Area Design I | 08.30.09

Building 101 - Area Design I thought I'd take a few down the path of how an area design leaves my mind and becomes part of the building process, which I hope to offer every Sunday until the area is complete. LOCATION and REASON This evening I'm going to create a swamp that will offer the player character enough to do and also pull them into the very reason for being there in the first place. As this is one of the first areas of a quest, it requires that jolt of input to shape what it is we want the player to experience. What information the player gathers before heading off here, is that a few villagers have been turned to stone as they venture deeper into the swamp to find a rare type of fish that offers a lot of gold on the open market. Due to its high demand, villagers take the risk of heading into the swamp to find them. As more and more villagers fail to return and those that do return speak of finding friends and family members as stone statues in the swamp, the talk in the village soon changes from finding rare fish to what villager was found as a stone statue. Soon, none of the villagers even want to risk going near the swamp in fear of becoming a stone statue themselves. Sadly, without the income from the rare fish, the villagers are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Local crops just can't compete. So, like any player looking for some adventure, it offers the player character something to do, either as a side quest or part of a greater plot. One should never exist without the other when creating an area. Each and every area you create needs to have a purpose for existing, otherwise don't bother spending the time it will take to design it. THE AREA Welcome to a generic 6x6 (width x length) layout. For the sake of saving time, I've already plotted out its general design, adding in two small hills in the bottom left and top right of the map, along with some raised ground, all nestled between a dark layer of swampy water. Some trees do dot the landscape but they're part of the area tile itself. Placeables have yet to be added to this current area. Pretty simple, for the most part. Now I try to keep an area pretty small because I don't like the idea, as a player, running around through empty space. So, when I do build an area, I do my best to offer the player something to do in every corner. That's my number one rule because wasting the time of the player is never, ever a good thing. TIDBITS In the behind the scene information, the village is south of this area, so the player will be entering on the bottom left in this area. The water current, although never an issue in any area built with water, is moving from the bottom left to the top right. This is handy information if you use a boat to transition from one area to the next. Does one paddle with the current or against it? In the weeks to follow, I'll detail the hot spots of the area, sound placement, as well as lighting and placeables.

Companions | 08.19.09

In death they roam. . . For those who brought along a companion from Almraiven and then through Shadewood, they fought and died along side of you in battle. Fate of the Auren offers a total of three companions based on choices made in Almraiven and Shadewood and two new companions one can find in the Land of the Dead. The former are found through a specific side-quest associated to the companion you traveled with in Almraiven and Shadewood while the latter come across as spirits you meet during your adventure. In the Land of the Dead, they roam. Annex | Falis Goodmane | Shayla Shay | Ahlias Nox | Chaj-ja Annex [Druid Female (Grower)] "The very eyes of this Human Female pierce right through you as she catches you watching her and memories swirl of a previous existence within your mind. There is a feeling of calm that suddenly washes over you and the smell of flowers seem near. Her hair shimmers in the moonlight and the old black and cyan robe she once wore is now stitched in earthly shades and colors." Annex is a result from completing the Darwien's Disappearance quest in Almraiven. You saved Darwien but also had to kill Falis for not saving his sister Wundra. A Druid that comes with an animal companion named Patterfoot, Annex is the most difficult of the three companions to attain. Her journey with you through Shadewood was a helpful one for it took place in her true element, where she brought forth a different view of what was happening in the wood. Dying at your side, her spirit now exists in the Land of the Dead. Falis Goodmane [Fighter Male, (Dancer)] "The very glare directed toward you from this muscular Human Male is cold. Crisp blue eyes that once captured your gaze now leave you feeling empty and lost. Blood stains his light colored hair while torn cloth and stitch hug scars and deep wounds that cut right into his very soul." Falis is a result from completing Wundra's Wonder quest in Almraiven. You helped find his sister and saved her from the Werefolk who had her locked up in the sewers. Falis specializes in the quarterstaff and is very quick on his feet but does not have any experience in adventure travel. His problem with bugs was made perfectly clear during your journey through Shadewood but as the end drew near, his focus in protecting you outgrew that fear. Dying at your side, his spirit now exists in the Land of the Dead. Shayla Shay [Sorcerer Female, (Guardian)] "The projected memory of this Human Female is not what you recall from your previous existence. Eyes that were once cyan color are now black and the staff she once held does not have the same weave as it did before. The staff pulsates blue, shifting in size and design as if alive." Shayla is a result from completing the Something in the Works quest in Almraiven. You helped find her sister and save her from the slave traders who had her locked up and ready to be shipped out. Shayla also experienced fighting Blackend Souls and knows first hand what the Darkness did in the depths below Almraiven. Her knowledge of this continued in Shadewood as the two of you moved to unlock the mystery of the wood. It is where she also came to terms with the very man who was responsible for the capture of her sister Kira. Shayla comes with an intelligent staff named Nala that she is bound to by magical means and both died at your side. Her spirit now exists in the Land of the Dead. Ahlias Nox [Ranger Male, (Wilder)] "The wary eyes of this Human Male watch you from where he stands. A green and brown cloak, stained with mud and soot along the edge, drapes over his large frame. A long sword carried by the man hangs off his left hip by a crude loop made of rope while a bow string hugs his chest from the shortbow slung over his shoulder. Dark browns, shades of tan and a touch of green lace in and out of the fabric of his cloth and stitch." Ahlias Nox is from a distant projection where the very edge of the Emptiness meets the realm. His travels south got him caught between the Darkness that had begun to swallow the Land of the Dead and if not for small pockets, his spirit would have been consumed by shadow and filth. He now travels northward toward Twyll, his home, where he hopes to rest his spirit and relax. Chaj-ja [Fighter Female, (Hunter)] "Chaj-ja's large golden reptilian eyes dance wildly as if expecting an attack at anytime. Many of the multiple horns at the back of her head are cracked or have been snapped off. She's a renowned warrior of the Chah-kra Tribe, hunting and killing numerous Stoneless that dwell deep in Bramblewood Moor." Chaj-ja is very ignorant when it comes to projections outside of Bramblewood Moor, the projection she has existed in since arriving to the Land of the Dead. Existing in a festering bog, Chaj-ja is quite content with hunting and fishing but becomes drawn to the realm beyond after hearing stories and reading books on the subject. She is clumsy out of her element and makes a lot of noise when she moves about on land, stomping and walking into things without much effort. At first sight, spirits see her as a Troll but her large blinking eyes and twitching ears soon put an end to that.