CAGD 370 - Blog Post 2
- Els Fouche
- Mar 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 12, 2025
A Hop, Skip, and a Jump
A Hop, Skip, and a Jump is a 3D platformer that utilizes player-placeable gravity spheres that bend space allowing for slingshot maneuvers to get through levels [proposed]. The player is also able to dash forward based on their current velocity [in progress]. This movement is dependent on the player's current movement vector such that a player that is jumping while running forward will launch diagonally upwards when activating the dash.
Level Design - Dash Tutorial
At the request of our lead designer I modified the introductory level to focus exclusively on the dash mechanic due to delays in the gravity sphere system. The designer was also concerned that, based on the side view of the annotated map, that the level in 3D space would be too linear which is a point of improvement for next time. As can be seen below, the side-view of the map does not reflect an over-adherence to linearity.
In section 1 of the tutorial the player is tasked with utilizing their dash to clear gaps that cannot be overcome with the other aspect's of the player's movement. Initially the player must use the dash to get across a gap that is consequence free. This first gap can be reattempted quickly which enables to practice with a minimum of frustration.
The second gap does not have a safety net underneath, forcing the player to approach it more cautiously. Even should the player fall the amount of progress lost is minimal which reduces frustration as well. The third gap immediately afterwards is very small and teaches the player that they can dash into walls without any consequences.
Environment Design - Space Aesthetics
Our lead designer also requested that I emphasize the aesthetic quality of the setting by attempting to evoke the feeling of a partially destroyed space station. I began by adjusting the default environment settings in Unreal Engine. I reduced the ground radius to 0.01 then created a large high-poly sphere to act as a planet. The reduced ground radius caused it to disappear inside the model which in turn pulled the Raleigh scattering effect close to the planet's surface, generating the illusion of an atmosphere as can be seen below.
The next step was to create a simple Niagara particle system attached to the player to act as the stars. This simulation is run once on the GPU and then remains static which seems to require less overhead than a full HDRI environment would. Overall I am satisfied with the appearance of the stars but there's significant room for improvement for both them and the atmospheric effects on the planet. I made the conscious choice to not emphasize aesthetics beyond the minimum that was requested by the designer due to the overarching project requirements as set by our executive producer, namely that we should focus on speed and functionality over appearance.
Level Utility - Measuring Stick
Due to the extreme movement mechanics our project empowers our players with I felt it would be prudent to create a basic utility for assessing platform gaps and jump heights. The measuring stick asset shown below is responsive to scaling and will live-update the height, depth, and length of the object. This has already proven highly useful in quickly proofing a gap, allowing me to reduce the amount of time spent playtesting for completability.
Level Prototyping - Moving Platforms
At the request of our lead designer I began work on a moving platform system in order to provide more level design variety to the player. As shown below, this system utilizes a spline for a quick (though inaccurate) display of the path the platform will take. It also exposes a designer-configurable speed variable to enable fast iteration on any given platform's performance in a level.
Final Thoughts
I did not accomplish as much during this sprint as I would have liked. As astute readers may have noticed my level blockout above is quite short. In the future I intend to be more efficient in my approach with an emphasis on roughing out large-scale sections of the map before I allow myself to become absorbed by the minutiae.
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