout the process, I messed around with new things:
After each encounter, the spinning green orbs are destroyed. This is to convey the player is saving/healing the city (similar to Spider-Man 2). However, what's taken over the city would retaliate to the player as if it's a virus.
This is the reason why:
I used the spikes to keep engagement going through some of the transitional spaces between encounters. And that's made apparent near the final encounter, as this is the organism's last stand against the player.
- World Partition (I see why this comes in handy)
- Cable Actor & Physics Constraint Actor (never knew these were even a thing)
- Splines (I haven't messed around with it much recently, but I knew I wanted helicopter-like objects flying around)
After each encounter, the spinning green orbs are destroyed. This is to convey the player is saving/healing the city (similar to Spider-Man 2). However, what's taken over the city would retaliate to the player as if it's a virus.
This is the reason why:
- Enemies spawn
- Spike pop up from the ground
I used the spikes to keep engagement going through some of the transitional spaces between encounters. And that's made apparent near the final encounter, as this is the organism's last stand against the player.
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