Spaces in Time - Part 2: Time Rifts Continued

Click here to see the last post in this series.

Earlier this year, I submitted my ice-themed time rift to the Steam Workshop, and I was rather surprised not only to see how many people have viewed and downloaded the map, but also left positive reviews.  At the time of writing, the map has a 5-star rating, with 944 players leaving reviews and 1,556 players being subscribed to it (plus, 18 favorites!).  This is rather surprising, considering how little pre-planning went into the map, and the fact that it was my first attempt at a mod for the game overall...

Application (Continued)

Looking at some of the notes and screenshots in my previous post, not much had really changed.  I did want to place more effort in creating something that resembled a difficulty curve, rather than just haphazardly placing obstacles in hopes that they would create something interesting.  Overall, I stuck to the use of the 4 main obstacles (rotating ice cubes, rotating pie-shaped platforms, slides, and grapple hook points), but the way they were presented to player was altered slightly.  Where the start of the rift had 3 rotating cubes originally, the later revision replaced them with 2 static platforms and a singular rotating cube, as a means of introduction to the obstacle.

This idea was also applied to the spinning gears, which would spin at a faster rate later on in the rift, and the pie-shaped platforms, which would be missing additional pieces as the player got closer to the end.

Difficulty curve aside, much more of the time and effort went into creating a course that offered fluid navigation, and placing aesthetic elements (lighting, particles, decals) to support the chosen theme.  Thankfully, the base set of assets featured in the tool set allowed me to create a setting that felt very much like a "grimy" industrial freezer.

I would very much like to update this map in the future with ice physics, if I manage to take the time to learn how to create customized volumes within the UDK.  As it stands, there are no means for modders to create flat slippery surfaces, unless they manage to code it themselves.  There is currently a volume that will force the player to slide down a slope that is too step to stand on, and it may potentially offer some solutions to simulating the feeling of walking on ice.

Until then though, I'm going to move forward with my level design studies into what are referred to as "Purple" Time Rifts.

Purple Rifts

Purple Rifts are sub-levels found within each chapter that are typically used to help tell stories about key characters or settings.  They are structured quite differently from Blue Time Rifts amd regular chapters in that they have their own sets of sub-levels and a unique collection system, more similar in style to the collect-a-thon games of the 90's.

Rift-Specific Collectables

Aside from from the green and red "pons" that the game utilizes for currency and health (respectively), Purple Time Rifts introduce "Rift Pons" and "Storybook Pages".  Rift Pons must be collected in order to proceed through each rift's sub-levels, and are spread out among a map, typically at points of interest or after particularly challenging action-paths.  Storybook Pages, on the other hand, are entirely optional collectibles that are well hidden in each sub-level.  Each page contains an illustration that is revealed once the level has been completed, offering additional details to the story that the level's environment may not have been able to reveal.

This collectable system is similar to the one that would be found in Banjo-Kazooie, albeit on a much smaller scale.  Rift Pons reflect Jiggies in their importance and difficulty to achieve, while Storybook Pages reflect Mumbo Tokens in their rarity and placement.  Players will often have to search every nook and cranny in order to find and collect all of these pages, while Rift Pons are usually a clear goal that the player is actively in pursuit of.

Example Storybook Page location, from imgur.com user soviam.

However, while the collection of Rift Pons are required to progress, it is worth noting that the number of Pons required to open the next Rift Gate is often less than the number of Pons available in each sub-level.  This allows some freedom of choice for the player, as they can "bank" some Pons to use in a future sub-level if there future are challenges they choose to avoid.  This was a common design choice in previous 3D-Platformers, as it encouraged back-tracking through previous levels, should players get stuck when trying to progress in levels later on in the game.  However, in the case of these Purple Rifts, progression is a one-way street, and the collectables are self-contained; Rift Pons and Storybook Pages have no impact on the game outside of the level.

Rift gate displaying number of "Rift Pons" required to open.  Clearly visible for the player to reference while exploring.

