Jackson Clayton
Level Designer
Golf Course
This was the final project the 10 person dev-team at Barnyard Games worked on together, I owned the music-themed section and controlled the level design, course specific mechanics, meshes, and shaders.
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Tools: Unreal Editor for Fortnite, Blender
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Developed over 3 Months
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Level Design
Pre-Production
Gathering References
I started by gathering visual and mechanic references from other games.
I worked with the Head of Creative Vision to align what I wanted with the project's direction, we ended up with a few level-specific mechanics, like subwoofers which push the ball, and invisible instrument-triggers to play notes for successful hits.
I proposed a system where each instrument added its own background score as players progressed, but we pivoted from it. This led me to explore other ways to strengthen the music concept with visuals and mechanics.
Initial Floorplans
These are my sketches for the initial layout, I wanted a generic fast paced deathmatch level. I was iteratively designing the level so a lot changed throughout to improve sightlines, but the basic layout stayed the same.
The spawn areas are narrow but open areas for players to decide where they want to go next.
The center of the map is dense, you can get to a vantage point to see where everyone is but it makes you an easy target. Most players will be headed towards the slightly more open area in the center to fight, but players can also snipe from the corners of the map.
The side areas are meant to be secret, alternate routes for teams to take, and it can be used for other teams to infiltrate the other teams spawn area.
Blockout Process
Course 2
My producer relayed playtester feedback that they weren't satisfied not seeing the ball reach the hole from the tee. It reduced the reward for a hole in one, I reworked the geometry to keep clear sightlines from tee to hole. This is a hole that was significantly improved by it.
Course 5
This course has a clear path for players that want to use subwoofers, but there's alternate routes that reward creative players with a few other hole in one opportunities. I opened up the level design here to support these strategies, which was well received during playtesting.
Course 9
This hole is meant to combine the mechanics into an exciting climax, with long ball trajectories, high bounces, and a tense final moment where the ball narrowly makes it into the hole. I also include all the instruments from previous levels to help tie everything together.
Design Choices
Mechanic Introduction
For the first course, I wanted players to instantly understand how they work, so I designed it to make getting a hole-in-one easy. The idea was to let players watch the ball interact with the subwoofers, so they get the hang of it without an explanation.
Reward Paths
Each course has a hole-in-one route that rewards the player with precision by playing ascending notes from the instruments in the level, it helps tie the gameplay to the theme of the course to make the experience just a bit more cohesive and satisfying.
Difficulty Curve
Although the courses generally get harder, I sprinkled in a few easier, satisfying holes to keep players engaged. The team prioritized enjoyment to keep the experience frustration-free.
Precision Tuning
I fine-tuned the ball’s interaction with subwoofers. This meant adjusting the layout, angles, and power to make sure hitting the right spot always led to a hole-in-one.
Travel Distance
I increased the travel distance between bounces in later holes. While this slightly raises the difficulty, it significantly enhances the player's satisfaction by rewarding their ability to line up consecutive bounces seamlessly.
Long Range Weapons
Long range weapons work best in the hallways and in certain areas in the outdoor area, they’re also best in flat areas because they’re very reliant on landing headshots when an entire horde is headed your way.