Duel Mansion: Thoughts & Discussion

The theme of my level is that of a haunted Victorian mansion. It is heavily inspired by the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil. The level is set at night, lit mostly by candlelight, reinforcing a sense of horror and fear, in accordance to the theme. The feeling of claustrophobia and looming darkness adds a sense of unease, especially since the mansion stands alone in a mountainous forest, but the elegance and openness of the grand foyer counteracts this, which instead of clashing themes is meant to create mystery. There are elements of religion throughout the level, in the form of angelic statues. The story behind this is that the mansion was built to accommodate a cult, who have since performed rituals and sacrifices, leading the mansion into decline.

While the theme of horror may indicate a survival horror game, I designed the map for Unreal Tournament. It is a fast paced 1v1 or 2v2 duel map, with players easily able to move between rooms and elevations – for example, the dining room table would have the jumpboots powerup to get to the second floor balcony, and each area has at least two entrances / exits, with the majority having more. I believe the theme complements the game by adding more tension to an already pressured game mode, while also adding a unique and interesting twist.

I largely stuck to my initial plan of the map, although I left out my original idea for elevators at the opposite ends of the mansion, and adding a building to the outside gardens.

I initially whiteboxed the map, to get a sense for scale. The main features of the grand foyer, the pillars, chandelier and staircase I think are already imposing. I was also pleased of the gameplay of jumping across the chandelier.

With the whitebox complete, I began to add static meshes and textures – replacing the staircase and floor and pillars.

After finishing the grand foyer, I worked around the map, going to the next rooms and then the outside. Unfortunately, some of the trees were too high-poly, so I had to remove them from the final build.

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I ended up changing the mausoleum to a shrine, to add to the cultist theme.

I then worked on lighting, which I found difficult balancing night and spookiness with visibility, as well as finding assets for the theme.

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To improve the map, I would add another level of verticality – in the form of an underground crypt, which would connect under the stairs in the main foyer to the outside shrine and the fountain. This would add a secret passage, that any self-respecting haunted house should have, but also adding another element to gameplay. I would also like to have more unique static meshes to decorate the level with and complement the haunted Victorian theme, especially in the form of gargoyles and candle stands.

Overall, I believe I have created an interesting map that has great gameplay. I believe the grand foyer is imposing, the atmosphere foreboding while also being a fun duel map, with use of acrobatics and verticality. As this was my first map, I knew not to be overly ambitious, and while I do believe I could make several improvements, I am proud of what I have created.

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