Hey everyone, here's the final update for the encounter project I've been working on. The whole project is separated into two levels; infiltrating the high-rise building and inside the high-rise building. The first level has 4 small encounters (max 2 enemies) while inside delves into the 1 vs. many fights you'd see in martial arts movies. I did make two additional enemies from the default kit along with making adjustments to the current ones (red, yellow, and black). The whole idea of this project was to have fun and try to do things I've seen in the games, anime, movies, and other types of media I'm into:
I think of encounters like action scenes. And because of that, I think about the pacing of enemy spawns. Or rather, encounters in general. An important aspect of encounter design is deciding when to start a fight. There needs to be some anticipation-- a ramp-up into the action. This is why pacing is an important part of encounter design. This is why after the second staircase fight, I don't trigger an encounter until after the red door. Also, I think of encounters like a pro wrestling match. Wrestlers don't stay in one spot, they're using moving in and around the ring. There's a push and pull-- a use of the environment to defeat their opponent. This is why I made the big dark area have objects to split enemy navigation. I did have issues with:
The idea behind the illusion section of the level was to show how the player reached the top floor. In Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu Kaisen, they have encounters that seem like a few hours but in reality, they've been doing them for a couple of days or weeks. And between the number of encounters and enemies I spawn, that's what I designed to get across. Overall, it was a good learning project for me to do. I had fun coming up with the encounters. Next, I'll most likely do some bite-size encounters for blocktober. [UPDATED]
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MY ARENA5 challenges, no more than 5 modifiers per challenge, only used modifiers and cheats within the game, and built a blockout of an arena. I chose to blockout a bullet train with 7 sections. Aside from that, I did a little bit of scripting for sliding doors. Then I went about deciding the placement of enemies and how many there would be in each section. I didn't do any of the AI work, that's part of a kit I bought off the marketplace. Combat designI found the combat in Judgment to be different than most modern action games. Meaning there wasn't a specific "counter" button nor was there a specific button to parry. Generally, the main skill that offers a real counter is where you land an attack right before the enemy attacks. Or certain EX attacks that allow you to do something similar. This seemed to be done in order to have players focus on positioning. Judgment has much more in common with martial arts movies than anything else. Speaking of EX attacks, these are achieved by charging up the EX Gauge. Similar to fighting games, it can be gained by attacking and taking damage. Also, unlocking skills and using items made it charge faster. Additionally, players could activate an EX boost which increased attack speed and allowed them to become less likely to recoil from attacks. EX attacks like the example shown above, required specific conditions that needed to be fullfilled in order for players to execute. Also, it allowed players to switch between Crane and Tiger style which both had their strengths and weaknesses. This along with other skills created a very engaging experience and created hype moments. This combat system could have easily been one sided if Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio stopped there. Yet, the beautiful part about combat design isn't all about how the player hits... but how they get hit, what happens, and ways for them to solve that problem. Majority of the time, players are tasked with fighting a group of enemies. This created the issue of having the player decide who needed to be targeted and defeated first. Enemies were able to provide a multitude of variations to combat the player. Enemies could (not including all):
However, visiting the doctor or using a medkit wasn't the only way to recover from mortal wounds. In fact, it was possible to bypass taking mortal wounds in the first place. EX boost also allowed players to absord damage which included deadly attacks. These two rules (the use of EX boost and mortal wounds) are introduced in the first boss fight of Judgment. To bring this altogether, players have an EX Gauge they need to manage. They're able to use EX attacks but can also use EX boost. EX boost can be used to absorb damage (which includes deadly attacks). However, if players don't have enough to boost and are attacked by deadly attacks then they have to use a medkit or visit a doctor. Yet, in a fight there's no access to the doctor. If there were no