Laser Master Tournament
Project Type : Personal / University project
Software Used : Unreal Engine 4
Language Used : Blueprints
Primary Role(s) : Game Designer / Developer
Introduction :
The Laser Master Tournament (LMT) represents a project initiated at the beginning of the 5th year, aiming to familiarize ourselves with the Unreal Engine 4 and enhance our skills in level design.
Project Context :
The challenge was to create, solo, within three months, a first-person traversal game. Level design was at the core of the project, involving the design of a complete level and multiple gameplay mechanics. A timer system evaluated the player's performance, allowing them to establish a record.
Project Objective :
The project had three main intentions:
Implement reactive gameplay mechanics, offering an authentic sense of speed and fluidity.
Explore a variety of original courses with increasingly complex challenges.
Navigate through a unique environment based on a sports arena, embellished with dynamic screens and an enthusiastic crowd.
Additionally, the project aimed to create a visually rich universe fully exploiting the capabilities of the Unreal Engine.
Project Description :
The choice of mechanics, such as wall jump, wall run, vaulting, climbing, and sliding, was crucial to bring dynamism to the game. Level design was crafted to make these mechanics engaging, imposing architecture that forced the player to utilize them. Traps, represented by red lasers, sent the player back to the previous checkpoint upon contact, adding a strategic and learning dimension to the game.
The level design process required time, particularly for imagination, balancing, and artistic direction. Striking a balance between integrating all desired elements without overloading the level while respecting the three-month deadline was a challenge.
Learning Blueprints in Unreal Engine posed an additional challenge, requiring rapid adoption of this knowledge to create scripts that linked player actions with level reactions.
Issues Encountered and Solutions Implemented :
Time management was crucial in LMT's development. A meticulous action plan was necessary to meet the short duration of three months. After countless hours of work, the level was presented at the defense, receiving praise from the jury for achieving such a large-scale level in such a short time frame.
Conclusion :
LMT was a very exciting project that allowed me to discover and experiment with the UE4 engine, which I was not familiar with before. I had a lot of fun creating this level during this project and developing the various player mechanics; it was a very enriching experience. Furthermore, working on this project solo changed the perspective; one no longer relies on other members to accomplish certain tasks; everything must be done independently from start to finish.
