Mission Design Document
- Space Station Raid
- This is a mission design document I created while applying for a Mission/Quest designer position.
Due to confidentiality obligations, I cannot disclose the company's name or the exam, but I can share a piece of work I made during this period.
- Mission Line Overview
The mission flow in this document serves as the prologue of a game or the introductory chapter of a standalone large-scale storyline. The main design goal is to introduce the hostile faction through the attack and set up future conflicts within the story, sparking the player's curiosity about the long-term narrative. It features an independent storyline with a linear mission flow and is suitable for various game genres such as ACT, RPG, FPS, and TPS.
- Background Setting
The story is set approximately 700 years in the future, where humanity has long ventured beyond the solar system. Aerospace and interstellar travel technologies have become widespread. The event takes place in a large forward base space station in near orbit of a resource planet, belonging to the Terrestrial Planet Resource Management Bureau.
About two weeks ago, a transport ship regularly traveling between the space station and a distant colony lost contact. The bureau's investigation has made no progress. Truth is, the ship was hijacked by pirates, who then learned from the ship's mainframe that a tech company had bribed the station supervisor to hide high-value tech prototypes in the forward base to evade bureau inspection.
- Flow Summary
Player as a security officer who has been officially employed for about a month, the player discovers that the space station has been infiltrated and is secretly transmitting signals during routine work. Subsequently, the station is attacked by pirate forces from a nearby star system. The station suffers heavy damage and is boarded by the pirates, whose goal is to seize the high-value items hidden in the station's warehouse. During the raid, the player must repair the station's defense systems, fend off pirate attacks, and attempt to intercept the raiding party to reclaim the high-value targets. Throughout this process, the player uncovers evidence suggesting that the station supervisor's shady dealings led to the attack.
- Flow Chart
-
ACT 1
As a security officer who has been officially employed for about a month, the player discovers during a routine job that the space station has been infiltrated and is secretly transmitting signals to the outside. Shortly thereafter, the station is attacked by pirate forces from a nearby star system.
Overall Atmosphere: Routine work, calm (but with a sense that something is amiss);
Story Objectives: Accept mission, investigate anomalies
Action Objectives: Go to the command center, go to the communications bay, complete a restoration mini-game
- The scene opens with the player starting their shift as a security officer (in an elevator, with some ambient announcements or direct communications to enrich the environment).
In the hallway, a few employees are talking, providing hints and enriching the background setting:
The missing ship has not been found
Recent strange occurrences in the station hint at infiltration
Minor interactive dialogues with the player to add more details
- Enter the command center and meet with key NPCs:
the Security Chief, the Handler (dialogue reflects character relationships)
Objective: Talk to the Security Chief, check for anomalies within the space station
- Dialogue ends: The player is informed of a "communication anomaly" and is asked to head to the communications bay.
Take the elevator from the side of the command center directly to the communications bay, with the Handler choosing to assist the player.
(This is the highest part of the space station. The panoramic window offers a view of the beautiful starry sky above, with a radar-like large transmitter in the center-bottom acting as a visual anchor. To the right, part of a crimson planet is visible, with outlines of large industrial cities on its surface.)
- Check the communication logs and enter a mini-game to restore some of the communication records.
(As the game progresses, some audio extracts information, hinting at possible events. This can be voiced by the player's Avatar, the Handler, or other NPCs.)
Discover a hidden ongoing transmission, indicating that the station has been infiltrated and unknown information is being leaked.
Report to the Security Chief via radio.
The report is interrupted halfway through as the communications bay NPC starts urgently reporting various emergency anomalies.
The station detects decompression and a ship's jump signal.
- Through the panoramic window, the player sees distant parts of the space station exploding from within. The station's shield turns blue before shattering.
The entire communications room shakes violently due to the explosion, and the gravity system starts failing, causing the player and NPCs to float.
- Three large pirate ships jump into the scene from the left side of the window with noticeable VFX. The ships are very close to the station, appearing enormous. Large debris from the explosion drifts towards and hits the panoramic window of the communications bay.
The window breaks, causing decompression. The player and NPCs are sucked towards the breach, clinging to the control console until the emergency Blast shield panel is closed.
Gravity is restored, and everyone who wasn't sucked out falls heavily onto the control console and floor.
The scene shifts to a sealed environment with red alert lights.
- End of ACT 1
-
ACT 2
The space station is filled with alarms and red emergency lights. Pirates begin boarding the station using assault boats, with ordinary staff trying to hide. It's time to work.
