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Lesson 3 – From Idea to Playable Greybox

In Lesson 1 you set up UEFN and scoped a realistic project. In Lesson 2 you nailed down your core loop and a few sharp experience pillars. Now it is time to build something you can actually run around in.

This lesson is all about creating a playable greybox layout:

  • Simple shapes, clear routes, and testable combat/interaction spaces
  • No art polish, no fancy materials, no props pass yet
  • Focus on flow, sightlines, timing, and readability

By the end of this lesson you will have:

  • A blocked-out UEFN island that matches your core loop
  • Spawn, objective, and safe “reset” locations
  • At least one complete route a player can run that feels intentional, not random

1. Revisit Your Core Loop and Pillars (5–10 minutes)

Before you start dropping cubes:

  1. Open your project one‑pager from Lesson 1.
  2. Re-read your core loop sentence and experience pillars from Lesson 2.
  3. Answer, in one or two lines each:
    • Where does the player start?
    • Where is the main decision or risk point?
    • Where is the reward or resolution for a loop?

Keep this document visible while you block out; it should drive your layout decisions.

If a corridor, height change, or arena does not support your pillars, it is probably noise.

2. Set Up a Clean Blockout Level in UEFN

In UEFN, you want a separate level dedicated to greyboxing so you can iterate freely.

  1. Duplicate or create a level for blockout

    • In the Content Browser, right-click your current main level.
    • Choose Duplicate and rename it to something like:
      • LVL_Blockout_MainLoop or LVL_Prototype_Arena.
    • Alternatively, create a new Empty Level and save it with a clear name.

  2. Strip visuals down

    • Remove or hide:
      • Detailed props
      • Fancy materials
      • Any VFX or post‑processing volumes not essential to readability
    • Keep only what helps you see space, routes, and landmarks.

  3. Set a neutral lighting baseline

    • Use a simple time‑of‑day and sky so shadows are readable but not dramatic.
    • Avoid heavy fog, color grading, or complex lighting setups for now.

The goal: when you hit Play, you are judging layout, not art.

3. Choose Blockout Primitives and Scale

Consistency in scale is what makes your map feel professional.

  1. Pick a player reference

    • Place a Mannequin or common Fortnite character mesh in the level.
    • Use it as a constant reference for:
      • Door heights
      • Cover pieces
      • Jump distances

  2. Standardize your building blocks

    • Decide on a few go‑to primitive sizes, for example:
      • Floor tiles: 400 Ă— 400 or 800 Ă— 800
      • Low cover: around chest height
      • High cover/walls: 1.5–2x player height
    • Create a small “blockout kit” near your starting area:
      • A few cubes, ramps, and platforms scaled to these standards
      • Duplicate from the kit instead of randomly scaling new meshes

  3. Use simple materials

    • Assign flat, high‑contrast colors:
      • Floor: neutral gray
      • Traversable routes: slightly brighter
      • Non‑walkable / out‑of‑bounds: darker or distinct color

This keeps your brain thinking in terms of gameplay space, not decoration.

4. Block Out Your Main Loop First

Instead of building the whole island at once, build one clean loop.

  1. Draw it on paper (optional but powerful)

    • Sketch a top‑down view with:
      • Spawn
      • First engagement area
      • Mid‑loop objective or risk area
      • Exit / safe zone / turn‑in location

  2. Build that loop with primitives

    • In UEFN, create:
      • A clear spawn platform or room
      • A path or series of rooms leading to your first objective
      • A return path or extraction point
    • Use:
      • Ramps and stairs for verticality
      • Short, readable corridors rather than huge empty spaces

  3. Add clear landmarks

    • Even in greybox, players need orientation.
    • Use unique shapes or arrangements:
      • A tall tower in the distance
      • A distinctive arch made of cubes
      • A single huge block in an arena center

  4. Place temporary spawners and objectives

    • If your loop involves enemies, resources, or capture points:
      • Drop simple placeholder devices or markers where they will go later.
    • Naming them clearly (e.g., DEV_Spawn_A, DEV_Objective_1) keeps things organized.

