A level blockout I designed based on my findings from my Call of Duty Analysis Project, Vino Rovinato or Spoiled Wine, an Italian restaurant plunged into warfare, is a culmination of the factors that result in a well-made multiplayer level and gameplay experience.
Quick Recap of Findings/Key Takeaways: 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).

Outline of My Processes

  • Determined a level theme
  • Found reference images
  • Sketched a basic overhead map
  • Prep Work (Scale, Visual Communication/Cues, Dividing the playable space into zones, etc.)
  • Architecture and Points of Interest (POIs)
  • Building Asset Blockouts
    -Cover, Elevated Platforms, and other assets that directly affected gameplay
    -Environmental Storytelling assets
    -World Building/Immersion/Scene Aesthetic assets
  • Filling the space, playtesting, and lots of iterations

Reference Images and Inspiration

  • Looked for trends or common features in architecture, interior layout, and props/environment pieces.
  • Rather than recreating any of the references shown, I took various aspects of each and combined them into something new that supported the multiplayer gameplay of Call of Duty.
  • Some observations I implemented included indoor archways, bars with stools, banquet tables, bell-shaped hanging lights, and much more!

Prep Work and Initial Phase

  • Created a green character block (shown above) to represent a player's scale.
  • Placed various sized objects next to each other to compare (shelf was too large so I modified its scale).
  • Utilized flying camera feature in UE5 to see my mannequin compared to the level surroundings.
  • Prototyped asset blockouts in engine to save time, convey purpose, and be functional for gameplay.
  • Modified mesh placement and alignment while building using precision in different viewports and modes. 
  • Careful attention to detail early on made life much easier by replicating clean, high-quality assets and my work became more efficient later as a result. 

Ground Floor

  • I ran across the ground floor and timed myself to see how long it would take to get from one end of the map to the other.
    -This allowed me to determine if the playable space was large enough to accommodate for two teams of six players
    -By making the lanes not directly straight across or filling in the space with assets to move around, time was added
  • Connecting the lanes in select positions made traversal more strategic and interesting without becoming overwhelming.

Second Floor

  • Second floor was intended to provide a strategic advantage by overlooking key areas on both sides of the map.
  • Dividing up this space from the ground floor gave me the opportunity to change the architecture, create sub-themes, and utilize new assets.
  • As I got near the end of building the second floor, I started to change and define what colors meant (to convey my ideas to artists and other designers and teammates).
    -Red became my color used to indicate a point of interest within the level, where players would gravitate towards
    -Green represented significant cover to be used during combat

Progression

  • While less time during an online match would be spent here, carefully crafting spawning zones was a must.
    -Players need to be able to have a fair amount of cover to prevent spawn killing
    -To disincentivize opposing teams from pushing far into spawn zones, these areas were made incredibly defensive
    -Vehicles broke up lines of sight and there are many strategic ways to hold angles on doors or windows to the building
  • Spawns are a great location to set an early impression of a level and to captivate the story elements of a level's location and the events unfolding there.  
  • The space is gradually becoming more filled with assets, and the restaurant resemblance is becoming more apparent.
  • I decided to convey props and insignificant assets to gameplay with yellow and brown checkered materials/textures.
  • Notice how everything looks too perfect for a believable world and a warzone? I will address this shortly.

Aerial View and Why It Matters

  • Aerial view is outside of the player's point of view (POV) during the game while on the ground. 
  • This perspective of the level design is equally important due to the nature of Call of Duty games because of score streaks.
  • To support aerial score streaks such as a support helicopter or a chopper gunner, there needs to be enough visibility of this mostly interior map to make it a viable option and a rewarding experience.
  • Balancing is CRUCIAL to allowing players to get good use out of their score streaks while also providing safe zones for the opposing team.
  • Notice how I designed the level to where you can spin around the entire map overhead and can see into a significant section of the restaurant while still having certain areas that are clearly obstructed from view.

Finished Blockout

  • My implementation of the "chaos factor" depicts how a lavish restaurant has been wrecked now that it has become the casualty of a war zone.
  • Strategic Implementation of chaos
    -Some larger parts of the environment such as flipped tables and table umbrellas are carefully placed to be used as cover and support specific combat scenarios for the player (the direction and positioning of the "chaos" matters!) 
    -Intentional spacing between debris and objects affected by the chaos creates openings for movement, guiding the player and providing alternative pathways 
    -I wanted to keep some parts of the environment untouched or mostly untouched to depict what the restaurant might have looked like prior to the combat and to tell a story without words
    -To simulate the real world as best as possible, I incorporated randomness throughout the level by rotating objects by even the smallest degree, unevenly placing assets, and showing different ways to "break" the scenery
  • Filling the space while using as little as possible to make it believable was really important to me.
    -Functionality comes first, but I would want to also prioritize story elements and helping out the artists on my team or in my studio as much as I can
  • Additions that do not directly affect gameplay such as ceiling lights and windows were implemented near the end.

Finished Blockout Showcasing Gameplay Potential

  • Lines of sight and angle examples to demonstrate how many options the level provides to the player during combat
  • Screenshots of how players would look in the level and how they would utilize cover
  • Implementing varying elevations for strategic and advantageous use during gameplay was both challenging and rewarding.
    -From climbing on top of tables to use an umbrella as cover, to holding a good line of sight on crates, to climbing a point of interest such as the restaurant fountain to surprise opponents, there were a multitude of ways that elevations can be utilized in Vino Rovinato

Challenges Faced

The Problem

  • Middle of the map was meant to be an elegant dining area that had been wrecked abruptly by combat between two opposing forces, making the space ground zero for firefights.
  • Upon flipping these small tables that fit the theme, there was barely any cover provided for the player. 
    -Standing up left the player completely exposed from the waist up
    -Crouching left more cover to be had but still was small and offered minimal mobility options
  • Suddenly the room was not desirable because of its overwhelming danger and incredibly open space
    -In this state, people would only quickly pass through the room and not stay or seek combat there

The Solution

  • To try to preserve the theme, I added "VIP tables" which were the same except much longer across
    -These tables meant that the player could walk side to side and still have their lower half protected
    -Players could crouch and move further in one direction to make them a more difficult target to hit and to navigate the room more easily (whether that is moving towards a desired route or closing the gap between themself and the opponent)
  • Tables were turned at different angles and strategically placed so they looked mostly natural in the environment while offering protection from various encounter spots.
  • Railings were added to the main staircase so that if the player narrowly reached them while being shot at, they could have some protection standing on the stairs or complete protection while crouching.

What is Next?

Blueprints/Gameplay Features and Lighting! Stay tuned!

Conclusion

Implementing space that was meaningfully used for flanks, points of interest, or a tactical advantage came rather easily to me once I had a set theme and made the rooms or sections of the level. I kept elevations in mind the entire time and did this well with the upstairs areas that overlooked the ground floor, but implementing a lot of variety in heights to be made accessible and meaningful to the player is quite difficult, especially while designing it in a way that makes sense within the world/setting. That said, I believe my elevation variation was good for the theme that I was working with (although there definitely is room for improvement). It is fairly challenging to spawn kill on this level, which I am quite pleased with. Lastly, building a level that supports multiple weapon types is incredibly challenging. I found myself realizing at times that a certain section catered too much to one weapon type but not another, so I made changes to make other weapons viable options even if they were less effective in certain rooms/areas. 

Overall, I learned a lot from the experience and am really happy that my Call of Duty Analysis Project findings guided me much more successfully than if I had not conducted this research! I hope to use this same logic and approach of analyzing different genres of games and applying my findings to create a high-quality and fitting level design.