https://brandonyuan.me/blog daily 0.75 2019-01-08 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/2018/12/20/examining-the-level-design-of-wildfire monthly 0.5 2018-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545418486603-HXP01NU4PS2L90T6S91U/overview.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire An overview of the main level of the game https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545418613049-QEP42TVE0IBKH7M7SOIB/breadcrumb01.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Breadcrumbing using sticks and bushes to guide the player within a zone https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545418724062-Y00UGSITIUBPYQDTIOPR/breadcrumb02.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Sparser breadcrumbing for guidance between zones https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545418966263-8LGZDO7JUZOMXVKNLPCO/Zone3.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 3, utilizing Amphitheatre Formation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545421686461-ETOATWRY83RFW1HGDCI4/zone3_marked.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 3’s structure is rather simple, with a clear epicenter at the bottom https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545421933331-ZVLD22HCUTDP33TH2PWC/zone1_marked.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 1 breaks away from a standard Amphitheatre and incorporates linear breadcrumb paths into the zone. The curved bow-like path of trees (red) follows a rain cloud path. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545422082232-EEJNZ7QW4V164AKHNYJB/zone2_marked.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 2’s unusual structure focuses on the alternating sparse concentric layer surrounding the Big Tree, a path 2 rain clouds follow and is a path players need to take to grow big. The layers surrounding serve as places for the player to avoid the rain clouds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545422427113-JW9SX4YNRPXRWPC7CPQ5/vista.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire The view from the initial bush clumps has leading lines that point to or emphasize each Big Tree, especially how Zone 3’s is framed in the middle by both the lower landscape and the mountains. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545422927606-Q0GPIGU241802BLYF7H6/focalpoints.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Upon completing a zone players are above 40 meters in size, so the camera angle is higher. This is an expected view from Zone 1, with Zone 2 and 3 in clear view and to the sides of the screen, accounting for the player dominating the screen’s middle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545422992060-KK7UTRFMDV84ZUP1496B/focalpoints2.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zones 3 and 1 in view from Zone 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545423052021-0G54J73VS02IU3UWT604/image-asset.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zones 1 and 2 from 3’s view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545423076771-FUVG6O01EAMB6R0KY0OO/guideeye.PNG Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Entering Zone 2 from the first entrance with its Big Tree dominating the view, and leading lines pointing to Zone 3’s Big Tree https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545425853676-C1Z80V7SHLO7CLDYRTBM/image-asset.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 1’s rain path, travelling in a counterclockwise motion. The epicenter is left untouched and acts as a safe zone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545425871233-JUF7A7MXH7N3Z8DR1FJC/zone2-rain.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire Zone 2’s rain path, populated by 2 rain clouds opposite of each other at all times travelling counterclockwise. The path covers crucial flammable areas in contrast to Zone 1, but provides some safe areas to the side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545424296931-YJV2TM4SK8W8LCW4DL82/overview-marked.png Articles - Examining the Level Design of Wildfire An overview of every zone and possible paths players take for traversal. Primary entrances for each zone are blue, while secondary entrances are marked red. The yellow region is the foliage clump Notice the distance to Zone 1’s prime entrance from the beginning is short compared to Zone 2’s. The distance between both secondary entrances of Zone 1 and 2 are also comparatively long. https://brandonyuan.me/blog/2018/12/20/generating-better-terrain-heightmaps monthly 0.5 2018-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545367476163-I6B50LFWSA11PPY2CBCF/s1.png Articles - Generating Better Terrain Heightmaps A mountain and plain biome with 1 layer of perlin noise, generally makes for smooth but unnatural looking terrain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545367498784-5L4WCHFANKY0JHZYMGTL/image-asset.png Articles - Generating Better Terrain Heightmaps The same biome setup but with 7 layers of perlin noise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1545367519672-PFZQWAPZ9FNBYEMZLMF5/s3.png Articles - Generating Better Terrain Heightmaps Using diamond-square instead of perlin noise https://brandonyuan.me/blog/2018/11/29/welcome monthly 0.5 2018-12-21 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/category/Tech monthly 0.5 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/category/Systems+Design monthly 0.5 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/category/General monthly 0.5 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/category/Level+Design monthly 0.5 https://brandonyuan.me/blog/category/Post-Mortem monthly 0.5 https://brandonyuan.me/home daily 1.0 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1583102147126-50D4T6NX18D22S5R7UTZ/hres_farm01game.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1537589600699-V9K3VY65YE6QFMSCQHUF/sitephoto.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/3d51992d-9e52-4d05-bf1f-c9dcf968f3ac/swjedisurvivor-banner.jpg Home - Level Designer [Under Construction] Respawn Entertainment (EA) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1579662890913-HB9TEGPTFYCY34YNFQR1/excalibotsgif.gif Home - EXCALIBOTS TECHNICAL LEVEL DESIGNER 2020 INTEL UNIVERSITY GAMES SHOWCASE FINALIST Excalibots is a 3D hack-n-slash where you play as a knight trying to defeat goblins who have stolen the kingdom’s swords — and maybe keep them for yourself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1586983765820-G34AVX6NAC7H6K9F9C20/gif_locknkey1.gif Home - PERSPECTIVES LEVEL DESIGNER Perspectives is a 3D gravity-flipping puzzle game about a virtual reality aeronautics test subject and an overseer AI that gets a little too clingy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1575584643147-SUZBM72CF39VCYSZ04IL/wildfire2019.gif Home - WILDFIRE SOLO DEVELOPER — LEVEL DESIGN FOCUS WildFire is a 3D forest burning game about a small campfire that wants to grow huge and destroy everything. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1565567874005-ADLBA1G0AZXH7LSVKRV4/s3.jpg Home - Procedural Heightmaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1565567843714-NN6VYN2QX7B5KWL0IIGA/astar.jpg Home - A* With Terrain Analysis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba5b481ca525b3905503306/1565568865842-7F06LBPZHTA1NT2SMZG0/converter.jpg Home - Unity to Custom Engine Serialization https://brandonyuan.me/new-gallery daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56098193e4b08650938b4d7b/1532270564524-GUN9AMWKT65P928CA3T4/51_HBL_Pickles_v1-276.jpg New Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56098193e4b08650938b4d7b/1532270564524-GUN9AMWKT65P928CA3T4/51_HBL_Pickles_v1-276.jpg New Gallery