Project Analysis
The Encampment is designed to fit into the Dead By Daylight gameplay cycle and steps were taken during development to ensure the map would play well.
While this map is purely a solo project, efforts were made to communicate to players and get feedback on tiles and elements of the map to ensure gameplay would be enjoyable. Comparisons were also made against other maps in Dead By Daylight to ensure the map scaled correctly in size.
TITLE
THE ENCAMPMENT
ENGINE
UE5
TEAM SIZE
1
DURATION
JUN 2021 - JUL 2021
OVERVIEW VIDEO
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Designed and built the environment in Unreal Engine 5.
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Iterated and changed elements based on player feedback.
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Designed the environment to fit into the gameplay flow of Dead By Daylight.
PRE-PLANNING
EARLY DRAFT -> FINAL
I started by creating a simple whiteboard of the map I envisioned in paint. Overtime this transitioned into the maps current layout as I added and removed areas and planned out the general location of generators and objectives for the survivors and killers.
DESIGN DISCUSSION
The Encampment is set in an abandoned village, transporting players into the cold countryside where they must navigate through the fog and mist avoiding the killer at all costs.
By analysing and following design conventions found throughout Dead By Daylights current map rotation and using player feedback on what makes a map "good" and "bad" I set out a series of guidelines to follow when designing this map: (Note. Dead By Daylight offers such a vast variety in gameplay experiences so I have picked the most consistent and notable requirements found in every match)
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Design a map not compressed into narrow paths, opting for a more "open" style map.
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Design a map large enough so the killer cannot reach both sides of the map too quickly while not being a daunting task.
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Provide a central "hub" of the map where all paths can lead.
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Allow for vertical movement, otherwise certain abilities will not be functional.
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Spacing generators, hooks, pallets, exit gates and windows consistently so players are not compressed into small areas of the map.
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Offering both "strong" and "weak" interactive loops for survivors.
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Creating "Deadzones" (Areas where there are little or no resources for the survivor) while promoting survivors to enter these areas with generators.
"Design a map not compressed into narrow paths, opting for a more "open" style map."
Less LOS breaking, less path obstructions.
Unlike The Red District, The Encampment offers lots of free movement as it is less focused on tigher pathways intertwining. Based on player feedback from images, the overwhelming concensus was large open maps provide more varied playstyle; allowing killers the opportunity to cut-off survivors and survivors more freedom during chases.
"Design a map large enough so the killer cannot reach both sides of the map too quickly while not being a daunting task."
Consistent map size.
The distance between the furthest 2 generators on The Encampment is actually smaller than that of The Red District. This compares to be one of the "smallest" generator distances in Dead By Daylight. It's made up by the fact navigating across to these generators can often mean navigating around obstacles, meaning you are more likely to encounter survivors and initiate chases.
Breaking LOS for the players.
The generator placement means survivors have some natural protection from the killer patrolling nearby generators, but also means they must spend time navigating to these areas.
"Provide a central "hub" of the map where all paths can lead."
Central hub acts as a vista and creates verticality.
The windmill acts as the central hub of the map, accessible in 3 directions it provides a vantage point to almost the entire map and provides additional verticality. This area is a "deadzone" but as with most of this map, offers natural line of sight blockage allowing survivors to evade the killer more easily.
Creating gameplay variation.
The Encampment offers a variety of unique tiles and structures not found on any other Dead By Daylight map. These new tiles contain both weak elements such as the tall walls and unsafe pallets, but also allow the survivor to "loop" the killer around by using the stronger windows in conjunction. This tile allows for a varied playstyle and every player can adapt to it in a unique way.
On the right is a classic "TL" wall can also be found, a generic tile found in many Dead By Daylight maps that a lot of players find both balanced and more importantly, fun.
"Offering both "strong" and "weak" interactive loops for survivors."
Communicating danger through visual language.
The Encampment aims to use environmental storytelling convey story and emotion through visuals. The dark cold and foggy atmosphere combined with the various demonic structures found throughout alongside old thatched buildings creates a sense of fear and dread for survivors while also allowing the killer to get the jump on unsuspecting survivors. The map also connects to existing Dead By Daylight characters "The Twins" with a series of small easter eggs players can find throughout the map!
This was my first project creating a full custom map for Dead By Daylight and I gained a lot of experience in Unreal, level design and listenting to community feedback.
Notes and Additional Information:
This is a custom map and is not representative of work by Behaviour Interactive. I do not claim to be an employee of Behaviour Interactive. Some assets used in this map are owned by Behaviour Interactive and I do not claim to have created or modelled any of the assets shown on this map.