Week 1

My initial idea 

My initial idea for this project is to create a Half Life 2 (HL2) level based on the themes of role-reversal and "you are being hunted". In this level, the player will step into the shoes of a hitman hunting down a target, but halfway through the level it will become clear that the target is hunting YOU. This idea stemmed from rewatching one of my favourite movies, The Bourne Identity (Liman, 2002). This movie inspired me because of a fight scene which takes place in a stairwell. What stood out to me was how the pressure of being in an enclosed space such as a stairwell, forced the protagonist, Jason Bourne, to be more tactical and resourceful in his fighting style (Movieclips, 2011). I want to encourage a similar resourcefulness in combat encounters and use enclosed spaces in a similar way. Additionally, I felt that the European setting of the movie would allow me to carry over inspiration more seamlessly into HL2, which is set in Eastern Europe. 

After planning this idea out in note form, my main concern is that the idea is too complex for me to complete with my lack of experience in Hammer. Therefore, my priority over the next few weeks will be to ensure the scope is achievable and to research into other game engines that might be easier for realising my idea. 

Deciding on a game engine 

I started researching game engines. including GZDoom, Unity and the Hammer Editor. After weighing up my options between using the GZDoom editor, the Hammer Editor, or a Unity Mod, I am deciding to focus on using Hammer. 

Although I have no prior experience with Hammer, I chose it over Unity because I want to learn something new. I chose Hammer over GZDoom because it has a broader range of resources from which I can learn Hammer and hopefully get up to speed quicker. The two main examples of resources are the Valve Developer Community (Valve Hammer Editor, 2025) and YouTube. To make up for my lack of experience, my priorities over the next few weeks will be to ensure the scope is achievable and teach myself how to use Hammer. 

One YouTuber called Steve Lee, a professional level designer who worked on Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored 2, has made several tutorials on how to create portfolio work in Hammer. Including a video where he analyses his Half-Life 2 portfolio level (Lee Steve, 2020) which got him into the games industry. This is particularly useful to me as my main goal for this module is to create something that I could show to potential employers and get into the industry after university. 

Steve has several tutorials on level design in Hammer. One thing which particularly stood out to me was a tutorial where he started by planning a level out in note form (Lee Steve, 2022). I found this to be a valuable insight into how a professional begins their creative process. I have since started using this approach myself. So far, I have found it very helpful because it makes me consider how my choices will impact the pacing and sequencing both logically and creatively. 

Although my choice to use Hammer may have been made quite soon into the project, I think that my initial idea will play best as a HL2 level, and the range of material I have available to learn the engine gives me confidence that this project can turn out well.