The Desert Keep
The Desert keep is my second attempt at understanding the Quake trench broom mechanics and my first time creating a single player. At this level, I wanted it to feel like a doom episode by creating multiple maps, each with different objectives that lead to the final room below is a link to the git hub page with more information about the Desert keep. the total time it took me to finish this assignment during classes was roughly 2 months, after learning and practicing skills I did realized I had; I was able to complete the level and felt as though it was a success.
2d Top down map
In the beginning, the idea of the desert's Keep was to be a tower of many twist-and-turn levels that each have their own; unique gimmick of getting to the final room. When I designed this level, I wanted it to feel as though you are constantly being challenged to find a way to slay the keeper of the tower. In the beginning, I made the tower follow the same path on the map, but over time I started learning more about certain methods in the Trench broom that made me want to explore more with these changes. But I kept some of the original design to help illustrate the desired effect.
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the key to the map is as followed:
Entrance level:
Red square- player
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first level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
green square- button
keep out stairs symbol- locked stairs.
arrows- moving walls.
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second level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
keep out stairs symbol- locked stairs
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third level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
grey blocks -stairs
yellow circle - lava
brown rectangles- platforms
blue ovals keys
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Boss level:
blue diamond - boss
red block player
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the key to the map is as followed:
Entrance level:
Red square- player
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
first level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
green square- button
keep out stairs symbol- locked stairs.
arrows- moving walls.
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second level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
keep out stairs symbol- locked stairs
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third level:
Red square- player
blue diamond- enemy
grey blocks -stairs
yellow circle - lava
brown rectangles- platforms
blue ovals keys
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Boss level:
blue diamond - boss
red block player
Stage 1
*sound warning*
When working on the design of the level, I was more focused on trying to have the option of closing walls; than some unique challenges that the player might be more enticed to try to complete. After I looked up more ways, I could incorporate these aspects. I fiddled with the idea of traps like moving walls that crush the player. But I soon thought that the player would have too much on their plate if they were to fight multiple enemies trying to survive long enough to press the button that stops the walls from crushing them; For the first actual level, it seemed farfetched. So, I utilized a different method by making it so that the player; had to still fight but now have to watch out for sneaky traps like the four buttons. The part at the beginning was just for aesthetic purposes I was planning on using glass instead of cages, but I feel as though players would ignore them and not make it seem they were that interested in the fact that some of them can do damage even though their cage makes it more interactive for the player which was I was intending.
Stage 2
*sound warning*
After completing the first, second, and third levels, I continue pushing forward and working on multiple levels. By this time, I wanted to incorporate a new type of danger and utilized an old multiplayer map. After working on the texturing and the lighting of each level, I wasn't working on, I kept feeling as though there could be more of a trick that would keep the players guessing what they should expect next. and so it hit me why not involve the beast gauntlet an old multiplayer quake map that I created before the deserts keep. It sounded like a brilliant idea so came the idea for the fifth level making it a guess which game; to help lead the player to the boss battle; I left one door that lead back to level one, and another that leads to the remade beast gauntlet that is more intuned with a single player then it was previously, and to top it all another door that would lead the player straight to the boss. With this setting, it would give the player more of choose your next step, like how I gave the player a chance to pick which button will lead them to the next level back in level one. But after playing around with the different textures available I was more focused on trying to keep the look of the level to match the feel of the beast gauntlet since the layout and aesthetics that were used for this level were inspired by it to begin with. I also worked on the third and second levels making the second level a little more complicated by testing out secrets and having ways for players to navigate with hidden doors, make it more of a guess-who experience. With the third level, I wanted to incorporate monsters that don't fall down into the lava. So, I utilized the wizards and made it to get the aspect that they are after the ones stopping you this time instead of the usual monsters I sent. since that was the case, I wanted this level to act more like you have to be more aware of your surroundings instead of the guess-who level on the second floor.
Final Stage
*sound warning*
During this time, I was making sure I fixed all the missing aesthetics a fix the lighting to each level some of the new aesthetics I added that I was really excited about were the aesthetics for the skybox area and the first floor, seeing as that I kept working on the artwork to make it feel as though each floor had their own unique texture style that sets them apart from each other. I made sure to make each level look how I expected them yet there were some issues with colliders that I felt could be fixed later, but I also found those issues to be entertaining. In their own way. What I really wished I could change is how the boss character receives damage after seeing how it was at the beginning; I noticed he ignores every other type of damage only when triggering an event will he receives damage. I would learn that later close to the time to submit the level. But even with that issue, I worked it more to an advantage and created my own version of that type of trap for the boss, yet all in all, I was excited about each day I worked on this map and the many puzzles and layouts that surrounded it as well the only thing I wish I could fix is some of the collider issues other than that it was a great experience.
For more information about my process in creating this level, check out the GitHub page when you click the learn more button below.