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--------------------------Onyx Facilities----------------------------
This page is still under construction. Some formating might be odd and some elements are still being created/gathered.
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--------------------------------------------Development---------------------------------------------
About:
Originally conceived as cooperative zones, these PvE-centric FPS dungeons focus on completing a major story quest. After various whistleblowers come forward, the player is hired to enter a decommissioned ASD facility named Onyx to search for clues that can help uncover the company's unethical past. Inspired by, GTFO, and Half-Life1, these dungeons feature a more linear flow where players must investigate multiple points of interest for clues, solve puzzles, find logs, survive intense firefights, and clear traversal challenges, creating varied story experience that deepens players' connection to the Star Citizen universe. Reception has been positive, with players highlighting the fun PvE combat and moodier atmosphere as key features.
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Specifics:
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Development Time: ~6-7 months
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Responsibilities: Early prototyping. Blocking out layouts and taking them to final. Creation of room modules in collaboration with Art. Combat balancing. Puzzle prototyping through visual scripting. Gameplay functionality markup. Final AI implementation pass. Minimap markup. Maintenance of live release.
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Pre-Production and Early Development
The ASD Facilities were the final part of an in-game storyline centred around exposing unethical experiments conducted by an organisation called Associated Science and Development (ASD for short). We had about 6 months, so progress had to be quick. We would create rough layouts in the engine directly where we figured out what size was reasonable for us to work with while still hitting our deadlines. Very little paper design was done other than for the very first pass; it was almost all done through iteration and feedback from directors. Due to the modular nature of our workflow, this turned out to be the quickest and most agile workflow for this stage.
Key concerns were where to make sure this lived up to the benchmark of various cooperative FPS experiences. As Star Citizen is an MMO we rarely get the chance to craft these sorts of experiences, as we usually have to design with the open sandbox environments in mind. Here we had a shot to craft something focused and linear. We wanted there to be a variety in puzzles, combat scenarios and fun set pieces that wouldn't be suited for an open-world sandbox.
The Layout
The player, as part of a story mission, will be requested to investigate the multiple wings of the abandoned Onyx Facility.
Lobby Wing. Where all players initially enter. This is a non-combat zone where people can group up, revive and return to if they need to stock up on supplies. Originally meant as a traditional multiplayer lobby before heading into an instance.
The Engineering Wing is a long and linear section with a focus on puzzle solving and serves narratively as an introduction to the facility. It involves a three-stage puzzle and is capped off with a mixed Zero G/Normal Gravity combat scenario.
The Research Wing is where the meat of the narrative side is located. A multi-storey complex where the player will make their way down to the bottom floor. Throughout their journey downwards, they will make their way back to a vista space that provides visual context for how far down they have progressed, as well as hinting at what comes next.
Site B is a covert site that can only be accessed through a broken floor at the end of the Research Wing. A massive secondary facility built inside an underground cavern. This is a linear combat gauntlet against very tough human enemies that leads up to the final reveal of the storyline.
Due to the science theme we felt this was a good time to go really above and beyond with fun and weird setpieces for players to experience. We also wanted players to have this feeling of delving into something unknown and dark. There are winding corridors lined with labs, hidden rooms that can only be accessed through exploration, alien tech the player has never seen and horrific experiments.
Onyx Facility: Engineering Wing and Powercore
Engineering Wing
The first step of the mission flow is going to the Engineering Wing where the mission will have you investigate the Onyx Facility's powersource. There will be three puzzles in total for players to engage with to complete the intended mission flow. Some combat against both humans and creatures will be present, but the main danger comes from waves of radiation that will blast the player every 30 seconds if they remain in the open. As part of the mission, you will have to complete various machine repairs to stabilise the area to make it safer to explore before checking out the source.
