The Gauntlet
Jordan RAUCH
Level Design
The Gauntlet
For my project, I wanted to practice systems and technical design, or more specifically exploring progression systems and building a level to support it. I took inspiration from the rogue-lite genre and the many ways it builds a player’ s power. I wanted players to have the choice of upgrading their weapons over the course of the level, as well as the ability to choose how they want to play. Keeping the combat fresh and engaging was just as important as showing off the upgrades system and the randomly selected rooms and variety of entrances that help to further the overall player experience.
I chose this project partly due to my familiarity with the editor, but also because Fallout 4 has a multitude of assets and enemy types to pick from. This allowed me to create small and varied combat experiences. The weapons themselves were likewise easy to modify with the built-in weapon mods system and attached variables, making it much easier to mix and
match the upgrade pieces of the weapon that the player is using.
This project took about three months to complete. I began by creating a proof of concept for the custom-built randomization of the rooms and locking mechanisms of the doors. Everything from there was built from that strong base technology that isn’ t naturally occurring in Fallout 4.
Over the course of the project, I developed skills related to designing and balancing the weapon upgrade system that I was adapting for the project. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, and it helped me to build on my scripting knowledge and dive deeper into some of the less utilized mechanics of Fallout 4. I think this project is also useful to the video game industry, as it’ s able to show that with enough creativity and a strong, functional editor, designers can create entirely new and unique experiences in games that still feel like they can fit into that game’ s canon.
42 LEVEL DESIGN