Sci-Fi Level WIP

[Pankake]

Just posting a WIP of a level I'm doing, for no particular game/reason, just noticed I haven't actually made a sci-fi map before.. If I was to run this on an engine it would probably be the Torque Shader Engine. Was made today in an hour or so on and off, I would gladly upload the floorplan but the scanner I ordered forever ago hasn't arrived .

First of all these are in-editor (3D World Studio) shots so no dynamic lights/shadows, bump/normal, specular, emmisive, reflection etc .

[Pankake]

Improvised, in-editor shot from bird's eye view, to see the floorplan.

[phantom]

Very nice work here Aaron. I really like the Halo-Esque feel to this level.

[Pankake]

Thanks man, I didn't actually have Halo in mind, but now that you mention it..

[doylle]

good start, looks good. I noticed a few things though:

1. The doors look a bit robust, compared to the high tech computers in the room. The contrast isn't realy doing so well imo...
2. There's alot of hallway, and only few rooms. Is that your final groundplan, or just a first wip? Of course, if you don't plan to accualy make this map for a game, that that's no big deal. If it is, then i think it could use some optimisation here and there...

generaly good start. Keep us posted...

[phoenix606]

lookin very cool, i pressed the thanks button for you too cuz at first i had no idea what it did, so now i say thanks for showing us you level

[Xadeko]

looks cool

i also would love to see other levels you designed

[Pankake]

The floorplan is a WIP, the rooms shown are just the important rooms, I will be making smaller rooms for PVP purposes.. I will keep the hallways interesting also, with windows looking out into space etc, crates and pipes for tight corridoor battles and the like, but the reason why there is lots of hallway is because it does actually make for an interesting firefight, you can run round the corner right into someone, it's a right shock but very fun .

Xadeko, lot's of my work is under NDA ¬_¬, but I will see what I can dig out for you .

[Xadeko]

thanks pankake

[chris holden]

First of all, research today’s sci-fi environments. Look at what they are doing with games like UT, Doom3, and Prey. Even DS games like Metroid Prime Hunters are pushing much more detailed and dynamic designs this.

As stated, there’s too much hall to room ratio, but also, your rooms are all boxes. Additionally, it looks more like you’re just propping up boxes instead of designing areas for interesting game play. What this ends up doing is your rooms just become cluttered extensions of your hallways instead of major points of interest.

Try pushing the design of each room to larger, more dynamic shapes, with multiple tiers to take full advantage of your 3D engine. Extrude in walls, ceilings and floors, and put detail into them, such as angled walls with supports, semi-transparent sections (grates, force fields, etc) with deeper recesses behind them. Cross paths by having inaccessible areas of a room that the player double-backs to later, possibly placing an object of importance there to build anticipation.

There’s really a lot more you can do. So research, and focus on individual areas and game play to push what you’re capable of.