X-Men Destiny
The Game
Taken from the official press release:
A new breed of mutant heroes will invade game consoles [Autumn 2011] in X-Men: Destiny, from Marvel Entertainment and Activision Publishing, Inc. The all-new original video game casts players as new mutant recruits in a rich, branching storyline that features a deep element of choice and gives players ultimate control of their destiny.
My Role
I was a level designer on the project, which included three SKUs on three consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii).
I was responsible for designing and implementing content and gameplay throughout all eight campaign missions, which included whiteboxing, designing encounters, scripting NPC pathing and animations, scripting conversations, implementing the faction choice system, creating secondary mission objectives, scripting in-game dialog and cutscenes, implementing the functionality for a secondary playthrough, and placing items throughout the game.
In addition to designing the project’s content, I spearheaded the game’s checkpoint system, managed each level’s streaming and memory, created and implemented cameras, implemented the minimap UI, and designed the localization system.
Throughout development I worked closely with other team members (code and art), offering feedback, help to improve internal tools, and AI and pathing systems. I was promoted to Acting Lead Level Designer, acting as the point person for other departments, and handling the prioritization of tasks and bug triage for the level design department.
What I Learned
I learned how to effectively communicate and solve problems with other departments and delegate tasks in a leadership role. I learned how I can improve my own designs by introducing more variety between encounters and by considering a level’s overall pacing. I also learned the crucial importance of slowly introducing gameplay concepts over a series of rooms or encounters.
I learned how important organizing content and a solid whitebox are when streaming content on a memory-limited console, and the risks involved with integrating new gameplay designs into an outdated and incompatible level layout.
I learned how complex production issues can be when creating branching storylines with multiple characters. I also learned the risks involved with implementing features and functionality late in development, and the importance of testing and re-testing encounters with multiple people and different gameplay choices.
I also learned how to effectively conduct interviews with the press and media, having appeared on various gaming and comic-related websites, and the National Television Station Space.
Trailer
Sample Designs from X-men Destiny:
- Nightcrawler's Mission
- More coming soon!
