Markus Norén
Level Designer & Technical Designer
D-Corp(2021)
I joined Frogsong Studios in 2021 as a Level Designer intern, 3 weeks before the release of their second game D-corp. In that time I made improvements to basically every level and polished them up for the release. After that I was a key part of both DLCs that came out later, first the Addendum Update and then the Arena Mode Update, where I made new Levels and expanded upon the game mechanics from the base game.
My work on D-corp:
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Designing and making new levels
- Blueprint scripting in Unreal Engine
- Prototyping new game mechanics and game modes
- Finding new and creative uses of already existing mechanics
- Set dressing and lighting
- Adding new and interesting content to an already existing game
The Addendum Update
The first free DLC for D-corp, included more levels, new customizations, and balancing. I worked with the creative director to find the gaps in the level progression and to figure out what to fill them with.
This update was made with only a small part of the whole team so new assets and game mechanics were kept at a minimum, instead using old assets and mechanics in new ways to flesh out the game experience.
My Contribution:
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3 new Levels from block-out to shipping
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Level decoration and lighting
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Making new content using old parts
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Filling the gaps in level progression
Acidic Falls
Design Goals
- New level in the middle of the Acid Biome
- Fit in with other Acid levels while also looking distinct
- Explore new twists or angles in already existing mechanics (Flamethrowers reloading mechanic)
The Design
I started the design process by coming up with a new shape for the acid to flow in. The acid is the biggest part of all levels in this biome and they all come in different shapes and directions, like an acid pool, acid river, acid dam, etc. I came up with the idea of an acid waterfall which already had some assets done and used in the background of other levels. It also worked well as the main source of Scrap in the level, having it be delivered by the acid fall. And of course, I put a secret unlockable behind the waterfall which can be accessed by smashing the grates on either side.
Another main mechanic in the acid biome is the flamethrower turret, which needs fuel canisters to fire, which in turn needs to be refilled at a fueling station. No other levels have 2 flamethrower turrets which is a good start. Usually, each flamethrower comes with two fuel canisters to help with fueling the turrets, but here I only gave the players three, which makes the refueling more complicated and the canisters need to be juggled over the acid to maximize efficiency.
I choose to go for a rather flat level with only a few minor height differences for safe areas and turret placements to not overcomplicate the platforming over the big acid part of the level. I also went with a symmetrical design to put the acid fall into focus and to assist with fuel canister juggling. Since the level is symmetrical and enemies come from both sides at the same time both flamethrowers usually need to be refilled at roughly the same time, which starts off the fuel juggling I was looking for.
The Motion
Design Goals
- New level at the beginning of the Lab Biome
- Fit in with other Lab levels while also looking distinct
- Include moving platforms, which were implemented but not used in any level
The Design
The biggest component of all levels in the Lab biome is the Recycler and the Conveyor belt coming out of it, which takes up a large part of the level. Since this is an early level in the biome I went with a simple straight Conveyor shape but I put it on a small bridge, which makes it slower to get to the other side but faster to get home again. The are also moving platforms on both the top and bottom of the level which can be used instead for riskier but faster travel.
The level geometry is for the most part symmetrical but with asymmetrical elements, that can be moved from side to side wherever they are needed for the moment by using the moving platforms. The data sarcophages in the background were an unused asset I found and made into a moving blueprint in the background to add to the theme of sending stuff back and forth between the two sides of the level, which are also color-coded with green a purple lighting and assets.
The Switch
Design Goals
- New level in the middle of the Lab Biome
- Fit in with other Lab levels while also looking distinct
- Started as an alternative block-out to The Motion, but turned into a standalone level
The Design
This design started as another version of The Motion but grew to become a level of its own. The main gimmick of this level is using the buttons in the middle of the level to switch places on the Power Pole, which is required to power the Tesla Turrets. There are 3 enemy spawns which activate two at a time. The key to this level is to quickly identify which spawns are active and to switch the Power Poles to the correct sides.
In the beginning of 2023 after a very successful in-house game jam we started playing around with making a PVP version of D-corp, which resulted in Arena mode. The old and unused biome concept of the Explosion Factory became the basis for the new game mode where players compete to collect the most scrap while surviving from each other and avoiding level hazards.