medkits avaliable then players would have to continue on with limited health. This created a game within the combat system. It gave players the choice of whether to do an EX attack or hold off to use an EX boost. They could even decide the duration of their EX boost because it could be deactivated whenever. Then players could reactivate or do EX attacks instead. It may sound simple but engaging the player just for that thought made a difference (especially for me). BOSS DESIGNAs I stated earlier, this will spoil the ending of Judgment as I reveal the final boss and story points. With that said, there are several boss fights within Judgment both minor and major. However, I will only be using the final fight (2nd fight) with Mitsuru Kuroiwa. The build up for this fight starts in the 1st chapter when Yagami found a dead Yakuza with their eyes gouged out. This eventually leads the killer to gain the code name The Mole. Yagami and Kuroiwa don't officially meet until chapter 4 which is after the first big case regarding Hamura. Throughout the story, people continually bring up the Okubo case where Yagami defended a client that people claimed to be a murderer. Especially, after the moment when Emi Terasawa was murderered and burned to death. The pursuit of the truth leads Yagami to AD-9 and its connection to the mole. AD-9 is a drug being created by Shono that has the potential to cure Alzheimer's disease. A disease that has affected various characters' lives. It gives people in high power a reason to look the other way because of its importance. After defeating Hamura in a boss fight in chapter 10, Yagami questions him and pieces of the story begin to come together. Chapters 11 and 12, it is discovered that Yakuza members were used as human trials for AD-9. Okubo never killed the Alzheimer's patient and Shono was the one who murdered Emi Terasawa. And the identity of The Mole is Mitsuru Kuroiwa... which all comes to the final boss fight in chapter 13. All major boss fights started with a title showing off who the player was about fight. Only a few started off with a bit of fighting before leading into the title. However, these two examples have a long extended cutscene that provided amazing fight choreography. Mainly the 2nd and final fight with Mitsuru Kuroiwa (the right image). When Yagami and Kuroiwa bashed into each other and the title "Tokyo PD Organized Crime Division Mitsuru Kuroiwa" appeared on my screen it was a hype moment for me. It set a level of intensity for the entire boss fight going forward. Rightfully so, as everything from the very beginning of the game had built to this moment. During boss fights, cutscenes would trigger during gameplay. These would lead to different things but most involved a QTE (Quick Time Event), transitions or both. The QTE if the button was correctly pressed gave players momentum. This would leave the boss on the ground or in a general disadvantage. The transitions would either have more enemies arrive, the boss would leave to a different room/place or it would change the fight area. In the final boss fight, the cutscene is used for fight area transition. This was done both to drive the climax of the fight but also lay the stage for more story afterwards. What made Kuroiwa such an amazing boss (especially to fight) was that he shared some of Yagami's abilities. For example, he was able to jump off walls to perform an attack. He didn't need to use guns or any sort of objects to fight. In so many ways, Kuroiwa was equal to Yagami in combat. And the fact, he managed to climb back into the building when he was believed to be dead. Which meant he needed to be defeated for a third time was surprising and exciting. When Kuroiwa was finally beaten, it made the fight much more satisfying. As for story, both Shono and Kuroiwa end up dead. Kuroiwa from multiple gun shots from the police players fought before reaching the final boss fight. Shono killed himself with a dose AD-9 that he believed to be complete. Before Kuroiwa dies, he understands why he had to gouge out the victims' eyes. As Shono eyes turn a blue pigmentation and has an agonizing death. The truth comes out about AD-9, Okubo gets released from prison and the people in power receive proper punishment. FINAL THOUGHTSThe reason I started playing Judgment to begin with was to find a game similar to Sleeping Dogs. Not the undercover/detective part, though that was a plus. More-so I was looking for an action game where the combat incorporated martial arts (in terms of hand-to-hand combat). Because as much as swords, guns and other melee-based weapons are cool to have characters use in games... I didn't want that. Which led me to the Yakuza series but not knowing where to start is what brought Judgment. Overall, it became one of my favorite games and I was able to learn some things from it too! The following post goes over the multiplayer portion of Killzone 2.
