Insurgency - Valley
Design of Checkpoint -Valley
The map for the "Checkpoint" gamemode "Valley" was made as a continuation of the Level Design Test from NWI to test my level design theory and bring life to the blockout by putting into the insurgency sandstorm modding tools.
I designed the map for the checkpoint gamemode which consists of a group of limited respawns players, assaulting and then defending a position held by AI with no spawn limits. once a point is capture and then defended a new objective will open up and players will respawn and be able.
Project Specs
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Solo Project
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This project was made over the course of 8 Weeks
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Used existing Insurgency Sandstorm SDK tools in UE4
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Transitioned existing level design test into functional map mod
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Published to Mod.io and tested via modding site
Design Goals
1. Pacing & Game Mode Integration
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Goal: Achieve optimal map run time and pacing to seamlessly integrate within Insurgency Sandstorms roster.
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Execution: Through multiple iterations, the map's overall size was reduced to ensure the play-through duration fell in line with existing, successful maps within the Checkpoint gamemode. This critical tuning ensures players experience consistent, satisfying session lengths.
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2. Combat Intensity & Player Engagement
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Goal: Maximize player engagement and deliver a high-friction, intense combat experience.
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Execution: The geometry and sightlines were deliberately calibrated to shorten the average engagement distance between players and AI. This design choice forces more frequent and closer-quarters combat, directly increasing the overall intensity and player involvement in firefights.
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3. Iterative Tuning (Process Goal)
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Goal: Demonstrate a commitment to refining the design based on pacing and flow metrics.
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Execution: The necessity to reduce the map size showcased a practical, iterative approach to development, prioritizing gameplay metrics (engagement frequency and run time) over initial scale to deliver a superior final product.
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Moodboards and References
The concept for this map mod is an expansion of the design test I recently completed for New world interactive.
Loosely based on a mountainous fortress/castle-style environment with winding caverns and height differences. The Landscape is set in Punjab Valley in Afghanistan with large rocky hills and canyon paths
Top Down Plans & Node designs
In order to plan out the map in a fashion that would integrate my initial design I took a modular approach to top-down plans by designing each section of the map in a seperate artboard in order to effectively plan gameplay for each location of the map.
Doing this also allows me to make modifications to each section more rapidly allowing for faster iteration and a more accurate vision of the node-based designs previously made.
Each objective designed to be assaulted from 2 primary directions and then allow enemies to spawn from many more directions once the objective is captured this acts a capture-and-hold-the-flag style game with limited respawns it forces players to defend the captured objectives from waves of ai enemies
Gameplay Videos
Level Design Test
Platform: PC
Release Date: 28th Nov 2022
Genre: Multiplayer Tactical FPS
Role: Level Designer
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Level Design Test Brief
Whilst studying at University I reached out to the current level design director of New World Interactive to ask for a mock Level design test to hone my workflow based on industry standards. Below you will find the document they sent me alongside with iterations I made after receiving feedback via LinkedIn and Teams calls.
Iteration Based on LD Director feedback
Moodboards and References
Below is a collection of moodboards and reference images I used when designing the level they are grouped into categories based on what the moodboards represent i.e. moodboards for exterior and interior environments
LD Document for the Design Test
Top Down Plans & Node designs
The following image sets will demonstrate both top down plan layouts and consideration of leading sight lines/verticality
