Andreas Paleologos
Level Designer
INTRODUCTION_INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION_INTRODUCTION
ROLE: Level Designer, UX, QA
GENRE: Platformer
STYLE: Chem-punk
RELEASE: PC
ENGINE: UNITY
DEVELOPMENT: 16 Weeks
DECAY is a 2.5D speed platformer set in an apocalyptic chempunk world of toxic waste and machinery. Control a defect robot who survives destruction and its task now is to wander the wasteland in search of its maker for answers.
​
the amalgamation is awake
PRE-PRODUCTION_PRE-PRODUCTION
PRE-PRODUCTION_PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre Production
During prod. of DECAY, I was tasked as its Lead Level Designer.
Throughout all of pre production when the game was in early concepting, I had a map design similar to that of metroidvanias which was a interconnected level that had progression through discovery and unlocking paths through exploration and collecting. The first concept of the map was done on some sticky notes I had laying around and combined them to make a bigger picture.
This level concept was based off of early ideas of the game with the level set in a junkyard with hazards to avoid and enemies to fight. enemies had both a ranged and melee variation so making some areas based for combat as well as sections for platforming and puzzle design. The newer concept of the map through pre-production phase had this concept be made.
First Skecth
Blockout
Area Themes
Final Plan
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
Production
As pre-production finished and Production rolled in, work was started in-engine to create the greybox for the player mechanics and make the outline from the planning. As time went on however, plans had changed for the game and direction took a more sharper turn into a speedrunning, sonic inspired linear platformer rather than a Metroidvania.
This did require a shift in the level design as all planning of a Metroidvania level became null as the game genre switch had drastically different design phylosophies and so the in-engine greybox and the old level planning were scrapped in favour of this new focus.
This was in the middle of Production so I got to work on a new level concept in about a day and created the greybox in about 3 days. This was the result of the new level.
This was done before QA testing locally which was great and now meant time to start readjusting the level from the feedback received. Part of one of my jobs within the team was Quality Assurance which was done alongside level design and from the feedback we got, I got straight into fixing up the level.
It was about a 50/50 ratio for feedback on the level design which was nice and the same for the gameplay with some main adjustments to the player stats, geometry fixing, drone and turret placement and readjusting some sections of the platforming.
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
Production Cont.
As development within engine continued, progress was advancing on schedule and ahead. My role also led into tasks such as importing / exporting assets and textures, environmental design, setdressing, lighting, PFX and VFX, partial asset creation and some work in shader graphs.
To discuss the methods of how the level was created, I used ProBuilder and ProGrids for the greybox and terrain tools to create the trash mountains in the background. After having a rough area, I exported and imported the hard surface assets created by the artists for the junkyard section like gears, rebar, metal objects and so on to fill out the space. lighting came in next to simulate the feel as well as PFX and VFX like the acid rain, acid pools, skybox and a fair amount of post processing.
Later tasks such as the factory which was 1 entire asset was added along with another round of setdressing, lighting and around this time textures were completed so that was added along to the list.
(01)
DECAY Gameplay Image
Image of DECAY from in game, showcases the paralaxing background, environment and lighting
(02)
Storytelling through environment
The initial beginning of DECAY is both a POI and story point as the character is ejected from a factory into the junkyard
(03)
Merging background into foreground
The first hazard the player approaches is a acid pool, a neat way I incorporated showing this is merging the background glowing pool into the foreground level
(04)
Close encounters
Part of the level had to have some sort of danger to pose to the player, an encounter to remind the player of their environment. Using the big slide in the factory I placed a row of turret bots to create a brush of danger moment.
(05)
That new area smell
The level could have been just the junkyard but variation in the area makes a huge different on the player's experience and makes introducing new elements memorable such as the turrets in the factory.
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
ERROR_ERROR_ERROR_ERROR
Behind The Scenes
All of this effort combined created the look, style and feel that is displayed within DECAY. How it came together was through clear communication within the Design and Art Departments, consistent follow through with pipelines and schedules, acknowledgement of any issues or problems within development and planning ahead to resolve roadblocks.
On the topic of how DECAY looks, this was some of the behind the scenes of the level material during production. This is a collection of a few photos that had early concepts, ideas, designs and scrapped content.
(02)
New level end sequence
This part from during early testing of the new level was grabbed from my previous idea in the old level on picture (03), this end sequence had potential.
(01)
Early days production
Before the switch of the genre came about, more verticality was present in the old design to give more player movement and exploration on a linier path
(03)
Revamp of second half
Picture (01) was still being fleshed out but after more development, this was the look of the old level with more platforming challenges.
(04)
One level captured in one picture
This is the new level at its entirety, the colour backgrounds represented the area style (yellow = junkyard, blue = factory) and much of this would be used in the finished vertical slice. much that did change was the entrance to the factory, some platforms in the first area and a huge cut on the last area.
(05)
Post traumatic post-processing
This was funny to look back at now but the shock of when this happened at the time was big after spending hours of getting the lighting just right. This happened after a merge and it was later resolved but still a funny but painful memory.
(06)
Shaping the beginning
Early shots show the formation of the start with its initial idea being landfill then changed to being part of a factory to give story elements
(07)
Making a chase theme
Early ideas had a boss chase at the end of the map, we named the boss "The Amalgamation" as it was a scrap behemoth monster of other rejected robots. I had some time to bring the feel to how the boss's theme may play out and using FL Studios I made this in a few hours.