Building the Map- NEXT: Part 3

So due to extenuating circumstances, I wasn’t able to finish my Mission Design Document for submission but that doesn’t mean I won’t finish it.  After answering some key questions in PART 2 I worked on figuring out what the exterior and interior layouts would look like and how players would move through these spaces.

First I started by figuring out the shape of key buildings and locations that would be in the immediate vicinity of the warehouse (the main gameplay space).

The basic shape of the Dealership.

After that, I started trying to figure out how everything should be oriented. The original concept had the warehouse facing South, but that lead to problems where the players would either have direct access to certain entryways, making it too easy to get in and too hard to escape since the mission ends with them in the office section of the distribution center (the front half of the warehouse), which would be the southernmost point with no feasible escape route.

While figuring out the orientation I had to take into account the surrounding buildings and the roles they play in helping the player gain entry to the distribution center. It was also important to have the dealership fairly close to the section of the map where the mission ends so that, if players chose to, they would have a quick getaway (especially if they had been spotted by security).

 

Rough sketches of map layout and shapes of the neighboring plaza. At one point the shape of the Distribution Center was going to take on a whole new look but this created problems with entries and exits.

Following the initial sketches, I created several digital versions constantly moving different elements of the map around until I created one that I was happy enough to move forward into paper prototyping.

Version 1.5 of the exterior map, no gameplay ingredients added.

Paper prototype of gameplay ingredients for the exterior map layout.

Doing this helped me figure out where I really wanted to place the buildings and what their purpose was going to be. With this design, I realized that the southern half of the map didn’t leave the player with a lot of options (nowhere to sneak in from or observe security and no way to escape if needed). Which lead me to the current design:

Current exterior map overview.

Current reference page for the exterior maps.

From this map, I have been sketching out what the interior layouts will be for the 1F and 2F maps.

1F/ 2F Interior Map Layout sketch of the warehouse. Based on the Walmart and Amazon distribution center layout. 

2F distribution center office located at the front end of the warehouse. 

Currently, I am working through the key beats and goals of the mission and seeing what the objectives will be for each playstyle so I can put them up against the layout and see how well they do or don’t work. 

Going Forward: 

• Finalize mission beats for each playstyle.
• Create Interior Maps 1F and 2F of the Distribution Center (Warehouse and Office).
• Test playstyles in paper prototype, then make adjustments.
• Answer the questions
  • Is it possible to use stealth and avoidance to get to the goal and not alert any guards?
  • What does the escape phase entail?