Level Design Document

he Facility Lab

Scraps Level Design Document

Area 1

Name: Richard Dalm

Time of day: Night

Climate / Weather: Cloudy

Geographic region: Abandoned facility sunken into the land.

Player Goal: Uncover the lost secrets and valuable items inside the dangerous laboratory facility.

Featured Asset: The magnifying glass will be featured in the area. The tool will help the player read documents and carefully inspect clues to proceed. This magnifying glass is featured because the area was once a facility with many different documents and research that help the player solve puzzles. The magnifying glass looks like a small capsule like device with a small viewing glass to look through.

Setup Details:

Two Major, higher scope mechanics/setups

The player will be able to climb plant roots that allow them to scale walls. Scaling a wall while climbing plant roots gives the player access to ascend unreachable areas or cross gaps. Players will not need to find objects to stack and build upon in order to ascend because the roots are there for the player to use.
The wall is breakable but the player does not have access to anything that can push the wall down. Some plant roots extend up the nearby wall allowing players to ascend onto a platform. The player scales the wall by climbing the plant roots to get on the reachable platform. The player notices that there is a dangling broken ceiling lamp that the Gravnull can grab and swing to hit the wall. The player builds the ceiling lamp’s momentum in order to hit and break the wall down.
The player cannot jump down far enough to land safely in order to explore the lab. Some plant roots are extended along the wall into the lab but do not reach the floor. The player uses the plant roots to descend into the lab and jump safely off the roots to land in the room.
The player is trapped inside a dark room. Upon searching the room, the player notices that the ventilation shaft above them has plant roots dangling from the side. The plant roots are not long in length and are barely reachable with the character’s jump ability. The player will have to use objects in the room to reach the roots in order to escape.

Sprinting is a mechanic that the player will use to accelerate their speed. Allowing the player to sprint will help move around an area faster.
The cat walk in the room is broken in half and the distance between the platforms is large. The player will have to first gain speed by sprinting and then jump to clear the gap.
The ceiling above the character is crumbling and falling apart. As the ceiling collapses to the floor, the player sprints to reach a safer area away from being crushed. Another instance of a similar scenario would be a trap set up that the player activates. Upon activating the trap a very large object comes swinging toward the player. The player reacts by sprinting away from the threat in order to secure their safety.
The facility room is very large and takes time to walk around. The player has to bring objects across the room in order to solve the current puzzle. The player sprints around the room to grab objects or enter small divisions of the room to solve the puzzle.