My Contribution:
- Designing and prototyping a new game mode
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8 new Levels from block-out to shippable
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Level decoration and lighting
PVP Game Mode
Before we decided on the new game mode we went through a few iterations that we prototyped. The final version became an intense and chaotic game mode with short sessions with a lot of close calls and clutch moment gameplay where it was easy to "just play one more game". We had a lot of fun playtesting and usually ended up playing entire rounds when we were testing minor things, which is a good sign.
First iteration
- Players had their separate lanes, similar to old-school Tower Defense games
- There was a limited amount of turrets, which players tried to steal from each other and sabotage
- At the same time, players collected scrap and dealt with enemies similarly to the base game
- Have the most scrap at the end of a timer
Conclusions
- Stealing and sabotaging turrets was not fun, it led to either frustration or turtling, no direct play interactions.
- Having 4 separate lanes severely limited the level design in how big the levels had to be, also what to do with the extra lanes when playing with 2-3 players
Second iteration
- Players all share a drop point for their scrap
- No turrets, only enemies that had to be avoided or could be thrown toward other players
- Players can knock each other back into hazards
- Have the most scrap at the end of a timer
Conclusions
- One strategy that was way too useful was to intercept other players thrown scrap into the drop point, this led to the idea of removing the drop point and instead having all players carrying a scrap backpack
- Knockback was fun!
- Throwing explosive enemies at each other was fun!
First iteration:
Final iteration
- Players collect scrap in their scrap backpack
- When any player reaches a certain amount of scrap a timer starts counting down, the player with the most scrap at the end of the timer wins
- When a player dies they drop all their scrap, and if they are in the lead the timer pauses (does not reset). Their dropped scrap can be picked up by other players
- Players can knockback each other to make them drop scrap or to push them into hazards
- Levels are dangerous with hazards, enemies, and explosive barrels
Conclusions
- This game mode is simple and chaotic fun, which fits with the base game.
- We usually ended up playing more than needed during testing, which is a good sign that it is fun!
Design process
When designing the levels I set up a few rules for myself to keep in mind:
- Use symmetry in the level design to make the feel fair and balanced
- Symmetry also makes the layout quick and easy to internalize and memorize
- Keep verticality in mind, depth can sometimes be hard to tell from this camera angle.
- Have level hazards, preferably controllable by the players in some way
- Make the scrap collection feel different at every level
After that, I made quick block-outs where I also broke the rules I had set up. We playtested constantly and kept working on the levels we liked and scrapped the rest until we had a solid 8 levels that we all liked.
Final Levels
The Furnace
With this level, I wanted to focus on player-controlled environmental hazards which resulted in the valve that moves lava around. The scrap comes in from the sides so moving the lava around is incentivized to get the most scrap and also as a way to destroy your opponents when they get greedy. The design itself has radial symmetry to highlight the rotation aspect and to make the layout clear and readable.
Slag Pit
My homage to Bomberman which is one of my favourite childhood games. New scrap blocks fall in at an increasing speed which makes the level more hectic and intense as time goes on. Blocks can be smashed by the players but also blow up using explosive barrels and explosive enemies. Some balancing in scrap yield from exploding the blocks had to be done because of how effective it was compared to smashing with the pickaxe.
King of the Cake
King of the hill style level where the only available scrap spawn at the top of the spinning "cake". Explosive barrel spawners were added as a catch-up mechanic to help the newly respawned player attack the "king" at the top. When the scrap is collected a new one drops down, which can crush an unattentive player. This together with the explosive barrels at the sides made the top a really dangerous place to be in but also the place where you can collect the most scrap, which was part of the design goal of this level.
Factory
Inspired by the Factory of Doom trope, in which heroes are trapped on a conveyor belt with a bunch of dangerous machinery. This level went through a lot of iterations when trying to find a good and readable shape for the belt that also showcased the machinery. For example, the hammers were hard to read when they were smashing from the top or bottom. The "forge" used to be two machines, one which turned scrap into ingots and another which turned ingots into explosive barrels but these were combined to save space.
Iron Beach
This is another level where I play around with player-controlled environmental hazards, but his time any player can lower down the safe spaces when the lava wave comes in. The lava wave also brings in the scrap, which makes it the most dangerous and lucrative place to be. Explosive enemies spawn from the sides which have the dual purpose of moving players toward the middle and also give them something to throw at the players in the midde.
