Freebooter
A fast-paced FPS made in Unity.
Overview
Website: https://sebp.itch.io/freebooter
Engine: Unity
My Role: Level Designer
Summary of Responsibilities
• create and iterate on a level design
• document and analyze game design
• aid with creation and implementation of UI elements
• collaborate with teammates to implement and iterate on gameplay ideas
Freebooter is a single player FPS inspired by games such as Quake and Doom. I was part of the Freebooter team as one of the principal level designers.
My level, Charon-13, is set in a jungle and incorporates fast-paced shooter gameplay with light puzzle and platforming elements.
← Charon-13 Playthrough (2x Speed)
Shooters and Systems
When creating Freebooter, we wanted to emulate the fast-paced action of games like Doom and Ultrakill. This led to us implementing a variety of systems to achieve this goal. Specifically, I often advocated for avoiding systems which would lead to the game becoming a "cover shooter" due to those games having a different pacing style than the more constant movement and action that we were looking to achieve.
Reloading
At first, we began to implement a variety of mechanics which are common in many shooters, such as reloading. However, we noticed in playtesting that reloading encouraged players to find cover, which in turn encouraged them to fire at enemies from cover. Because we had heavy damage drop-off on many of the weapons to encourage close combat, this playstyle was not only slow, it led to a less enjoyable experience. I advocated for removing reloading ammo to remedy this.
Health Regeneration
Ultimately, we noticed players will generally play in the "playstyle of least resistance." This meant we had to ensure that the action-filled gameplay we were going for was the easiest way to advance in the game. A system that I advocated for that ensured this was the health regeneration system in the game. Similarly to Bloodborne which encourages aggressive play by making the player regenerate health when they attack an enemy quickly after being damaged, I advocated for a system of health regeneration in which players would regenerate health when they killed an enemy and they were within a certain range of the enemy. This drastically changed the way that most players approached the game.
Video Explanation of the Health Regeneration System →
Level Design
When designing my level, Charon-13, I went through the typical steps of conceptualization, defining areas and flow, creating 2D layouts based on our game's metrics, and brainstorming ideas for interactivity. I then grayboxed the level in the game engine, and iterated on gameplay based on feedback and implemented art until the level was complete.
Adaptive Design
One issue that I ran into during this process was that the metrics for stairs that were present in Freebooter were larger than the stairs that I had envisioned. When implemented in the game engine, this resulted in a much larger space than I had intended for my combat interactions in the vicinity of the staircase. I added large shards of gold that block parts of the area, forcing the player into tight corridors where our game's melee enemies were most threatening. Since the concept for the area was a laboratory in which alchemy such as chrysopoeia (artificial creation of gold) was being researched, this addition also helped to communicate that fact. This area of the level tells the narrative of researchers who succeeded in chrysopoeia, but who couldn't control the experiment, resulting in gold spewing up to the ceiling and throughout the room.
Information and the Player
I often had to consider the player sightlines when designing this level. This meant selectively showing or hiding enemies, pickups, and areas to the player. For example, I used a lone enemy in an open clearing to bait the player into attacking it. However, killing the enemy would alert other enemies hidden in the area which would then attack the player.
← Design Thinking in Charon-13