Pre Christmas Playtesting and Meeting

Hey again. It's been a busy week making sure everything is ready for the Christmas break. I met with Chris, one of the specialist tutors and had a meeting. More on this below.

Firstly I am currently on track with my schedule. I'm happy to report that playtesting vs bots has begun and I will be able to start playtests with only players shortly.

So far both Andre, and Ross have playtested my levels. Below I have recorded their playtests and written down the feedback I recieved.

Construct Playtests

Andre Construct Playtest

Ross Construct Playtest

Clocktower Playtests

Andre Clocktower Playtest

Ross Clocktower Playtest 1

Ross Clocktower Playtest 2

Map Feedback

Andre Feedback

 

Construct

- Suggested possibly making crane model taller, while leaving the crane jib in the same place. A gap in the crane would allow players to move through the middle.

Clocktower

- Need to fix the main lift. Can fall through it if standing on the join between the glass and metal.

- Takes too long to collect Redeemer. Change Kismet.

- Add static meshes to the map to create visual focal points so the player can easily tell where they are in the map.

Ross Feedback

Construct

- Liked Construct. Navigated it well without ever playing it.

Clocktower

- Disliked Clocktower. He said it gave him a feeling of vertigo, and he didn't like having to look around before moving around the map. (Literally doesn't like having to look before he leaps).

Meeting With Chris

The meeting with Chris was straightfoward. I showed him all three map designs, via the editor and playtesting footage. We agreed I was on track with my schedule and had produced a good amount of work so far. Chris recommended my next step to be "cooking" the maps so I can test them against players instead of just bots.

Chris also gave me excellent feedback on the clocktower design. Implementing these changes to the gear kismet should make the map much easier and faster to navigate.

Chris Feedback

Construct

- Seemed to like the design.

- No obvious problems with the design.

Clocktower

- Need to fix the lift. Can fall through it if standing on the join between the glass and metal.

- Gears shouldn't rotate. Too disorienting for players.

- Gears should stop at their start and destination points for 1 second to allow players to easily jump on/off them.

- Gears should move slower vertically. May stop player phasing through the gears.

- Redeemer weapon takes too long to collect if players miss the small window of time. Change the kismet so:

1. Clockhand starts pointing towards the ledge for 5 seconds.

2. Clockhand rotates 360 degrees in 5 seconds.

3. Repeat from step 1.

What's Next

The next step is to implement the suggested changes to the Clocktower design. Once this is done I will "Cook" each level so I can playtest the game with multiple players instead of bots.

Playtesting with players instead of bots will give me more accurate feedback on each design. I will prepare a simple questionaire for people to fill out after playing each design. The results should help me decide which of the two designs should be carried foward to the next stages of my project.

- Sam

Playtesting Construct and Clocktower

Intro

Hello again. This week was busier than anticipated since a team member being ill for our group project meant extra time was needed to get the presentation ready.

As such I was only able to carry out individual playtesting vs. bots. Regardless the two videos should give a good idea of how each map plays, and the various routes between weapons and items.

Normally a Deathmatch in Unreal Tournament would take 10 or more minutes but the filesizes involved are too large to easily upload to Youtube. Therefore I have opted for quicker 5 minute games with fewer players.

It's worth mentioning that I experienced some noticeable lag while recording, so I miss some jumps I would normally be able to complete easily.

With that out of the way onto the playtesting videos!

Clocktower Playtest

Tester - Sam

Test Length - 5 Minutes

Bots - 5

Bot Difficulty - Adept

Personal Feedback

I need to adjust the Kismet on the gear lifts so they stop for 1 second at ground level before ascending. In a heated firefight it is extremely difficult to time the jump onto one while it is still moving.

Construct Playtest

Tester - Sam

Test Length - 5 Minutes

Bots - 5

Bot Difficulty - Adept

Personal Feedback

I need to edit structure B's floor to remove most of the holes. In a heated battle it is too difficult to dodge, aim, shoot and jump between the platforms all at the same time. The flow of the map would improve if I remove some holes so players can move around without risking falling off the structure.

What's Next

Over the following weeks I will continue playtesting and getting feedback on my map. I will use this feedback to improve each design.

- Sam

BSP Design 3 Construct Version 2

Well it's been exactly one week from my previous blog post.

In this time I have finished almost all of the third BSP Design. (DM-Construct).

