Proof of Concept
Here is the proof of concept, I’m really happy with the footage I captured of this level, I really wanted to show off the potential of this mechanic even in it’s rough state. While designing the level for this proof of concept I wanted to create a level with verticality in mind, with multiple paths you can take and having lots of use for the jump mechanic.
My Process
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 27,
2024
BY ABNER SALAZAR
USING UE5
Introducing Mechanics.
While designing this proof of concept level, I really wanted to capture the essence of the game. In this initial section as shown in the image above, I added a wall that cannot be cleared unless the player uses the intended mechanic of gaining combo points in order to double jump. After that initial introduction to the mechanic in a safe environment I added the first problem for the player to solve.
A Series of Problems Players Want to Solve
The safety net is off, now the player is ready to learn how this simple mechanic can be expanded, in the following section from the initial jump I made more challenging jumps, one that requires you to be mid way over the damaging floor before jumping again, and a further one that requires you to hit two targets in order to get enough jumps to clear the section. (As shown below)
Creating a Story
POSTED SEPTEMBER 27,
2024
BY ABNER SALAZAR
USING UE5
Narrative Inspiration
While making this proof of concept, I was aware that there were going to be aspects of game development that would not be able to make it to this point, but something that really inspires me when I work on videogames is narrative. When I first created this dome shape I started to think of all the possibilities: What if the lava started rising from the middle and you had to escape upwards? What if the player was launched into this area and had to fight enemies while staying in the air to avoid falling to the ground? What if this was an abandoned nuclear facility and you ran upon its remains. The last Idea is what I went with.
POSTED SEPTEMBER 27,
2024
BY ABNER SALAZAR
USING UE5
POSTED SEPTEMBER 27,
2024
BY ABNER SALAZAR
USING UE5
A Goal With No Words
Something that was really important to me when designing this level was showing the player the direction of where the goal is without telling them, showing them arrows, or forcing them to go to a specific place. This dome is meant to be open ended, but you are meant to know where to go. I came up with the idea that if when the player entered, they immediately straight ahead could see the other end of the dome, they would piece together: “Well I entered through an opening like this, therefore I should also be able to get out through a similar opening.” After allowing some of my friends to playtest this level, and asking them, “How did you know where to go?” They all had responses that said, “Well I could see the exit as soon as I went into the dome.” I was really proud of this decision, and reinforced that my instinct to include this was the right decision.
Learning New Tools
POSTED SEPTEMBER 27,
2024
BY ABNER SALAZAR
USING UE5
Thankfully Unreal Engine 5 makes the process of making levels a breeze. Using the Modeling mode helped me quickly create irregular shapes while also being able to modify their physical properties to suit my needs. I quickly learned to use all of the different shortcuts to go from extending edges, to pulling out specific vertices, and more. This is something that in Unity would have required me to get a plug-in or use an experimental function that would work only half the time. I’m so glad I discovered this early and I am excited to continue to work on more levels in the coming days / weeks.
On my next post I hope to start dialing in more quality of life gameplay features and start experimenting with the flow of the game. I like the place I am starting at now, but I want more speed. For this I plan to implement forward momentum when your combo increases. I am also considering adding a boost forward that you can trigger while aiming down with bullet time then pressing jump.
Until next time! Thank you for reading!