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How To Make Warzone More Accessible

1/29/2016

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More Accessibility ​

   Warzone is one of my favorite modes in Halo 5. It is the kind of game mode I always wanted. Taking on a large team of enemies and Ai combatants. When it all comes together, it is just awesome!

  Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck converting my friends to Warzone enthusiasts. Warzone can be a very frustrating and crushingly difficult mode for newcomers. The size of the map, the high player count, the Ai bosses that can kill you in an instant. The sheer chaos of the entire experience can be extremely overwhelming to a new player.

   As a veteran of over two hundred Warzone matches and after analyzing common complaints from my friends, I have come up with a few game design solutions that in my opinion would improve this game mode.

Improved Killcam

   Warzone is a huge game mode featuring a gigantic map and twenty four players and Ai enemies that attack either team. One issue I encountered with this set up is, well this mode can become chaotic very quickly. Players will oftentimes find themselves caught in the crossfire on a regular basis.
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   I know, some of you out there might be saying "But Danny, it is supposed to emulate the chaos of war!" True. The issue here is that this combination of giant maps and high player count can lead to a quick and confusing death. A death with little or no information to how or why you died. 
​
   Oftentimes, I find myself dying and having no clue where the shots came from.  When I die, the camera might point in the general direction of where my attacker was but Often times it might just float around in no particular direction.
​
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An example of the unhelpful Halo 5 kill cam. Notice how it points straight to the ground.
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The Battlefield 4 kill cam gives the player useful information.
    How do we mitigate this issue? We add a kill cam. And to be very specific, we add one that functions identical to the one from the Battlefield series (pictured above). 

Pros of adding a Kill Cam similar to Battlefield 4

- Will show you where the shots came from and how much health/shield the enemy had remaining.
- What kind of weapon/vehicle, booster the enemy was using. 
- Will highlight a players position. If any player is using an exploit, they will be exposed.
- Help lower a player's frustration level and allow them to avoid making the same mistake twice.

Add A Map 

  When playing with some of my friends, I had a hard time explaining the map layout to them, especially in the middle of the game. At the bottom left of the HUD is text that tells you where on the map you are located. This can help players identify their current location, but with no map to reference it is kind of pointless to a new player.
   In Gears of War 3, before every multiplayer game the player are shown a top down view of the map. On the map, all of the landmarks are clearly labeled. 

  Whenever the player dies, they have the option to look at the map. During the match the player can easily access it and depending on the game mode it will even display objectives, weapon locations and etc. 
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The map from Gears of War 3.
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Give the player the option to look at the map during this intro before the game begins.
   Warzone begins with a short video that introduces us to the map. This intro video is unskippable, so why not allow the player to hit a button and view a map that will tell inform them of bases and key landmarks?

   However this shouldn't be the only time the map is accessible. During gameplay and in between spawns, players should be able to press a button that will quickly display the map with everything clearly visible.
   The ideal Warzone map would display all of the main bases, the location of enemy bosses once they have spawned into the map, the health and status of each team's respective core and who controls each base.
   The map could also possibly display where your allies are on the map as well as enemies, well this would have to be tested out as displaying the position of enemies on the map might be a game breaker.Perhaps the map will temporarily display enemies that have been spotted by your allies or enemies that are currently engaging a boss.

Semi Related - Possible  Announcer Bug

   This is an issue I noticed while playing. Sometimes when I am killed and spawn back into the map I will miss the in game announcer declaring that an enemy boss has appeared on the map. With the map, the player would  would simply check the map during gameplay and the player would know when and where an enemy boss has spawned on the map. 

  I would also like to say that this is a bug that I have personally encountered on a numerous occasions, and it is most likely a obscure glitch. As mentioned before, adding a map with the whereabouts of enemy bosses would mitigate this issue entirely.

