Office Shootout Design Overview

Office Shootout is a level that focuses on third-person shooter action. It utilizes ZzGERTzZ’s Character Interaction asset pack for the character meshes, character controller, player movement and combat blueprints and the A.I blueprints. This was a personal project with the goal of creating a level with combat implications and everything that is involved including: scripting enemy encounters, designing combat spaces and other variables.

Reception

Reception is the starting area for Office Shootout. It starts with players picking up their weaponry before heading into their first firefight. Initially there are two patrolling guards, one in the foreground circling around the reception desk and the other in the background. Once players eliminate them, three more enemies spawn in from distinct areas in the background. Combat is unavoidable given the guards shoot on sight and players must eliminate the guards and their reinforcements to progress beyond this part of the level.

After retrieving their weapons and ammunition, players enter the reception area using one of two sets of stairs. Players have the chance of not being noticed immediately depending on the location of the patrolling guard. Whether or not players are spotted upon entering the room, there is a set of cover points immediately following the stairs meant to give players protection from gunfire.

Hall of Mirrors

Hall of Mirrors is a gameplay segment that takes place at the tail end of Office Shootout, pitting players against guards in a space filled with one way mirrors. Inspiration for this gameplay segment came from testing different materials on brushes and the capabilities of the A.I from ZzGERTzZ’s Character Interaction pack. Being this is the second and final action segment, players start this section by refilling their ammo before heading into the “cubicle of rooms with one way mirrors.” This is to get the players (briefly) familiar with the environment and the way it works before they have their first enemy encounter in the area.

No matter which of the three entryways players take at the end of this cubical of rooms, they will initiate a trigger that plays a cut-scene of their next objective: a locked door with a lever that’s being guarded by several armed guards. Also, two more guards spawn in from behind to investigate the area. Combat is unavoidable and the spawning of the two guards from behind is the surprise that will mix up players’ preliminary expectations on how to approach this scenario.

Hall of Mirror’s Layout

The goal of Hall of Mirrors’ layout was to facilitate a fun and exploitative combat scenario using rooms with one way mirrors. By exploitative combat, I mean utilizing the environment to overcome the enemy’s method of tracking the player (aka line of sight) to kill them. The layout of this segment had to accomplish two goals: 1. Be readable enough to let the players evade and kite the enemy guards 2. Make mirror placement consistent so they can be used intelligently in navigation and combat.

The general flow of navigational paths avoids bottlenecks or dead ends. All rooms have at least two doorways, allowing players to move through spaces with ease and to create flanking opportunities. Conversely, the multiple entry points in each rooms are also utilized by the enemy guards if they have line of sight or knowledge of your location from gunfire from either you or from the other guards. Much like the player, they can see through the transparent side of the mirrors but not the reflective.