Today I want to talk about some specific challenges I am currently dealing with. There are certain rooms that are not only of importance to the next game but to further chapters as well. The same was true to a lesser degree for chapter 1, but chapter 2 takes it to a new level.
Where you’d usually map out the puzzles first, then lay out the room accordingly and finally draw it, you suddenly have to start thinking much further ahead. You need to think about geography, e.g. where places are in relation to each other or about entrances to rooms/locations that will be accessible later and that shouldn’t just appear out of thin air. You need to consider the perspective and layout of rooms – is it not only fitting for this game and this puzzle, but does it also fit the mood and actions of future events that will take place there? And what about setting up items, objects and characters in a room that will become important later?
Sure, it’s always possible to add details or redraw rooms in other perspectives for later games, but a) this takes a lot of time that would be better spent elsewhere (like, for example, creating NEW rooms) and b) you still need to get at least the basics right, otherwise the continuity would suck majorly, which will be especially noticeable once people start playing these games consecutively. In other words, it’s almost like planning several big games at once, which is a lot of fun, but takes patience and can become quite a complex task.
The good news is, in the last few weeks I made major progress regarding these issues and the game world of chapter 2 - all the different places and how they are layed out and connect to each other - is really starting to take shape now. I made some major changes to one previously quite problematic location and added lots of details to other locations that aren’t fully realized yet. Connected to this I also ironed out a few of the finer story details and you’ll get to enjoy the results in a small sub plot that will start in chapter 2.
Well, that’s it for today. Next time I plan to show off of a new background, so stay tuned!
Where you’d usually map out the puzzles first, then lay out the room accordingly and finally draw it, you suddenly have to start thinking much further ahead. You need to think about geography, e.g. where places are in relation to each other or about entrances to rooms/locations that will be accessible later and that shouldn’t just appear out of thin air. You need to consider the perspective and layout of rooms – is it not only fitting for this game and this puzzle, but does it also fit the mood and actions of future events that will take place there? And what about setting up items, objects and characters in a room that will become important later?
Sure, it’s always possible to add details or redraw rooms in other perspectives for later games, but a) this takes a lot of time that would be better spent elsewhere (like, for example, creating NEW rooms) and b) you still need to get at least the basics right, otherwise the continuity would suck majorly, which will be especially noticeable once people start playing these games consecutively. In other words, it’s almost like planning several big games at once, which is a lot of fun, but takes patience and can become quite a complex task.
The good news is, in the last few weeks I made major progress regarding these issues and the game world of chapter 2 - all the different places and how they are layed out and connect to each other - is really starting to take shape now. I made some major changes to one previously quite problematic location and added lots of details to other locations that aren’t fully realized yet. Connected to this I also ironed out a few of the finer story details and you’ll get to enjoy the results in a small sub plot that will start in chapter 2.
Well, that’s it for today. Next time I plan to show off of a new background, so stay tuned!