Unreal Tournament 3

Designer: Layton Hawkes Document Date: 6/7/2010

Layton Hawkes Page 1 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Table of Contents

Quick Summary...... 3 Goals...... 3 Gameplay Overview...... 4 General Game Flow...... 4 Major Elements...... 5 Objective Summary...... 5 Gameplay Details...... 6 Gameplay Mechanics...... 6 Overview Map...... 6 Pick-up/Key Assets Map...... 7 Technical Overview...... 9 Mission Location...... 9 Gametype...... 9 Key Assets/Pick-ups...... 9 Difficulty(1-5)...... 9 Mission Metrics...... 9 Technical Details...... 10 Level Atmosphere...... 10 Visual Themes/References...... 10 Postmortem: What Changed?...... 17 Gameplay Refinement...... 17 Map Refinement...... 18

Layton Hawkes Page 2 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Quick Summary Tyron is a small, two to eight player, Unreal Tournament 3 deathmatch level. It supports both traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch rules. Tyron is a space station currently orbiting a dying star. Scenes of this star slowly enveloping nearby moons and planets create a dramatic backdrop that can be seen from the upper decks.

Goals Tyron aims to create a dynamic and varied gameplay space through the use of varied heights, map flow and interesting sight lines (glass floors). The upper and lower levels of the map will overlap to create this verticality. The glass floors added to certain sections of the level will provide tactical sight lines from the upper to the lower deck. The map uses circular gameplay flow that aims to provide no dead ends, the player will always have a place to move and be shot from. This will give players freedom of movement, and unpredictable encounters essential to deathmatch multiplayer. The pace will be relentless.

Layton Hawkes Page 3 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Gameplay Overview

General Game Flow

The gameplay flow revolves in a circular motion around the level. A special focus was taken to avoid dead ends, and give the player a constant choices of different routes to take through the level. To achieve this, every room and many of the hallways have at least three entrances/exits. This gives the gamespace a rounded feel. With this in mind navigation between the upper and lower floors use a combination of jump pads, stairs and drops to give the space a cohesive circular flow. The sizing of the spaces also varies, the lower floor is more confined whilst the upper is open. This creates different styles of gameplay on the two levels and helps keep the level feeling fresh and fun.

Layton Hawkes Page 4 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Major Elements • Observation windows in key areas looking out of the spacestation. • Circular flow and multiple routes, the player will likely never by cornered. • Verticality in the play space that creates interesting encounters. • Glass floors that add new sight lines, tactical options and visual flair.

Objective Summary • Using Unreal Tournament 3's deathmatch and team deathmatch game modes (highest number of enemy kills wins the match).

Layton Hawkes Page 5 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Gameplay Details

Gameplay Mechanics • Prerequisite Skills: Basic Movement, Basic Combat, Deathmatch Rulset.

Overview Map

The overall map of Tyron is comprised of two levels. The lower and upper floors/decks of the space station overlap. Glass floor-panels in certain areas can be used by players to gain a tactical advantage, as there are multiple ways to see other players and pick-ups in the engineering tunnels below from the upper deck. The observation deck will sport large windows looking out of the space station, and will thus be the most open feeling area of the map.

Layton Hawkes Page 6 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Pick-up/Key Assets Map

Powerful pick-ups like the Rocket Launcher and Armor are placed in the central areas of the upper floor to ensure that these areas of the map will focus the action. These two pick-ups are offset by the majority of the health packs which are placed on the lower floors of the map (and additional armor after gameplay refinement). The Sniper Rifle is placed on a ledge above the main lower floor room giving a height advantage, albiet in a small space. Ammo packs are dispersed evenly between the two floors, however the second Rocket Launcher ammo pack is placed in the lower engineering tunnels. Overall the pick-up placement and map design aims to focus action on the upper and lower floors

Layton Hawkes Page 7 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3 equally, there should always be a reason to use either. Both floors have distinct advangtages and disadvantages. This will keep players moving and the action spread evenly across the level.

