Cleaver Fever-Moose Forest Stage-
Design Breakdown
Table of Contents
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Background and assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Pre-production work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Alpha build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Beta build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Final build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Objectives:• 2Dsidescrollingmap• Incorporatemultiplecamerasystemswhileretain-ing2Dgameplay
• Useenvironmentalhazardstomodifypre-existingjumpmechanics
• Encourageexperimentingwiththemultipletypesofjumpsavailabletotheplayer
• Requirehigherjumpingtechniquefromplayertoproceedtofinalstage
Background and assumptions: TheMooseForeststageisthesecondleveloftheCleaverFevergameunderdevelopmentfortheschool’sproductionteam.Theplayerwillhavelearnedallthebasicjumpmechanicsbythispoint. Thelevelshouldtaketheaverageplayerabouttenminutestoplaythrough;theplayerwillbeprovidedacheckpointroughlyeveryminute.Inordertopreptheplayerforthelaststageofthegame,manymoreinsta-killhazardswillbeusedtowardsthelatterhalfofthestage.
Pre-production Eachlevelwasbrokendownbyitsleveldesignerearlyonsothatthegoalsandobjectivesofeachlevelcouldbeclearlylaidoutandcomparedagainstthelarg-erscopeoftheentiregame.
Moose Forest sections Theforestwasbrokendownintotwomainhalves:agroundsectionandacanopysection.Eachofthesesec-tionswasthenbrokenupintofivesmallerareaswhichwouldeachhaveauniquegameplayelementaswellasacheckpoint.
• Section 01 - Forest introduction -IntroduceSpidermoosecharacter. -EstablishthreatofWhompingWillowtree -Offerfirstalternateroutethroughmap• Section 02 - Bramble Bridge -IntroduceChunyuncharactersanddemonstrate howtoavoidthem -UseBlowingTreestoteachplayerhowtocope withwindmechanic,whichwillcomeupseveral timesthroughoutstage
• Section 03 - Underbrush -Spidermoosedestroysalternatepath -Encourageexplorationbyshowingalternateroutes prominently• Section 04 - Hedge Maze -Switchcameratotopdownviewtoofferoptimal viewinthemaze -PopulatemazewithChunyunsthatmustbe jumpedover• Section 05 - Hollow Tree -Providetransitionintocanopiesoftrees -Playerrideselevatoruptreeassawbladeschase afterthem• Section 06 - Moose Tree -Looppatharoundontoitselftoshowofftheartof thecanopyarea. -HaveplayerinteractwiththesleepingSpider mooseinordertoprogressforward• Section 07 - Loose branches -Branchesfallastheplayerstepsonthem,forcing themforwardquickly -Increasenumberofinsta-killhazards
• Section 08 - Windy bridge -Alternatingwinddirectionsincreaseplayer velocityingivendirections -Offerhealthpickupforplayerswhohavemastered thishazard• Section 09 - Moose walk -PlayerridesatoptheSpidermoose’santlersashe walksthroughforest -Playermustavoidbrancheswhichmaypushthem offtheantlers -Thislow-risksectionintendedasrewardforcom pletingdifficultwindybridge• Section 10 - Mushroom tree -Playerjumpsuptreeonshelfmushrooms -Halfwaythrough,playermustrunuptreeassaw bladeschasethemupwards -Atthetop,rewardplayerbyhavingthemrescuea lockedupfriendlyNPC
Alpha build Wemadeanalphabuildoftheroughlyhalfwaythroughproduction.Thiswasusedanevaluationforareaswhichneededtobealteredorcut.
TheBrambleBridgewasanearlyareaofconcern.Eventhoughthisareawasintendedtobethefirstdif-ficultareaofthemap,manyplayerswerespendingfartoomuchtimegettingpastitduetofrequentdeaths.Sawbladeswereremovedandinsta-killgapswerere-ducedinnumber.
TestingprovedtheHollowTreetobeabenchmarkmomentinthemap.Thiswasintended,asitmarkedtheendofthegroundsectioninthemap.However,thebladeswhichwouldharasstheplayerwereverydiffi-cultforplayerstoavoid.However,someplayerssoonbegantorealizethattheycouldsimplyspamthehighjumpandmissthebladesoneachcycle.Thiswaskeptinasmostplayersdidnotmakethisconnection,andprovedaniceunintentionalrewardforexperimentingwiththedifferentjumpmechanics
TheMoosetreesec-tionwasthefirsttobecut.Theintroduc-tionofapuzzlecon-fusedmanyplayersinalevelwithnootherpuzzles,andtheneces-saryassetswerebeingputonhold.
Thewindbridgesectionprovedtobetheareawiththemostfrequentnumberofdeaths.Manyofthesewerecausedearlyonduetothelackofpropercommunica-tiontotheplayeraboutthewindhazard.
Themoosesectionbeganmuchmorepopulatedwithhazardstoavoid.However,thesewerehardtoavoidwhenstackedsoclose,sotheywereeventuallyreducedinnumber. Theplatformsinthemushroomtreeoriginallymovedhorizontally.However,thiswaslaterremovedasitbroketheconsistencyoftherestoftheworldandalternativehazardswereused.Manytreebranchesinthemushroomtreewerealsoincreasedintheirdiametertomakethemeasiertolandonwhenjumpingatfastspeeds.
Beta build Thebetabuildwasputtogetherthree-fourthsofthewaythroughproduction.Unfortunately,manyas-setshadstillnotbeencompleted,buttheirplaceholdersprovedsufficientastheirgameplayhadbeenprettywelllockeddown.
Theoriginaldesignofthespidermoosehazardwasthemsimplysteppingonthepathatsetintervals.Itwaslaterchangedtohavethespidermoosewalkontothepathasthiswasmoredramaticandhelpedthespider-moosefeellikeanactualcharacterinsteadofsimplyahazardtobeavoided.
Extrabridgeswereaddedtothebramblebridgesec-tiontogivetheplayerachoiceoverwhichhazardstheywouldratherencounter.Thisalsoworkedwellforim-plementingsecretpathsinthisarea.
WaterwasremovedfromtheUnderbrushareawhenitbecameclearthattheChunyunswerehardtoseethroughit.
Teleporterswereaddedtothemazetokeeptheplayermovingforward.Thepathswerealsowidened,astheChu-nyunskeptgettingcaughtontheedgeswhentheyweretoonarrow.
Acollapsingbridgewasmovedinplaceofthemoosetree.Thissectionalsomadethecollapsingbranchesfeelredundant,sotheywereremovedaswell.
Bridgeswereaddedintothemoosewalksectiontohadsomeeyecandyupontheircollapse.Thesemomentswereusedasarewardforcompletingthewindbridge.
Theupperhalfofthemushroomtreewasmadeintoamoreintensemomentbyhavingthetreecollapsewhiletheplayerjumpedupthroughit.Thiswasaddedwhenanotherstudentsuggestedaddinganothertensionin-creasingelementattheendofthemap.
Final Build Thefinalbuildwasputtogetheraftertwentyweeksofwork.Muchofthelightingandparticleworkwasdoneintheweeksafterbeta.