Phantom Culprit: Level Creation

Creating the Level: The Meshes

To find the best way to create a level I looked into modular design. This is something I've seen most AAA and Indie studios use. The point of modular design is to create assets that can be 'snapped' together to create levels easily and allow changes during development. 

An example of this can be seen by Bethesda during the GCD of 2016. During their presentation they showcase the methods used to create the meshes needed for their levels as well as tips on UV mapping, texture issues and how meshes are optimised, such as single sides meshes.

Using the video by Bethesda as a guide, I set out to create multiple modular pieces, all using the same techniques such as being single sided, to create my level. Each piece I made has 2 UV maps. One map is for the texture and the other is t he light map. The light map is designed to give a mesh correct lighting during a lighting build in the Unreal Engine. Without a light map the mesh would have incorrect shading and noticeable seams between modular pieces, something I obviously want to avoid in a largely modular level.

A example of the 2 UV maps used on a modular fence piece created by me.

Creating the Level: The Lighting

Lighting is a big part of creating a believable environment in a game, especially in a game like mine where the atmosphere plays a key part. Unreal has 3 types of lighting options: Static, Stationary and Movable.

Static

Static lighting uses fully baked lighting which cannot change or move in game. This allows for the fastest rendering in game but cannot be altered in game due to it be baked from the editor. This should only be used for areas where the lighting will never need to change.

Stationary

Stationary lighting is similar to static lighting in which it cannot move and it is not fully baked. This allows for changes to colour and intensity. Useful for a game needed a changing environment such as a day-night cycle.

Movable

Movable lighting is the slowest rendering but most dynamic of the lighting options. Everything is fully customisation and can be moved and altered in run time.

An example of how lighting creates atmosphere. There is no clear danger yet the lighting of the location makes the player feel unsafe.