#leveledit

 Farcry 2 Custom Map

Having never played a FarCry game before, and not knowing the differences between the FarCry 2 & FarCry 3 Map editors, I was inspired and quickly designed a map shown above. It was a multiplayer race map, where everyone started in the far right corner and had about three different routes to get to the bottom left X on the map. Each route had its own benefits and challenges as in the way of the goal was a huge mountain range.

If you were the first to grab the car, then taking the smooth looking road seemed the easiest. However you would have had to drive through different settlements where hostiles are shooting at you. You would then need to find the tunnel to get through the mountain and then get to the lake’s shore so you could swim to the goal.

If you went by the shortest looking route, beeline to the goal, then you’d most likely be on foot, fighting hostiles and climbing a steep mountain. However, once you’ve done that, you had the choice to paraglide down to the goal or take a ship down the waterfall/river to it.

The final possible route was running through a dense forest, where the car would most likely get stuck on, and finding a trail through the mountains. You’d need to get through a settlement of hostiles but then you could easily steal a car and find a fast boat to take you to the goal.

Side view of my map created by partner @egeevmd180.

As you can see from the video above, we found that the Far Cry 2 map editor had many limitations, like no actual AI enemies and could only create water mass but not individual bodies of water. With using a PS3 controller to create everything, we took turns in trying to do as much of my original level design as possible in the short amount of time we had to work on it.

Front half of the map, with the starting point.

Back half of the map with the goal. We created a narrow canyon river with a slow boat to be the middle route.

Our ‘playtesters’ already breaking the map, haha!

The most challenging aspect was learning how to use the tools and doing so with a controller, and a buggy one at that. Second most challenging as stated earlier, was learning the actual limitations of the editor. It was fairly easy to stay under in memory, but feels like we made a barebones map compared to the ones who got to work with Farcry 3.

Still, it was a good exercise, and great to see how other people played it without knowing exactly everything about the map, already finding ways to make minute changes to make it better as they found bugs and thought of different ways to go about to get to the goal.

To play, search for Snarky Diana Moonbeam here.

a) How would you describe the challenges and actions that make up the player-made game level?

While seemingly simple looking, the player still has to do some platforming and avoiding of lasers and hack saws, all the while attacking the police. The environment does not affect her but one doesn’t want to be caught in a reappearing column.

b) What is the camera mode being used? (e.g. top down, side view, top-down view etc)

Sidescrolling platformer with fixed camera.

c) What is the nature of the user interface in terms of player control? (how does the player use the controls to play the game)?

Keyboard based, with arrow keys of left and right moving the character, along with up arrow causing the character to jump. This time though, Wildstyle can use combo moves, so simple space will do a horizontal attack and she can attack from the air in a diagonal fashion.

d) What would you say is the goal of the finished player-made game?

To play, search for Snarky Diana Moonbeam here.

a) How would you describe the challenges and actions that make up the player-made game level?

This is a pretty difficult level in which the player must survive disappearing platforms and shooting monsters. There are various ways to finish the level, but there is some timing aspects that could make or break a single run through.

b) What is the camera mode being used? (e.g. top down, side view, top-down view etc)

Sidescrolling platformer with fixed camera.

c) What is the nature of the user interface in terms of player control? (how does the player use the controls to play the game)?

Keyboard based, with arrow keys of left and right moving the character. This particular character needs to use space for his close range attack. Pressing the up arrow, will make him jump, but his unique ability is that if you hold the up arrow, he can glide for a short period of time.

d) What would you say is the goal of the finished player-made game?

To play, search for Snarky Diana Moonbeam here.

a) How would you describe the challenges and actions that make up the player-made game level?

Figuring out exactly what each asset does, and the limitations the player character has in movement flexibility was a big challenge.  As the player is made of lava/fire, you have to avoid the biggest hazard, being the water. So timing some of the disappearing platforms can be tricky, while you gather all the gems to escape and win.

b) What is the camera mode being used? (e.g. top down, side view, top-down view etc)

This is a standard sidescrolling platformer with a fixed camera.

c) What is the nature of the user interface in terms of player control? (how does the player use the controls to play the game)?

Simple keyboard controls, left and right arrow keys make the player move left and right, up arrow makes the character jump. Not used in this level is the down arrow to go through a platform, or space to use her attack.

d) What would you say is the goal of the finished player-made game?