IWALS Metric Gym

Clearly IWALS put a lot of effort into this package, there is a lot going on. It took me several hours to figure out how to spawn an enemy and get that enemy to attack the player. First, I had to make a special blueprint with a custom event to initialize the spawn. 

Then IWALS uses a Simple Human AI Spawn blueprint to indicate where the enemy should spawn. 

Then finally a Path Track Actor which allows you to set a patrol path for the AI to walk to and follow. As well as adding waypoints for the enemy to pause at. It also looks like there might be the potential to have the enemy sit at points or trigger other animations. 

To connect all of those, there is an eyedropper tool that you can use to select which enemy should connect to which spawn point and then eyedrop again to select the patrol path.

Creating My Own Uncharted Level: Cornwall Copper Mine

Designing my own level for Uncharted 4 was a fun and creative process. I decided to set the level in an abandoned copper mine in Cornwall because Cornwall has beautiful cliffs and a history of mining, which fits perfectly with the adventurous spirit of Uncharted. I wanted players to feel like they were exploring a mysterious place filled with hidden pirate treasures. First, I thought about the story and how Nathan Drake would find clues that lead him into the old mine. This helped me create a cool background for the level and make sure everything made sense.

Next, I broke the mine into different parts to make the gameplay interesting. The level starts at the Cornwall Cliffs and Woods, where players find the hidden entrance to the mine. Then, they explore the upper part of the mine, climb down old equipment, and move to the lower part where they find strange stonework. The level leads to an old pirate chamber, where players solve puzzles to find a clue to bigger treasure. Finally, Shoreline mercenaries arrive, and Nate has to fight his way out of the mine. I included different paths so players can choose to explore more or take a quicker route, making the game more engaging and replayable.

Once I start building the level, I plan to focus on making the mine look and feel real. I intend to add  details like overgrown plants, broken tools, and old pirate symbols to make the environment exciting. Adding sound effects like dripping water and the explosion when Shoreline arrives will create a spooky atmosphere. To make the combat thrilling, I designed tight tunnels and open areas where players can use cover and plan their attacks. By combining exploration, puzzles, and intense fights, I created a balanced and exciting level that matches the Uncharted series' style.

Concept Art for Capstone

For my capstone project this year, I am serving as a level designer for a medieval knight game in which a knight travels to purgatory to kill a god. I have been tasked with creating the throne room and cathedral for the god. This will be the primary space where the main gameplay will take place. This area serves as the arena for the boss battle.

The direction I received specifies that the area needs to be a large, open play space with no places to hide. This design choice ensures that the boss AI cannot lose track of the player or encounter issues such as bumping into columns or other structures.

I began by researching throne rooms and cathedrals from the Gothic era but soon shifted my focus to Romanesque architecture, a precursor to Gothic. I decided on a chamfered triangle shape for the general play space and contrasted that with a circular dome roof. To avoid an empty feel when entering the space, I filled it with church pews and fire braziers to illuminate the area. All of these props are designed to be destructible, preventing them from becoming obstacles when the player is running through the space dodging attacks.

I started by creating a basic pencil sketch of the space on scrap paper and then began to block it out in Unreal Engine. Once I was satisfied with the general look and size of the space, I took a screenshot into Photoshop to conceptualize how the space could look once fully fleshed out. This process also provided our lighting artist with a clear idea of my intentions for the space's lighting requirements.