Abandoned Food Court [Left 4 Dead 2 Survival Mod]

Description: This is an arena-style map for Left 4 Dead 2’s Survival mode set in an abandoned outdoor food court. Each area of the map is designed with multiple entrances and exits to provide flanking opportunities for both players and zombies to encourage player movement.

Platforms: Steam

Team: none (solo project)

Type: Personal Project

Role: Level Designer

Core Responsibilities: Level Design

Tools: Source Engine/ Valve Hammer Editor

Available for download on Steam

Gameplay Video

Prospect and Refuge Space Usage

Below is an overhead view of the map:

food court overview.png

Here, I’ve outlined the map’s prospect and refuge spaces. This concept originates from game designer Christopher Totten’s writings on level design. In his article “Designing Better Levels through Human Survival Instincts” and his book “An Architectural Approach to Level Design.” I go into more depth outlining this concept in the “North Park” section of my portfolio.

In a typical game of Left 4 Dead 2’s Survival mode, the players are rushed by waves of zombies. The players typically do their best to hole up in defensible locations around the maps and attempt to keep the enemies at bay for as long as possible.

While designing this map, I aimed to create alternating areas of prospect and refuge. No refuge space is completely optimal; each features multiple entrances and exits and varying levels of size/ spacial depth, cover, and defensibility.

Because no two areas of refuge connect, players will have to move through at least one area of prospect space if their defenses break down and they are forced to leave a refuge due to pressure from enemies. While I always wanted the players to be forced into a dangerous, open area if forced out of a refuge, I didn’t want this feel like an automatic death sentence. My goal was to space the refuges relatively evenly throughout the map to prevent most of the instances in which players would need to stay in a prospect space for a long period of time without a secondary refuge nearby that they could retreat to.

food court overview REFUGE.PROSPECT.jpg

Strategic Contrast

One of my design goals with this map was creating strategic contrast—meaning that various areas of the map holding distinct advantages and disadvantages. This creates an additional layer of depth for players to contend with. I’ve outlined an example of strategic contrast below.

Pros:

  • Limited entrances/exits and solid backboards on multiple sides removes the possibility of zombies attacking from behind

  • Zombies must enter into the space from the two relatively narrow entrances, so it is easy for the player to control the crowd, killing multiple zombies in succession as they funnel in.

  • Can be used as a space for the players to camp and heal or as a transitory space as the player moves toward the tunnel leading to the parking lot (seen in the center-right of the image), or up the stairs to the balcony

Cons:

  • Limited visibility of the battlefield

  • If the player stays in this space for a long period of time, they run the risk of being swarmed from both entrances/exits and won’t have an easy escape

Pros:

  • This spot provides a high vantage point. The players can see zombies approaching from across the prospect space and can pick them off from afar.

Cons:

  • If the user isn’t careful, zombies can approach from the windows behind. Because this overhang is relatively narrow, this will force the players down into the prospect space below.

Pros:

  • This large indoor foodcourt features a long backboard wall (seen along the right side of this image) and numerous pieces of cover in the middle of the space. If the user’s keep the backboard wall behind them, enemies won’t be able to flank.

  • Also, the entrances to the space are far from the backboard wall, giving players time pick off enemies from afar before they are overwhelmed

Cons:

  • The area features multiple entrances, meaning players need to keep their eye on 2 doors, windows, and the stairs to the upstairs seating area.

  • If the zombies start to swarm the players, it can be difficult to control the crowd due to the openness of the space, or escape due to the depth of the space.