Inside Level Design - Titanfall 2

Welcome,

      In the previous entry, Inside (Level) Design (link), we discussed the first game from the Half-Life series (1996). The game, developed by Valve, began many trends in game design and levels planning. Some of them are still used today, while other were improved in the sequel.

Many years have passed since then. We saw many games on the market that, to a greater or lesser extent, drew inspiration from Valve games. Undoubtedly, one of them was Titanfall 2 from Respawn Entertainment. A game that was a dark horse of the winter season of 2016. 

All the more, we should take a closer look at the approach to level design taken by Respawn (Ent.) during development of their second game. A game that showed how captivating linear games can be given appropriate approach and execution.

Let’s get started! 

It all begun at the Frontier

      We will begin with a short history lesson. The first entry to the Titanfall series was released by a newly created Respawn studio in 2014 on PC and Xbox One. What made the game stand out from other First Person Shooters was its main mechanic: an ability to fight as a Pilot or a Titan, and freely switch between them at any given moment.

The Pilot mainly used his agility: he could run on walls, do double jumps, and quickly move on the maps, but he was susceptible to damage. The Titan, on the other hand, was heavily armed and armoured, therefore it could easily confront other Titans and overwhelming numbers of enemies.

As in paper, rock and scissors, each form of combat had its advantages and downsides -- this is what made this game special. The pilot, although agile, was poorly armoured, as opposed to the Titan, which had a lot of fire power but lacked mobility. It required the player to skilfully switch between the forms. Both forms demanded different approach to level design.

A perfect sequel?

      The single player campaign (which was absent in the previous game) turned out to be a great addition due to well-thought-out levels, the pace of action and, most importantly, diverse mechanics -- not only those associated with switching between the Pilot and the Titan.

In the campaign, we play as Jack Cooper, a Rifleman of Militia -- a military force of rebels, who fight against ICM for freedom and liberty in the Borderlands -- a space system that is home to terrans. 

We arrive on Typhoon with a special mission to infiltrate ICM base, but – as is normally the case at a battlefield – not everything goes according to plan. After several minutes of emergency landing we fall into trap, but we are lucky to be saved by our mentor -- captain Lastimosa and his Titan BT-7274. Unfortunately, the captain does not survive the mercenaries’ attack, and we take over his suit, as well as command over the Titan. 

And so, several minutes after start of the campaign, we become a Pilot. A person with special equipment that allows us to run on walls, do double jumps and quick slides, as well as hide from our enemies using optical camouflage.

But that’s not all, we also have Titan BT-7274 -- our large mechanical friend that we can mount to fight other Titans -- at our disposal.

Where do roads of Pilots and Titans lead 

      Let’s turn to the main topic, that is the structure of the world and gameplay of Titanfall 2. 

To start off, it has to be emphasised that the levels in the game are characterised by linearity, therefore our task is to constantly move forward. However, it is worth noting that certain mission will require us to make circles -- this is directly connected to the plot.

Due to the game’s double mechanic (Pilot – Titan), levels were designed in a way to utilise the capabilities of both the Pilot and the Titan. 

For the Pilot

      As a Pilot, you may have an impression that you play with exploration of places in the world of Titanfall 2. You start in the jungle on Typhoon, to end up in prefabricates factories, and you will be required to use your abilities all the time. Not because we have to, but because we can -- the authors allow us to.

Already at the very beginning (when we equip the Pilot’s suit), we have an opportunity to use the basic mechanic (that will be at our disposal to the very end of the game) -- the wall run.

Creating a mechanic that accompanies the player through the whole game is the best and most efficient form of game design. A mechanic that is used all the time and is gradually developed, as well as presented in different ways, will make the player intuitively use it at any opportunity, and will not become tedious.

Wall run - the wall we are able to traverse through, is always well visible to us

      From the functional point of view, wall runs are very smooth (which is proven already in the tutorial at the beginning of the campaign) and intuitive. Player approaches a wall and is automatically slid to another route -- still going the way he or she wants.

Respawn went even further than that, making this mechanic completely trouble-free for the player (even a beginner). They did it by adding a kind of holograms that show how to properly run on given fragments of walls.

Ghost Runner - after activating, he will show us the according path 

There are many more additions that show surfaces we can run on. These include the texture of the surface on which we can use the mechanic or a slope angle -- not to mention the lightning. Sometimes, you are unable to see the road suggested by the developers.

Ghost Runner, color contrast on wall, approach angle -- these elements are prepared for us so we can better find ourselfs where to go

After the first hour, you will master this ability to a degree that will allow you to do it instinctively. Until then, the game will also provide you with different ways to use your skills, as well as gradually make it harder to perform them.

From wall to wall -- first variations for wall running are presented at the beginning of the game

For the Titan

      When you get to control the Titan, you will learn that the area you may move on is much more spacious than the corridors prepared for the Pilot.

Yes, the Titan needs more space -- this is obvious. Metrics of rooms must meet several important aspects when we move (or run automatically, which is also possible). Above all, we need good manoeuvrability.

Our Titan needs a lot of space to move around, more so if we fight along our allies against multiple enemies

      Areas and spaces for the Titan are large. Most often, these are sections in which you fight other Titans, who are frequently supported by infantry.

