TEMPLE
OF
WORSHIP
QUAKE MAP
Temple of Worship is an FPS level created for the original Quake using Trenchbroom. This project was an invididual project made during my 2nd year at BUas.
One Pager
Theme
A once majestic cathedral, now shrouded in darkness, is home to a cult of dark worshippers.
USP
Being a monastery, lots of the architecture still remain. Which may work towards the players advantage or disadvantage.
Player Goal
Destroy the worshippers and defeat the unidentified Holy Diety
Player Experience
Pillars
Verticality
Adding depth to the level design. Creates dynamic encounters forcing the player to be irrational and adjust their tactics while also possibly giving them more of an advtange.
Replayability
As a large part of Quake. The level should be able to be replayed to not only find approaches to complete the level faster but also to have different approaches to each room.
Combat Pacing
Getting into this, I wanted to create a level where action is balanced with moments of calm, ensuring players dont feel overwhelmed or bored.
3 Step Process
Research
An integral part of the process was Research. Especially as Quake
Sketching
This was a beatiful step in the process. Sketching was useful in clarifying my intention as well as being able to quickly prototype on paper and adjust without going in-engine.
Iteration
Iteration was my core and best friend during the development process. Getting feedback every week, as well as giving feedback solidified my choices as well as allowed me to explore and adapt using pre-existing techniques and peers.
Ninjapath & Secrets
The problem: Gap is too wide and the route is too long.
The solution: Add slope + ledge on either side
Ninjapath
While researching Quake, I came across a bug that is quite well known in the more experienced Quake Community. This bug makes use of slopes and their angle, to propel the player forward if they time their jump right. This also seemed to be fun to most players.
I applied this technique, to the problem on the left. There was no flow present in the room, as well as their only being 1 route that had to be taken to reach the corner of the room. I felt this made the room very static, and boring. It did not reach the intended player experience I had originally jumped. Therefore, I added a bug, to alleviate the problem as well as fulfill the satisfaction of the player.
Secrets
I want the player to experience the feeling of ‘cheesing’ the system. In this case the level. I want the player to enjoy themselves and revel in the discovery of a section where they have slight control over.
The Cloister
The player is naturally drawn towards the shape of the architecture as well as the pick-up in the centre.
The player is able to skip this area, and make the conscious choice of not taking the grenade launcher, making their overall run shorter but significantly more difficult.
The Library
Contains a parkour that leads you to a secret on the banisters of the library.
The player is able to look down, kill enemies and drop down loosing a bit of health. Or decide to go through the teleporter which will teleport you back into the main room with additional enemies.
The Chapter House
The room is made up of 2 identical sides, each side having a button that actives mob rooms in said side, while also slightly opening the tunnel connecting both rooms
As the player clears out the rooms and opens up the tunnel, he will get the silver key.
There is not necessarily a skip in this room, but it is a conscious choice that the player can make; adjust difficulty. The player can run through both rooms and press both buttons, opening the tunnel and created a larger room with more mobs.
Room Iterations
Gym Investigation
During development, I frequently used my gym to validate player experience, room iterations and architecture. This is also where I kept my modular pieces from my level, so I could easily transfer them when needed.
Lighting
Architecture
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Modularity
I used Modularity frequently, this allowed me to speed up the overall development process. In this instance, I made 2 pairs of connector pieces, a smaller one and a larger one, so I could make a courtyard and fit them together.
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Closing Thoughts
This project was an invaluable and enriching learning experience. As my first truly level design-focused endeavor, it offered a unique opportunity to dive deep into the principles and nuances of creating engaging game environments. Through each phase; research, sketching, and iteration. I discovered a genuine passion for level design, finding joy in every step. Watching others play through my level and gathering feedback was incredibly fulfilling; it was inspiring to refine and enhance the design, witnessing firsthand how each adjustment could improve their experience (and, hopefully, their enjoyment). Working with Quake as the foundation was especially rewarding, as it allowed me to experiment with classic mechanics while putting my own creative stamp on the gameplay. This project has solidified my love for level design, and I’m eager to continue exploring and developing my skills in this field.