2Farm
Project
- Level Design
- Multiplayer Map
- Team Fortress 2
- Solo
- Credible Architecture
Constraints
- 5-6 Weeks (Half in SketchUp/ Half in Hammer)
- SketchUp
- Hammer
- Needs to fit in the Team Fortress 2 Universe
- Needs to Have Credible Architecture
Previous
Next
Level Design
- Closed Interiors
- Open Exteriors
- Close Range vs. Long Range
- Verticality
- Character Based Gameplay
Intentions of Gameplay
Long range outdoor battles vs close range indoor battles
Context
With the agricultural sector doing well, the BLU team is looking to expand and improve their operation. With warehouses starting to get full, there isn’t much room to move around the halls of the building and with the increasing demand for space, they are turning to RED as their open and spacious lot would be a prime candidate. for the expansion of their industry. Taking their intelligence would mean that they would own the property of the land. On the other side, the RED team is tired of constantly being hidden by the shadows that BLUs cast, figuratively and metaphorically. With their product less successful than BLU’s, the RED team is looking to steal their enemy’s recipe. By stealing the recipe, they can finally emerge from the shadow of the BLU, and expand their own operation and grow in contrast to their opponent.
Design Process
The constraints of this project was to be built over the course of 5-6 weeks. The first half of the build was put together in SketchUp, and the second half of the project was put together in Hammer to be later played in Team Fortress 2.
With this build I tried to stay true to the universe of Team Fortress 2.
The intentions behind the design were to create two opposing farms somewhere in the midwest with clear distinctions between the two of them. I wanted to create an asymmetrical layout to this map, without there being a clear winning strategy, or with one team being clearly at an advantage. With a setting and an idea in mind, I began searching for references that I could begin building ideas off of. In my research I liked the idea behind a small but spacious rural farm, against a large industry farm that feels tight and cramped on the inside. With those idea in mind, I then began sketching and creating relations between different points on the map in order to image the assymetrical gameplay in the map.
After finding relations between points in the map, I began to build components in SketchUp with very low detail, but enough difference between them that anyone could distinguish the difference between them. This was to help if someone else were to need to jump on the project at any given moment and take over, at least they would have a general idea of the look I was going for with the project.
With the creation of the base components created, I then began creating the layout of the map, imagining a specific layout and flow that would allow the player to be able to never need to stop the momentum they carry through the map.
After the first layout and build, there were iterations that would expand the gameplay and methods of play in the map. As the iterations continued I began to think more and more of the different characters in the game, thinking of the verticality of play for the snipers as well as skillful passages that a skillful scout player would be able to use. As well as having a central irrigation system that splits the map in half and also allows for players to escape the fire and burns of the Pyro.
In this project, I learnt a lot through the iterations of the level and the build. My goal for this project was to really push my design and my build to achieve its best possible gameplay. Through the feedback of teachers and colleagues I believe that I was successful in doing so.
Process Photos
