This level was to be built around the constraints given for the level test. Of creating a fast paced level with at least 5 minutes of gameplay, at least two rooms, environmental storytelling, and was targeted to the design philosophy of the Doom Series in a two week timeframe. When in the pre-production phase I wanted to craft a level that plays on themes of most Doom levels with a twist, Hell. So my idea was if Hell is hot then Heaven must be cold, that and the phrase of “When Hell Freezes Over”. Those two were the main guiding point of me creating my level as this Heavenly Ice Ruins where monsters have taken over and the angel is chained to a mountain overlooking the realm.

I designed 4 traditional Doom like arenas, and 3 platforming sections based off how Doom Eternal does gameplay. In the whitebox I would have a floating island that escorts you to the boss, but as a backup if that gameplay felt too unlike Doom, or couldn’t function I would create a platforming/arena hybrid section that would function as the transition to the boss arena.

I whiteboxed everything using Maya in a modular style. First was creating each individual arena and doing playtesting with others to see how each arena felt. After I perfected the gameplay experience within. I used the landscape tool to sculpt the areas that would become the platforming sections that link all the arenas together. This playtesting session allowed me to see the flying arena was too out of place to fit in level due to its slow pace nature and the enemies not functioning on it.

A lot of blueprints I made was to cater to the gameplay of the Doom series specifically Doom Eternal. I created an enemy AI that will follow and shoot at you using Pawn Sensing, modified the default Unreal FPS shooter to have faster movement, a double jump, and a horizontal dash. Some mechanics for the level like teleporters, jumpads, checkpoints, destroyable walls, and entire moving arena BP.

The lessons learned involved really having to go out of my comfort zone and recreating an experience of a level I never made before with a multitude of constraints. This is my largest level I created due to the speed of the player. The limited access to certain assets and amount of constraints allowed me to fully embrace my skills in creating Blueprints that will assist me in creating a Doom like experience. From making my own teleporters, dash, jumpads, and double jumps. This is also allowed me to craft a FPS level that was a single player experience and not multiplayer. I made sure to do a lot of time management to ensure that my level could be completed within the two weeks with optimal amount of playtesting and staying true to the full level design pipeline from pro-production to whiteboxing to blueprints to set dressing.

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