Fifteen Minor, low scope Setups

The player will look closely with the magnifying glass at documents or area clues to uncover solutions or secrets. The clues allow the player to find their solution to the puzzle step by step.
The player will pick up cassette players or audio recording devices to listen to the speaker. Once the audo log is turned on and relays the message recorded, players may find additional hints towards solving puzzles inside the message. The player will have access to moving the character while the audio logs are playing.
The players will swim across water in order to reach newer unexplored areas. While swimming is water, players are unable to hold objects with the Gravnull or sprint to swim faster.
The character in the game will hint to the player or describe something in detail by talking. This mechanic will be used while reading documents and inspecting clues with the magnifying glass. Only the major details will be said by the character when either action is taken to point the player towards the solution to a puzzle.
Players can find chemicals to use in order to mix together or use independently. Inspecting documents and listening to audio logs can help players determine the correct mixture or chemicals to combine. Once the player combines the mixture correctly, they can use the new chemical on surfaces or materials such as metal or gasoline. Using the mixture on metal and gasoline may help the player proceed further in the area or solve a puzzle.
Players can find zones in the area to rest, recover, or save. Resting zones are great places to break away from exploration and focus on tasks, clues, or gathered information on solving puzzles. These resting zones act as checkpoints to save the game for the player’s progress.
The player can pull out a map of the facility to guide them around the area. This can help players locate places to explore clues to solve puzzles. The map can also lead players towards their goal.
Players can collect items in the area to use throughout the level. Collecting items such as audio logs, documents, or books can help the player with puzzles at hand in order to solve them. The goal of the area is to collect the valuable items that the player will collect in order to exit or finish the level.
Storing can also help players with items that are valuable to them. When the player collects a document, the information of the document can be stored for the player to refer back to later. Storing objects as items may come in handy for the player to use later for a puzzle. The player must also store the goal of the area in order to exit or leave the area.
Players may have to break things such as walls or objects in the area or room. A wall may be very weak in on specific area. The player needs to break open in order to reveal what is beyond the other side and collect any valuable information to solve a puzzle. Large objects can break into smaller pieces to reveal a hidden item inside that the player can collect and store.
The player takes cover from oncoming projectile fire from the autonomous defenses. Players can take cover by leaning the character against a wall or crouching on a low wall. Players can sprint from cover to cover to avoid gunfire and protect the character from harm. Using cover as a shield helps the player proceed further to face more dangerous threats.
Certain rooms inside the facility can be filled with toxic gasses. The player can take damage from the gas and ultimately drain health with prolonged exposure. Prolonged exposure to the gas will ultimately kill the player. Once the player dies from the gas, the character respawns to the player’s last known checkpoint or resting zone. These toxic gas rooms contain valuable items the player will need to collect and store in order to solve puzzles.
Different topical surfaces, such as sand or metal, can change the player’s maneuverability over an area. Sand surfaces cause the players movement speed to become slower. Players will have to take their time in order to cross a room or area while the topical surface is sand. Metal surfaces allow players faster mobility and sprinting to move around the area. Certain areas can affect the player’s movement in order to solve speed puzzle due to the different topical surfaces.
The players can crawl through air ducts or ventilation shafts by crouching in order to enter new areas. A puzzle solution can be found by crawling through either an air duct or ventilation shaft to reach a locked or hidden room. The player can also take cover by crawling in air ducts or ventilation shafts to avoid dangers such as autonomous defenses or traps.
Players can push objects by applying the characters force on an object. Some objects may be large for the Gravnull to lift. The player can apply a force upon the object in order to move it out of the way. Certain objects like book cases can be blocking a door to a room or air duct. The player needs to enter the room in order to grab a key or puzzle clue. The player will make the character push the bookcase away to reveal the entrance to the hidden room.

Wish List:

Weather and climate effects that can alter lighting or give gusts of wind. When a storm arrives in the area, the lighting of the area when lightening flashes can change the mood and atmosphere. The wind of the storm can help with puzzle for hanging or small objects to provide inertia to move the objects around.
Activating lifts or elevators to cause the player to ride up or down. These lifts can extend access to different floor levels of the facility. The player can make use of these lifts to travel between floors easier. Each floor, or every other floor, can provide a resting zone the player can use. Making a multi-level facility can provide a complex map for the player to explore and travel. Every floor of the facility can have different puzzle solutions for the player to discover.
Small wildlife, such as roaches or mice, can help the player see air ducts or breakable walls. The wildlife can also point out trap activations for the player to see and take note of as they make their way around the facility. Players can identify the wildlife as a companion as they make their way through the facility.
A generator is a featured item that allows players to power the facility. These generators activate closed doors or brighten rooms with the backup lighting fixtures. Players must locate the generator of the facility and use the necessary items to start the generator. Items to start the generator consist of cranks or and gears to prime the generator. The generator looks like a giant crate that has a control panel for a user to activate or deactivate.

The Gravnull can grab onto objects from the ceiling for the player to use and swing across gaps. The object in the ceiling can look like a hook or is something jutting out that can be grabbed by the Gravnull. Once the player jumps, the momentum of the jump swings the player across another location or platform.

References

New High Power 40x Lighted Magnifying Glass Hand Held Magnifier With Led Unique. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://www.terapeak.com/worth/new-high-power-40x-lighted-magnifying-glass-hand-held-magnifier-with-led-unique/221859391928/

Product. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://www.rainbowpowerbd.com/?a=categorywise

Sears.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://www.sears.com/books-magazines-book-accessories-magnifying-glasses/b-1038685