Week 5

Since last week I have decided against specialising on lighting for this level, because I think it would take away time from developing skills I really want to showcase in this level. These skills are combat encounters, use of scripted events and using of the gravity gun. I want to showcase these specific skills because they reflect the type of gameplay I am interested in making as a designer.

This week I began thinking about expanding the stairwell section and creating a small outside section (an alleyway) where the player will start the level. I want the start of the level to feel narrower and darker to help reflect danger while the end of the level will be more open and brighter to help reflect safety. I want to make this design choice to help make the experience more emotive and help create a sense of progression as the player makes their way through the level.

I got the idea of using enclosed and open spaces to reflect emotional beats from a short Q&A talk with co-lead level designer at Naughty Dog, Emilia Schatz (Critical Path, 2018). In Figure 6, you can see a real-life example from Paris of how I want to design the starting alleyway to feel more enclosed. 

Figure 6: Paris Photograph - Paris Alley (COOK, 2017)

I have spent some time expanding my knowledge of Hammer by learning how to make scripted events. I want to use scripted events in two main situations: One, using the G-man as a guide to help direct the player into the apartment. Two, to trigger a sequence where the combine kick down a door and come rushing out to start the ambush. I want to use scripted events because I think they will help add some excitement and make my level feel more alive. Like it could be an existing part of the HL2 storyline.

Although I have managed to successfully create a test scene with a combine soldier, so I can focus on learning how to make scripted events without the rest of the level interfering. I have had some issues using them in my blockout to move the G-man. I am still unsure why this has happened, so next week I will need to do some more digging to resolve this issue before I can continue. I am yet to experiment with making longer scripted events or figure out how to play sequentially, so I could have a longer encounter with more complex NPC movements and animations.

I am considering looking into how to make explosions in Hammer however, lack of experience with sequence events and time limits of the module has led me to consider I might need to cut out this feature so I can finish the level on time. If I get carried away dealing with small issues which won’t drastically compromise my intended user experience, then the quality of the other parts of the level may suffer.

This week I have made reasonable progress on designing the alleyway section and have decided to remake the inside of the apartment. My main reason for choosing to remake the apartment section is that the layout felt too cramped and would have made it difficult for me to design combat encounters with the gravity gun and the combine. I am hoping that by remaking the interior, I will be able to create a space which can both facilitate combat and still feel more enclosed than the outside area. Next week I plan on continuing the redesign of the apartment and fixing the issue with the G-man scripted event.