Breakout

A Stealth Outpost Level For Far Cry 5

Breakout Trailer

Information

Role: Level Designer, World Builder, Scripter

Engine: Far Cry 5 Arcade Editor

Team Size: Solo

Development Time: 15 Weeks

Platform: PC

About The Level

"Breakout is a standalone level for Far Cry 5 that takes place in a fully custom world-space. The quest takes the player through an isolated valley full of cultists. The player must escape from an underground bunker where they were being held captive. The player must sneak through the valley, finding weapons and destroying alarms to take out all the enemies without being detected. There is both a Day and Night version of the level available to play.

Jump To Playthrough Video

Design Goals

This project was all about focusing on Stealth Combat. The level must be completed without being detected, and so the stealth had to be heavily emphasized. This level was developed as a thesis artifact to showcase the best practices in creating a stealth level: Vantage points, clear and varied pathing, predictable enemy AI, and lots of soft and hard cover.

Vantage Points

The most important pillar for a stealth level such as this is the use of Vantage Points. Giving the player an elevated and relatively safe overview of the map will allow them to see where objectives are, identify paths, watch enemies, and memorize enemy behavior. This will allow the player to formulate a strategy before entering the space.

Clear and Varied Paths

In order for players to effectively move through a space without being detected, they need to be able to easily identify potential paths and to have multiple options for entry and exit. This way, players will be able to easily flow through a space and only need to worry about being spotted.

Predictable Enemy AI

As players survey the level from a vantage point, they should be able to identify where enemies are and see the places they tend to patrol or guard. Having enemies restricted to specific patrol zones and move between animation points allows players to plan out their approach without worrying about AI moving where they can't predict.

Soft and Hard Cover

Players should have ample soft and hard cover to utilize through out the map. Hard cover objects are solid and force enemies to path around them. Enemies can not walk, see, or shoot through these. Soft cover is usually things like tall grass and brush. While enemies cannot see through it, they can walk and shoot through it.

Maps and Planning

Overview Map

White Box Map Overview

LDD

Postmortem

Went Well

Went Wrong

What I Learned

Adaptation. I started my thesis in a different editor and found that that engine would not suit my needs for my desired artifact. I was able to pivot to a new engine and adapt some of my previous planning and experience to catch up and meet deadlines

Adjusting Scope. The level was initially over scoped, but through careful cutting and communication with stakeholders I was able to get back in scope and get on track.

Clear Vision. From the beginning of the level I had a fairly clear idea of how it should play and what it should look like. Though there were many iterations, progress was smooth because I knew what the level would look like at the end.

Short Timeframe. Since I had begun this project in an entirely different game and editor, I lost time when I pivoted to Far Cry 5. I was able to buckle down and get a ton of progress done very quickly and make up for lost time. This is largely due to careful pre-production planning and communication with stakeholders.

Inexperience. This was my first level in the Far Cry Arcade Editor. Learning a new tool while making up for lost time was difficult. I was able to find enough support materials and tutorials to learn the engine quickly, and made a level that meets the high standards of the stakeholders.

Pivoting. Through this project I learned about the benefits and drawbacks of making a major pivot in a project. I learned how to prioritize and plan around tight deadlines and how to adapt previous planning and designs into the new artifact. Ultimately I learned that sometimes making a major pivot is the right call and what amount of work and effort it takes to make a pivot such as this successful.

Strengths. I learned a lot about where my strengths and weaknesses lie through this project. I learned that I am able to adapt to new editors very quickly when I need to, and how to find resources to assist.

Playthrough Video