Layton Hawkes Page 8 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Technical Overview

Mission Location • Theme: Space! • Setting: Space station orbiting a star, Tyron

Gametype • Gametype 1: Deathmatch (Min Players: 2, Max Players: 8) • Gametype 2: Team Deathmatch (Min Players: 4, Max Players: 8)

Key Assets/Pick-ups • 1 Bio Rifle and 2 ammo packs • 1 Sniper Rifle and 1 ammo packs • 1 Rocket Launcher and 2 ammo packs • 1 Shock Rifle and 2 ammo packs • 5 Medium Health packs • 7 Small Health packs • 1 Armor pick-up

Difficulty(1-5) Difficulty: 1; Easy, no environmental hazards to compete with.

Mission Metrics • Play Time: Player specified • Physical Length/Area • X: 3392 UU • Y: 2944 UU • Z: 1088 UU • Visual Themes: 1. Furturistic tech in the inside of the spacestation. Blue lab-like lighting, contrasting against the star in the space outside. 2. Dying star, asteriods and distant planets outside set the level backdrop.

Layton Hawkes Page 9 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3 Technical Details

Level Atmosphere The level will depict a somewhat somber, abandoned feeling, a station on the fringe of space. Within Tyron there will be a distinct focus on technology, it will line the walls, cielings and floors of the station and envelope the player. This will impart clustrophobic feeling and add to the tension of the gameplay. To reinforce this, and the somber tone, a blue lighting scheme will be used inside the station. In contrast, the outside environmentment will be hued orange and red to provide visual variety and scope. The player should feel dwarfed by the environment surrounding the station.

Visual Themes/References

Figure: Panel Glass Floors

Layton Hawkes Page 10 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Blue Lighting, Future Tech

Figure: Futuristic Architecture, Blue Lighting

Layton Hawkes Page 11 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Futuristic Architecture, Corridors

Figure: Futuristic Architecture.

Layton Hawkes Page 12 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Futuristic Architecture.

Layton Hawkes Page 13 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Environment, Texturing.

Layton Hawkes Page 14 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Environment, Texturing.

Layton Hawkes Page 15 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Figure: Environment, Asteriods.

Layton Hawkes Page 16 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Postmortem: What Changed?

Gameplay Refinement

Once a basic shell of the level was complete I proceeded to refine the initial gameplay design. A number of issues were corrected in this stage: • To counter an emerging lack of action in the lower level the Armor Vest was moved into this area. This ensured action would always take place here, as outlined in the original design. A lesser armor pick-up Shinpads were added to the top floor to replace the Vest. • The Link Gun was added to the sothern section of the map. Without this, players spawning in this area were far away from a gun pick-up, this wasn't fun gameplay. • Several additional ammo packs were added as the need became aparent during testing.

Layton Hawkes Page 17 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

Map Refinement The level map after Gameplay and Map Refinement:

Only minor changes to the initial design map were made, the rounded flow of the level was kept intact. Most changes were made to enhance or restrict certain sight lines. • Added a wall between the two main upper floor rooms. During testing the space felt too open for this specific level, adding the wall fixed this. It broke up the large sight lines through the middle of the map whilst still leaving each major room on the upper deck feeling spacious compared to the engineering sections below. • Added a wall/small room for the Link Gun between the two observation windows. Again, this was to refine the sight lines and create room for player spawns. • The position of the glass floors were changed to better reflect advantagous sight lines. Each floor now looks down over either a pick-up or a major engineering tunnel cross section.

Layton Hawkes Page 18 Tyron Unreal Tournament 3

• A large crate was placed near the rocket launcher pick-up the restict the sight lines from the western portion of this major room. This also restricted sight to the jump pad exit. During testing the need for this change became aparent.

• Two generators were placed on the northern side of the rocket launcher room to hold additional ammo, added during gameplay refinement.

Layton Hawkes Page 19