Adjust Victory Point Distribution

   One of the most crucial things in warzone is earning Victory Points (VP) by eliminating enemy bosses. Each boss is worth a hefty sum of points. Eliminating these bosses can help the player's team get a strong lead or close the gap. 
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   One of the issues I have with the bosses in Warzone is how points are distributed. On several occasions my team and I have lost the game because the other team stole the kill.   
   To clarify, the way the points are distributed is not dependent on how much damage was done by either team, but simply by whomever lands the final hit.

   Nothing is more frustrating then making a huge comeback only to have the other team pull ahead with a massive lead after they land the final hit on one of the final boss that you and your team were in the process of eliminating. 
​
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From Left to Right: Legendary Boss (150 VP), Normal Boss (50 VP) and Enemy Player (1 VP).
   I have experienced on a few occasions the enemy team stealing the boss points just get a huge lead in points, which at this point means we lost and there is no more coming back.

​   This is especially frustrating when the final boss has already spawned and been taken out. The only way to win at this point is to capture all three bases and destroy the enemy core. The chances of this happening is extremely low. I have never been on a team that has at this point captured all three bases and destroyed the enemy core to win.

Damage Perentage System

   My suggestion to fix this issue is to change how points are distributed. This is what I suggest, if the Blue team lands majority damage, they would earn majority points. If a boss is worth 150 VP, and Blue team deals 75% of damage they would receive 112 points, where as the Red Team dealt only 25% of damage would only receive 38 points.

  If 100% of points is 150, then half of that is 75. If both teams did equal damage to the boss, they should receive equal points. As the system currently stands, it leaves a bit of room for chance. In my opinion we should reward teams and players that use team work to coordinate an assault on a boss, not reward players that sit back and take potshots. 

Back to Battle

   These are my suggestion on how to make Warzone more accessible to new players and to the players that stick solely to the arena section of Halo 5's multiplayer.

   Warzone is one of my favorite game modes and I do feel that these suggestions would improve Warzone overall and make it more accessible to more players. If you are someone who is currently playing Halo 5 and has not tried Warzone, you should definitely give it a chance. I mean, what else are you going to do with all those Req cards?

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

 - Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Halo 5: Forge - Original Team Slayer - Stream #1-#3

1/28/2016

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Stream Highlights #3


Stream Highlights #2


Stream Highlights #1
​


To Do List

- Sketch out ideas and determine if asymmetrical or symmetrical layout would be the best for this map
- Finish the hallway and generator room
- Begin to plot out the other sections of the map

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​

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Divercast is now part of the Twine network!

1/23/2016

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  Divercast is now on Twine! Twine is a network for podcasts, music and more. We are happy to be proud of this exclusive network. Be sure to check out our most recent uploads and you can surely expect more episodes of Divercast on Twine in the months to come.

Divercast: Ep.3 -Most Disappointing Game (Reupload)

Music, film and photography on Twine.is

​Originally Uploaded: 8/5/2014
   In this episode of Divercast, Brian Shimamoto(Shimmy) and Andrew (Crayyon) join Juan V. and I as we discuss what the most disappointing game from our childhood and adult life.

   We talk about what made these games disappointing and enjoyable. Brian want's realism in his sports games, Juan analyzes one of the biggest games of the last console generation and Andrew relives the horror of Fester's Quest.

​So sit back, relax and get ready for another Divercast!

Divercast Ep.21 : 3 GameDevs and 3 Wiseguys

Music, film and photography on Twine.is

   Welcome to Episode 21! We have a special episode for you! Today we have three special guests, Richard Pau (Crystal Dynamics) and Antonio Sanchez, as well as returning members Juan and Shimmy! 

   So we jump right into the mix with talking about our personal game of the year 2k15. Things get a little biased, but we continue on with some hard hitting subjects such as "Did school prepare you for your job?" and "Where do you see Call of Duty going?" and more!

​   So sit back, relax it is time for Divercast! ​

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​​   Don't forget to check out our affiliate IndieBox.com! Indiebox is a subscription service that delivers collector edition indie games straight to your door step every month. Referral code: Divercast.      

