Tides of the Sky
Level Design
Engine: UDK
Tides of the Sky is a Level designed and developed using Unreal Development Kit. My goal in designing the level is by only use the limits of the original UDK assets to create a high-wow factor and unique player experience. I designed the level around using the Cicada and working with the UDK BSP plus world-space in a way to create a sky scenerio. Tides of the Sky is an epic sky level of flying Cicada’s and infiltrating a mothership before a head-to-head tough boss battle against an enemy battleship.
- Design and develop a level with a unique and wow-factor using original UDK assets.
- Project includes level layout, player beat and flow chart, mini-boss and boss design, cut scenes/cinematic.
Nominated for VFS GD17 Best Level Design
Level Outline
In the level of Tides of the Sky, the player’s goal is to infiltrate the Mothership, take out her engines, and return back safely to the player’s home ship. This is easier said than done, as the player will first have to take his/her Cicada and make way through the surrounded sky of threatening enemy Cicada. Once reach Zulu Mothership the player will be guided from Beta (AI) of the optional paths.
Path 1: The Mothership will have shield points where the player has to take out by shooting at it. The ship will begin to fire the rockets at the player once they get close. After destroying the shields, the ship will open the front hanger and the player will have to dog fight a former friend, Delta and his two goons. These AI are program to fire in range and stay behind the player. Victory will grant the player the chance to enter from the hanger of the Mothership and elevate down the elevator into the ships engine.
Path 2: Taking look around the player will find an entrance from below the ship. Exit the Cicada and enter through the door. There is a elevator and upon taking the elevator up, the player is inform he has enter the enemy’s room quarters where he/she will have to gun fight dozens of enemy soldiers. After killing them all the player will be able to access a door that leads to the elevator where he will take down to the engine room.
In the engine room, the player will have to solve a puzzle of setting the engine in the correct order. Once achieved, the player may make way out of the ship by exiting from the back.
Level Outline
To get there the player will have to take the elevator to the cockpit where he/she will be locked into battle with the Zulu Commander of the ship. The player will have a one on one fight. The Zulu Commander will remain in the cockpit area using the walls as cover and moving side to side while shooting rockets towards the player. When the Zulu Commander’s shield is up, he will stand at the door and remain firing until his shield duration is up and continues with his cover tactic. Defeating the commander, the player will be able to move into the cockpit to unlock the exit door to the landing pad.
Once on the top of the landing pad, there will be parked Cicadas. The sky is now dawn and red. Upon exiting grabbing a new Cicada, the Zulu Battleship arrives and the player will have to a final battle.
A SHMUP-like feel Boss Battle. The player will have to continuously dodge incoming rockets and bullets. Demonstrated from the early section of the level, the boss ship will have shield points identical to the mothership. The player will first have to destroy all shield points on the side of the ship. During this phase the boss will move side to side. After busting the shield points, the ship will then center itself in the level and move back going facing the entire level. At this point the player will have to shoot the two Hit Points that are located in the front. During this phase the boss will remain static but continuously fire bullets and rockets while spawning AI Cicadas. Once that point is broken then the ship will open up it’s plasma cannon which will charge up and fire towards the player. At this final phase the player will need to destroy the cannon by shooting in it. Once that is destroyed the boss is defeated.
After this gaining victory in this epic struggle, the player can enter back in to the home ship and there the level ends.