Environmental Story-telling

"Purple Time Rifts are created when a time piece crashes into a person, causing the rift to be themed around them. These rifts lead to a strange dimension where the world resembles the chapter they can be found in." - Hat in Time Wiki

The above quote, found in the game's wiki pages, provides a little more context for the purpose of these rifts and the reasoning for their appearance.  As previously mentioned, the Storybook Page collectibles found in these rifts are used to help further tell the story of key characters in the game.  However, unlike the "Blue Time Rifts" we explored in a previous post, Purple Time Rifts have much more variety in their setting, reflecting the environments of the chapters they are attached to.  This can be seen by each rifts use of familiar props and characters.

Next Time...

I had originally started my own Purple Time Rift way back in April, when I had attempted to participate in the modding contest hosted by the game's developer, Gears for Breakfast.  However, I far underestimated the effort that would be required to complete my vision for a new map, and far overestimated the amount of time I had to complete it.  At the time of writing, I have approximately 336 hours in the Hat in Time Editor, and I have given myself a deadline of December 21st to complete my project.  My next post will be a much lengthier dive into my development of the map, not only observing and applying the design philosophies of Purple Time Rifts but applying common level design practices as a whole.

Until then, I figure I could at least add a few in-progress screen shots from earlier in development.  I will be on vacation after the map is finished and released, so the follow-up blog post will not be written until early next year.  At that time, I'll probably also be posting some tidbits about my 2018 experience as a whole, and maybe discuss my plans for 2019. 

Until then,

J-West

Spaces in Time - Part 1: Time Rifts

Introduction

If you have read any of my previous work, you'll know that I have a... "thing" for the 3D Platformer Collect-a-thon genre that was popular in the 90's.  These are the games that I grew up playing.  Last year we saw a good number of releases, most of which were met with mixed reviews (see Yooka-Laylee, Snake Pass, Freeze-Me).  There is one, however, that would surprise everyone and made it's way to being the 2nd highest rated game on Steam in 2017: A Hat in Time (referred to as "AHiT" from here on out).

For being the first game for the studio Gears for Breakfast, and the first game ever created by Jonas Kaerlev, there is so much that AHiT did right.  "Hat Kid", much like Mario on the Nintendo 64, is an absolute joy to control, with movements that were easy to learn and a bit difficult to master.  Badges could be purchased that manipulated gameplay in fun and interesting ways, like granting the player the ability to sprint or freeze time.

What astounded me the most, however, was the level design.  AHiT offers so much variety in it's spaces that I never grew tired of playing.  One moment you're at ease, exploring the open and inviting world of Mafia Town, and the next moment you're sneaking around on the Owl Express, gathering clues to track down a murderer.

I haven't been able to get this game out of my mind.  AHiT is a huge step towards what the modern 3D Platformer could become.  And seeing as it comes with it's own set of modding tools, I figured its high time I tried my hand at actually creating my own spaces to play in, rather than sitting around and critiquing the worlds that others have laid out for me.

Why Write This?

There is a fantastic opportunity here for me to expand my own design experiences and learn something new.  What better way to do this as a hobbyist than by modding a game I enjoy?  A Hat in Time offers it's own tool set for creating new levels, hats, skins, and other assets, all based in the Unreal 3 Development Kit.  Not only do I get the chance to design levels for a 3D Platformer, but I get to learn a new engine while I'm at it.

As I will be learning many things as I go, I figured it was a better idea to keep track of my progress through individual blog posts rather than one large essay, like I did with Yooka-Laylee.  I'll do my best to research particular aspects of AHiT's worlds as I attempt create my own, learning what ideas could work in practice and which don't.

Now then...

Time Rift Overview

The modding community over at the AHiT Discord strongly suggested that anyone just starting out with modding should take a look at the Time Rift template that can be used when starting afresh.  The template level is quite simple to work with; a small obstacle course with a spawn point, check point, time piece, a revolving platform and a couple of stationary platforms.

I bolded the term obstacle course in that last sentence because, in essence, that is what the most basic of the Time Rift levels often turn out to be.  There aren't any new move sets or concepts introduced in Time Rifts, they are meant to test the player's mastery of what they have learned so far.  The first two time rifts the player would typically come across are within Mafia Town (Sewers and Bazaar), neither of which require the use of additional hats or badges to complete. 

** Note, for the purpose of this particular post, I am focusing on the more basic rifts.  Purple (or cave) rifts, while similar in nature, have more complexities to them (collecting, narrative, sub-levels), so I will be saving those for another time.

