Station Glorble
Overview
Project Type: Multiplayer Map | Team Size: Solo | Duration: March 2023 - Sept 2023 | Software: Halo Infinite Forge
Station Glorble is a 4-6 player Free for All Slayer map in Halo Infinite.
This project taught me much about map flow and multiplayer balancing.
As a lifelong Halo player, I was in my element for this project, and I was happy with the outcome.
Design Goals
Get players into combat as fast as possible
Make navigating the map easy.
Create an even playing field for players of all skill levels.
Planning
This project was early enough in my level design process that I did not have a planning document for my projects. I instead came up with an idea around the specs I was given: Create a multiplayer map for a free-for-all game mode tailored for four players within 3 weeks.
Within this spec, I had a clear goal of what my level should focus on: getting into combat as fast as possible.
Having a familiarity with Halo Infinite, I used my knowledge of the gameplay to guide the beginning steps of my process such as how long fights should be, how strong each weapon and equipment is, and how the gameplay flows.
I excel best when I can jump right into the editor, so I got my ideas together and started blocking out the level.
Early Map Design
I initially started with the idea of two zones stacked on each other with easy travel between them. Taking this, I placed the two main zones next to each other with side lanes for players to spawn.
The map then took a circular shape where the main points of conflict lie at the center while players spawned on the edge. Giving players equal distance from conflict helped players gain their bearings and prevent spawn killing. Here, I let players spawn in the outside area, yet I kept sightlines blocked so players would push further into the map.
To allow for fast travel, I placed launchers to help players get across the map. I made sure the player had multiple options at every point on the map.
Weapon Placement and Balance
When making a level, I first start with what kind of gameplay I want to happen. Here, I wanted a fast-paced medium to short-range firefights. Once, I knew what kind of gameplay I wanted, I chose my selection of weapons. To place weapons, I determined their strength by playing Halo Infinite and seeing how they worked in practice.
Powerful weapons were placed in hard-to-reach spots where players had to risk their lives in some way to get them. (High Risk). The energy sword is very powerful, so I put it in an exposed location where the player has to get to the platform it’s on, giving other players ample time to stop them until they leave the area.
Medium-strength weapons were placed close to where firefights would happen, so players had to engage with others to get them. (Medium Risk). I placed the Needler up on the high platform to expose the player going for it. This sets the player grabbing the gun at a disadvantage until they move to a closer range area.
Weaker weapons were placed near spawns so players could easily access them if they fit more for their playstyle. (Low Risk). Here, I placed a Mangler near a player spawn so that the player could decide to swap their starting loadout safely.
Playtesting and Final Iterations
Click Me!
Early on in my testing, players often got lost when traversing the map. They had no way to orient themselves other than where the weapons were. I worked to fix this by color coding areas, opening sightlines via Windows, and adding extra launchers to help them get to key points of the map faster.
Color coding was an easy way to determine areas with the time I had and allowed players to map areas easily (assuming they had no colorblindness).
Windows helps players see where they want to go and where enemies are before they get into a firefight.
Launchers and teleporters gave players more options to go as long as they remembered where they were.
Click Me!
The weapons themselves were well-balanced through testing, but one weapon stood out: the energy sword. Players would have easy access to the energy sword and then go on big kill streaks. To combat this, I made the energy sword difficult to get.
The player has to sprint and jump over to the sword and once they have the sword, they are completely out in the open. Enemies also have access to a fusion coil and the Repulsor, both of which can lead to a one-shot kill.
What Went Well
Rapid iteration: I was able to get lots of playtests for this project. This allowed me to healthily balance the map and make sure no small oversights in my design went unnoticed.
Game balance: The level led to all levels of players having fun and standing a chance at winning. Most weapons were placed with risk & reward in mind.
Map Flow: The map’s circular design led to little downtime between fights for players. Spawns were relatively safe, and players had options on where to go, which allowed players of all levels to have fun and stand a chance at winning. Most weapons were placed with risk and reward weapon options.
What I Learned
What Could Have Gone Better
Cohesive Visuals: I did not incorporate any visuals other than the color-coded zones when making my map. I would make the art theme around the existing map for this project.
If I Revisited this Project
Art Assets: I would like to go back through and give the map an art pass to demonstrate my lighting and composition skills better.
Postmortem
After finishing this project, I went back to it and expanded it for 4v4 team-based gameplay. I did this since playtesters often wanted to have more than four people per game, and they thought the map worked well with more players.
I focused on creating two corners of the map for teams to spawn at, the yellow and the blue side. The yellow side was used for spawning in the final iteration of the map, so I expanded it out to create space for teams and give players a reason to go to it.