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LEVELS


Contents

FEAR AI Primer
FEAR Perseus Mandate
FEAR Extraction Point
Eclipse
Caldera Runners
FAKK2 Year 1 Frolic


FEAR AI Primer

FEAR AI Primer: Much of my time working on the FEAR expansion packs was used to set up combat. This page explains the basics of FEAR AI and how a level designer can effect combat style.

This demo shows two different styles of combat. In the first room enemies attack the player as soon as they are spawned and try to close in. In the second room enemies don't notice the player until a shot is fired and are more cautious. The level was run in "God" mode, which allows the player to move around and test enemy response without taking damage.

Combat Demo Windows Media (wmv) format 640x480, 23 MB, 3 minutes 41 seconds. Right click on the link or image to save the video, left click to download and play.


FEAR Perseus Mandate

FEAR Perseus Mandate was released in Nov. 2007 and is a stand alone PC expansion pack for Monotlith's 2005 FEAR. I worked on the PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game from Oct. 2006 until it was finished in Oct. 2007. FEAR Files is the Xbox 360 version of this game with FEAR Extraction Point on the same disc.

The two levels of the game I worked on were Level 10, The Deep, and Level 16, Showdown. A brief description of Showdown is given below.


Level 16, Showdown

This is the final level of the game. I did the initial layout, combat, and scripting in the LithTech editor, then worked with others to polish it.


Here is a video of the final 2 combats and level ending. You meet with Raynes to fight your way to the evacuation point.

Final combat Video Windows Media (wmv) format 640x480, 38 MB, 6 minutes 6 seconds. Right click on the link or image to save the video, left click to download and play.

After meeting Raynes, the goal of the last section was to portray a hectic run to the evacuation point.


Level 16 Showdown Pictures:
Level screenshots. Clicking on a thumbnail will open an 800x600 image in a new window.
Here are some pictures of the level. A larger image with captions can be seen by clicking the thumbnails.


FEAR Extraction Point

FEAR Extraction Point was released in Oct. 2006 and is the first expansion pack for Monotlith's 2005 game FEAR. I worked on the PC version of the game from January 2006 until it went gold in September. FEAR Files is the Xbox 360 version of the game with FEAR Perseus Mandate on the same disc.

The four levels of the PC version I worked on were Level 2 Metastasis, Level 3 Ambush, Level 8 The L, and Level 12 Epilogue. Brief descriptions of Metastasis and Ambush are given below.


Level 2, Metastasis

In this level you start in the Church Catacombs and make your way to the Church Offices and Chapel. I worked on the last portion of this level, from the Church Offices to the end. I was responsible for the initial layout, combat, and scripting done with the LithTech editor, then worked with others to polish the results.


Here is a video of combat in the Church Office (this is the same video seen on the HOME page).

Church Office Combat Windows Media (wmv) format 640x480, 24 MB, 3 minutes 50 seconds. Right click on the link or image to save the video, left click to download and play.

The goal of this combat was to encourage "close action shotgun shooting" in a hectic environment. There are a number of places where enemies can knock tables and cabinets over for cover.


Level 2 Metastasis Pictures:
Level screenshots. Clicking on a thumbnail will open an 800x600 image in a new window.
Here are pictures of areas of the level I worked on. A larger image with captions can be seen by clicking the thumbnails.

Level 3, Ambush

In this level you fight through a warehouse district and rendevous with Holiday. I did the initial layout, decoration, and combat of the level, then worked with others on the scripted events and final polish.

Shown here is a video of the fight after you recieve the Deployable Turrets for the first time. Holiday arrives toward the end to lend a hand.

Deployable turret fight Windows Media (wmv) format 640x480, 30 MB, 4 minutes 51 seconds. Right click on the link or image to save the video, left click to download and play.


Eclipse

Eclipse is a 3rd person Half-Life 2 mod which was done at The Guildhall from Jan.-June, 2005. In this game you play as the Sorceress Violet traveling to the Standing Stones. In this project I worked on enemy placement in the three levels and helped design and test the enemy AI.

In the October 2005 issue of Computer Gaming World Eclipse was listed as one of Valve's 5 favorite Half-Life 2 mods.


Our Keepers won't move!!! Follow this link to read about a problem we had with the Keeper enemies refusing to move in the final combat and learn how it was solved.

Eclipse web page. This link takes you to the Eclipse web page.


Level screenshots. Clicking on a thumbnail will open an 800x600 image in a new window.
The gameplay focuses on exploring the environment and seeing which objects you can interact with. Violet starts the game having the telekinesis (TK) spell which allows her to pick up objects and throw them.
In the first two levels her primary means of defense is throwing objects using the TK spell. In the third level she finds the Hell Storm that allows her to summon fireballs. These prove useful at the Standing Stones, where she must defend herself against hordes of charging Keepers.


Caldera Runners

From April-June 2004 I was a level designer for this Guildhall Unreal Tournament 2004 racing mod. The story of the game has a volcano under Yellowstone National Park erupting in 2016 and turning North America into a wasteland. The survivors form tribes and scavenge the countryside for parts. The most popular sport is Team Rig racing. Tribes race their giant home trucks (the Team Rig) around the track, with winners collecting valued supplies.

The game has two Team Rigs race along the track following scripted paths. Players can effect the Rig speeds in 2 ways:
- Destroy and repair Team Engines.
- Pick up the Speed Booster which speeds up the Team's Rig that holds it. This will travel with the player that has it.

The initial plan was to have Engines and combat on the Team Rigs. Unfortunately boarding Rigs when they weren't moving straight didn't work well, so it was necessary to move the Engines to bases around the track. Each base had a Red and Blue engine, so control of the bases was essential to winning.

On the map I made there were three things to control - two bases and the Speed Booster. The bases were on opposite ends of the map, while the Speed Booster would travel with whomever had it. This encouraged use of the entire level.


My Responsibilities:
- Design and construction of the Canyon Run level using UnrealEd.
- Creating, texturing, and importing 15 3ds Max models for the level.
- Creation of 12 custom textures.

Level screenshots. Clicking on a thumbnail will open an 800x600 image in a new window.
This canyon in the Arizona desert is well known for it's heated races.
This was a large level (~100,000 x 100,000 units). With the efficient use of anti-portals and terrain models it was possible to keep the game running above 50 fps in all areas.


Year 1 Frolic

In January 2003 I released a comic level to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of my downloading the FAKK2 level editor. The highlight of the level was a cinematic in the dance club. FAKK2 forum member Calzador especially liked the dance sequence and lengthened it from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and improved the club decoration. Shown here is a final version of the cinematic which I shortened to 95 seonds.


Dance Video Windows Media (wmv) format, 23.5 MB, 95 seconds. Right click on the link or image to save the video, left click to download and play.

The Dancing Script Page explains the making of this sequence.