In such conditions, you need a space that may be controlled and may ensure necessary covers, as well as allow maneuvering (e.g. flanking) in order to destroy your enemies. You could say that the game changes into First Person Shooter when you control BT-7274, as arcade mechanics (available as the Pilot) are put aside, and the game focuses on shooting and use of the entire available arsenal.

During freefall, we can see how big is the battlefield that awaits us

      In “Trial By Fire” mission, we start an assault in the company of our allies; there is a lot of space, as well as enemies. We have more room for manoeuvre, including covers. The dynamic of the game changes, since, firstly, we have a stronger arsenal at our disposal, and, secondly, our health no longer recovers automatically, so we have to constantly move and shoot at the same time (destroyed enemy Titans drop batteries that regenerate our health).

What is interesting is that boss fights are based on battles with other Titans. We fight different Titan models -- from the Scorch to the Ronin -- on specially prepared spacious arenas, which offer many covers.

Fight against Viper, a mercenary that controls a flying Titan, which takes place on the fuselage of an aircraft in mission “The Ark”, is probably the most impressive one. Small covers and large space force you to constantly move around to avoid damage. Moreover, due to the geometry of the arena, you are compelled to press forward to make a successful attack. 

Viper's arena is wide open and pretty long with some hiding spots for avoiding incoming air attacks

 Leading the player through the world

      There is no denying that one of the most important aspects of level design is ensuring that the player is pointed in the direction he or she is supposed to go. This is a principle I stick to when designing levels -- both at work and in my own projects.

Level designers of Titanfall 2 also strictly followed this rule and used all known methods to show the player where to go. 

Here are some examples:

We see exactly where to go -- yellow color on the wall indicates good attachment for wall run or we can continue forward and use double jump to get across chasm

Visual guide -- geometry lines point the way - target, yellow cable on the ground also helps to indicate where to go

Light in play - as you can see from the screen, light source on the other side of the wall

Color scheme for walls and pipes indicate again on which surface we can continue and which direction

Action Blocks

      The campaign of Titanfall 2 undoubtedly provides many unforgettable experiences. The ability to change the gameplay -- i.e. switching between the Pilot and the Titan -- provides many interesting solutions and variety. One may say that the authors wanted to provide players with an opportunity to take a break from jumping on walls and introduced intervals, during which you may play Titan and assault your enemies. That’s not true.

The Pilot is as important, and allows the player to experience other interesting solutions.

The distinctive mechanics were called Action Blocks by the authors. Their presence in specific missions brings a new dimension to the gameplay.

Christopher Dionne, during his presentation on GDC 2018 regarding level design in Titanfall 2, described Action Blocks in the following way:

- A form of quick prototyping, which encourage creative fun

- ‘Game jam’ style design during production sprints to test the gameplay

- A colloquial term used in Tetris slang to achieve a better score

      How does this work in practice? As it turns out -- very well. It boils down to creation of prototypes of mechanics which, even if prepared quickly and not fully developed, may later be useful in the game.

This technique allows to check in practice whether a given mechanic is interesting and fits the story and gameplay the authors want to present.

Let’s look into two examples:

Prefabricates factory (“Into the Abyss”) mission

 

      The idea to create the prefabricates factory was dictated by the plot and pitch designs, which underwent several iterations. Christopher Dionne was the designer responsible for this level, and his task was to build a factory that would produce elements needed to construct structures.

And soon, also the gameplay in the factory had to be taken care of. To this end, they used Action Blocks that were prepared beforehand.

They started with prototyping the location itself. After creating the first blackout, they could imagine how the factory should function, how the player should move around it, and how to create a gameplay similar to a platform game to make the best use of the skills of our Pilot.

David Shaver (game designer) had a different idea -- he wanted to put some obstacles for the player. This is how moving platforms, along with crushers on their way, were created.

You can judge the effect on your own:

Jumping on static or moving platforms gives some platforming game vibe

“The Beacon"

      In this mission, on the other hand, we are given a device called Arc Tool at our disposal, which allows to switch various buttons located in the stage.

It was an idea of Sean Slayback, who created the first prototype based on a weapon that can activate/deactivate specific objects (such as buttons).

In early phase of prototyping, Smart Pistol was to be used to trigger switches; Afterwards the gun was reworked into Arc Tool, giving it an unique model

Other members of the team liked the first prototypes so much that they decided to adapt it to “The Beacon” mission, were it is used not only to switch buttons to open new passages, but also to lock mechanisms and hack droids to fight on our side.

Arc Tool is used to trigger switches on objects (including droid cells)

Is it worth it?

      The answer is simple -- yes. Titanfall 2 is undoubtedly an interesting title, both in terms of gameplay and level design. Linear gameplay only magnifies a positive reception of particular missions, as well as the prepared locations. The variety offered by the gameplay, both as the Pilot and the Titan, makes this game stand out from competition in its category.

Of course, it is also a great source material for inspiration. 

This text contains materials from presentation by Christopher Dionne: “Designing Unforgettable 'Titanfall' Single Player Levels with Action Blocks” from Games Developer Conference 2018:

https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025105/Designing-Unforgettable-Titanfall-Single-Player

Cheers and see you next time,

Michał ‘Jerzyk’ Sobczak

Level With Design, wszelkie prawa zastrzeżone. 2023

Copyright. Level With Design, all rights reserved. 2023