CAGD 270
Assignment 9: 3D Level 2
Assignment 9: 3D Level 2
For this assignment we had to create a second level that was more challenging than the last using the same materials given to us for the first 3D level. The theme was still the same but the difficulty of the level wow had to be hard. For this level I built using feedback from the first 3D level. I incorporated multiple paths that all intersected each other regardless of where the player choose to start.
I also added more of a story to the game by incorporating the name of the character into the text boxes.
I also introduced enemies in a new way by having this gladiator style ambush area in my level.
Feedback
What went Right?
Players liked that I incorporated multiple paths and how each path was different. Players like the level design aspect of the level and the theme of the level. They liked how everything was placed and the circulation pattern of the level. Players liked how the challenges were presented in the level and the overall difficulty of the level.
What went wrong?
All players were able to get out of the designated play areas by jumping over them off of higher platforms. They were able to go outside of the play area or were forced to to finish the level. In on instance, the player jumped off of a moving platform to the other side of a door that required switches to open.
in all play tests, players had to jump onto the wall to get to the end of the level due to there not being a switch at the appropriate do that opens to the end of the level.
Also, some of my acid pits didn't work so the players were able to walk in some areas of the level that contained acid and not lose the level.
Finally, one of my moving platforms was not functioning correctly, this platform did not make the players immobile so it would push them off and into the acid if player did not keep up with the platform.
How might you improve your maze next time?
For my next iteration of this level I want to make the walls higher so that the player can't access places in the level that are not meant for play. I also want to put a switch to activate the final door in case it is not activated in the beginning of the level. I also want to fix the moving platform and the acid. Finally, I want to make the enemies harder and make them be able to take more damage to make the level more challenging.
Were the challenges presented appropriate to the skill level of the player?
All play tester thought the challenges in the level were presented appropriately.
Was the critical path obvious?
All play testers stated that for the most part, the critical path was obvious. However, since the level was has somewhat of a maze in it, there were times when the critical path wasn't so obvious.
How was the overall flow?
All play testers stated the level had a great flow due to the design of the level.
Were there circulation elements?
Yes
Was it obvious where the players were supposed to go?
All play testers stated that for the most part, the critical path was obvious. However, since the level was has somewhat of a maze in it, there were times when the critical path wasn't so obvious.
Assignment 8: 3D Level 1
For this assignment, we switched over to Unity as our new platform. We downloaded a package from unity called 3D GameKit Lite that had all of the things we needed for our level. We were tasked with making a Sci-fi jungle themed level. We had to teach the player the basics of the game in terms of movement, enemies, combat system and other aspects of the game. I decided to teach the player the movement mechanics, how doors and switches work together, how moving platforms work, the combat system and the types of enemies they will face.
To teach the player controls and other objectives to the player I put out text boxes through out the level that displayed control, mechanics and objectives.
To teach the jump mechanic, I put a pool of acid at the very beginning of the level
Feedback
To teach the player how doors and switches work, I started the player of with just one switch connected to a door and put a text box to explain how they work.
Then. I taught the player how moving platforms work by putting one over a giant puddle of acid.
After, I taught the player more about the combat mechanic by putting them in a room full of destructible items so they can practice on their stringing hits together.
To introduce the enemies, I put one enemy in each room to let the player learn what the enemy does, how it reacts to the player, and hot to fight it.
feedback
What went right?
Players liked how I taught them the game mechanics and how i gave them the opportunities to further test their abilities. Players also enjoyed the moving platforms including the ones with enemies on them.
What went wrong?
One player was able to get out of the play boundaries and had no way of getting back into the game without hitting pause and restarting. Players had trouble with the first moving platform in the level because it's placement was to far and challenging for the players which did not make it an easy tutorial style level.
How might you improve your maze next time?
My next iteration of the level will make the level harder to get out of the play area and if so, there will be ways in which the player can re spawn into the last checkpoint instead of having to restart the entire game. Also, I will make it to where the jumps from any platforms are not as challenging to overcome.
Were the challenges presented appropriate to the skill level of the player?
Besides the moving platform, the rest of the level was presented to the appropriate skill level of the player.
Was the critical path obvious?
All play testers said the critical path was obvious.
How was the overall flow?
All play testers said the game had great flow.
Were there circulation elements?
