Zolvatory

Update Post - 03/6/23

Added 2023-03-06 11:22:38 +0000 UTC

Heyo, everyone! Avan here.

This update post will sadly be a bit of a picture-less one and I hope that's fine. I am currently working on the actual level design of the very first area. Now, I have to admit that level design has always been a bit of a weak spot of mine. I know enough about it but never felt as if I would just nail it! Sometimes maybe even because I am trying to put too much thought into it.

That being said, I am going to try my best to make a nice introduction area to our game. Starting with a more streamlined, straight forward area and then slowly but surely introducing other aspects of the game without giving an outright tutorial. That is what I hope to achieve.
But there is a lot more that goes into this. Knowing not only where lore-moments will take place (cutscenes for example) but also already planning ahead for when you might need to backtrack later. So keeping future abilities in mind as well. We will make adjustments to certain characters and implement smaller hazards to have the area be more interesting to begin with but not overwhelming.

At the very start of the game, you will actually be in a prison area! It's not all too complicated but serves as the "learning" part of the game. At least when it comes to the basic controls! I want the moment you get out of that cold and oppressive area to feel very...relieving. "Now I get to explore this big city" is what I want you to think. Of course that is ambitious for a game like ours. It's not easy to evoke feelings like that but with a goal set in mind, I can at least attempt to get us as close to that as I can!

Of course I would love a lot of feedback on the level, maybe even down to the detail so I can make adjustments where we (the devs and all of you detectives) see the need for it!