The first puzzle involves fixing a cooling unit. Players will need to clean out gunk from multiple cooling vents before making their way into the control room and activating the cooling again. All puzzles are able to be completed by one player but are easier done by a group
Second puzzle has the player manually loading something that's called a Neutron Howitzer. It has an automatic feeding system of batteries that has become faulty, and players will have to use their tractor beams to manually load the howitzer instead. This is a simple puzzle with little resistance other than avoiding the radiation, which is stronger here.
Entrance into engineering wing. Players have two potential approaches.
Thermal vents, part of the first puzzle.
"Neutron Howitzer" that players have to repair to stabilize the powercore and minimize radiation.
Entrance into engineering wing. Players have two potential approaches.
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After some extra navigation which involves combat and platforming, the player takes a transit cart into the hero setpiece of the Engineering Wing: the Powercore. We wanted the player to feel a sense of awe and confusion as they step into the room. This experimental power source has caused all sorts of gravity anomalies to occur in its immediate radius. The player will traverse the room using zero-gravity movement before hopping onto platforms where gravity anchors allow for normal movement.
This is both a combat and puzzle space. Enemies line multiple walkways surrounding the core, and players can use floating debris as cover or land on the walkways and rush them. Due to the anomalous nature of the room, we went wild and added walkways that have inversed gravity. This makes for an interesting combat dynamic where players will have to be aware of all potential angles. Not even up is safe. Once enemies have been cleared, the final puzzle can be tackled to continue the storyline. Because of the many angles, we designed these walkways with overhang cover that allows players to duck out of the way from gunfire coming from any angle.
Combat featuring a mix of Zero Gravity and normal traversal leads to a dynamic and unique combat scenario.
Onyx Facility: Research Wing
The wing is built like an office/labs complex. There is a central atrium which the player snakes around as they work their way downstairs. There are 5 accessible floors in total, each with their own POIs and secrets to find. In here is where the brunt of the exploration gameplay takes place. There are many floors the players will make their way between in search of evidence to wrongdoings committed by the ASD.
During the players' exploration, they will continuously make their way back to a Central Atrium that they can use to orient themselves as well as get a visual indication of how far down they've descended. This makes it easier for players to build a mental mindmap, and without it the navigation would suffer.
Most of my work on this wing was late-stage gameplay implementation and refinement, and not as much on the layout side.
Below is a list of the accessible floors and their content:
Sub-Level 4: Entry level. Mostly serves to present players with the view of the atrium and to set the mood.
Sub-Level 5: A small set of offices where the wings' operations were managed from.
Sub-Level 6: First proper gameplay floor. There are two POIs here, being the Xenotechnology Lab and the Energy Lab, both of which will need to be investigated by the player as part of their mission. The Xenotechnology Labs feature a captured alien ship which runs on biofuel, and if players want to find out the truth, they will need to find a source to turn into biofuel. How they go about it is up to them, but there are definitely plenty of creatures and enemy combatants around for them to choose from. The Energy Lab features a mini-version of the Engineering Wing Zero G section, where players will need to time their Zero G movement to move from cover to cover, avoiding radiation waves.
Sub-Level 7: Contains the bottom floor of the Xenotechnology Lab and a loop back out into the atrium.
Sub-Level 8: This floor is centred around bio research and features two labs. On the north side of the floor is the Creature Labs, where mutated Kopions roam freely. In the Medical Labs located on the south side, a scientist is trapped in a loop of life and death as his conscience is transferred from clone body to clone body, and the player will have to fight him over and over again as they explore.
Sub-Level 9: The ground floor. Features the bottom floor of the atrium, where players will need to call an elevator. This will trigger a massive fight where the player will be swarmed by ASD Elite Soliders. We wanted this fight to feel chaotic, so at this point scavs and Kopions can show up and cause a fun and dynamic three-way fight inspired by the Flood levels in Halo, where the player, Covenant and Flood often fight each other, leading to a chaos that gives the illusion of inter-factional conflict.
After taking the elevator, players can choose to either exfil and lick their wounds or descend deeper into the facility to figure out why the ASD personnel are so keen on keeping you from exploring deeper into this seemingly abandoned facility.
