Which challenge was the most difficult to build, and why?

How did you balance difficulty to keep it fun but fair?

Which mechanic are you most proud of, and how does it fit the story of The Valley?

If you had more time, what new challenge would you add?

I think the hardest challenge for me to build was the Guarded Marketplace because the balance considerations were far more delicate than in the other areas. I had to think about a lot more than just what platforms to put where, or how long a timer should last. 

In all the areas there are two factors to balance around: passive and active. The passive factors are made up of mostly the layout and decoration of the section, and only matter in directing the player or offering safety from the active factors. Those factors are the dangerous ones: the boulders, guards, blades, etcetera. The two intertwine to create a good challenge that has a layout that compliments it in a way that will challenge the player as well as make sure the player is not frustrated.

Of the various mechanics present in The Valley, I think the guard is the best. It is the most versatile and the most challenging. It fits The Valley by showing the castle city's clear technological advancement (because the things in those towers are clearly not human). It's a little outlandish, but works somewhat in tandem with the boulder building because that is also clearly automated.

If I had more time, I think Timed Gate crossed over with Guarded Tower or Boulder Hill would be interesting. The active threats to the player might create a more tense atmosphere and encourage the player to take many more risks with the timer going down.

END OF COURSE PBM

Concept Statement

How the level fits into the existing game

Target player experience (2.01)

Game Elements Breakdown

Identify mechanics, objectives, challenges (2.02, 2.03)

Sketch or Layout

Map of the level (3.05)

Storyboard

Includes at least one cutscene plan (3.02)

Ethics & Rating Justification

ESRB-style rating and explanation (1.03)

The player's objective will be to navigate through a large maze while facing several previously-seen challenges. These challenges will be introduced in unique ways so that they will keep the player interested. With this in mind, I imagine the game to be "Everyone 10+"

This level will fit the theme of the game's fantastical medieval by using the same tile set as is used in the previous levels. It will also stay somewhat simple, and not make the over-arching challenge too hard or frustrating for the player.

Above is the intended layout. The hallways will be simple, lightly decorated passages. The numbered sections are as follows:

1. Spawn area; first checkpoint

2. Midway section; second checkpoint

3. Exit area/end of game

4. Boulders; boulders will barrage the player, the player must hide behind small covers

5. Platforming section over fatal pit that leads into rest of maze

6.  Lever room for timed gate; third checkpoint

7. Ranged guards in front of final area; blocked by timed gate

Cutscene plan. Line dictates camera path, camera goes through windows which are scattered about the maze. Starts in Section 3 and ends in Section 1.

The player’s objective is to make their way through the maze to the win crystal. They are to do this through a series of challenges. The main challenge will be the maze itself; it will be easy to get lost in and the correct path will be intentionally unclear to the player. As well, the maze will be filled with smaller hazards like road spikes, barricades, and light parkour. The other challenges are to be placed along the correct path in the level, and those challenges are as follows: a section of boulders rolling down a hill which has cover for the player, a larger parkour area that floats over a fatal pit and elevates up to a higher floor to cross over a wall, a timed event with a lever and gate which are both on opposite ends of a small mazed section, and a large hall with ranged enemy towers that shoot at the player and with provided cover. I chose to make the level a derelict, underground maze because the other levels had started to create a theme of descension. As the first level was in the sky, the second was on land, so I had the idea to create the third below the ground. I imagined the area to be even more abandoned than the previous locations as if it were some kind of rejected project or dangerous area. I want the challenges to be harder than those previous. The boulders section will have multiple boulder spawners over a large declined area. Wood pallets will be scattered about as to make the path to the exit of the room longer than it would be if it were a straight path. The boulders’ cooldowns will be spaced out enough that a straight rush to the end is possible but very challenging. The parkour section is going to be easier on its first floor, using wider objects and smaller gaps. This will be for the purpose of making the second floor less punishing on failure, although making the trial more punishing the further the player gets in it. At the end of the parkour will be a gap over a wall which leads to the rest of the maze. In the timed event, a lever in a room across the maze from the parkour will open a gate that is accessed through a small, more winding maze. This event will challenge the player’s ability to memorize a path and make their way through it quickly while under a timer. The final area will have at least three or four enemy towers, but also plenty of cover. It will mostly be a stealth challenge and it will have multiple routes that all display risk vs reward principles. The routes will range between being fast and dangerous, a route that takes many shortcuts; and slow and safe, a route that will explore almost the entire circumference of the room, walking behind densely crowded props. There will also be three primarily safe areas: the starting room, which will be a large, spherical area filled with aged signs of life and habitation; a middle room with a fountain, checkpoint, and some vendors' stalls, and the final area with the win crystal. My idea of the area is an abandoned sanctuary guarding some kind of secret or treasure. As such, it would be best for the assets mostly used as props to be things like cutlery, tables, small houses, and park-like infrastructure. The walls should be the stone brick walls from the Hour-of-Code pack, and the floor should be a landscape modeled with noise and painted with orange gravel and stone brick textures. A rougher texture would be best on as many props as possible, or assets that show visual wear. For UI, I don't think much needs to be changed. The level select screen's button for the level should be gray or brown, and the rest should be about the same. This is because it would be jarring for the first two levels to have the same UI and the third to have completely different UI. For cohesion, unity among levels is best.