At this stage, ignore art quality and focus on:
“Does this path support the experience I promised in Lessons 1–2?”

5. Run, Time, and Annotate a Test Loop

Once you have a rough loop in place:

  1. Play from start

    • Click Play in UEFN and run through your loop at normal player speed.
    • Time how long it takes to:
      • Reach the first encounter
      • Complete the core action
      • Return or reset

  2. Collect quick notes

    • As soon as you exit Play mode, jot down:
      • Where did you feel lost?
      • Where did you feel bored (too much empty running)?
      • Where did you feel overwhelmed (too cramped, too many corners)?

  3. Mark problem areas in the editor

    • Drop simple text or icon actors at:
      • Dead spaces that add no decision or tension
      • Chokepoints that feel unfair or frustrating
      • Jumps / heights that felt off

  4. Adjust and re‑run

    • Nudge platforms, widen corridors, simplify junctions.
    • Re‑run the loop until:
      • You can describe the path in one sentence
      • You never wonder “where do I go now?”

6. Shape Combat and Interaction Spaces

If your experience involves combat or co‑op interactions, spend time on encounter rooms.

Think in terms of roles:

  • Where is cover?
  • Where do players enter from?
  • Where might enemies or obstacles spawn?

Practical steps:

  1. Define one main arena or hotspot

    • Use cubes to outline:
      • A central area (for objectives/contests)
      • Side routes or flanks
      • High ground vs low ground

  2. Design for readability

    • Avoid too many tiny props that break sightlines.
    • Ensure:
      • Important angles (like sniper spots) are intentional
      • There is at least one safe fallback route

  3. Test with bots or stand‑in players

    • Even if you do not fully implement Verse logic yet, you can:
      • Simulate sprays and lines of sight
      • Ask a friend to run around in a Playtest Session

  4. Adjust for your pillars

    • If your pillar is “fast, punchy skirmishes,” shrink spaces and shorten distances.
    • If it is “tactical positioning,” increase options for cover and flanks.

7. Add Safe Respawn and Reset Paths

Good layouts assume things will go wrong: players fall off, die in bad spots, or get stuck.

  1. Place safe respawn locations

    • Create one or more safe spawn pads near:
      • The start of the loop
      • A mid‑loop checkpoint
    • Make sure players cannot immediately fall or get spawn‑camped.

  2. Design reset routes

    • Ensure that from a respawn point:
      • The “correct” direction is obvious
      • There is a low-friction path back into the loop
    • Use:
      • Arches, ramps, or lit frames to subtly point players where to go.

  3. Test messy scenarios

    • Intentionally:
      • Jump off edges
      • Run to weird corners
      • Try to break the layout
    • Ask: “If a new player does this, can they recover in < 10 seconds?”

If not, adjust the geometry until the answer is yes.

8. Capture Notes for Art and Verse in Later Lessons

Your future self (and future lessons) will thank you for leaving breadcrumbs.

While you run playtests, keep a running list:

  • Art notes

    • “This corridor should feel like a maintenance tunnel.”
    • “This arena needs a hero prop at the center.”
    • “This spawn room should feel like a safe hangout.”

  • Verse and systems notes

    • “This balcony wants a sniper or long‑range role.”
    • “This dead‑end corner might be good for a secret chest.”
    • “This loop needs a timer or pressure mechanic later.”

You do not implement these now—you just bookmark them.

9. Mini Challenge – Two Variants of the Same Loop

To really lock in the idea of blockout iteration:

  1. Duplicate your blockout level.
  2. In the duplicate:
    • Keep the same start and end points.
    • Change only:
      • Corridor width
      • Amount of verticality
      • Number of flanking routes.
  3. Run both versions back to back and note:
    • Which one better fits your experience pillars?
    • Which one would be easier to communicate visually in a trailer?

Pick a winner and stick with that version for the rest of the course.

10. What’s Next – From Greybox to First Combat

You now have:

  • A playable greybox layout
  • Clear routes that match your core loop
  • Notes for future art and Verse systems

In the next lesson, you will start layering gameplay systems onto this layout: adding devices, basic combat or interaction flows, and verifying that the map holds up once players start doing things other than running around.