Minimap showing one of the floors
A chart of the floors accesable to the player
A look down onto the bottomfloor of the Central Atrium
Minimap showing one of the floors
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Xenotechnology - Upper floor
Xenotechnology - lower floor
Xenotechnology - Upper floor
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A view of the many cloning pods
The bloody aftermath of a Kopion containment breach
Medical Labs - Creeping around
A view of the many cloning pods
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Onyx Facility: Site B
The final stretch of the mission was released a month later in the 4.3.1 patch and will take players to this secretive underground lair. Guarded by a large presence of ASD Elite Security Forces, this is a full-on combat scenario where players will push through a linear gauntlet to find ASD's most well-kept secret. Originally planned for the first launch, it had to be delayed an extra month to make sure it got the polish needed. Site B isn't directly connected to the Onyx Facility but rather to a secondary facility hidden in an underground cave far below it. Players will take a ride on a cargo elevator even further down before they are faced with the facade of it. Its existence is hinted at multiple times during the story, with references made to power readings not making sense and redacted references in documents.
This area saw the most drastic iteration over the development span, going from a puzzle-heavy complex feeling more like a Resident Evil map before being simplified so more focus could be put on challenging the player through difficult combat instead.
Making combat feel varied was challenging. We had a limited amount of enemy types we could use, and due to massive changes in direction late in development, we did not have as much time or resources as we would've liked to craft a unique grandiose set piece. We opted for treating this almost like a level from a military FPS campaign by making a linear gauntlet with a focus on combat pacing. Some fights are done from the back of moving platforms, while others give players a choice of different pathways they can take when approaching their fight. We focused our attention on crafting this into a focused, linear combat gauntlet more along the lines of what you would see in an FPS campaign.
To avoid player fatigue, we had some short breaks where players could enjoy a vista or have to solve simple puzzles like opening a locked door to give them a break from the action. This greatly helped the pacing, as due to the Milsim nature of the combat, player injuries can be very punishing. Giving groups of players a break where they can lick their wounds is essential for an intense combat scenario like this to function in Star Citizen.
Initial entry area into the cavecomplex
Cargoelevator the player will take down
Minimap
Initial entry area into the cavecomplex
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I spent a lot of time balancing AI numbers and cover placement to make sure the challenge level was appropriate. We designed the layout to allow for groups of players to split up in two directions and provide each other with covering fire. Star Citizen is in a unique situation of being an MMO game with tactical FPS combat, so we want to play on this strength as much as possible, always designing spaces to provide split paths which complement each other tactically. For example, in the penultimate combat arena there are some rooms which feature doors that can be risky to push through; however, due to large windows, a player taking the opposite route can clear the door for their teammate..
Reaching the end of Site B, they will reach the end of the storyline, getting the ASD's final secret revealed. Once players are satisfied and have looted everything they want, they will be able to extract through a one-way elevator. Originally this was supposed to be a puzzle room, but due to lack of time, it now mainly serves as a cinematic finale to the storyline.
Vat shipping room, players are intercepting ASD in the middle of their coverup
Facade of Site B. The bridge features a rail where a movign platform will take the player up to it before they'll be forced to fight their way in on foot.
Originally meant as a combatless story beat, this room serves as the final arena where players face off against heavily armored enemy soldiers.
Vat shipping room, players are intercepting ASD in the middle of their coverup
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Conclusion
Despite various development issues behind the scenes, I am very proud of what we managed to achieve with the Onyx Facility. These massive facilities feature a quality and polish rarely seen in Star Citizen, and the deep connection to an ongoing story managed to make players more invested in the universe. The brunt of the work was done in only six months, and communication between designers and the other departments worked almost flawlessly. I feel like I developed a lot as I got the chance to be much more involved in the iterative process; rather than repurposing old cut content in new ways, this was an experience built from the ground up with the design in mind. While I am sad that there were many puzzles and optional routes cut for the final release, this is to be expected with something of this scale.
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