GATEWAY SHUFFLE Unreal Tournament III
LEVEL OVERVIEW
Development InfoRole: Sole developer
Genre: First-Person Shooter Game Mode: Multiplayer level Engine: Unreal Engine 3 Development Time: 80 manhours |
Level Features
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High Concept
Battle other players on a space station in low orbit over an enormous planet while massive starships come in and out of warp gates.
Design Summary
"Gateway Shuffle" is a remake of the classic Quake 3 multiplayer level, "DM-17". In "Gateway Shuffle", players fight on the deck of a bustling space port where starships come in and out of massive warp gates on either side of the station. On the deck of the station, players experience regular gravity, but all around the platform is Zero-G. Players can utilize the interplay between these two gravity zones to perform incredible jumps and maneuvers.
Design Goals
- Utilize the low gravity players expect in a space level in a new and unique way by offering the relationship between low gravity and zero gravity as a player mechanic
- Create a futuristic space port worthy of any decent science-fiction movie
- Maintain the integrity of DM-17's gameplay, while offering a fresh twist that enhances aspects of the original experience
- Create a level that lets players feel the immense and dramatic vacuum of space
LEVEL MAP
Level Highlight: Utilizing Gravity in a Unique Way
Some of my favorite sci-fi games of all time have levels where players can make crazy jumps in the low-gravity of open space. However, in all of these games, the regions of low-gravity are completely separate from the normal gravity areas of the game. In "Gateway Shuffle", I wanted to utilize gravity in a unique way by allowing players to move seamlessly between normal and zero gravity zones.
Zero gravity shenanigans
While on any platform in "Gateway Shuffle", players experience regular gravity and combat. However, everywhere else in the level (i.e. all the open space) contains Zero-G. While in zero gravity, players' movement is determined entirely by their momentum when they left solid ground.
Unlike low gravity, players never lose altitude in Zero-G. Because of this, players can run off a platform and effectively wrap around the entire map in "Gateway Shuffle".
Unlike low gravity, players never lose altitude in Zero-G. Because of this, players can run off a platform and effectively wrap around the entire map in "Gateway Shuffle".
Crazy dual-gravity zone combat
The zones of normal gravity on the platforms extend well above the platforms themselves. This means that if a player is in zero gravity and then floats high above a platform, the platform's normal gravity zone would pull them back to the ground. This interplay allows players to make extraordinary jumps they would otherwise never be capable of. For example, players can jump from the bottom platform out into space, float all the way above the top platform, and then drop down on unsuspecting players.
Level Highlight: Creating a Bustling Space Port
Any episode of sci-fi classics like Firefly or Star Trek will tell you that in order to pull off a futuristic space port, you're gonna need star ships - and lots of them. In order to accomplish this, I created numerous matinees of star ships of various sizes flying to and from all parts of the level. These ships form the background of the level, helping to sell the atmosphere of the space port and make the emptiness of space seem alive.
However, my biggest ode to all things geeky comes from the two massive warp gates and space docks that lie on either side of the playspace. Periodically throughout a match, enormous space ships warp in and out of these inter-dimensional warp gates (yes, it's a thing - trust me). Before they leave or return, these ships dock along the side of the playspace in a futuristic tollgate. The scale of these ships further sells the atmosphere to players.
Level Challenge
One of the biggest challenges I faced in "Gateway Shuffle" was getting new players to actually realize they could do wacky zero gravity maneuvers in the first place. In all the excitement of creating the new mechanic, I had temporarily forgotten that most sane players regard the edge of the level as a bad thing. Thus, the first time I saw other people play my level, almost none of them discovered they could journey into the final frontier.
To solve this problem, I placed health pickups hovering in lines out in space that players could only reach by utilizing the zero gravity jumps. Whether players immediately make the connection, or accidentally discover it, this simple tweak makes players aware of the zero gravity mechanics. To further support this, I also added floating crates out in space that dangle just outside the playspace but within players' line of sight. At the very least, this small bit of dynamic clutter informs players that there is zero gravity in parts of the level.
To solve this problem, I placed health pickups hovering in lines out in space that players could only reach by utilizing the zero gravity jumps. Whether players immediately make the connection, or accidentally discover it, this simple tweak makes players aware of the zero gravity mechanics. To further support this, I also added floating crates out in space that dangle just outside the playspace but within players' line of sight. At the very least, this small bit of dynamic clutter informs players that there is zero gravity in parts of the level.