CAGD 270 3D Level 2 Feedback

For our second level using the 3D Gamekit, we were instructed to make a hard level with a medieval theme. I had several people playtest the level in class. 

In constructing the level, I utilized the theme by building a castle with battlements at the top. I wanted to make use of the 3D environment by designing a level with three separate levels: the first floor, the basement, and the second floor. I start players outside the castle so they can get a view of its size from the outside before they enter into a courtyard. The courtyard has a few enemies, two closed doors to the right wing, an open door to the left wing, and a giant gate to the palace inside. The goal of the level is to open the giant gate.

While the level doesn’t follow a straight path, players do have to take a specific route. I tried to make this route feel natural by having locked doors and collapsed stairs as barriers. First, the player goes into the left wing and platforms across some acid. They use a switch to open a door to a gated area of the outside garden, where they then touch a crystal. Upon activation, the floor drops under the player, sending them into the basement. This is meant to catch the player off-guard, but it’s just a friendly trap since it is the intended route. 

In the basement players have to cross a large acid pit across platforms that sink into it. They then have to cross some moving platforms to reach a switch that lowers a door up above, which then blocks the player from the way they came. After climbing some stairs, players can use a crystal switch to open another door, and then go back out into the courtyard. Now that the doors to the right wing are open, they can enter, and jump up the broken stairs to access the second floor. Up top, players cross battlements with enemies and moving platforms. Finally the player reaches a crystal switch that opens the giant gate, ending the level. 

The level is fairly complicated, however, none of the playtesters got lost. The only section anyone got confused about was entering the right wing from the courtyard, so I could maybe add a glowing crystal to indicate what new area has opened up. No players got significantly stuck on any section, although some had trouble with the acid pit in the basement. I actually found that section frustrating, so I would like to add more platforms and alternate routes in it, such as rising platforms that move on the opposite cycle to the sinking ones, meaning there’s always an available path for the player.

Everyone liked re-entering the courtyard and getting to see the upper floor of the castle. Everyone really liked the platforming throughout the level. I think that players had a good sense of exploration as the wove throughout the structure.

For the second version of the level, firstly I’d like to advance on the theming by adding more castle features, like spires, crenellations, or buttresses. I would like to make the courtyard area a little more challenging by adding some more structures to it as well. I would like to refine the basement area and part of the upper floor. If time permits, I might experiment with getting some textures in the level as well.

CAGD 270 3D Level Feedback

 For the version two of my 3D game level, I had an in-class playtest to have a couple people try it out. Compared to the first version I added some more rooms to the end, and improved some existing rooms with more hazards and checkpoints. For instance, there’s acid in several rooms now, and some more platforming in the room that introduces enemies. This also opened up the first room a little bit more. 

Everyone liked the platforming a lot. Nobody got lost or confused on where to go, and everyone had an easy time figuring out what to do. Some people experienced some light and simple challenges with the platforming, but everyone seemed to find this enjoyable, and it was never to a degree that was frustrating. 

Many players made quick work of the first few rooms, possibly seeming bored. Most of them had to re-do a couple jumps on the last few rooms, and faced some minor challenges with the enemies. Everyone completed the level quickly, but about half of that time was spent in the tutorial sections. That’s the major reason I think a few more challenge rooms at the end would be a major improvement.

In terms of improvements, I think the level should be a bit longer. It advances the mechanics at a good steady pace. The last few rooms are when things start to get interesting, when players have to clear out enemies in a room whilst they take on its platforming challenges. Extending that out further with new rooms would be an improvement.

Additionally, sections such as the acid pit in the first room that preview the upcoming area with the moving platforms or the upper window that lets players look back on where they came succeed in giving the level a sense of cohesiveness. They work to create an environment that feels interconnected. I think expanding the level would benefit from this: using height variations and acid pits to let the player see the connections between the level’s challenges. 

Certain rooms could also be expanded to aesthetically make it feel more open. Primarily I’m thinking of the first room with the moving platform and the first room with a switch. Having some more height variation in these rooms would help make the level feel more like a real environment. If future versions introduce something like collectibles, I think levels would benefit greatly from being more open.

The last room that has some platforming and several enemies to me scratches the surface of the design starting to get more interesting and dynamic. 

Overall things went very well. There were no major errors or glitches, and nobody had difficulty or got stuck anywhere in the level (since it’s supposed to be easy). For this type of game I really want to emphasize exploration, so I think having bigger areas with more nonlinearity would benefit it a lot. More deliberate structures could be an improvement as well. I like the contrast when the player goes indoors towards the end of the level.

For the next 3D level we design, I’m definitely going to have a combination of outdoor and indoor challenges with a focus on interesting and intuitive platforming. A couple flavor elements in the environment would also be a good way to encourage players to explore. I definitely want to experiment more with activatable objects and switches.