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Ready or Not - Modded Map

Game Ready Level - First Person Shooter

INTRODUCTION

Propaganda is a modded map for the game Ready or Not. The map was entirely designed and arted by myself in Unreal Engine 4 using combination of Marketplace, Megascans and "RoN" assets.

Ready or Not is a  tactical military shooter where you take on the role of SWAT officers, and the maps frequently delve into dark and sensitive real-world issues.
Propaganda Map - NexusMods

PROJECT DETAILS

  • Developed over 12 weeks

  • Unreal Engine 4

  • Level Design

  • Level Art

  • Lighting & Atmosphere

  • Optimizing Performance

  • Assets used : Brutalist Architecture Office(KK Design), Quixel Megascans

PRE-PRODUCTION

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FLOW CHART

The very first thing I did was to create a flow chart where I listed the rooms I needed and linked them together. This gave me an idea of how the map traversal would flow.

This step was crucial because it allowed me to focus purely on the traversal and how everything was interconnected, without being distracted by the layout or visual appearance.

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DESIGNING LAYOUT

Once I gathered my references and completed the flow chart, I moved onto the 2D layout which was made using Figma. This is where I integrated everything to develop a realistic yet deliberate layout

After completing the layout, I proceeded to import it into Unreal and used it as a guide to establish the metrics and base layer of my map.

BEFORE & AFTER OVERVIEW

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BLOCKOUT / PLAYTEST

Since I had to handle all the level art myself, I kept my blockout extremely bare bone. Its primary purpose was to facilitate quick iterations for early playtesting of dimensions. Fortunately, I had friends who played the game, allowing for numerous playtest sessions that helped me refine the blockout to its fullest potential.

ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING

"Telling stories through the art of Level Design"

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SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE

I really wanted the player to understand what happened in the map even if they don't desire to read the lore.

To accomplish this, I added a lot of small areas where you can see and understand a small story, ranging from a few broken props to a more detailed narrative with blood trails and scattered props that shape the navigation in a completely different way.

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MAKESHIFT BARRICADE

In order to achieve my desired map layout while always keeping a realistic office design in mind, I had to come up with creative ways of blocking the player.

To do so, I created makeshift barricades that not only served my purpose of blocking the player but also reinforced some of the storytelling.

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UNFORTUNATE CIVILIAN

Ready or Not is a game that has very dark and gloomy aspects that are always showcased around the map. To ensure my map felt true to the game, I did the same.

To keep the player constantly on their toes and alert, I placed a few dead bodies around the map, as well as blood trails that served both as storytelling elements and, more importantly, as guidance for the player to follow.

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"WATCH HOW THEY DIE"

The lore of the map is something that a lot of "RoN" players take very seriously, so I had to make sure it was well displayed and reminded throughout the map.

To achieve this, I created custom decals that I've scattered around the map, as well as small easter eggs, to ensure that those specific players are also satisfied.

LIGHTING

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OPTIMIZED LIGHTING

Creating a realistic and beautiful interior lighting while always prioritizing performance was very challenging. I had to do a lot of research and spend a good amount of time tweaking it using methods such as occlusion culling, lightmaps, baked lighting, and more. As a final touch, I also implemented a post-processing effect to enhance the final result.

FULL PLAYTHROUGH AND CLOSING THOUGHTS

Creating a map of this scale from start to finish by myself was quite intimidating, especially since I encountered many issues throughout the process, such as incompatibilities or other modding conflicts. However, it was also by far my most interesting and gratifying personal project to date, and I definitely learned a lot from it.

This map would have never been possible without the help of the wonderful "RoN" mapping community discord, as well as the kind gentlemen who agreed to playtest my map throughout the entire process (Willou, Kytoga, Wiizok, Arthur, Mazethecook, Wizz, Avtomat_lover).

Thank you for reading.

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