Winter Warfare
Winter warfare is a level design assignment that I worked on with two other classmates during my time at Futuregames. Our goal was to approach the FPS, military genre through a more serious and dark perspective, using the Far Cry 5 editor. My responsibility was to create a safe hub for the player to start at before going into battle.
SPECIFICATIONS
ROLE
Level Design
GAME ENGINE
Far Cry 5 Editor
TEAM SIZE
3
TIME FRAME
2 Weeks
DESCRIPTION
This is a prototype of a winter warfare inspired level created in the Far Cry 5 editor.
YEAR
2023
GENRE
First Person Shooter
PLAYER MODES
Single-player, Multiplayer
CONCEPT
Goal
We wanted to use a lot of contrast between warm and cold, light and dark, and uncertainty and safety to clearly communicate the complex emotions one might go through in the midst of a war. The campsite, which works as a starting area, was meant to bring the player a sense of security and safety while feeling warm and inviting. Your fellow soldiers enjoying, what could be, their last night ever, drinking and pretending time does not exist while soldiers who already passed, lie respectfully in a wooden embrace a few steps from the camp. Saluted with an open bottle of beer and a few towered rocks.
PROCESS
The Camp
Nothing to see here
The camp was set up in a forest with a small mountain chain as back protection. For the player, the trees provide coverage and protection, as well as it challenges their perception and adds to the scary atmosphere. For us, it was a great way to limit player movement as we could place trees and rocks to block the depth of view from running too far in the distance, preventing dead ends from looking interesting.
Creating togetherness
The tents were placed in a U formation to create an enclosed space that gives a sense of togetherness. I chose tents with a rounded shape and warm toned colours to further communicate safety, and placed boots and sleeping bags around the camp to communicate "Home". The camp is lit up by multiple oil lamps and has a big fire in the middle to provide warmth and light.
Uninviting VS Inviting light
I added extra light assets to the fire and the oil lamps to make them look warmer, and to light up the area more. This created an even stronger contrast between the camp and the woodland area. Oil lamps that were placed near enemies or in areas that were less important to the player, did not have these add ons, spreading less light with a cooler tone of yellow.
Creating a Safe Zone
The spawn point I chose for the player is meant to give the player a clear overview of the camp with a clear indication of how to progress. The way all the NPCs are visible with their guard down, sitting around the fire, should indicate to the player that this is a safe zone and that they won't have to fight while they're here.
The Memorial Site
Togetherness VS Lonliness
The memorial site is behind the player spawn point, a few meters from the campsite. I wanted the area to look lonely and melancholy so I placed it in a darker and more secluded area of the woods, barely lit up by two oil lamps, with a few trees creating sort of a border between the player and the grave.
Creating grief
I placed oil lamps on each side of the memorial with angled, additional light assets to have the rocks light up in a warm but unsettling way. The lamps were semi-randomly positioned to emphasize the fact that the camp is temporary, so the soldiers did not spend time on propping them up anywhere or hanging them in the trees.
The Woodlands
Guiding with assets
The woodlands were originally my classmates' area but he had given me such valuable help and feedback on mine that we decided to collaborate on his, as well. I mostly helped with placement of assets, blocking intriguing tunnels appearing between the trees, accentuating the main path, and improving the player experience in the first enemy encounter. For the encounter, our goal was to create a nice opening without exposing the enemy too much too soon. while providing cover for the player to get close enough for a knife take down.
REFLECTION
In conclusion, I am very happy with the contrast we managed to achieve, and I feel like each area clearly communicated our intent. I learned a lot of new things regarding asset placement, lighting, and visual communication through this project, and I was very lucky to work with such a talented team while exploring the idea of a dark toned, serious, winter warfare, first person shooter.