Outlaws of Orion is a co-op multiplayer game where 4 players, including you, can play the game together to complete the journey set forth for you by the old gods. The game would challenge you with combat\puzzle elements in your path.
Outlaws of Orion
Team: 19
3 Months
4 Player Hack n Slash
Quick Glimpses of the Game
Level Design
Moodboard of 1st Level
[Level 1.1 Planet of the Old Gods - Open World] NARRATIVE
In the heart of the ruins, the Puma guides them to the entrance of a cunningly concealed ancient bunker, hidden from plain sight. The entrance sports ancient text, a code none of the crew can crack. Yet, the Mage, well-versed in ancient magic, cosmic history, and extraterrestrial creatures, deciphers it. "It's the language of the Old Gods," declares the Mage. The crew pieces together that the remnants were once a part of the Planet of the Old Gods - an ancient civilization that was so advanced in technology that it seemed like magic to other species. The reason for their sudden extinction still remains a cosmic mystery. They realize opening the entrance to the bunker is no easy task.
One of the crew members needs to use their ability to solve the puzzle and open the door.
To create a tutorial level of the game based on a broken planet in space. I made moodboards with the environment team and understood the narrative.
I was tasked to make a Tutorial Level of the game. Where the players learn basic Movement, Jumping, teaching how to traverse through the level, combat is taught and tested, more paths are revealed if one explores, Arena Combat is tested and character ability's are tested.
Beats of the Level as they were taught
Process
I greyboxed using Unreal Engine and Blender, I made my own pipeline to work between the softwares.
Tutorial Level: Rough Sketch
Greybox Process
Greybox: Timelapse
Beats used in the Level
Process Timelapse
Final Level Design: 3D interactive Map (shift+mouse)
Gameplay in Level
Learnings
I worked closely to the Environment Art Team, I took great efforts to come up with a greybox that can match the aesthetics of the game as it was envisioned. I minimised back and forth with my own pipeline.
Inspirations
I gathered my inspiration from many prominent games Honkai Star Rail, Overwatch, The Ascent, Black Desert Online and Kena Bridge of Spirits. I added some features together to come up with a comfortable easy UI that makes the user enter the game quickly.
UI/UX Design
I also did UI design, including menus, screens, HUD, icons etc. I planned a timeline to include all the elements coherently with similar design system. I designed iconography and set the typography style.
I made a pre title flash screen with "press any button" I added overlay and simple menu traversity. After the main menu, the player goes through 2 more screens before entering the game with other players.
Infromation Architecture
Start - Playing the game
Main Menu in game
Lobby Connect screen
Looping Animation for Loading
Created and rendered in blender, used as a texture array in unreal.
Character Selection screen
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To be able to give the 4 players complete freedom to select any character they want every time they log in for a play. It is based on first come first basis.
Concept Design
Later I arranged the characters together in a cluster with a simpler approach to the selection. As players would select their characters there will be an overlay with info changing according to the hovering of the cursor.
Color Overlays as player feedback, giving characters personality through color
Final Player Select Screen in the game
Skill Upgrade screen
I gathered many inspirations and went with a conventional approach to add skill tokens bar by bar.
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I explored many design options with various adjustments to the arrangement. Skills are provided at specific bars highlighted and are collected as the player progresses. Entire player upgrades are adjustable here, the skill points are transferrable too, according to the challenges and bosses in the game.
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I gathered many inspirations and went with a conventional approach to add skill tokens bar by bar.
Final In game character Upgrade screen
Planet Selection (Level select)
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I explored many design options with various adjustments to the arrangement. Skills are provided at specific bars highlighted and are collected as the player progresses. Entire player upgrades are adjustable here, the skill points are transferrable too, according to the challenges and bosses in the game.
WireFraming of the final design selected
I made an astronomical map with many planets(levels). The cursor changes into an ornamented scope when hovered on planets gives info and the option to select and travel to that planet.
HUD
This game has many elements related to abilities and combat. I had to incorporate them all i.e. ammo, health, alternate bar, ultimate bar, 3 abilities and stats.
alternate versions of selected designs
I designed how the animations and info update will work.
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HUD frame layout
I used blender to render the background layer for the HUD.
Final HUD in game
I made the health bar dynamic by adding waves to a noise pixelated texture. Other Bars were also made similarly.
Health Bar
I designed it in a modular way to show videos and text to help the player.
Tool Tip
Made with blender, I added patterns to the background.
Dialogue Box
Icons used in the game
Rendered in blender
Character Coins
Ability Icons
Animation when all
4 Characters Die in game
Cursor Design
Health Bar
FUI
Designed the UI on the screen of a spaceship
I designed futuristic UI for the screen in the Intro cinematic of the game.
Rendered in blender, I timed the animation on the UI with the dialogues.
I designed the minimap for my level. Using Adobe Suite to make a combination of vector and photo design
Learnings
To be able to work with so many people and organise the tasks in a systematic way, I learned more about Unreal's UI implementation and programming. I also got more skilled in using the native greybox techniques inside Unreal.