The Bounty Hunter

Engine:

Unity

Project Type:

Student project - Solo

Roles:

Design, Level Design, Environment Art, Programming

Project Summary

‘The Bounty Hunter’ is a playable level for a first-person action-adventure game that incorporates non-linear level design and stealth and assault-based combat mechanics providing the player with a number of playstyles and paths through the level. The player takes the role of a spacefaring bounty hunter tasked with capturing the Kingpin Pana Shif. Shif supposedly operates out of Mining Settlement 24 on the planet Uskar. The player must explore the settlement to locate Shif and capture him, dead or alive. This prototype was created as a demonstration of level design techniques that can be used to create opportunities for ‘player expression’, techniques such as flexible goals, semi-linear structuring and integrated worldbuilding.

Responsibilities

My responsibilities within the project were:

Identifying the design goals for each area of the level, and refining each area’s design and layout through the development of 2D and 3D level blockouts.
Developing the narrative and setting for the level to support the core concept and level design goals, and inform further level design iterations.
Programming prototypes for key abilities, such as the teleport, and level events and interactions, such as the security gates.
Creating encounters for each of the level’s areas and implementing encounters in-engine using basic AI entities.

Level Summary

The Bounty Hunter level takes place in Mining Settlement 24 on the planet Uskar. The player must locate and capture the local mafia leader Pana Shif. There are three main areas to the level - The Settlement, The Cave and The Mafia Compound. The player begins in The Settlement where they can talk to the local settlers to acquire intel on Shif. These interactions can lead to alternative routes to the primary objective if the player chooses to follow them. The Cave introduces the player to large combat encounters and how they can be completed using assault or stealth playstyles. The Mafia Compound is the final area in the level and presents the hardest challenge to the player, offering several potential routes and methods for capturing or eliminating Pana Shif.

Level Design Goals

I had identified primary requirements for The Bounty Hunter level in the accompanying paper I wrote as part of the project. The level needed to include open, flexible goals, utilise a semi-linear structure, and integrate worldbuilding into its design. Beyond this I identified a number of secondary goals listed below.

Support both stealth and assault approaches to all areas and encounters within the level
Increasing encounter challenge as player gets closer to Pana Shif
Starting area will establish setting and primary goal for the player. Area will be relatively safe but still create feelings of unease and threat. Will include an introductory encounter and opportunities to gain additional information and advantages.
Secondary area includes a larger but contained encounter. Clear opportunities for both stealth and assault approaches to onboard the player.
Final area must have multiple points of entry and exit, a large number of enemies, but opportunities to scout and strategically eliminate enemies in smaller groups.
Opportunities to gain an advantage must span multiple areas.

Development Overview

The development process for the game began with outlining the level’s design pillars and core gameplay loop. The worldbuilding for the level was also established as part of this process, starting with a central concept and developed into a full setting and narrative context.

The next stage of the game’s development was creating the initial level design. I started by identifying the level’s key areas and outlining a rudimentary structure using Bubble diagrams. I then developed a 2D layout, ensuring I had fully designed the critical path before adding additional areas and opportunities. The level was designed to follow a conventional pacing structure, increasing in difficulty as the player progresses, whilst still offering the player moments of respite in between more intense encounters. Each area within the level was also designed with a semi-linear structure and distinct experiences that still offered opportunities for player expression.

A 3D blockout was then created which refined many elements of the 2D layout. Greater support for stealth and assault playstyles was introduced through the incorporation of large objects such as crates and pillars that could be used for cover; and elevated platforms that offered additional stealth based routes through the level. Buildings and obstacles were also repositioned to better guide the player through the level.

Due to restrictions on development time for the project, the set of player abilities for the 3D prototype had to be rescoped. The three C’s (Character, camera and controls) were developed using the Unity FPS Microgame assets, which equipped the player with a blaster and conventional fps movement abilities. I also altered the crouch ability to reduce the player’s visibility to enemies and implemented a traversal ability that allowed the player to take full advantage of the level’s verticality.

The final stage of the game’s development was creating a 3D prototype in-engine. This began with importing the 3D blockout and then scripting level events and interactions. Through playtesting, areas for improvement, such as level layout, enemy numbers, and ability radiuses, were identified and resolved in further iterations of the prototype.

Jonah Perry | Level Designer