THE FINALS - P.E.A.C.E. Center (W.T.F - Weapons Testing Facility)

This was a fun de-tour from the regular grind and started out in a 1 on 1 meeting with my boss ROB and me saying I think it would be cool to make a TDM specific map inspired by classic Paint Ball Arenas.
(In my mind that is a bunch of junk and makeshift buildings in the woods.)

My love for nature environments is no secret and I wanted to leverage that and see how I could use it to benefit THE FINALS.

The idea was that I was to do this alone, and not take any time from anyone else's schedule. So I ended up doing both concept idea, design, art and lighting for this level, all in the span of about 6 weeks from initial idea, to released level. It was intense, but fun!

I had some help with the technical setups to make the level work from our level designer Mart The Smart, art direction advice from Esbjörn The Nord and some help with the technical aspects of the lighting from the Lighting King Oscar Carlén, but thats about it.

Those who know my work will easily see that the nature environment is heavily based on my Nordic Forest, to save time on an already pretty tight deadline.

In the end we had to lean more into buildings than makeshift junk to get some meaningful destruction going in the level, but I think the contrast between the clean concrete boxes and the chaotic nature of a forest is a very interesting look!

All houses were made from scratch with a simple design also chosen to save time and fit with the "temporary paint ball" - feeling.
I had a look around some real life paint ball arenas and found some simple houses that I used as inspiration for the layout of doors and windows.

Each of the 3 sections of the map had to feel distinct while still being limited to the same, rather small, content set as everything else, so I tried to find a flavor for each section.

The first area I set up up as the location where the Alfa Acta Minigun Commercial was shot, with the center large centerbuilding being the stage of the shoot.

The second area, appropriately named "Facing Towers" I built as a (very) subtle homage to the classic Unreal Tournament map Facing Worlds.
(the only thing they have in common is that they both have 2 towers. But I like the idea that it was inspired by)

For the third area I decided to go with a classic Wild West town layout of just a single big street, and named it appropriately "Main Street"
There is only so much you can do with limited content, but I am quite happy with each area. (Facing Towers is my favorite)

There is alot of things that could be improved and polished way further, but in a Live environment you work with the time that is given :)

Lore wise we ended up branding it as a test site where Alfa Acta tests their new weapons and gadgets within the world of THE FINALS.
So not quite paint ball, but close enough!
Internally and half jokingly we called this level W.T.F during the development, short for Weapons Testing Facility.
It ended up being called P.E.A.C.E. Center, but in my mind it will always be W.T.F - Weapons Testing Facility.