I've added additional BSP structures to round out the map, and make it more complete. I've also added hollow cylindrical pipes to the ground which can be moved through, and used as cover.

Crane Kismet Animation

The crane has been implemented using BSP to demonstrate the concept. (Eventually this will be replaced by a static mesh modelled using 3ds max).

The crane  Kismet animation sequence goes like this -












1. The crane rotates from building A to building B which takes 5 seconds.

2. The crane is stationary for 5 seconds at building B.

3. The crane rotates from building B back to building A which again takes 5 seconds.

4. The crane is stationary for 5 seconds at building A.

5. The cycle repeats starting from step 1.

Screenshots

The following screenshots show both the BSP view and the in-game view of the map. I have placed the new BSP screenshots below the older versions so the additions can be clearly seen.

BSP showing Construct V1 from above.

BSP showing Construct V2 from above.

BSP showing Construct V1 from the side.

 BSP showing ConstructV2 from the side.

 Screenshot taken in editor showing the bottom side of the map.

 Screenshot taken in editor showing the edge of the map.

Screenshot taken in editor showing the top side of the map.

DM-ConstructV2 Video

This video shows several different routes players can take to navigate the map. The most powerful weapons (Redeemer) and power-ups (U Damage) are placed near the centre of the map to encourage players to fight around this area.

What's Next

Ground Height

Currently a player can see across the entire map from the ground floor which reduces the importance of gaining the high ground. To combat this I will use the Unreal Editor's terrain tool to 'paint' both high and low areas onto the ground. This will help to break up the sightlines currently existing in the map, which should motivate players to climb the structures and gain the height advantage.

Playtesting

Next week (likely Monday/Tuesday) I will begin the playtesting phase on the Clocktower and Construct BSP designs.

I will use a video recording program such as FRAPS to record players playing the maps vs bots. I wll also take notes while watching the games. (I will also create a video of myself playing against bots on both maps).

I'll post the videos onto the blog and comment on what players found confusing, or frustrating while playing the maps. I will use this feedback to improve the designs


After that's done I will need to finish the second BSP design, the otherwordly temple.


- Sam

BSP Design 3 Construction Site Version 1

BSP Design 3 Construction Site

BSP showing aerial view of the map.

BSP showing the side of the map.

 This is the central structure in the map.

 This is the first of the two side buildings.

Development

Theme:

This design is far more intricate than the previous designs. The many ramps, girders, and sand dunes give the player the ability to rapidly change their position on the map in both the Y and Z axis.

I'm aiming to create a map experience that has an even balance between long and short ranged combat. Players will be able to use the Sniper Rifle weapon combined with the high vantage points to pick off opponents, but smart players can use the numerous girders, sand dunes as cover before closing the distance using strategically placed Jump Pads.

Size:

This map is medium sized. It's smaller than the other two designs which should allow for more focus on each individual building in the map.

Description:

A medium sized construction site. The map layout is comprised of  three main buildings separated by hilly, uneven terrain. The buildings have a very intricate design, with many different routes players can take to change heights and position.

Player Count:

 6-8 players.

Features:

- 4 floors.

- Lots of ramps. Allows the player to easily change their height and gain an advtange other over players.

- Cranes. Players can climb up and ran along moving cranes to quickly traverse the map. The cranes will rotate based on a timer created using the Kismet animation system.

- Uneven ground. Most of the ground will be covered by sand. Small sand dunes can be scaled to gain height and will allow easy access to higher floors of each structure.

This is a brief video showing the basics of this BSP Design. 

The design is around halfway finished.

Project Timeline:

It has taken me much longer than predicted to create most of the three BSP designs.

This has set me back around 2 weeks in my overall project timeline. All three BSP designs will be fully completed by the end of this week. Once this is done I can start properly playtesting each of the designs and gathering player feedback.

Old Timeline:

New Timeline:

2-9th Decemeber. It should be possible for me to finish the 3 designs by the 9th.

9-16th December. This time will be spent playtesting all 3 designs, and getting feedback on which is the most interesting/enjoyable to play.

16-23rd December. I'll spend this time making a careful informed decision of which BSP design I will take forward to the next steps of my proposal.

23-30th December 2012. Over the christmas break I will begin to model 3D assets needed for my level.

30th-6th Jan 2013. I will begin to unwrap one of the 3D assets.

The rest of the timeline is the same as before.

- Sam