Yes
Was it obvious where players were supposed to go?
All play testers stated they knew were they were supposed to go at all times.
• What went right?
All playtesters found the level to be fun and have great flow int terms of challenge and skill. Players liked how I used text boxes to communicate to them what each section of the level was for and to teach them about the level as well. Player liked how I combined all the skills they learned into the last challenge of the skill. Players said the level was well balanced.
• What went wrong?
Players didn’t like how some of the text boxes had too much text. Players suggested I introduced enemy encounters in different ways. Players also stated they would’ve liked to see multiple paths they can take in the level.
• How might you improve your maze next time?
For my next level I will implement multiple paths that the player can take. I will also take out any unnecessary text and only keep the most important information. I will also work in having enemy encounter in new and different way for the player to fight.
• Were the challenges presented appropriate to the skill level of the player?
All playtesters thought that the challenges the level presented were appropriate for their skill level.
• Was the critical path obvious?
Players said that the critical path was obvious due the they way the level was laid out in a narrow path.
• How was the overall flow?
All players stated the level had good flow.
• Were there circulation elements?
Yes, players did notice and state that the level did have circulation patterns.
3D Level 1 Version 2
After receiving feedback from my play testers, I made a few changes to my intro level to better suit the players. My first change was the text boxes, I deleted necessary to better teach the player the game mechanics and the objective of each section of the level.
To introduce new enemies in different ways I added more chompers and spitters in the learning about the enemies section of the level. I also introduced enemies in a new way in the end of the level by adding chompers on the moving platforms and adding spitters on their own platforms that can constantly attack the player and they can either avoid or defeat.
Finally, I changed the moving platform at the beginning of the level to come towards the player when activated instead of away.
Feedback
Assignment 7
2D Mega Man Level v2
For this assignment, we had to take our previous level and make changes based off our feedback. I mad a few changes to my level in order to make it less challenging.Change 1:
One of the big issues I had was the transitioning of sections in the level so in order to combat that I made the sections sequential so that they reveal as the player moves forward.
Another issues I fixed was the combat of this enemy. Before, there was a small platform the player could stand on a fight the enemy which gave them a small window to attack from. So, I extended the platform so the player can get closer to the enemy and have a larger attack window.
Previous New
A more minor change I implemented was the removal of an enemy, this just served as a purpose to make the level easier for the player and to make it more of a beginner level.
Previous New
This final change coincides with the first change in which this section of the level was hard for the player to guess because they couldn’t see what was on the other side until they jumped, which made the player feel very uncertain of the outcome. So, I connected the section to reveal itself as the player moved forward in the level.
Feedback
What Went Right:This version of the level was well received by the play testers I had. Most said that I did a great job of toning it down to a more beginner type level. They liked the new platform changes I made. They thought the level had great flow. Even with the changes, the level was still fun for all of the play testers. As the previous level iteration of the level, the path was obvious to the player and the challenges were presented in a appropriate way to the players skill level.
What Went Wrong:
I did receive some great feedback on things that needed to be improved. The first was the placement of a certain enemy. This enemy was a problem since the first iteration of the game, and I forgot to remove it.
Another piece of feedback I received was that the small jumping blocks of platforms were not considered as a beginner level platform. Some players had trouble moving across these platforms.
This was more significant obstacle for the players when fighting these enemies.
My final two feedback information I received were that some of the abilities the player had were not made clear such as the charge up mechanic and being able to shoot enemies while on ladders. Some players were new players to the game so they were not aware of the abilities that mega-man had and some of the game mechanics they could use.
Some players were not aware of the bullet charge attack or the ability to shoot on the ladder.
Improvement for Next Level:
For the next level I will work on enemy placement so that the player doesn’t response next to an enemy and take damage immediately. I will also work on making abilities and skills that the player may not know about known. I will also work on my platform placement so they player can have an easier time moving through the course.
Mega-Man Level 2
For this Mega-Man level we were given more freedom to put in more weapons and add more stuff to the level. We also had a new jungle theme for the level. For this level, we were able to introduce two new weapons to the player and teach them how to use them. I decided to go with the two following weapons;
The O.Slider is a blob of gas that can fight certain enemies and be used as gliding mechanism. The S. Arrow is a weapon that shoots out bullets that can also be used as platforms in a level for the player to stand on. In order to control what weapon the player used during each section of the level, I used the weapon add and subtract box.
