Temple
Level Design
A temple situated between two mountains acting as a gateway towards Yama mountain. A mixture of man-made structures and natural formations creating a bloody arena.
Block Out
01
Valley Temple Concept
The theme of the map is a temple that acts as a gateway to a sacred mountain in the distance. This holy place is a link between the mortal realm and the spirit realm. References were based around Mt. Fuji, Japanese Temples, and valley villages.
02
Temple Centerpiece
The blockout phase took one week to finish. The temple is the main centerpiece of the map which will be the main center stage for combat. The exterior is a courtyard with a cover consisting of trees, and Tori gates.
03
Symmetrical
Although the map itself is symmetrical I made sure to create a distinction between which side the players spawn. Utilizing the terrain and background, I was able to create this distinction.
Initial Construction
04
First Asset Placement
During this phase, I assessed the environmental pieces to make sure they flowed close to the blockout. After placing some of the asset pieces over the blockout, I realized that I had to adjust some walls, and roofing for the map to flow better.
05
Map Improvements
After further playtesting, I also found some exterior sections needed reworking. I elevated the terrain in the corners of the map and added additional trees. I also changed the layout of the side tori gates as well to have mini arenas.
06
Map Improvements pt.2
I removed the front portion of the temple to expand the play area of the map. Playtesting showed that the front awnings were more of a hindrance in movement rather than a way to out maneuver an opponent.
Art & Lighting
07
Environment Art
The next step in the process with Temple was to make sure that the assets would flow correctly with the gameplay mechanics. Removing some trees and opening up the courtyard sections helped with player movement.
08
Lighting
I added lanterns to fill in the remainder of the temple interior. This added better lighting and set dressing to make the interior more interesting to fight in. This is the start of the final rendition of the lighting.
09
Distinct Spawns
To make the two spawns distinct, the sun's position was placed so that the player could orient themselves. Lastly, the background environment is different depending on which direction you are facing.
Final Pass
10
Playtesting Feedback
After extensive playtesting, gameplay mechanic overhauls, and feedback this is the final pass of the Temple. The playtests showed that the map needed more verticality, open spaces, and more distinct callouts/points of interest.
11
Final Lighting
The lighting was overhauled in both graphics and optimization. I was also tasked with creating a night version of the map to add more variety to the map pool.
12
Points of Interests
I added new sections on the map that replaced the two towers. I added a waterfall section that had a natural arena and a castle section that overlooked the entire map acting as a vantage point for bow users. These two new additions helped with player direction, test of player mechanic knowledge and overall aesthetic of the map.