Northern Watch - Survival Level
Northern Watch - Survival Level
I recently put together a small survival map for Enclave after being inspired by one of the test environments for the never released sequel, Enclave 2.
Northern Watch is an additional survival level created for Enclave, made to become available once the Light Campaign has been completed. The map is a bit of an experimental take on the standard survival game mode, including more variable enemy spawns within each wave.
(Version 1.02)
Download Northern Watch
The standard survival maps in Enclave function by having a set of enemy groups specified, and then the game spawns these groups out of sight from the player at predefined points. I decided to experiment using a different route and set up the enemy waves through in-level scripting as it allows for more detailed AI control and the option to include randomized elements during waves. This method left me with the opportunity to find new ways to introduce the enemies into the map, including small scripted sequences similar to what might be found in the single player game. The downside is that implementing enemy waves this way is much more time consuming and not as easy to modify through external files.
I love the sense of interactivity that physics simulations give to Enclaves main game, so this was another point I spent some time on. Planks that break away, a barrel being knocked down, and crates that are affected by the players attacks are examples of elements I brought into the level to make it feel more dynamic. This interest in scripted details is also reflected in the way I chose to spawn enemies into the level, having some AI characters enter the playable area through doorways or other openings, small sequences sometimes happening when they do ( E.g. knocking a barrel down, opening window shutters to snipe at the player, kicking open a door), or the chance to fight some entirely different enemies during a wave.
The map is mostly done in Ogier, but TrenchBroom also came in handy for speeding up the process of creating cliffs and rock formations.
In the end, this was a fun test using a different system to create a challenge level, and I hope it offers an enjoyable challenge within a new environment. It was a great way to put into practice the research I've done into the editing tools, and also learn more about elements such as how the AI is handled in a game play situation.
I dropped in a handful of camera points while doing the geometry for the level which were used to take snapshots as passes on different sections were done. They don't quite show everything as I commonly returned to rework finer details, but tracking the progress like this is usually fun to look back on. The video for this is below (or can be found here).
Northern Watch is an additional survival level created for Enclave, made to become available once the Light Campaign has been completed. The map is a bit of an experimental take on the standard survival game mode, including more variable enemy spawns within each wave.
(Version 1.02)
Download Northern Watch
The standard survival maps in Enclave function by having a set of enemy groups specified, and then the game spawns these groups out of sight from the player at predefined points. I decided to experiment using a different route and set up the enemy waves through in-level scripting as it allows for more detailed AI control and the option to include randomized elements during waves. This method left me with the opportunity to find new ways to introduce the enemies into the map, including small scripted sequences similar to what might be found in the single player game. The downside is that implementing enemy waves this way is much more time consuming and not as easy to modify through external files.
I love the sense of interactivity that physics simulations give to Enclaves main game, so this was another point I spent some time on. Planks that break away, a barrel being knocked down, and crates that are affected by the players attacks are examples of elements I brought into the level to make it feel more dynamic. This interest in scripted details is also reflected in the way I chose to spawn enemies into the level, having some AI characters enter the playable area through doorways or other openings, small sequences sometimes happening when they do ( E.g. knocking a barrel down, opening window shutters to snipe at the player, kicking open a door), or the chance to fight some entirely different enemies during a wave.
The map is mostly done in Ogier, but TrenchBroom also came in handy for speeding up the process of creating cliffs and rock formations.
In the end, this was a fun test using a different system to create a challenge level, and I hope it offers an enjoyable challenge within a new environment. It was a great way to put into practice the research I've done into the editing tools, and also learn more about elements such as how the AI is handled in a game play situation.
I dropped in a handful of camera points while doing the geometry for the level which were used to take snapshots as passes on different sections were done. They don't quite show everything as I commonly returned to rework finer details, but tracking the progress like this is usually fun to look back on. The video for this is below (or can be found here).
Re: Northern Watch - Survival Level
I've released the source files for the survival map as well, the link to these is below. Refer to the included ReadMe for details on how to use the files.
(Version 1.02)
Download Northern Watch Source Files
(Version 1.02)
Download Northern Watch Source Files