Rather, they utilize Hat Kid's movement-based mechanics in interesting ways (wall climbing, diving, and of course running and jumping).  These time rifts aren't available right away - they only appear as the player progresses.  Looking once more at Mafia Town, the first time rift, Sewers, doesn't become available until after the player earns the time piece for "Down with the Mafia", the 4th act of the chapter, which provides the player with ample time and opportunities to learn and master that basic set of mechanics.

Time Rift Design

At their very base, platforming levels could be considered as string of obstacles or micro-challenges for the player to overcome.  The "Blue" Time Rift stages are a prime example of this, as each rift re-uses similar assets in new ways to put the player to the test.  There is only one objective (time piece at the end of the course), and, for the most part, the way to get there is fairly linear.  The first two rifts, featured in Mafia Town, take the average player about 1 minute to complete, and require nothing more than a firm understanding of Hat-Kid's base mechanics: running, jumping, climbing, dashing, etc.

"Bazaar".  You can see the variety of assets used in this level, and how they are grouped together to create individual challenges.

As the player progresses, however, mechanics that are introduced in a world are placed into their corresponding time-rifts.  The next pair of blue rifts the player would be expected to come across are in Battle of the Birds, both of which are a bit more complex than their Mafia Town counter parts.  "The Owl Express" uses the pressure-plate switches found in the Acts "Murder on the Owl Express" and "Train Rush" to create exploratory puzzles, while "The Moon" utilizes the band-following mechanic from "The Big Parade" and designs a level that discourages the player from taking the same route twice.

"Owl Express". Still a linear path to the finish, with switches and more complex structures introduced.

Application

While creating a mod map doesn't necessarily require you to stick to the mechanics featured in particular Acts or Chapters, I've learned that simply focusing on a certain set of mechanics or a theme can often help with design direction, and give a more cohesive feeling to the level without throwing in too much.

When thinking of what sort of interactions I wanted in my own rift level, I was particularly fond of one set of actions: sliding, jumping, and ending on a grapple hook.  The idea of sliding made me think of ice, which in turn gave me a theme, "Mafia's Icebox".  I wanted to try to give the impression that the rift was taking place within an industrial refrigerator, without straying too far from the basic set of time rift blocks.  In the end I focused on the interaction with grapple hooks and slippery surfaces, doing what I could with Unreal Matinee and Kismet to create challenges around these concepts.  You could consider this both a bottom-up and a top-down approach to designing this level, as focusing on one set of interactions provided me with a theme to work with.

Ultimately, I wasn't looking to make a challenging level for the average player; I instead wanted to make a level that was more enjoyable and a little tricky to try to speed through.  In that mindset, the pathways ended up being extremely straight and linear, with only 4 hard turns until the goal was reached.

I do enjoy playing with the fog settings.

What has really become tricky is using materials and lighting to create the feel of ice and cold steel.  This is why there are individual jobs for lighting and environmental artists, neither positions of which I have much experience in...

The first iteration of this level re-used most assets at least twice:  

• 2 sets of 3 rotating "ice cubes"
• 2 sets of 3 rotating ice "pizza slices"
• 2 sets of 2 rotating gears
• 3 "slides"
• 3 grapple-hook lifts
• 1 static grapple hook point

While this helped to create the consistency I was looking for, it doesn't really have the right balance of variety to really keep the player on their toes as they progressed.  Simply increasing the speed that the gears would turn or changing the arrangement of platforms doesn't quite give the increasing sense of difficulty a linear level like this should.  I need to find a way to remix some of these obstacles to make the progression changes a bit more drastic...  Maybe add a few more static grapple hooks as a means of traversal.

Mid-Post Update

I had originally planned to complete this post and share it once the level was done.  However, during the process of designing this Rift and writing this post, Gears For Breakfast officially released the Modding Update for AHiT, and even started a $1000 mapping contest for the best Purple Rifts the community could offer.  This is an opportunity I am extremely excited about, and as much as I hate jumping ship in the middle of a project, I might have to make an exception for this one.  The contest goes until April 27, so after that point, I'll see about finishing this "Icebox Rift" and maybe write a reflection post about what I learned while creating my own Purple Rift.

See you in a month!
J-West