Being that the official website for the Killzone franchise retired this week, I thought I'd make a post about Killzone 2. I've separated this post into four sections where I talk about:
Once those have been discussed, I will finish things off with my final thoughts. With that said, let me explain why Killzone 2 is my favorite online experience to date. GameplayCompared to modern day shooters, Killzone 2's pacing was methodical. Much like Monster Hunter World, positioning and knowing ones surroundings were crucial elements. Additionally, it gave weight to the decisions players would make. There's nobody wall running or flying through the sky (even though those actions are fun), Killzone 2 was a gritty boots to ground team shooter. Primary weapons started with a decent amount of ammo but could run out quickly. If a team ammo dispenser wasn't avaliable, players would have to switch to their secondary weapon. The secondary weapon had unlimited ammo and defeated enemies dropped primary ammo. This made classes important because it meant there needed to be teammates who had the Engineer secondary badge (more on badges and classes later) and helped with keeping players engaged. Since ammo dispensers were located in specific areas, it would keep the action constantly moving. Although, it might be a small detail but Killzone 2's melee was simple. Compared the Killzone 3 when brutal kills were introduced. In Killzone 2, the character attacks with the butt of the gun. Tapping the melee button after the initial attack keeps it out and multiple hits can be performed. Though, the range on the melee was very short. The time-to-kill seemed to strike a solid balance. Long enough to have a proper gun fight but not too long to where players lost interest. And based on where players were shot also was a factor. Getting headshots in Killzone 2 was so gratifying because of the high pitch sound bit that played. It's my favorite sound ever put into a game! Clan SupportProbably the main reason why Killzone 2 was my favorite online experience was its clan support! This was huge because back then clan matches were mainly made on GameBattles. Having clan support built into the game meant players could stay online and not have to go through a third party service. It reduced confusion and helped create a thriving competitive community. Creating a clan in Killzone 2 was very straightforward and adding players was a smooth process. From there members could be promoted as well as demoted. There were rankings for clans and their individual members. In addition, Universe, allowed players to view the top 10 clans, clan of the day and today's match. And while it's something that most games have today, allowing players to spectate games was a huge plus. Clans could make custom games (more on custom games later) and spectate to see if there were players they wanted to recruit. Games could even be set to private which allowed clans to practice as well. However, clan matches and tournaments were the biggest aspect of the online experience. There players could battle for valor to rank up on the leaderboards. Which could be anywhere from 2v2 to 6v6 and up. So players could have multiple members doing various events and tournaments at the same time. Overall, it just made for a very exciting time online! Game modesOne of the things I heard a lot from players last year was "X game is repetitive". Which confused me because every game ever made is indeed repetitive. What I think is the crux of that statement is "X game is not engaging". Meaning, there might not be something that's not keeping the player on their toes. In Killzone 2, Warzone consisted of five different missions (two missions were done twice for each team):
On top of this, players made their own custom games and could change options like:
These missions and the ability to make custom games gave players choice on how they wanted to play. If things became repetitive then there were ways for them to change up various settings. Players could grab a friend and go against the AI on Elite difficulty. I remember my friends and I joked about the AI killing us without looking at us. Or when we'd wake up in the morning and practice for upcoming clan matches. I even remember the time when we did a 2v2 clan match and were excited when we won. There was always something to do or try out on Killzone 2! Classes/BadgesKillzone 2's multiplayer wouldn't be anything without its classes. The classes were a collection of seven as followed:
Primary badges were tied to their class but secondary badges could be swapped for other ones. Earlier, I brought up the Engineer's secondary badge. If the team needed ammo, then someone would need that badge. As time went by, players began to come up with strategies for game modes. For example, the Assault's secondary badge became useful for Search and Retrieve. However, to counter that, Saboteur's secondary badge would be used to down enemies before reaching the designated space. While the Medic's primary badge revives teammates, it could also be used as an additional weapon. It was very common for medics in Killzone 2 to down and eliminate enemies (a very trusty tool). However, one of the best primary badges in the game was the Tactician's spawn grenades. I say this because it was a way for players to get around spawn camping. Even with the turrents in team bases, enemy teams would still find away to camp at spawns. The issue became very apparent in Killzone 3 because there was no longer spawn grenades but instead spawn points. These spawn points would have to be captured in order to be used. While it was a good idea as it gave teams another objective to fight over, it usually ended with terrible levels of spawn camping. Final thoughtsSome may remember Killzone 2 solely for the single-player or how they felt the cover system was sluggish (something that wasn't used in multiplayer). However, for my friends and I, we'll remember it for the multiplayer. Many key elements that make Killzone 2's multiplayer special hasn't translated to modern games today. Which is understandable because every game is different and requires other features. Still, I do think there are things that can be learned from Killzone 2's multiplayer. I honestly think it was ahead of its time. Finally, I managed to find my old clan video that one of my members made for us. It just brings back so many memories. While making this post, I was playing skirmish in Killzone 2. The multiplayer may not be there but the levels/maps can be played with bots. Radec Academy is still my favorite map today! With that said, I'm glad I was able to share as to why Killzone 2 is my favorite online experience to date! This video shows off a level I made in a few hours and my attempt to recreate the hallway fight scene in Daredevil Season One. Note: I used the stylish combat starter kit I bought from the Unreal marketplace. AI, animations and all things dealing with the character were already built in.
