· Level Design ·
Open World prototype developed around exploration, parkour and gliding.
Open World
Parkour
Exploration
Understanding The Project.
I like to start a project by breaking down what I am trying to create so that I can identify the core building blocks. These blocks will help me decide which design features to include, remove or prioritize during development.
What am I making?
A parkour, crafting and exploration focused open world.
What makes it that?
Free movement, paths that require more than walking, rewarding discoveries, resources and upgrades.
How do I accomplish that?
Let players climb buildings, access rooftops. Let players enter windows to explore. Provide, resources, a settlement and a workshop
Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Using the core building blocks, I create a paper design for the most scaled down version of the world I can make that will still achieve the goals that have been set for it.
Open World: Size
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Use a dome
Limits the size without creating design restrictions. -
Gliding mechanic
Gives the player a boost towards their new location of interest. -
Rooftop Traversal
Creates shortcuts and shortens the distance between interest points.
Open World: Navigation
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Big Recognizable Landmarks
Helps the player know which direction to go in. -
​Divide the world into smaller areas
Areas with their own unique theme and use case are easier to recognize. -
Tall Viewpoints
Gives the player an overview of the world and ties in the parkour. -
Best experience intended path
Gives the player a path to come back to when they want to progress.
Parkour
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Climbable Buildings
Provide lots of paths up, across and on top of buildings. -
Roof access from anywhere.
Parkour paths should be easy to find and accessible from anywhere. -
Reward use of parkour paths
Parkour explicit discoveries, shortcuts etc.
Exploration
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Smaller Landmarks
Use landmarks to catch the players attention. -
Small paths & Short sight lines
to spark curiosity. -
Reward curiosity
with resources or other benefits.
Church
Landmark
Landmark
Landmark
Landmark
Camp
Containers
Train yard
Park
Building the right spaces.
Now that I know what the world needs to support the Gameplay, I do some research to collect a list of different areas that can provide those needs.
Train & Container Yard
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Hub
This is where the player lives, crafts and stores their things.
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Workshop
This is where the player comes to craft or upgrade their weapons and tools, using the resources they have gathered.
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Storage
The containers lets the player store the weapons and tools they aren't currently using.
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Scavenging
The player can enter buildings through windows to explore indoors spaces and scavange crafting materials.
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Quests
The inner city is full of people and provides spaces for exploration, parkour and combat. It's the perfect spot for receiving and completing quests.
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Markets
The player can trade, sell or buy materials and items from NPC's.
The Inner City
Rooftops
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Viewpoints
The roof of tall buildings act as viewpoints for the player to spot their next point of interest.
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Shortcuts
Moving along the roofs can make distances shorter. They also allows the player to use their glider to travel faster.
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Change of pace
The roofs host more compact parkour areas with different types of challenges than the player might find on the ground.