DOMAIN is a 2v2 multiplayer map I created in Halo's level editor. This time I took a different approach - instead of deriving its design from a particular creative concept, I tailored it to a target audience, like a product. I made this map specially for my friend group that has a certain preference in shooters. The result exceeded my expectations: the experience ended up being genuinely engaging, despite us not being familiar with the Halo Franchise.
It's also a project where research ended up being quite significant. I previously explored three other level editors before settling on Forge and I also spent some time exploring the history of arena shooters and as well as why they are no longer prevalent on the market.
Team: 1 person Tools: Halo Infinite (Forge) Roles: Research, Design, Testing Duration: ~3 weeks
Gameplay
Showcase
(Without Ceilings)
Research
One of the things that defined my friend group quite well was that we never played tactical shooters - we played Counter Strike around a decade ago and we never tried Valorant. The prevailing features of FPS we spent the most time in (like Apex, Overwatch and The Finals) were abilities and fast-paced gameplay - which made me look at a genre that was once popular - arena shooters.
The main difference of arena shooters is that their gameplay is quite map-centric. Instead of the pre-game loadouts, the weapons are scattered across the map, often becoming the focal points of fights. They are quite varied in their design too: instead of 15 variations of a rifle, arena shooters have RPGs, laser beams, rail guns and so on. Such orthagonality shaped the nature of fights - a slight difference in map geometry can favor one gun over the other, demanding both mechanical and strategic skills from players as well as good design skills from level designers.
One can name many reasons for why arena shooters are no longer prevalent, but I personally see the Halo franchise as their last iteration (if taking public interest into account). It has many traits of arena shooters, yet it remains to be more casual and grounded in comparison - a distinctive trait that defines many FPS that come after Quake.
Arena Shooters
(feel free to skip this part)
My experience
Not counting this project, I never worked on a multiplayer map before, which extended the research quite a bit. There are many tutorials online on how to make one but I only learned later on my own that a map designed for one game wouldn't work as well for the other.
This is also the first time I tried working in a level editor. I learned about Far Cry Arcade in a portfolio of another game design student, which became my starting point. Since it wasn't very well-suited for vertical geometry (and also because my friends didn't want to pay for a game they were not going to play later) I tried Hammer next - because of its large community and support. Valve's editor ended up being just too old for what I was looking for. Half Life 2 in particular wasn't designed with multiplayer in mind, so not only it was technically limited, there was just no way to design the experience I wanted in Hammer. And that's how I settled on Halo Forge - free and surprisingly capable level editor made for the kind of experience I was looking to recreate.
(A video I found useful, though wouldn't fully abide by)
Some Early Attempts
Design
1. How it started
Knowing that scale is something that wouldn't pay off greatly in this project, I went with a typical design of an arena map. It's symmetric and quite small, yet it leaves plenty of room for decision-making, thanks to its weapons and abilities. It also allowed for rapid iterations and quick changes, which was very helpful in this project.
The map contained a grappling hook spawn and two power weapon spawns: the energy sword and the sniper rifle (S7). The idea of this map was to collect the strongest combination of hook + energy sword where former is found on the most vulnerable point of the map and the latter on the most protected. The sniper rifle served as a counter to this strategy and it could be collected from a small "floating island" that can be reached via jump pads.
2. How it's going
The very first playtest revealed the potential of the map: a compacted engaging space that utilises short range and long range. One can prevail over other throughout a match but neither take over the game entirely because of the number of players. Since both weapons balance out each other, the dynamic always shifts, diversifying the gameplay.
The rest of iterations mainly tried to tackle balance and utilize the area. The first iteration contained a lot of white space as well as geometry that didn't contribute to player's decisionmaking. Corridors were narrowed down and reshaped, starting weapons were switched and the respawn time went up to 10 seconds. The sniper rifle was switched for a speargun since the former proved to be a weapon with no weaknesses on this map.
Playtesting
Meme made by my friend about the energy sword :)
The Energy Sword
The energy sword continued to define the map through its entire development. As I initially planned, the sword and the hook provided a unique playstyle that could compete with long-range weapons.
Soon enough, the sword became quite dominant. The starting weapon couldn't compete with the speed of the sword and it's "jumpscary" nature. Hearing a hook used and a kill from behind is an experience we shared some laughs over but it was clear something had to be done about it.
There are many weapons in Halo Infinite and counting on the right one to drop from didn't feel right. Thus, a small change was introduced: players were given MA5K Avenger from the start - a short-range weapon that's not as forgiving against the sword. Leaving a smaller chance to get a kill with a sword, it was later supported with map changes like the fast corridors and the power equipments, like invisibility.
The Rifle
The power of the rifle mainly depended on the floating island it's located on. The island had two floors and the way to get to it was through jumpads on either side of the map. The rifles in Halo Infinite felt generally balanced and if one player started dominating a map with it, they could still be taken down through teamwork - something that worked well in our friend group. The issue arised when two players ended up on that island with the same rifle - that's when the map felt most controlled and with no way out.
For that reason the island was decreased in size - so reaching the sniper would become easier. An attempt of capturing the island was made through a teleporter but it ended up being quite predictable. The final solution was switching the sniper rifle for the Skewer, a one shot projectile weapon with 4 bullets and a long reload.
V1
V2
V3
The Center
The map's area with the least cover was perhaps the most challenging for me to design. Since items and weapons define where fights take place, I was left with a lot of white space where player's pathing never went through. Adding more objects to hide behind felt pointless and so I was looking for other ways of making that space engaging. In one interation a highground was added where players could find power (legendary) equipment. The idea was that it's only reachable with a grappling hook but soon I realised it takes time to switch between equipments since the player has only one slot for them - so this idea was scratched.
And so I decided to work with Forge's blueprints - I created two areas where player's movement speed doubles through a simple node system. That ended up being a very welcomed change: the center became even quicker to reach (as well as the opponents "base"), providing emphasis for any item that can be put there.
Movement Blueprint
(Click to enhance)
V1
V2
V3
"Before and After"
Conclusion
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This map certainly had a positive impact on my group. There were times when we played on it every day, not because "I need help with a project" but because the gameplay ended up being genuinely engaging. It was something we were choosing over our usual games, which I consider my small personal achievement. And while a big part of it is thanks to Halo Infinite itself, I believe the core game pillars that define it are a bit different from what I had in mind for the map.
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While I tested this primarily with my friend group, I tested it couple times with other players as well, just to get a second opinion. They didn't enjoy it as much since their preferences are a bit different but I was able to uncover some issues I wouldn't have with the other group. The sniper rifle in particular is something they could handle well, truly revealing how one-sided my design was and since my friend group didn't use it as often, the issue remained dormant for a long time. Playtesting the project with only one group of people is quite unconventional but in this case I believe this kind of iteration had some upsides.