This is one of my old works which I wanted to post up last year, this is where I started to learn about SketchUp, some modelling, and 3D creation in general.

UPDATE: I also realize this could be a cool Mutiplayer level for Quake/Unreal Tournment if it was properly fleshed out.

Setting

Context

Game:                    Skylanders

Level difficulty: While progressing towards end game

Pitch

Location: Volcanic Environment

Proto level design layout for Skylanders. This is supposed to be a mini stage. In this particular level player has a certain objective needed to be done to complete this level.

The area is facing tectonic shifts with strange gases around created by dark forces and the player needs to find the output of these calamities and stop them from occurring.

List of Objectives

Macro Objective:

• Locate the Output of Calamities occurring in 5 Minutes. (There is hole which players needs to fill by the coins he/she collected, required coins 80)

Micro Objectives:

• Find Collectible
• Collect Coins

GPI

• Skylanders
• Coins
• Smash able objects (barrels, crates, grass, etc)
  • Each object gives 4 coins. There are 16 destructible objects
• Elevating pads
• Portal (Game End)
• Hat (Collectible)
• Poisonous Gas

Custom Shapes

All the Shapes created in the map are done by these following shapes. I specifically wanted a weird saucer type plates to state that’s it’s a floating rock with short quake activity going on it. On whole the shapes created here are ultimately to show an idea.

Special Level Gameplay Mechanics

Tectonic Quakes:

On Some platforms the ground shakes on specific time intervals and if the player is on the platform while its shakings the skylander of the player goes in a dizzy motion towards an edge of the platform leading for the player to fall off the map. But the player can escape this this as, in this “dizzy form” player controls are inverted and player needs to control the character in such a way that the skylander doesn’t fall of an edge.

The amount of dizziness is calculated by the power of quake. If the quake is really powerful the player just can’t do anything but fall off. The power of quake is also calculated randomly. I was thinking maybe we could do three variations of quake where the first being easy, and other being quite skilled and the last being impossible.

Poisonous Gas:

On Specific time intervals a special gas is released in specific areas on map and player on impact with this gas gets knocked back to his/her previous location. This is just used to elongate the completion time for this map.

Flow

Level Design Intentions:

A short mini stage while on path to the end of the game, where the players know every possible mechanic. And this level introduces small mechanics which test the player knowledge on what happened so far. I wanted the level to have a challenging feel.

Style:

Basically the map style is aimed at bit arena style where you have your objective in front of you, and you just need to complete it. But by using hover pads and other mechanics introduced, the game adjusts it difficulty.

Progression:

The levels goes on by player evading the obstacles set, then after player collects coins and in the end player deposits the coins collected. It sounds simple but due to level design player has to travel whole map at least once, and due to circumstances player may need to revisit places too. And due to the map being quite small and the target audience are children, the time required to complete this level is 5 minutes.

Side Objective:

There is a collectible Hat in the level which deceases the cost to buy abilities or something, and only on finding it the level is 100% complete.