"Gone Down Below" - Fallout 4
"GONE DOWN BELOW" sees players find a note left by one Dr. Barry Walsh for some missing friends. At Dr. Walsh's request, the player then explores the tunnels beneath Boston, searching 3 custom modular interior spaces for what became of the group who was living there.
LEVEL INFORMATION
Role: Level Designer
Game: Fallout 4
Date: May-July 2020
Team Size: Solo
Genre: FPS, RPG
Engine: Creation Kit
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Responsibilities
PREPRODUCTION
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Presented documentation outlining pacing, design, and intended aesthetics to level stakeholder
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Built a time- and task-tracking setup on Monday.com
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Set up project using Perforce P4V version control
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Coordinated voice acting recordings for the level
IMPLEMENTATION
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Blended custom NPCs and areas with existing game spaces seamlessly
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Built 3 unique spaces with pre-existing mod kit pieces
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Arranged and polished combat in three unique spaces
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Wrote custom scripts to craft gameplay experiences
Click each image for details and a larger view.
"GONE DOWN BELOW" - GALLERY
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Communicating Paths
"Gone Down Below" doesn't use quest markers to lead to objectives. Instead, to guide players, I used:
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Light to lead the player's eye to important areas.
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Leading lines created by set dressing choices.
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Collectibles and valuable items to draw players in and set up other sightlines from that point.
EXAMPLE: This image shows the first subway space entered by players. The ruins of this workers' break room create leading lines towards the door at the back, helping to lead players without the use of objective markers.
Pops of color, such as the red vending machine and subway tile by the door, further the effect.
The white arrows indicate the visual lines drawn to the door by the open door, sloping rubble, and fallen stool.
Characterization Via Clutter
In order to ensure players cared about the missing NPCs' fates, they had to understand them... without ever meeting them. Therefore, I decorated each NPC's shack so their belongings would bring them to life.
EXAMPLE: The inhabitant of this particular shack cared about appearances, shown by the neatly arranged pre-war items on the prominent shelves.
However, he also felt shame for other parts of himself: many empty liquor bottles have been shoved unceremoniously under the bed to hide them from view.
This intentional prop choice prompts the player to make inferences about the NPC, building empathy as they do.
Despite the NPCs' deaths, their lives and struggles live on in the props I chose for their houses for players to find.
Modular, Yet Unique
Modular kits provide developers the benefit of fast, flexible construction. I worked with four different kits on "Gone Down Below" to stretch my skills and further my familiarity with them.
However, on their own, modkits can also become too generic and blend together. To combat this, I used standout set pieces and even other modkits in each space to ensure uniqueness.
EXAMPLE: The steam tunnel settlement space in particular blended disparate styles. Here, the space is given its character in part by the unusual combination of steam tunnel pipes and utility bridges - right next to wooden shacks. I incorporated pipes and other wooden pieces throughout the space as well to integrate the styles.
Wooden planking on the bridges and homes built around pipes helped marry the shack and tunnel kits, and together, they create a standout space.
POSTMORTEM
What Went Well
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Propping spaces efficiently. For each area, I created both an object palette of meshes based on items I found in comparable spaces and a small "playground" outside the confines of the level in which to assemble pipes or other multi-object collections which could then be copied, pasted, positioned, and material-swapped. Both techniques sped up aesthetics significantly.
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Task tracking and prioritization. Though much of my level's focus was on the environmental design, I correctly prioritized flow and gameplay to ensure I had a fun level before diving into the aesthetic elements.
What Was Learned
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The power of modkits. Though I worked with modkits previously, I fell in love with them during "Gone Down Below". Using them sped up construction immensely, and decorating them to ensure uniqueness and visual interest was an enjoyable challenge.
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Familiarity with an editor makes a difference. "Gone Down Below" was my first opportunity to work in a game I already knew the editor for, and it sped up development time immensely, allowing me to push myself further in terms of what I could do.