Level Design Considerations for Non-Colliding (“Phasing”) Movement

This thesis examines the design considerations for an FPS (first person shooter) game with a “phased” movement mechanic. In this game, in addition to standard first-person movement, the player has the option to move out of phase. While out of phase, time dilation occurs—enemies and the environment appear to slow down considerably for the player. Additionally, the avatar passes through solid barriers (walls, floors, obstacles, etc.) while maintaining their momentum without the ability to change direction.

Considerations important for such a game include:

• Players lack fine control while out of phase. Over what distances and lengths of times are players comfortable with no control over their avatar?
• Certain areas need to remain impassable (the edges of the map in particular). What can the designer do to train players to recognize those areas so that they do not attempt to phase through them and fail in frustration?
• How can the designer create spaces that minimize or eliminate blind phasing? That is, can a designer broadcast to the player what is on the other side of a phase-able object without having all walls be glass/transparent?
• Finally, is it interesting or engaging to move through a space designed to complement the mechanic of phasing?

The primary method of answering these questions is the construction of a level in Valve’s Source engine, used in Half-Life 2 (Valve Corporation 2004). The level’s construction incorporates the design considerations suggested by this thesis. Brian Bannon (Software Development) provides original code for the phased movement. If the mechanic proves interesting, studying it in this fashion provides a solid foundation for its use. Additionally, an analysis of such a divergent mechanic offers a guideline for creating and testing other mechanics in the future. In a popular genre like FPS, such testing could save significant amounts of time, effort, and money.