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Project Presentation
The Gauntlet Arctic is a personnal project made on the Source Game Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop.
The idea was to present a new game mode based on the new survival mechanics added by the developers in 2022. So we created a small map in the form of an arena where players' squads must fight against hordes of aliens to survive as long as possible. As the goal of this project was mainly to script a new game mode with a system of horde gradually rising in difficulty, the layout of the map remained very simple so that I focus on scripting.
Map Layout
The layout of the map is very simple in its design. Square shaped, the map is divided into 4 zones: The starting zone, ammo station 01, laboratory and ammo station 02. Each area is either open to allow the player to move and dodge more easily the hordes, with the risk of being in a more open area where he can be attacked from anywhere, or closed with easier control of the movements of hordes that arrive in narrow spaces only, but more restrictive movements and a risk of being trapped.
Each zone has a strategic point that can be easily defended. Corridors connect each strategic point to form a set of islands. When the horde starts to invade their location, players must move from island to island to survive.
Game mode & Scripting
This project was centered around proposing a new survival game mod to the Alien Swarm community. For this, I used the various scripting tools available in Hammer. I created a system that automatically manages the spawns of aliens throughout the entire game. The ammos station system is set up on precise timers to better manage the overall balance of the game and ensure that the stations are operational for players at key moments. I also integrated a very simple pause system in the spawn of aliens to give time-out to the player by lowering the tensions.
Level Art & Narration
In this project I also had to realize the level art part myself. I had the advantage of being able to control the visual level to better indicate important elements with the visuals. Working with my friend Thomas, I was also able to integrate a narrative aspect into the character of the Gauntlet Master. The dialogue lines were a great help in adding depth to the map and passing information to players more efficiently.
