Immersive Sim LD - Tram Station

 Yo! 

Last semester I did some work for an upcoming indie immersive sim being made by a small team. I was asked to build a level for showcase purposes- I love immersive sims, so I agreed to help right away!

I'm not sure how much of the story the team would like disclosed, so I'll just say it's a post-apocalyptic immersive sim taking place on a derelict space station. Classic, right? My level in particular is where the player gets a means of transportation around the station- a futuristic, double-decker tram. Thus, my level is the tram station with the included repair yard. 


For this level, I had a pretty strict objective and a very short time limit. My objective was just to showcase the game's gameplay at the state it existed. It's all pretty early in development, but we wanted it to look nice too. As a result, I was both designing the level from a practical angle and making props and art so it wasn't unsightly. Thankfully, the art-style the team favored was low-poly, with simple materials, and they had a few matching asset packs to use too. Still, I modelled and textured (if that even counts with all these flat textures...) the tram station, the walls, the benches, the vending machine, the sign, the gate, and a few other props. 


I don't really consider myself a 3D artist by any stretch, but with a style this simple, I can make due in a pinch. Even then, the art was the least of my concerns. The layout itself was tough. There's still a lot of open, empty space- narratively, this makes sense with how many people would be flowing through here, and with how the crazed robots are obsessed with cleaning. The back area is meant to be much more cluttered, though I didn't get a chance to develop that area very much. 


Anyways, I'd say the main lobby is still too empty. Now that the AI is more complete, I'll add that in and give the space more purpose. I do think the puzzles designed are neat. There's currently two routes to get to the repair yard in the back:

  • Climbing up the vending machines, stealing the battery that powers the light-up sign, using it to power the gate, entering through there.
  • Reading a log left behind from before the apocalyptic event which includes a passcode to a janitor's closet, removing that keypad from that door, placing it a locked managerial door above, and using the code there to enter. 
These solutions put the player at different spots in the level, and reward different types of exploration, so I'm happy with them. I'd still like a classic "platforming" route, which was planned to be through the waterfall centerpiece. I hope to add that soon!

Anyways, I think this level needs a lot of work, but for the time constraint I think it could have turned out worse! It was cool joining a project in progress, getting basically a GDD and game bible to read over and understand, and then making a level. It was also a very nice challenge designing a level with someone else's constraints, like what the level needs to accomplish narratively and gameplay wise. It's fun! And I'm excited to continue working on it! 

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