The Division 2 (Blockout)
Role
Level/Mission Designer
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Game Type
Third Person Shooter
Project Type
University Project
Team Size
1 (Solo Project)
Project Goals
- This project was a blockout made to a brief given to Teesside University. This required me to develop some content for a mission/feature of a theoretical future DLC set in Downtown New Jersey.
- From this brief, I chose to plan, design and create a level blockout based on a building found in the area: 99 Hudson.
Skills Learnt and Final Outcome
- I got quicker at blocking out areas throughout the project, and got more skilled at realising what would, and what wouldn't work, more quickly.
- I learned many tips and tricks related to a third-person blockout/games in general; such as playing with the scale of doors and other objects to prevent camera clipping and to bring attention to certain details.
- I learned more about the player experience and key level design tactics, such as leading lines, choke points and various methods of guiding the player, and preventing them from getting lost, while navigating a map.
- I learned better how to control the scope of my projects, and to better estimate what I'm capable of making given a period of time.
Planning
- I started by looking in the area given by the brief for a suitable building. After a few options, I settled on 99 Hudson.
- I investigated what this building looked like at the time the game was set (it was still under construction, with all but the bottom section of the building being mostly a frame)
- I then thought and planned out some initial ideas for the designs of various missions, after playing through some of The Division 2 to get a good feel for the gameplay.
- I settled on a mission where you had to reach the top of the building to reach an antenna, and planned out A rough top-down view of various floors of the building accordingly, although these would change after helpful feedback from playtesters and employees from Ubisoft Reflections.
- Click here to view my PowerPoint where I planned most of my early work
Images While Developing
- I sought out regular feedback while making my original plan as I created each part of the level. From this feedback, large parts of the maps changed. For instance, I was told by Ubisoft Reflections employees that there was a limit to how far up the player could rappel; as such, a bottom floor was added, as rappeling up to the first roof was no longer possible.
- I combined various floors, such as the first and third floors, to reduce the scope and ensure that all of the floors had a unique feature or element.
- I dropped plans, such as a Gym floor, to fit more within the theme of a construction site, as a construction site offered better options for fighting from behind cover; a key part of The Division 2's gameplay.
- I added more verticality to all of the levels than the initial plans implied, to make the gameplay and building more interesting.
First Draft/Idea
This was my first draft at the top floor. This got changed after a few iterations of feedback
Final Draft
Added more verticality and more varied gameplay for different ways to play depending on players loadout
Added Lighting
I added lighting and enemy spawns (for story difficulty) to the map.
Level Flythrough
This is a flythrough of the map without combat or mechanics