FPS Medieval Design

So a while back I basically designed a FPS game based on Battlefield, while I have worked on CoD....e yeah. Well right now I am working(in unreal engine) on a level based on recent travels which will be made with Cod in mind.

 Anyway I took a lot of inspiration from comic books and movies, but mainly great stories like Thorgal and Berserk.

Be sure to check out these individual links per class in the game:
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-recon.html
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-support.html
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-engineer.html
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-assualt.html



(Posted again in the short list down below)

 I went for a Christians versus invading Vikings as my medieval theme. So clearly they look different from each other. Not very different but enough so the users will be able to see the difference especially the Knight and the Berserker (Assault class looks very different).

Some of the weapons work slightly different from each other in the different factions sides but overall they should be balanced.

The battle of the games will take place in England and France. Mainly in The southern east counties of England e.g Essex, Sussex on the Isle of Wight etc. In France it would be mainly from the rivers Seine and Loire. And the game will have navy battles.

While most maps would have the Viking as an attacking force, maps could also be them defending as they controlled several parts of lands in both England and France(and in other countries).

I did some extra unlockables were I think it improved the overall design of the game. But especially as it better explained my vision on how the game would look then just to leave it out.

Recon: The recon class of Battlefield goes Medieval, are the snipers and scouts of the game.

http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-recon.html

Class: Marksman (Christian Faction)

Primary Weapon: LongBow

Secondary Weapon: Misericorde

Gadget: Spectacles

Team-play Gadget: Ammo Cart

Class: Archer (Viking Faction)

Primary Weapon: LongBow

Secondary Weapon: Broken-Back syle Seax

Gadget: Spectacles

Team-play Gadget:  Ammo Cart

Support: Are ill equipped people who uses different low ranged weaponry. They do however have important support team-gadgets and their weapon can disorient enemies.
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-support.html

Class: Barber (Christian Faction)

Primary Weapon:Throwing Knife

Secondary Weapon: Angon

Gadget: Alcoholic Bottle

Team-play Gadget: Amputate(Defibrillator)

Class: Youth (Viking Faction)

Primary Weapon:Throwing Knife

Secondary Weapon: Frakka

Gadget: Alcoholic Bottle

Team-play Gadget: Amputate(Defibrillator)

Engineer: This class is a very all round class with many access to defences tools and siege warfare tools.
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-engineer.html

Class:Soldier (Christian Faction)

Primary Weapon: Repeating Crossbow

Secondary Weapon: Pernach

Gadget: Torch

Team-play Gadget: Barricades

Class: Fighter (Viking Faction)

Primary Weapon: Repeating Crossbow

Secondary Weapon: Shestopyor

Gadget: Torch

Team-play Gadget: Barricades

Assault: The heavy assault class of the game are meant to go in first and lead the charge against the enemies. They can block incoming damage and has access to team-gadget tools which will help offence.
http://myrmonden.blogspot.se/2013/10/fps-design-assualt.html

Class: Knight (Christian Faction)

Primary Weapon: Spatha

Secondary Weapon: Heather Shield

Gadget: Shield Block

Team-play Gadget: Barrel of Wine(medic kit)

Class: Berserker (Viking Faction)

Primary Weapon: Dane Axe

Secondary Weapon: Round Shield

Gadget: Shield Block

Team-play Gadget: Barrel of Mjöd(medic kit)

I heavily had it in mind how I wanted the game to be balanced around 2 major vehicle types.

Boats and Horses.

Most vehicles are smaller boats, I imagine around the size of a cog. While maps might have big warships on them those warships will work as fighting grounds or even as conquest points.

Most horse vehicle are just 1 horse. But of course at stables its a lot of horses so several people can ride one horse each. And one person can sit behind to easier use weaponry.

Riding on horses lowers the users ranged accuracy and it takes slightly longer time to reload weapons. If the user is sitting behind on the horseback they receive a less penalty.

The maps can have horse pulled wagon which will be spare compared to the number of pure horses.

On most maps were the Vikings are attacking the Vikings will have access to the boat vehicle. And I would love to see the level designers being able to make interesting and balanced maps for how the Vikings can use their boats to attack points. Furthermore, as Vikings did not often bring horses on their ships the Christian faction will on most maps have an easier access to horse oriented vehicle (mainly just horses and one wagon or two).

Because of this its important the level designer consider balance the map around distance for the Christians as they will have it faster on land(on most maps) while the boats has to have some uses. On the same time Christians has to be able to also gain boats as for example a big viking warship can be a conquest point.

The designer of course has to think about other stuff as well, it should be some choke points were the Engineer class can set up barricades to make it even more of a choke points. Or for example places were destructible walls, places were engineers can build doors and so on. And of course the general jizz of designing for example it should be Sniper location for the Recon class but it cant be to hard to get their for other player to take the sniper out.

To better illustrate how I was thinking on some of the maps and overall battle I made some rough prototype of 3 possible maps(using the galaxy editor).

On the shoreline map which could be for example in Essex.

The Viking faction starts on a warship and has to take the boat vehicle to grab their first conquest point which they easier acquire. This is because the English Christians has an easy access to a stable point(right point) and decently close to an harbor(left point). However, the Vikings can take the rivers up to the harbor to try and grab it. But the Vikings can also spread out and take their boats to the shoreline close to the stables and try to take it quickly before the Christians make it a stronghold.

I want the map to invoke a lot of options for the users given these classes and vehicle. For example if the Christians can control the harbor without to much trouble they can quickly go down and attack the viking flagship or attack the vikings from the sea while they have put to much force taking the stables(which they should have now) but then they will lose their shore point.

The Navy battle Map. Can be anywhere but it should take place outside one of the countries.

I actually don't think this map would be as fun as most other maps, but it would be an interesting difference from other maps as it focus so heavily on boats. On navy battle maps the game could have many different boat vehicles. Some which are smaller and quicker others who are slower but then have siege weapons or siege weapons can easier be built on them etc.

I designed the small island to be an interesting points people could hold to be able to snipe traveling enemies while the island otherwise are pretty pointless(expect the middle one)

The lastly prototype is of a river battle at village close to Loire. I really think this river idea can create many interesting maps in this one the Viking Faction is really in the middle of the whole map. While the defending Christian faction is also almost in the middle but they have it harder to reach the top two points they then instead have easier access to a stables which will be really hard for the Vikings to conquer.

What I want to say with this is that it would be really important fort he designer to utilize and balance around the different vehicles. Of course all maps would not even have water as a map easily could be just inside a big castle.

Some stuff that would be important to think about would be this

The Rain of arrows team-gadget requires a nearby start point so if that gadget is to have any efficiently the map has to be designed were the start location is cover something important. A for example in the river battle where the village covers the stables.  

As boat can ram(Assault team-gadget) each other. This means rivers cant be to small where its impossible to avoid.

Make night maps were its beneficial playing with the different light up gadgets the Recon has.

E.g Choke point were Bonfire can reveal enemy movements.

Also its good if the Torch and Fire arrows can be important just for vision.

What would be really cool if in area was very dark and could be for example lighted for a long time by taking a Wagon there and then purposely burning it. There is a lot of stuff to work with.

Overall the importance of using trees (especially tree on hills etc) in the outdoor battles (as most maps should be) will be crucial to create points where the Recon and engineer class can snipe opponents while also hiding themself.