Manic-5

This level was released as part of the Canadian Armed Forces DLC. It’s based on the real-world Daniel Johnson hydroelectric dam in Quebec. The level’s narrative depicts a battle over strategic infrastructure in a mountain pass during a fictional invasion of Canada. I took over development during the middle of the grey box phase. This level was much farther along in development than Nanisivik. Its boreal forest biome provided a more predictable framework within which I could construct POI with more confidence that they would work as intended. 

Pre-Launch Development

I began work on this level by reading through the documentation written by the previous owner. Alex Boyce wrote down a list of design goals and specifications for how the landscape should function. His design goals aimed to achieve the following results:

• Create prescribed paths for vehicles in the form of roads. Ensure that vehicles going off-road will be at a disadvantage while navigating the terrain
• Find a way to prevent optimal overwatch by missile launchers located on top of the mountain peaks
• Utilize the rugged terrain where mountain and forest overlap to provide infantry with cover
  

After exploring the editor and in-game map, I took inventory of what was planned across the level. I began planning what types of iterations I could achieve within two months of development time. I created an action plan that accomplished the following tasks: 

• Revise all roads so the LAV (A new vehicle that debuts on the map) will reach an average of between 30-40 km/h climbing up any road across the map, just like Nanisivik
• Complete first pass of 22 POIS across the level
• Revise foliage placement across the level and polish existing landscape
• Create eleven high-quality gameplay layers for the level

Post launch development

Following the release of the Canadian Armed Forces DLC, Manic was released to an overall positive reception. Many players critiqued the level for its lack of POIs and unpolished woodlands. To remedy this, I created a document before transferring ownership of the level back to Alex. It outlined in detail the following action plan:

• Further work on the roads across the level to better improve average speeds of Logistical vehicles travelling up hills 
• Another iteration of woodland revision to improve the jagged nature of the terrain
• Various POIS needed additional cover and details in their surrounding areas
• Creation of several minor points of interest across the map