Overall Atmosphere: Chaotic, noisy;
Story Objective: Repel the pirates, repair the space station
Action Objectives: Head to the auxiliary engine room, fight, repair the defense system
- The player gets up from the floor, some NPCs in the communications room are incapacitated (unconscious/dead/sucked into space)
The Handler survives but stays at their post
The communications room is noisy with emergency reports and support requests from various departments
The original elevator is damaged, so the player moves down through a maintenance passage, unlocking the stun baton weapon and personal shield
- As they descend and move through the maintenance passage, player witness an infiltrator corvette crash into the station, deploying a six-man assault squad showcasing the enemy
(Faceless full helmets, dialogue reveals this team’s goal is to cover other teams as they capture high-value targets)
- Radio communication with the Security Chief/Controller, status updates
Version 2: The Controller joins the communication, informing the Chief they are engaged in defensive combat and need the player to act
The player is requested to repair/block: the weapon defense system
(The Chief will handle life support systems and the shield system)
- Weapon defense system route:
The station’s system was hacked by spies before the boarding battle
IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) was altered, creating environmental hazards blocking certain routes
The player needs to go to the auxiliary engine room to activate the emergency system reset, located on the floor between the communications room and the command center
After leaving the maintenance passage, the player encounters the first enemy combat, a two-man team
(Low intensity, the player gets the first shot, showing the personal shield while enemies lack one)
- After melee combat, the player cannot loot ranged weapons (introducing the equipment lock setting)
The player continues towards the auxiliary engine room, facing occasional enemies (introducing new melee enemies)
They encounter turrets, with both the player and NPCs blocked by the turrets, but the NPC is near the maintenance passage entrance and needs permission to help
(Control panel on the player’s side)
[Screenshot 9, specific level design]
- After rescue, NPC opens the passage from the other side, indicating they will hide in the maintenance access
The player continues to the auxiliary engine room, finding three enemies trying to enter. After combat, loot reveals:
Pirates have some information they shouldn’t, indicating a problem with the station supervisor
Using security clearance to enter the auxiliary engine room, the player completes another mini-game to repair the defense system, resetting the station into darkness, and recalibrating turrets to automatically work again (optional turret FPS manual shooting during calibration)
The station’s shield is reactivated (shown via the engine room monitor, clearing the Chief’s path, completing the task)
The Controller reconnects, reporting the status, initial crisis averted, with some pirates captured
Requests the player to return to the command center
- End of ACT 2
-
ACT 3
The immediate crisis on the space station has been temporarily averted, but the pirate diversion tactic seems to have succeeded. On the other side of the station, a pirate elite squad has successfully seized a high-value target and is now retreating towards their boarding craft/airlock.
Overall Atmosphere: Exciting, tense, and urgent
Story Objective: Intercept the pirate squad and retrieve the target
Action Objective: Exit the station through the debris field, follow voice guidance to intercept the retreat route
Cutscene Start:
The staff and the security chief don't understand the purpose of the attack; the chief administrator appears overly anxious. The control room NPCs detect the pirate elite squad retreating, carrying something that looks highly valuable.
The administrator reacts excessively, demanding immediate interception. The control officer informs the player that the pirate squad is on the other side of the space station. Moving through the station on foot would take too long, suggesting an exterior route.
The player acquires a ranged weapon (or a speed booster) from other team members in the control room.
Along with the security chief, the player dons a tight-fitting EVA suit and enters the airlock. The control officer repeatedly mentions the danger of the mission and promises full information support.
Cutscene End
The player and the chief are launched from the airlock towards the other side of the space station. This launch sequence is a mini-game.
While advancing, the player must dodge space station debris
(similar to scenes in Dead Space 2 or Star Trek Into Darkness).
(Adjust speed and intensity according to the size of the space station and the required emotional intensity)
- Deploying a balloon buffer, the player lands on the other side of the space station.
Inside the space station, the player proceeds to intercept the pirate squad, aiming to block their route to the boarding craft (possibly with a pirate retreat progress bar).
There are numerous forks and rooms forming a maze. The player's Avatar, having only joined a month ago, is unfamiliar with this section of the space station.
The control officer provides voice guidance on the route, and the player follows the security chief.
(Add some scripted events along the way; e.g., other retreating pirates being hit by automatic turrets)
The player successfully intercepts the elite squad.
Initiates a boss fight, with the pirate leader using the target item (some weapon or prototype personal shield).
(Success Route) The player successfully retrieves the target.
The chief realizes there’s an issue with the administrator. This prototype, as a secret company product, shouldn't be on a government-affiliated outpost.
(If plot-driven failure) The pirate leader escapes with the target.
This can lead to further long-term story development: chasing the pirates storyline + uncovering the administrator’s collusion with the company for profit storyline.