This is the fight scene I was trying to recreate from Daredevil Season One. The following video displays gameplay of the Tengu Demon Boss Fight in Ghost of Tsushima.
In this post, I share some quick thoughts about the boss fight against the Tengu Demon. Before going into the fight itself, I'd like to talk about the birds surrounding the boss fight. Something like this going on during the fight is eye popping. I know a lot of work probably went into making this not break the fight itself. It doesn't seem like the birds have collision which might've caused more problems if they did. Some birds do fly in front of the camera as well but not very often. I think having that occur too much would distract the player. In addition, it's never good to impare the player's vision, especially in a game that requires precise timing. Overall, managing to get this to work brings a great amount of intensity to this fight. The only thing I wished for this fight is that things could've been a little brighter. I understand the atmosphere it's going for and it gets that right. However, things can blend in a bit at times. Though not a huge issue, but rather a nitpick. Otherwise, this was a very gritty fight against the Tengu Demon. Jin starts the fight covered in blood which sets the tone. Everything else from music, the swirling birds, the red and blue color choice helps to solidify that intended atmosphere. Honestly, the drums and strings really sells this fight for me. It's a fight that I really appreciate and it looks gorgeous! the conceptSummary
Objectives
Hook(s)/Gameplay Highlights
Backstory
why this concept?I've always been fascinated with the subject of witches. I've always been a fan of martial arts and fight scenes in movies. However, I've never seen these two things that I admire come together. Although, it could be said Bayonetta, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Legend of Korra have already done this combination. Yet, they haven't done it in the way I imagined it. the Mechanics & Hyacinth Long Abilitiesmechanics* means the ability uses magic from the Sorcery Meter
HYACINTH LONG ABILITIES
WHY These mechanics & abilities?If there's anything I've learned from fighting games, it's giving players various options, how important moment-to-moment gameplay and providing a solid risk/reward for doing things. In additional, it's always good to have everything to build upon each other. Everything from is build around the sorcery bar and goety meter. The idea came from Marvel's Spider-Man and how the focus meter works. I actually got to talk to one of the designers on the game during career fair at SMU Guildhall. I honestly think that it's a well built way of implementing a health system. One that gives you the choice to perform a finisher or gain back health. However, I looked at Dragonball Fighterz to make gaining meter a tad better. In Fighterz, meter can be gained by attacking, recieving damage, charging up and, in this case, simply moving forward. Though, the trade off in "A Dance with the Blood Violinist" is that taking damage decreases the goety meter. For the sorcery bar, I designed it to replenish over time so there wouldn't be an overreliance of certain abilities and bring back focus to hand-to-hand combat. Although, I have it to where executions can provide a huge increase. I adopted this from how DOOM encourages executions to gain back health and other things. Which again this offers options, risk/rewards and keeps up the moment-to-moment gameplay. enemies & boss phasesenemiesHuman (Basic Enemy)
Layla “The Blood Violinist” Boss PhasesPhase One - The Violinist
WHY THESE enemies & boss phases?I knew I wanted the enemies to use different types of fighting styles based on their race (human, vampire, zombie etc). Though they needed to make sense to them specifically. Humans for the most part can use any fighting style though I wanted some interesting ones. Which is why basic human enemies use Bartitsu; combining elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting and French kickboxing (or Savate). It made sense that armed enemies could use gun kata (while not possible in real life), the existence of fantasy makes it possible in this game world. It also gives a reason to why they're able to supress Long's witch powers, break her force fields and kick her out of Wicked Mode. Logically, these enemies would have had dealt with witches before so they'd be equip to make Long out. As far as the undead enemies, drunken boxing seemed to make sense for Zombies. They already mimic the characteristics as they sway often and have temporary bursts of speed. With Vampires, I've notice throughout fiction that they tend to slash with their hands. Which led me to give them the tiger style. In addition, both of these enemies need to be executed in order to actually die. It's already something that's important mechanic-wise and it made sense logically. Now, the design of these boss phases were helped by watching Dracula (2020) on Netflix. The idea is that the first two phases are taking place within a trance/illusion. This allows the whole fight to take place in the same room, but allow the enviroment to be a different arrangement each time. A way to help keep players engaged througout. Additionally, I didn't want an open area for the boss fight, but rather a space that could be used itself. The concept of Layla herself came from a mix of Vanya from the umbrella academy, the game Vampyr , a fight from Kung-Fu Hustle, and the many years of vampire lore from various pieces. The first phase is made to be in the form of a concert since Layla stays on an elevated platform. It's similar to how some of the original Crash Bandicoot games had their boss fights. The second phase is based around the mechanic to deal damage on vampires in the encounter before this fight. The final phase is a combination of everything the player has dealt with throughout the level. LEVEL LAYOUT & their encounter conceptfirst floorThe first floor was designed to have players take on many enemies at a time; a one vs. many fight scene. In order for this to work:
