Connor Hutchison
Level / Mission Designer

Convoy
(Level Design Task)
I was assigned A level design test for a potential place at a AAA studio. The task was to create a 1km road and environment and add a functioning vehicle to create a visually appealing and engaging level. This was all to be completed in under seven days.
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Level Gameplay Video
The project was completed within 7 days and by no means is completed as additional improvements would be made to complete the level.
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Project Type - Level Design Test
Team Size - 1 (Solo)
Team Role - Level Design
Genre - TPS / Action / Realism
Software - Unreal Engine 5
Platform - PC
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Level Design Test Document

Concept Art (Initial Drawings)
The level was designed and organised into five sections to meet the desired criteria and improve variation, achieving a better workflow and level overall. The concept for this level is set in a desert city environment whereby roads are narrow and home to many slums similar to the ones seen in Cairo, Egypt. A heavily armoured convoy is waiting to pick up the Ambassador from a political meeting and take him to an extraction point; however, this extraction differs from the plan. Many rebel forces intercept the convoy en route at many locations, the most important being the market and the bridge forcing the player to fight off enemies and drive to escape. Once the player has made it to the final checkpoint at the bridge, they must then find a way to lower the barriers and continue to run. Still, they are ultimately blocked off by rebel forces and forced to jump off the bridge, with the ambassador ending this level.
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Level Design
I gave each section at least one controllable or uncontrollable interaction, i.e., a rebel car ramming into the front car, eliminating the first convoy vehicle.
Section 1 is laid out to resemble a political building, such as an embassy, with guards posted nearby and controlled barriers on either end of the road. The idea is to give the player background information in this section with NPC dialogue describing why the convoy team are here and what the end goal is, being extraction so the pacing of this section is meant to be slow so that the player can explore the area until they lower the barriers and get inside their vehicle.
The pace steadily increases with the narrow roads and the initial use of the handbrake with a civilian running in front of the convoy, causing a sharp halt and creating a small amount of tension that the player needs to focus on what's not only in front of them but what is also at the front of the convoy.
Section 2 dramatically increases the pace of the level, with the front car being taken out by rebel forces with the idea that the convoy will continue to speed up to try to escape a potentially risky situation. The narrow streets give way to a downhill, open winding road that allows the player to visualise the end goal and other locations that will come into play very soon, such as the market. This adds to the visual cues of where the player is meant to go when left to their devices.
Section 3 introduces the player to a gunfight from a rebel ambush within the market. The market itself is colourful ad vibrant to add some colour to a dull environment similar to real-life slums. The space is very open but has many pop-up stands and stalls and many assets/props that were added in the market to provide cover from attackers on the ground and above on different elevated points.
Section 4 has some sharp turns and an off-road area where players must drive downstairs and smash through buildings to return to the road. This was added to implement various movement mechanics to prevent repetition and boredom. Since the player is not followed during this section, it allows them to regather themselves and reduces the pacing for the final section.
Section 5 increases the tension and pacing straight away with another car chase to the bridge. This is an open space similar to the start of the game, with the barrier mechanics mirroring it also. After fighting off rebels, the player goes onto the bridge to which they must fight off more enemies. The layout of the bridge is very open as the guards control it, so nothing goes in or out, making the player feel vulnerable when they finally get trapped in the middle of the bridge.
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Level Mechanics
Many interactions have been added to the level, with some being directly linked to the play and being in their control compared to others where the game forces the exchange and the player to do something.
The initial barrier lowers once the player locates the gatekeeper and asks for the gate to be lowered. The only cue the player is given is that the guard is next to the small tower checkpoint and does not have a gun, unlike the rest. Similarly, after seeing this at the end, another barrier blokes the player but this time, they must open it themself by pressing “E” on the buttons, which, if they watched the NPC at the start, should be enough of a cue to enable them to open the barrier by pressing both buttons.
Throughout the level, a guidance cue of the convoy allows the player to know the direction they must take without any other clear signs as they are instructed to follow the convoy. Several gunfights have been added to create some spacing from the driving. Still, a few uncontrollable interactions have been implemented, such as the civilian walking in front rebel car that forces you down the stairs and smashes through buildings to return to the road.
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Improvements
I would want to continue to improve this project by adding another interaction just after the market on the road that is open by blocking the road when you initially see it and having a part where the player must ram or shoot the building for a bit of debris to fall and create a jump over the blocked path. I would also add explosive barrels around the gunfight sections to allow the player to develop and cause more damage.
I would also improve the driving mechanics so that the cars speed up when you see the initial crash to create a better sense that you are escaping.
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