Summary
Street Sweepers is single-player HL2 map created as part of the Odyssey mod – a collaboration between fourteen level designers at The Game Assembly.
As the second to last level in the mod, it is assumed that the player is well versed with a variety of weapons as well as the sprint and jump mechanic.
Specifications
- Half Life 2: Single-player map
- Development time: 8 weeks, half-time
- Created at The Game Assembly
Tools
- Hammer SDK
- Photoshop
Level Goals and Planning
I was tasked to introduce the fast zombie and to feature a short introduction of the gravity gun. To justify its presence, I set the level in a town built around a research facility, similar to how mining towns operate.
To distinguish the map from similars in Half-Life 2, I expanded on the concept of snipers. The intention was to create the dynamic of players sprinting between covers while simultaneously keeping track of- and killing zombies.
Introducing the Fast Zombie
The maps primary purpose was to introduce the fast zombie. Here I took a page from HL2s Ravenholm and had the first encounter show it leaping between rooftops.
Aside from showcasing its ability to leap between positions, it also served to safely reveal the sniper overseeing the street.
I staged the first combat-encounter in a dark, enclosed space, in an attempt to build tension. Originally the zombies came at the player one by one, which playtesters thought removed some of that tension.
So I altered the layout of the encounter in such a way that the player would get ambushed by multiple zombies from different directions, regardless of how he/she chose to approach the encounter. Since this is a late-game level and the fast zombie damage output is low, I thought it would be beneficial to make the encounter slightly unfair.
The Invisible Sniper
The sniper NPC in HL2 lacks a model, is completely invisible and is impossible to kill by means other than grenades and RPG-rockets. This presented a challenge, since I wanted players to be able to get their revenge without having to rely on explosives.
My solution was to replace snipers with regular soldiers NPCs when the player got close. Since the snipers are the only ”soldier”-type enemy in the level, testers seemed to accept that it was in fact the snipers they were fighting. If the sniper was killed by an explosive before the encounter, I disabled the corresponding spawn trigger.
Layout Iteration
Initially the area outside the town walls was very complex, requiring the player to traverse two separate buildings to reach the target destination.
Aside from disorienting playtesters, this made them forget what the actual destination was, inciting the feeling of randomly stumbling onto the correct path instead of consciously finding it.
This led me to streamline the layout by removing one of the buildings and simplifying the layout of the remaining house.
To further help the player orientate I also added an open window with a clear view of the target destination.
Conclusion
The most interesting part of this project was to get insight into larger-scale level design production. While I’ve worked in teams of 2-3 level designers before, coordinating with 13 other people and working within the restrictions it entails has been really fun.
Creating a level with the approximate real-life measurements of HL2 was a new experience as well. It resulted in a back and forth between balancing gameplay and making sure the world makes sense. This forced me to really contemplate the theme of every location and room in a significant way.
Screenshots
