You can have the best design document in the world and still be blindsided by something you did not anticipate. The one factor that I did not take into account was that different classes can have vastly different jump distances based on armor type or how many pumps they have in the Sprint skill. So while my test character with motor assist armor would barely make the jump, a character with hazmat armor would fail horribly. This discovery meant some rework, but fortunately the area had a lot of wiggle room in the design. In the end, we came up with a workable design and I was very glad to see it make it into the final product.

Story changes also meant that the underground tomb at the end of the map would no longer be a tomb, but rather a temple to house the Eloh relic. While I had a solid idea of what that last room would be, we were not as clear about the region preceding it. We wanted to do something unique in the penultimate room, something that underscored the importance of logos as a language. Jason’s idea was to create a logos puzzle that granted access to the final relic chamber when solved. Players would be spending some time in the room so I knew it had to be visually pleasing. I find water to be a soothing element to use in environments, so I made extensive use of water in this room. Waterfalls pour into the room from multiple sources, filling the large underground cavern with dark murky water. I wanted a slightly higher level of ambient light so players could see the puzzle clearly, so I added some lights breaking through the ceiling.

So you can see in the end Sanctus Grotto turned out to be vastly different than the original design. By keeping the design flexible, we were able to add new elements in the name of making a fun and exciting instance. Both Jason and I hope you enjoy our efforts!

Ends.