These items helped me both control and teach the player about the weapon they were using. In order to teach the player how to use the S. Arrow weapon, I made the beginning part of the level dedicated the small areas where the player had to use the arrow as a sort of latter object. I also gave the player and easy enemy they could fight with the weapon. This enemy can be defeated by shooting it as it is turned away from the player.
As a precautionary measure, I made sure to put ammo pickups throughout the entire level because I discovered that there are many different ways to climb each part of the level and depending on the players' skill level, I had to make sure they had enough arrows to use throughout the level even if they didn't need them.
In order to teach the player how to use the O. Slider, I used its sliding capability and made a small piece of the level dedicated to teaching the player its capabilities and the enemies it can fight.
Toward the end of the level, I took away the regular blaster for the player and left them with the two new weapons and I implemented slightly harder sections from the beginning of the level.
This is the more difficult version of the S. Arrow weapon use.
This is the more difficult version of the O. Slider weapon use.
Play test Feedback
For this play test I used the assignment question that we ask our play testers after they play our level. I will layout each question with the answer below it.
What went right?
All of my play testers had fun playing my level, some of them were new to Mega-Man in general but had an easy time understanding the controls. They all liked the weapons I decided to give them. They like how my level promoted the skill gating in each section. They liked how my level looked in terms of platform and background. All players were quickly able to grasp how to use the S. Arrow weapon.
What went wrong?
Most players had a hard time understanding how to use the O. Slider weapon and how to defeat enemies with it. Most players couldn't defeat the booster enemy and would jump over it. Most players also decided to jump the part of the level in which the O. Slider weapon was introduced because they had trouble understanding so they would jump through all of the enemies.
Most players had a very difficult time getting through the advanced S. Arrow wall climb area of the level.
How might you improve your maze next time?
For the next level I want to better improve how I introduce the O. Slider weapon to players so they know how to better use and understand it. I also want to make the path more clear to the player. Also, I was suggested to make the level diverse enough for the player to be able to get through the level without the O. Slider. Finally, I was suggested to put a little bit more ammo pick ups.
Were the challenges presented appropriate to the skill level of the player?
Given all my play testers and the difference in knowledge and skill they had of the game, They all stated that the game was challenging enough for their skill level.
Was the critical path obvious?
Players got lost in two different parts of my level.
Most player got lost here because they thought the fall would lead the to losing the level. This was done intentionally by me as a sort of trick.
Most players also got lost here when they weren't on the O. Slider. This was mostly in part of the screen transitions of the level and how they couldn't see the other platform on the other side.
How was the overall flow?
All play tester said the level had great flow.
Assignment 6: 2D Mega-Man Level.
For this assignment, we were tasked with making an intro tutorial in Mega Man Maker. We were given a specific rule sheet to follow of things we could and couldn’t put in our level. We did have to give the level a western theme to it however, in terms of visual appeal, environment, and platform. Our last challenge was to make sure the player could finish the level in ten minutes or less. This was also our first transition into digital level design.For my level I decided to teach the player four things, how to jump, slide, shoot and fight enemies. I made each section of the level focus on each skill while still using the previous skill form the earlier pert of the level. Finally, I combined everything the player had learned in the end of the level. I play tested the level myself while timing my self to see how long it took me, which was two minutes and thirty seconds. Then, I had my friend’s play test as I timed them to see how long it took them to finish the level, which was between two to five minutes.
I took their feedback and made the changes accordingly for the in-class play test. These were my results.
What worked:
I got a lot of great feedback from my level. Most of my play testers liked how I introduced them to all the challenges they would need to know before I combined everything together.
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| The player was introduced to jumping, sliding, shooting and combat before it was all combined in this part of the level. |
They liked how they were able to finish the level before the ten minutes. They liked the strategy I implemented into the level in terms of how to defeat enemies and some of the movement mechanics. An example of this would be:
This was the most challenging enemy because the player had a very small window to attack and was only able to stand on the lower left platform to do so. It was said to be challenging but with strategy, could be done.
What went wrong:
My most received bad feedback was that I had to work on my tile transitions because there were times when the players didn’t know what was on the other side of the tile.