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100
​

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Indie Arcade: No Brakes Valet - 2 Fast 2 Valet

1/20/2016

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Valet 2 Furious 

  For our second Indie Arcade game of January 2016, we take a look at No Brakes Valet. Dannylv100 goes head to head with Caryyon in No Brakes valet, the only competitive car parking arcade game!​


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Credits

No Brakes Valet was created by Captain Games. 
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  For an in depth analysis you can read my thoughts here.

   Don't forget to check out our affiliate IndieBox.com! Indiebox is a subscription service that delivers collector edition indie games straight to your door step every month. Referral code: Divercast.      
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     Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

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Halo 5: Forge BTB Stream #2 - Map Lost!

1/20/2016

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   I was streaming my progress on my upcoming Big Team Battle map when something went wrong. I am not sure why exactly happened, but while I was just moving assets around the budget for the map shot up to full or over capacity. 

 At this point the frame rate dropped and Halo 5 crashed. I had to reboot the game and reopen the edits. Luckily everything was back to normal. At this point I was able to continue working until about half an hour later, it suddenly happened again. I once again tried to reopen Forge, but it was no use. The map seems to be glitched, stuck at over capacity.
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Bottom Left: Map goes from perfectly fine to over budget in an instant for no apparent reason.
   This is very odd, I had less then 200 objects in the scene and only 3 lights at this point. There is no way I suddenly would have 1,024 even if I accidentally duplicated all the objects in the map!

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Future of the BTB map?

  Well it is safe to assume that this map is lost for now, as I can't access it with the frame rate dropping so low that I can't even exit Forge through the pause menu. I will try to open up the map at a later date. If it works I will continue work on it. If it still doesn't work, I might just have to start over.

​   I still plan on streaming level design, but I might want to tackle a smaller project before I attempt another Big Team Battle map. The next stream will either be a straight forward Team Slayer map for Arena or a deconstruction/reconstruction of an existing Halo map. 

    Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Divercast: Ep.3 -Most Disappointing Game (Reupload)

1/19/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Originally Uploaded: 8/5/2014
   In this episode of Divercast, Brian Shimamoto(Shimmy) and Andrew (Crayyon) join Juan V. and I as we discuss what the most disappointing game from our childhood and adult life.

   We talk about what made these games disappointing and enjoyable. Brian want's realism in his sports games, Juan analyzes one of the biggest games of the last console generation and Andrew relives the horror of Fester's Quest.

​So sit back, relax and get ready for another Divercast!


Picture
​​   Don't forget to check out our affiliate IndieBox.com! Indiebox is a subscription service that delivers collector edition indie games straight to your door step every month. Referral code: Divercast.   

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Halo 5 : Forge - Making an Original Big Team Battle Map Stream #1

1/14/2016

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   Welcome! Moving onto the next map I am going to build inside of Forge. This will be a Big Team Battle Map (BTB). Big Team Battle is a game type that pits 8 vs 8 players in a variety of game modeas and typically features vehciles.

​   I plan on designing a large BTB map that is vehicle focuses but allows for intense infantry firefights. This should be a big challenge but I plan on updating and streaming the development along the way.  So be sure to follow me on twitter, twitch and check this blog on a regular basis to stay up to date! 

Sketch

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  A sketch from my notebook. Just some basic ideas such as the hanger, the player spawn and simple layout. I have some more sketches, but they need to be cleaned up. Might add them later on.

Goals

- Make a large Big Team Battle Map that is vehicle oriented. 
- Make the map compatible with Capture the Flag, Slayer and Strongholds Gametypes.
​​- A good balance of power weapons that allow players to take on enemy vehicles without making vehicles useless. 

Theme and Aesthetics 

- Industrial, with a focus on a large storage hangar and possible cranes and docks
- A lot of pathways for vehicles but a lot of cover pieces for intense infantry combat
- Towers of containers and broken fences allowing players to quickly make their way around the map

Gifs

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Things to Consider

- There must be multiple locations throughout the map where players can climb up to to avoid being run over by enemy vehicles.
- The map needs to be designed in a way that keeps the action focused on the center. All action must meet in the middle.
- Players need to feel that vehicle and on foot combat are both viable options. One can't be better then the other.

