Honolulu Escort Map
Overview
Taking place in a condensed version of the Capital of Hawaii, Honolulu Escort Map is lush with sights to see and do. From the base of Diamond Head, through the streets of the city, across the Ala Wai Canal, and finally on to the warm beaches, the player will experience all the city has to offer while engaging in combat.
Map Breakdown
The payload will follow a path that gradually gets into more open territory, giving varying scenarios for both the attackers and defenders to take. Plenty of high ground can be found, with an equal amount of flanking routes across the entirety of the map. Players will need to make smart decisions to gauge when to engage in combat versus holding back for a better position to hold. The first section takes place in an indoor facility connected to Diamond Head. It's a high ceiling, enclosed space encourages quick engagements and closing the gap between long range heroes. In this regard alone can make it the most difficult to attack, but the defenders get a further respawn point, making it so they have smaller room for error. When the payload reaches the end, a gate will open up to the "Streets Phase".
The "Streets Phase" takes place on the streets of Honolulu. In this area, the players will be able to down the road, flank to the left through the strip mall, or take a break and grab some pints in the canal side brewery to the right. As the payload first enters the area, it gives the defenders an advantageous position as it comes down a relatively open decline. This forces the attackers to either use the payload as cover or spread out any nearby cover they can find. Plenty of teamwork is needed here to conquer the streets phase. At the end of the road however is a bridge that is up to let boats pass on through. While a very exposed platform, a confident sniper or highly mobile character can use this to their advantage. Once the payload reaches its checkpoint, the bridge will collapse and allow for a way across to the "Beach Phase".
The "Beach Phase" is the third and final portion of the escort map. This area is the most open and gives the player three main paths to traverse in the final push. Following the payload, the players can be taken down a decline directly in front of a beach side stage for musical performances. Navigating to the right will take the players through a flank in a lush green garden with plenty of cover and escape routes should the battles get dicey there. To the left of the payload, the player can navigate around a building and on to a boat. This provides a some high ground relief in an otherwise relatively level playing field. On the beach area around and by the stage, the players will notice a variety of small cover including a surf shop, surf board and a variety of beach obstacles. When the payload reaches the end of the "Beach Phase", pyrotechnics will spray out from the stage while playing a celebratory tune from the Overwatch soundtrack.
Dynamic Map Elements (Work in Progress)
The map contains three dynamic events, two of which are connected to each other
Indoor Phase: Gate - The Gate at the end of the "Indoor Phase". Once the payload reaches the end of this phase, the gate will open up and allow the payload to continue forward.
Streets Phase: Bridge - When the payload reaches the end of the "Streets Phase" the bridge will slowly collapse, creating a pathway across to the ""Beach Phase".
Beach Phase: Boat - When the bridge collapses, a wave of water will push a boat down the canal to its position behind the building that's next to the beach. This creates the left pathway for the "Beach Phase".
Research and Level Documentation
Research Summary
The links below document how I approached this level design. I broke it up into three stages: "Measurements", "Map Analysis", and "Summarized for Readability". For the "Measurements", I went into each Escort Map in Overwatch and I rode each payload to each checkpoint, measure the distance from its starting position to when it reaches the next checkpoint. After a payload reach the end point in a level, I added them together and got the approximate level length. I took all the level lengths and averaged them together to get a mean to work with for the "Honolulu" level. For "Map Analysis", I stepped through each checkpoint on each level and took notes on how each section was laid out. Bridges, high ground, flank routes, health packs; I made note of everything from my perspective. I then sifted through the "Map Analysis" and then "Summarized for Readability". I condensed all the notes and took out all the important statistics from all the maps. Commonalities, differences, and what unique points were found only on single levels or checkpoints.
Level Documentation
Level Design Page
Taking place in a condensed version of the Capital of Hawaii, Honolulu Escort Map is lush with sights to see and do. From the base of Diamond Head, through the streets of the city, across the Ala Wai Canal, and finally on to the warm beaches, the player will experience all the city has to offer while engaging in combat.
Map Breakdown
The payload will follow a path that gradually gets into more open territory, giving varying scenarios for both the attackers and defenders to take. Plenty of high ground can be found, with an equal amount of flanking routes across the entirety of the map. Players will need to make smart decisions to gauge when to engage in combat versus holding back for a better position to hold. The first section takes place in an indoor facility connected to Diamond Head. It's a high ceiling, enclosed space encourages quick engagements and closing the gap between long range heroes. In this regard alone can make it the most difficult to attack, but the defenders get a further respawn point, making it so they have smaller room for error. When the payload reaches the end, a gate will open up to the "Streets Phase".
The "Streets Phase" takes place on the streets of Honolulu. In this area, the players will be able to down the road, flank to the left through the strip mall, or take a break and grab some pints in the canal side brewery to the right. As the payload first enters the area, it gives the defenders an advantageous position as it comes down a relatively open decline. This forces the attackers to either use the payload as cover or spread out any nearby cover they can find. Plenty of teamwork is needed here to conquer the streets phase. At the end of the road however is a bridge that is up to let boats pass on through. While a very exposed platform, a confident sniper or highly mobile character can use this to their advantage. Once the payload reaches its checkpoint, the bridge will collapse and allow for a way across to the "Beach Phase".
The "Beach Phase" is the third and final portion of the escort map. This area is the most open and gives the player three main paths to traverse in the final push. Following the payload, the players can be taken down a decline directly in front of a beach side stage for musical performances. Navigating to the right will take the players through a flank in a lush green garden with plenty of cover and escape routes should the battles get dicey there. To the left of the payload, the player can navigate around a building and on to a boat. This provides a some high ground relief in an otherwise relatively level playing field. On the beach area around and by the stage, the players will notice a variety of small cover including a surf shop, surf board and a variety of beach obstacles. When the payload reaches the end of the "Beach Phase", pyrotechnics will spray out from the stage while playing a celebratory tune from the Overwatch soundtrack.
Dynamic Map Elements (Work in Progress)
The map contains three dynamic events, two of which are connected to each other
Indoor Phase: Gate - The Gate at the end of the "Indoor Phase". Once the payload reaches the end of this phase, the gate will open up and allow the payload to continue forward.
Streets Phase: Bridge - When the payload reaches the end of the "Streets Phase" the bridge will slowly collapse, creating a pathway across to the ""Beach Phase".
Beach Phase: Boat - When the bridge collapses, a wave of water will push a boat down the canal to its position behind the building that's next to the beach. This creates the left pathway for the "Beach Phase".
Research and Level Documentation
Research Summary
The links below document how I approached this level design. I broke it up into three stages: "Measurements", "Map Analysis", and "Summarized for Readability". For the "Measurements", I went into each Escort Map in Overwatch and I rode each payload to each checkpoint, measure the distance from its starting position to when it reaches the next checkpoint. After a payload reach the end point in a level, I added them together and got the approximate level length. I took all the level lengths and averaged them together to get a mean to work with for the "Honolulu" level. For "Map Analysis", I stepped through each checkpoint on each level and took notes on how each section was laid out. Bridges, high ground, flank routes, health packs; I made note of everything from my perspective. I then sifted through the "Map Analysis" and then "Summarized for Readability". I condensed all the notes and took out all the important statistics from all the maps. Commonalities, differences, and what unique points were found only on single levels or checkpoints.
Level Documentation
Level Design Page