It took the players a while to figure out how to deal with these enemies which some said were to hard. I also had a play tester that was not able to finish the level because of the enemy placement.
I was also told that while my level was good, it was not a beginner’s level or a tutorial level towards the end. They also did not like the placement of three of the certain enemies.
Enemy 1
Players didn't like the placement of this enemy because it is right next to the checkpoint. As a result, when the player would respond in that checkpoint, they would automatically take damage from that enemy and couldn't do anything about it.
Enemy 2
This enemy was disliked because of the small attack window it had in terms of its placement and the placement of the player.
Enemy 3
These enemies were disliked because of their placement on the platforms. Players had a hard time defeating one then trying to defeat the other while standing on a small platform trying not to get hit and knocked off of the level.
Things to Improve On:
My priority is to change the transition of the level from section to section. I will make sure to let the player know what is coming ahead instead of just having to guess and take a “leap of faith”. I also need to change the placement and difficulty of my enemies in the level so the player can have an easier time fighting them. This also ties into making my level easier and more tutorial friendly for the player instead of a more advanced level. Finally, one of the things I want to improve on for my next level is adding more player choices as in paths the player can take to get to the end of the level.
Assignment 5: Simple DnD level 3
For this assignment we given an all new rule sheet with updated stats, weapons and themes. We got a theme for this map which was a post alien invasion world and the players are trying to escape from prison. We had to use item in this level to substitute for the skills. We also had to incorporate the feedback we got from the last two maps. We were also encouraged to put more items in the level for the players.
My vision for this level was set in Earth in which aliens have invaded the Earth but there are still some human run territories. In one of these territories, they have a prison in which they house some of the world’s worst criminals, which is where our players are housed. However, the level begins when the aliens attack the human territory, including the prison and the players wake up in the middle of it all. They see their chance to escape and go for it. Here is some of my own reference art that I had in mind for how the level would look and my map layout.
Simple DnD level 3 Feedback
Play Testers
My play testers for this map were Erika and Falcon. They both played warriors this time.
What Worked
Erika and Falcon really liked the level, they liked the story tied to the level and how they were able to control the story somewhat. They also like the beginning of the level in which they began on different parts of the level and had to find each other.
Erika liked really liked the layout of the level and how they had many decisions as players on which path to take and what they could do first. Both Erika and Falcon liked how I gave them the option to either work together or individually to complete the level and gave them the option to go collect whatever item they wanted to collect first. They liked the enemies in the level and the humor I added to the enemies in the story.
They also liked the rewards they received throughout the level.
Falcon liked how one room challenge prepared them for a room with the same challenge but more difficult later in the level.
The picture on the left is the teaching level of the challenge and the room on the right is the more advanced level of the of the challenge.
For this assignment I was tasked with making a simple beginner level DnD map to teach players the basics of the game. I really like this assignment because I have never played DnD before this assignment so this was a whole new experience and challenge for me to make this map and play the game for the first time. Here is my map.
Both players said that the level had great flow and could see it as a cool level in a digital version. The critical path was obvious at the first part of the level but then transitioned into a multi path level in which the players could choose which path to choose. All paths did however, lead to the same end route. The challenges and rule mechanics were presented to the players in an appropriate way.
What Didn’t Work
Both Falcon and Erika suggested that I add more useful weapons in the beginning of the level instead at the end of the level. They also received an item that they had to use for a certain part of the level, and they suggested that next time I make the item available through out the entire level. That was all the suggestions they had.
How will I improve?
For my next level will make weapon and items more present in the beginning of the level instead of towards the middle and end in order to give the players more of an upper hand in the beginning. I will also make items more permanent so that the players can use it throughout the level to have the upper hand
Assignment 4: Simple DnD Level 2
For the second part of this map I was tasked with taking the feed back given to me from the first play test and making my changes to this map to further enhance the experience for my players. I kept my design mostly original just changed a few things and updated the stats for my enemies. I also added a small risk reward system and a team exercise challenge.
Feedback
My play testers were once again Falcon and Erika and they choose to be a mage and a warrior.
The changes I made for this map are improvements to Erika and Falcon. They liked the fact that I widened the corridors so that way they could both fit and walk side by side and no longer just behind each other.