The biggest issue with these types of fights are getting the right timing and pacing. There can't be too many enemies that it overwhelms the player but not so few that it loses the intensity and engagment. Second floorThe second floor was designed from the concept of resident evil games and the iconic hallway fight scene in The Raid: Redemption. The fight doesn't start until the player reaches one of the triggers or attacks the feeding zombie. There are two enemies fighting each other but they've stop to attack the player as well. All while the player is trying to reach the third floor with a slow moving elevator coming down. The slow moving elevator is there to stop players from just rushing through this encounter. This is also the moment when players learn that executions will have to be performed to defeat undead enemies. third floorThe third floor focuses more on using the environment to help deal damage and defeat the vampire enemies. It allows the player to reach the boss room door but interrupts with a piano being played. Having the player turn around to see dancing vampires to introduce these enemies I thought would grab the players attention. These enemies can be taken on in sets or altogether depending on the player. Out of all the floors, this one is the more aesthetic encounters in the level (aside from the boss fight itself). phase one The first phase of the Layla boss fight focuses on projectile fighting. This is why there are:
phase twoThe second phase of the Layla boss fight is more close quaters and takes cues from the encounter on the third floor. This meaning that Layla will only take damage within the light. Additionally, pillars are constantly moving in a circular path. All of this was designed to keep a very intense and engaging second phase. Since the first phase was a warm-up, this phase is used to turn up the tempo/pace. phase threeThe third and final phase of the Layla boss fight incorporates everything the player has encountered within the level. It also begins we a scene that reveals that the previous two phases took place within an illusion. Layla herself is using skills and moves from the previous phases plus more. The entire outer wall is engulfed in flames to use as an environmental hazard. She has access to all the fighting styles (besides gun kata) and the weaknesses of the enemies that use them. MAP Gallerydesign documentFor more information and detail, I've added the design document for 'A Dance with the Blood Violinist'. This video shows the final version of my Blocktober level I created during October 2020. Note: I used a 3rd person template I bought from the Unreal marketplace. AI, animations and all things dealing with the character were already built in. My part in this was (including some):
A couple things I would've added if allotted more time:
There are more things I've could've done to make this level better. However, given the time allowed based on outside commitments, this is what I was able to create. GUIDING THE PLAYER & GETTING THEIR ATTENTIONStarting off, my eyes already move toward the opening. Regardless, if it was still within a cut-scene or not (I figured it stopped once the player slide into cover). The reason why my eyes gravitate towards the opening is because of contrast. While the lighting in this room is warm and welcoming, it's darker compared to the outside being bright. And I would assume this was just leaving an area that was mostly underground. So, being able to reach the outside is just another reason to draw players toward it. Once outside, immediately my attention goes straight toward the enemies because they're moving. After that, I turn my sights on the truck to use as cover because I don't want to be seen. After the first enemy is killed, I can then see the guiding lines from the:
The second enemy is still walking and drawing me towards that direction. Along with the guiding lines that I mentioned before. In addition, there are the rails on the stairs and the big poster in the background. Everything is telling me to head toward the right (even the small path currently because of the car blocking on the right). At this point, I'm starting to realize that red paint might be a way to help navigate me in this environment. It's similar to how Uncharted uses yellow or how some games use white scratch marks/paint. Regardless, the motion of the enemy in the background and the light balloons would still draw me toward the intended path. After killing the last enemy, I notice more guiding lines via the library sign, flipped over dumpster and the right building. In addition, the bright lights and purple smoke seems like a point of interest. Especially, since the smoke is moving and actually might lead me into the building. Just like at the beginning, there's a contrast. The library area seems darker than the current position. Since the bright light is over there, I want to go there. Final thoughtsEven from the small amount of gameplay, there's a lot of detail already in Deathloop. The levels are providing solid ways of guiding and grabbing the player's attention. Whether that be through: lighting, objects, red paint, motion etc. It'll be interesting to see what other techniques Arkane Lyon applies within Deathloop. The following video shows the changes I made in my latest update of Dreadful Hospitality.
