Project Goal and Overview
- Analyze and observe comparable Call of Duty titles
- Critically evaluate levels and determine if they are among the best or worst levels
- Breakdown of the qualities or features that made the level one of the best or worst
- Recognize common characteristics and determine if they are core factors to successful or unsuccessful level design in a multiplayer game (specifically Call of Duty titles)
What makes a Call of Duty title comparable?
To determine how to categorize the various Call of Duty titles as being comparable or not, I have made the assessment based on the core gameplay and distinguished player experience that the developers worked to create. The categories are as follows:
Traditional Boots on the Ground and Realism (slower, grittier, and a focus on accuracy)- Black Ops, Black Ops 2, and Cold War
Futuristic Warfare (fast movement and jet packs)- Black Ops 3
Hyperactive Warfare (boots on the ground but with much faster movement)- Black Ops 4 and Black Ops 6
For my purposes, I will only be focusing on evaluating Call of Duty games that fall under the Hyperactive Warfare category. This means that I will be critically assessing BO4 and BO6 level design using what I believe are the best and worst maps. Note that this DOES NOT mean that the maps are good or bad for single player implementation as this analysis specifically targets multiplayer level design. Additionally, this will be an informed opinion piece based on objectively true information and supporting evidence.
Traditional Boots on the Ground and Realism (slower, grittier, and a focus on accuracy)- Black Ops, Black Ops 2, and Cold War
Futuristic Warfare (fast movement and jet packs)- Black Ops 3
Hyperactive Warfare (boots on the ground but with much faster movement)- Black Ops 4 and Black Ops 6
For my purposes, I will only be focusing on evaluating Call of Duty games that fall under the Hyperactive Warfare category. This means that I will be critically assessing BO4 and BO6 level design using what I believe are the best and worst maps. Note that this DOES NOT mean that the maps are good or bad for single player implementation as this analysis specifically targets multiplayer level design. Additionally, this will be an informed opinion piece based on objectively true information and supporting evidence.
Best Map Examples of Black Ops 4
Arsenal
- Lanes neatly catered to a multiple weapon types and ranges of combat
- Ventilation system offered fun flanking route that felt meaningful and deliberate
|
|
- Bottom side of map provided multiple options which made the space feel more engaging
-Ex: Four paths led to this one side of the map which made it feel like a more important space
Some additional observations and images
Contraband
- Each path feels different and has its own style
-ranged combat and high-risk high reward entry point to point of interest is the beach
-main chaotic firefight for all weapons and play styles is the bridge middle lane
- Bridge in middle cuts directly through the map, advantageous for pushes, makes rest of opponent area more accessible
- Jungle area less frequently used but has more 1v1 opportunities because of its smaller size and is always relevant because of its flanking potential
- Beach section elevation difference, limited cover, and dividing body of water makes for great medium to long range encounters as it is difficult to close the distance
Some additional observations and images
Worst Map Example of Black Ops 4
Icebreaker
- Funneled player too much in entrance/exit areas of the ship which made it easy to camp with an LMG or sniper rifle
- Inside area of ship was good for close quarters combat but getting flanked upon nearing the entrance was frequent and frustrating
- Side lanes got broken up into thin paths that were mostly interwoven and offered no points of interest, making them exclusively used for flanking or camping to watch the flank
- Spawn trapping was easy because of long lines of sight, unusual and limited cover, and a lack of isolated space (for safety)
Best Map Examples of Black Ops 6
Payback
- Offered two main lanes that split into two more added lanes (four total)
- Quick movement worked well as the map design made it difficult to flank and paths/lines of sight between paths was limited
- Lanes were all distinctly different due to elevations, cover distribution, and their themes
- Secret door between lanes with a button was a nice touch, but is not necessarily intuitive for the player (for better or worse)
Derelict
- Traditional three lane design
- Bottom of map broke lines of sight well and provided cover from long range attacks
- Train cars were great for multiple gameplay purposes by acting as cover, offering a route via travelling through them, and by being climbable which created an effective vantage/lookout point at the cost of being more exposed if not careful
- Top and middle of map had more short-range cover but were left vulnerable to mid and long-range engagements
- Player spawns were well protected and if an intruder arrived, they would be at a massive disadvantage making spawn killing a challenge and less common
Subsonic
- Small map and incredibly chaotic, but intentionally so
- Four points of interest (three on the outside and one on the inside) that the player will guarantee encounter
- Intensity level controlled by players using a button for the hangar doors on each side
- Hangar caters to all weapon types because of how large it is but simultaneously offering a variety of sight line ranges
- Observations on level traversal, space utilization, and blending level design seamlessly into scenery
- My main and only critique is that the space is too small for the standard map playlist, and it makes score streaks awkward
Worst Map Examples of Black Ops 6
Red Card
- Technically map has three lanes but because of the portions of the stadium used they were incredibly disproportionate
- Due to outside lane being so large with hardly anything compelling to gravitate towards, most players simply did not use the space (instead used middle lane because it was a more manageable amount of space and did not result in fighting and dying instantly like the inside lane did)
- Lanes were connected in too many places which made flanking excessive and confusing
- Red Card as a concept is great and it was beautiful, but the usage of space and entry points was questionable
Rewind
- Two out of the three lanes were almost identical (front and back with back lane being more narrow)
- Major issue was that too much open space for snipers and a long line of sight in the front and back lane made it incredibly difficult to escape spawn or traverse these lanes
- Middle lane had some good areas for close to medium range combat but was not connected well
- While the theme of a strip mall was interesting (taking a regular location and making it a war zone), the space does not cater to enjoyable combat (largely due to a strong focus on realism without thinking about how that would affect the gameplay)
Takeaway Summary
The best maps in BO4 and BO6 had areas that were accommodating to all weapon types and a majority of play styles, space that is meaningfully used (for flanks, points of interest, or some kind of strategic advantage), at least two different elevations that are practical, and an optional interactable element that is simple to use.
The worst maps had unavoidable long lines of sight, too many paths or entry points between lanes, frequent spawn killing, and under-utilized or unappealing space (lack of points of interest, too far away from firefights, or simply not practical to gameplay).
The worst maps had unavoidable long lines of sight, too many paths or entry points between lanes, frequent spawn killing, and under-utilized or unappealing space (lack of points of interest, too far away from firefights, or simply not practical to gameplay).