Both Erika and Falcon complemented me on how I scripted my level setup and had every possible challenged tailored to what players they choose making each outcome unique but the same for all possible players. Falcon also liked how my enemies were a bit more challenging to take on than the last play test. I increased their stats a bit to make it more difficult but not too difficult to fight. The result was a more rewarding game play experience for Falcon.
Both Erika and Falcon also liked how I improved my treasure chest items and tailored them to what character they choose. So, each character would receive something that would help them in the later in the level instead of some random item.
They also liked the teamwork room I put them into in which they had to use there given skills and work together in order to escape the room. This room was also setup to work with all playable characters. Erika and Falcon enjoyed how I gave them more decisions in the level and a more risk/ reward choice in the level by letting them decide if they wanted to collect useful items that would further help them later in the level or they could just skip the room and try to defeat the boss with what they already had.
Erika and Falcon complemented me on my level design and how my level had developed form the first play test. They said it had good flow to it with enough skill and fun being required at the same time throughout the level.
However, they did have a few suggestions from we as well. Both Falcon and Erika suggested I cover the map next time. The reason why was because I left the map exposed but with all empty room which still let them see the entire level so they kind of already knew where to go. That was obvious which is something I need to work on. This made it somewhat obvious where the Erika and Falcon were supposed to go even though they didn’t know what was in the rooms.
Erika suggested I add a few more enemies next time. For example, two enemies in a room instead of just one. Falcon suggested that I add the teamwork room into the final part of the level because she felt as if they learned the skill in that room and it was never applied later in the level. This made them feel as if they learned the skills for no reason. I will definitely incorporate this into the next level.
For my next DnD level map I will increase the number of enemies and cover up the map so that the player doesn’t know what is coming ahead. I will also use the skill I teach they players in the beginning of the level and incorporate it into the end of the level so that the skill they gain is more prevalent and useful to them.
These were my play test results for my second simple DnD map. I will now take this feedback and incorporate into my next DnD map as well as incorporating more elements of what I have learned in class thus far.
Assignment 3: Simple DnD Level 1
For this assignment I was tasked with making a simple beginner level DnD map to teach players the basics of the game. I really like this assignment because I have never played DnD before this assignment so this was a whole new experience and challenge for me to make this map and play the game for the first time. Here is my map.
I created the map and made a legend for it so that the players knew what each symbol meant.
Simple DnD Level 1 Feedback
The people that played my dnd map were Erika and Falcon. Erika was a warrior and Falcon was a mage.
My map was successful in the terms of the layout of the map and the physical design. Also, there was a good flow to my map. They found the path to be obvious and easy to navigate because I only gave them one route to go through. This also made it simple for the players to know which way to go in the level. They were able to learn the rules and mechanics in an appropriate way with the obstacles I set up for them. They had fun playing the map and said that I did good job in terms of making my first level and meeting the requirements of the assignments.
However, they did have good critical feedback that I need to put into my second map in the future. The first was that the level was too easy. While it was fun to play, they said, they also said it was too easy and needed to have a more challenging feel to it. They mentioned that the obstacles were too easy to get over including the enemies I placed. They said the level needed to have a more risk and reward feel to it and needed to be more challenging for them. Another thing I need to work on is adding better reward items other than just gold and health potions.
They said it would further enhance their experience if they were to receive items that they could use further in the level to such as a sword, armor, attack spell and such. The one physical feedback I received about my map was that I had made the corridors and hallways to small. This caused the players to constantly be behind each other while traveling from room to room and when they got stuck, they couldn’t move to the side at all or let the other player go around.
In order to improve my next map. I will add a more risk and reward feel to the game by making the obstacles in the level more challenging for the player. I will do this by requiring them to roll higher numbers in order to do things like jump over holes and such. I will also make the enemies they face more challenging but not by a lot. In order to make the level more rewarding for the player, I will implement better reward prizes for battles such as a sword, armor or potion that temporarily increases the player’s stats and/ or something they will be required to use to finish the level. I will also re-design my map in order to accommodate the spacing for multiple players in my hallways and corridors so they can have room to move around and be able to go around one another if needed.
Overall, the level was fun but just too easy. The design was laid out well and I was complimented on the neatness of my map. I accomplished the basic requirements for the assignment but lacked to incorporate some challenge into my level and properly reward the players. These are all things I will work on to improve in the future and implement into my future levels.
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