Stream Highlights


To Do List

- Finish up the basic layout
- Arrange the main areas in a way that breaks up the lines of sight
- Finish building the spawn areas
- Determine which of the main areas are conducive to great gameplay.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Halo 5 - Forge Editor - Stream #7

1/12/2016

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Stream #7

  Stream #7 was just a quick stream where I just added the final touches to the level. The next step here is to have players download and play the map. I will eventually host either a private game or public game of free for all and will post the video to the blog.

Pics

Gifs

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Stream #7 Highlights 

   The stream was pretty relaxed, I was just adding some spawn points and lights. Spent the later half changing the color scheme from default settings to white.

​   I originally planned on coloring one side blue and the other side red, but I figured I would just keep it all one shade of white with a few dashes of blue and red highlights. 

How to Play "The Longest Yard"

   If you would like to download and play The Longest Yard, all you need to do is follow my xbox one gamertag, Dannylv100.  Follow that account and you should be able to download the map. Once downloaded you should be able to play the map inside oft he custom games menu.​ However, to get the full Quake feel, there are a few rules and settings you should adjust.
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   The map is meant to be a homage to The Longest Yard from Quake 3. However, I designed the map to be played with the Halo 5 mechanics (Thrustes, Spartan Charge, Ground Pound, Clambor).

   If you want an even more authentic Quake experience, turn off the Spartan Charge, Ground Pound and Smart Link scope. Do not turn off the thruster pack, as it is crucial for using with the jump pads and map traversal.​​

Rules and Settings

- Change starting weapon to SMG. No secondary weapon and Turn off all grenades and grenade pick ups.
​- Turn off intro cinematic. 
​- Turn off Radar
- Set to Free For All Game type. Score limit is recommend to be set at 20
- If you prefer, set the thruster recharge speed to 50%, this will allow the player to use their thruster pack more often.
- No pick ups aside from what is already on the map
​- No Vehicles of any kind
Note: The map has no startup cinematic. 

Power Weapons and Pick Ups

Scattershot (x2)
Fuel Rod Cannon (x2)
Railgun (x1)
Overshield (x1)
Damage Boost (x1)
Note: The Railgun can be substituted with the Beam Rifle if the players chooses.

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Halo 5 - Forge Editor - Stream #6

1/8/2016

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Stream #6

   Stream #6 was a success! The map layout is done and I am now moving onto adding spawn points for the players and getting this level ready for a playtest. The first half of the stream was dedicated to finishing the layout and tweaking the placements of platforms and jump pads. 

Pics

Gifs

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Stream Highlights


  Going to stream one more time and try to hold a play session. Over the weekend I plan on sketching up some ideas for an original Halo 5 map for the Big Team Battle game type (BTB).  I will post the sketches to this blog so viewers can see what I am working on and how I plan on doing it. 

To Do List

- Finish adding spawn points for the players
- Beautify the map and add some personality
- Hold a play session and evaluate what other players think

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100​
​
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Divercast Ep.21 : 3 GameDevs and 3 Wiseguys

1/6/2016

0 Comments

 
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   Welcome to Episode 21! We have a special episode for you! Today we have three special guests, Richard Pau (Crystal Dynamics) and Antonio Sanchez, as well as returning members Juan and Shimmy! 

   So we jump right into the mix with talking about our personal game of the year 2k15. Things get a little biased, but we continue on with some hard hitting subjects such as "Did school prepare you for your job?" and "Where do you see Call of Duty going?" and more!

​   So sit back, relax it is time for Divercast! ​


​   Don't forget to check out our affiliate IndieBox.com! Indiebox is a subscription service that delivers collector edition indie games straight to your door step every month. Referral code: Divercast.     
Picture

   Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Email us at deepdigitaldesign@gmail.com
Follow us on Tumblr, IndieDB, Twitter, Mixcloud,Soundcloud,clowdy, instagram and Youtube

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100
​

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    Dannylv100

       I am an Indie Game and Level designer, Consultant and host of Divercast.

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