In this post, I go in detail about some of the latest changes I made regarding my Hello Neighbor level entitled "Dreadful Hospitality". The Stairs & Staircase AreaThe changes I made on the stairs were purely from an aesthetic perspective. The previous version looked like steps rather than a staircase you'd see in a house. Originally, I thought that adding railings might have ruin my intended gameplay. When I started redesigning the stairs, I noticed through testing that there was an issue. Sosed (the enemy AI) couldn't use the stairs anymore. The navigation broke because new geometry was placed in a way that disrupted his pathway. This was easily fixed after creating simple geometry and constantly testing for errors. In addition, the area itself went through some iterations as well. I took out unneeded items, swapped some textures and widen the hole underneath the staircase for players to access easily. The Starting AreaI re-positioned the focus on what I wanted players to learn. Thinking back, having the doll in middle under a light didn't make sense from a gameplay perspective. Sure, it did a solid job of creating an initial creepy atmosphere but it distracted players from the intended objective. To negate that, I took the doll out and several items that didn't support the original design. I moved the generator in the middle where it's in the same shot as the switch and door. In addition, adding a subtle pulsing light on it provided more conveyance. I immediately saw improvements during play-tests as players knew they needed to interact with the generator to escape. It's something that can be easily looked over, but the slight change made a huge difference. Bush CollisionToward the end of last semester, I learned what boxes needed to be checked in an object's collision to not allow Sosed to see pass or walk through. One of these objects included the bush. Originally, I made it to where players could hide behind to lose line of sight from Sosed. However, they weren't able to hide in them physically. With the additional time given this semester, I wanted to test this out fully. It was actually quick and easy to change, but required some testing. This adjustment was for the better as it fits within the game and builds off affordance. Before, players would have to run away from a location that they wanted to be. With this change, they're able to maneuver around and hide near a place they intend to go. It gives them a chance to set the pace for themselves if they use the bushes properly. Lighting ImprovementsLighting was the biggest change that came out of this update. Before the level was dark and made it hard to see things. Players were able to finish the level, but made my conveyance elements tough to identify. I learned a lot about lighting when dealing with this issue. Nothing is completely black or white which led me to experiment with different colors. This helped make those hidden conveyance elements pop out more. Players were able to find key tools and flow options better. The weenies were more visible and aided players in knowing there position within the level. This was all done by making changes to the global illumination, tweaking the directional light, adjusting the height fog and a few other revisions. Final ThoughtsTo recap, there were several things I learned from my refinement project. The biggest thing coming from improving on the level's lighting. Experimenting with the color of light and light functions helped to make important conveyance elements pop-out. In addition, players were able to flow around the level smoother. Allowing players to hide in bushes was a solid addition to the gameplay. It wasn't something that completely changed how players interact within the level, but rather amplified the experience. The elimination of unneeded items helped in bringing focus to key puzzle elements. This helping players not to get stuck or confused as much as they would originally. Overall, I liked the changes I've made to "Dreadful Hospitality" but understand there are things that could still be improved upon. |
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