CAGD 270 - Level Design

         They Came from 270 was my attempt at the prompts provided to create a "post apocalyptic alien invasion prison break".  My initial design was centered around an old farm, but after deciding that setting to be a tad too boring, I began considering more exciting or unusual settings. I eventually settled on having my alien armada invade a quaint American every-town from the 1950s. The setting was a nice change of pace from the usual fantasy map, and my players noted how fresh and fun the visuals were, so I definitely believe the theme was a hit. (Concept Layout- Not fully indicative of actual map) (Actual map as playtested)          As for the specific layout of the level, the players choose their classes and begin their journey at a barricaded gas station. Taking consideration on the enemy's use of ranged weaponry, Justin chose the ranger class and Eli chose the mage class so both could avoid a disadvantage of distance.  Surrounded by bulky cars, the team is given a

DnD Map v2 Feedback & Response          Version 2 definitely improved upon its predecessor, but some issues lingered and new ones arose.        For this second playthrough of my Dungeons and Dragons map, Angel Madueno chose the Ranger class and Magnus Marshall chose the Mage class. Overall, the flow of the level was noted by the players to be much smoother in terms of enemy difficulty scaling and the teaching order of mechanics, but some minor issues still lingered. Firstly, Magnus recommended adding an introductory jump prior to the two tile jump in the third room, so the addition has been made in the form of a one tile wide pit in the first room outside of the spawn room. This change is shown directly below.          Beyond the initial handful of enemies that were meant to be easily overtaken, the tougher among them often had too high of an attack stat and too low of a defense stat. Such enemies took the form of "glass cannon" fighters that could keep things interesting

Feedback Summation & Response:     For our project in level design, we've been tasked with creating a DnD introductory level through Roll20, a web-based platform for creating, hosting, and playing DnD sessions. For my tutorial level, I originally wanted a cyclical pattern, but immediately realized that a circulating level might not be the most cohesive for a tutorial area. I then attempted a natural-feeling cave with several rooms and corridors.     After teaching my players- Angel Madueno (Ranger) and Magnus Marshall (Warrior)- how to use Roll20, it was time to begin. I soon realized that, as a regular user of Roll20, I was assuming far too much of their abilities in DnD. Things like ranged combat and multiple enemies would quickly overwhelm them, but despite the hardship, not once were both players incapacitated at the same time. First room was a key guarded by two skeletons. My players thankfully had the forethought to attack one each instead of ganging up on a single enemy.