1 Level Design

For the start of my level design research I wanted to take a look at competitive first person shooters. I have taken a lot of consideration from different methods and key feature that are apparent in games like Call of Duty and Counter Strike. The first thing that i looked into was the basic layout formula. I noticed how every map within these games has 3 to 5 choke points down the middle of the map before heading heading into the main area or object. These key areas help control the gameplay. This number of choke points is the perfect amount as it is enough lanes for the attackers to push through and few enough for the defender to hold. This has lead to the simple 3 lane layout that is more prevalent in the MOBA games, but as there layout is simple games like Call of Duty have to make it more complex with multiple intersections to allow the player to cross between the lanes but this few enough to keep them divided between areas.

Another dynamic I wanted to add was player interaction with the map. I really liked how on the map Radiation from Call of Duty Black Ops that a player could open and close a trap door in the middle of the map down to the B flag allowing players to easily defend that objective or a attacker could close it to make it easier to capture. This dynamic helped change the strategy for the players without changing a gameplay as adding destructible buildings. So I applied that aspect to my map with the center shed where the main conflict would take place opening up the inside to the outside.

I Believe the design of this map is simple but yet effective as the map is there to guide the players to the conflict and that conflict is the complexity as different players use the space differently.