Company: Daedalic Entertainment
Game: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Role: Level Design
During my 3 years and 8 months as a Level Designer on "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum," I crafted impactful gameplay-focused blockouts with visually stunning vistas. I specialized in creating challenging climbing passages to maintain player engagement. Additionally, I excelled in designing stealth levels that presented engaging challenges without frustration.
I oversaw the development of these levels, collaborating closely with artists, scripters, programmers, and writers to preserve initial design decisions. Scripting was essential to visualize my ideas and create unique gameplay situations. I also mentored new hires and juniors, sharing my workflow expertise.
GAMEPLAY CONTRIBUTIONS
In addition to Level Design on the project, I was heavily involved in other areas of the game. These included:
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Game Design
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AI Design
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Game Design
Throughout this project, I played a significant role in the game design processes, actively contributing to every decision. Given a shortage of game designers, I took on the day-to-day responsibilities of a game designer, serving as the bridge between all departments involved in level creation for the specific level.
AI Design
As the level I worked on was among the first to be handed to other departments, I played a vital role in developing the AI mechanics and requirements for the Level Designers. This included creating predefined search areas for AI groups, allowing designers to adjust the number of NPCs and their search patterns. I also implemented the ability to designate specific locations to block player escape routes. Additionally, I was responsible for creating, adding, and fine-tuning the hearing and vision abilities of the NPCs.
LEVEL DESIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
As previously mentioned, I've contributed to various levels, but I'll showcase the ones where I had the most significant impact due to my extensive involvement.
The Cells
All Rights Reserved 2023 by Daedalic Entertainment GmbH, Nacon and Middle-earth Enterprises.
Designing Objectives for this Level: Creating a Hub for the Elven levels
This level didn't come with many restrictions; the key focus was to create a hub connecting two other levels. It primarily required two prison cells and a kitchen area. The first cell was designed for Gollum, intentionally small and containing only essential items like a bed and table. It had to be devoid of light since Gollum despises it, having spent years in caves.
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The second cell was for a later companion, larger in size, with a window opening for food access, a small water stream, and a garden area for growing vegetables. The kitchen area was crucial for introducing an important NPC for the player later in the game.
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My objective was to craft a compact yet visually striking area that didn't exactly resemble a prison but conveyed the feeling of one. The space featured corridors and small rooms to create the prison ambiance, and guard placement was strategically done to steer the player away from locked doors and hallways. I also prioritized creating shortcuts and incorporating uneven and vertical elements to enhance the level design.
Kings Garden
All Rights Reserved 2023 by Daedalic Entertainment GmbH, Nacon and Middle-earth Enterprises.
Designing Objectives for this Level: Merging Stealth and Aesthetics
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The primary objective for this level was to meticulously craft a real environment, rich in opportunities for stealth gameplay, and replete with visually captivating vistas. Notably, we aimed to incorporate elements reminiscent of the iconic Seatown locale from "The Hobbit" film series.
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This level marked my initiation into the project. It begins with Gollum escaping from the Elven realm, requiring him to evade guards unnoticed. The aesthetic concept revolved around the Elven King Thranduil's private garden, which was typically inaccessible but connected from elsewhere. Stealth and climbing were essential elements, and a lengthy dialogue sequence played out in this area.
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I started by designing a spacious area for players, providing an overview of the initial section with visibility of a central tower, a significant point of interest. I aimed to offer players maximum freedom, allowing them to choose between stealthy or climbing routes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. After completing the initial areas, players needed to cross a cascade/river, transitioning to an abandoned area where they were no longer pursued, and there was ample space for dialogues.
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In this section, players encountered an abandoned tower where they once again had the option to choose between two paths to cross to the other side, marking a point of no return. This decision ensured a safe space for players with no risk of getting lost. Following a long dialogue amidst visually stunning locations, players entered another stealth area, navigating around NPCs before exiting the level.
It's worth noting that during the development of this level, several original and even significant level designs had to be removed. For instance, many exciting climbing sections were cut, especially in the first area.
Finale
All Rights Reserved 2023 by Daedalic Entertainment GmbH, Nacon and Middle-earth Enterprises.
Designing Objectives for this Level: Creating the final level with all available mechanics
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I had the opportunity to design the final level of this game, incorporating many cool and challenging mechanics and situations. The level was divided into a large orb-shaped area with two separate towers. Additionally, I had to design the orb area after an explosion, which serves as the end sequence for defeating the antagonist.
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From the writers, I received information that the level needed a large room with a glowing orb in the center and two towers that had to be accessed in a specific sequence.
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My initial concept for the level was to create a large spherical room with vertical symmetry to evoke a mystical atmosphere. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, this idea had to be cut. I also wanted to incorporate some platforming sections by adding flying platforms that the player would use to access the side towers, with the tower layouts changing each time the player reached their goal. Furthermore, the two side towers were meant to have distinct designs, with one resembling a grand cathedral room with many broken elements and a scenic view, and the other being a smaller room designed as an old musician's chamber for orchestras. However, these elements had to be cut due to time limitations and a lack of available artists.
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In the end, the design featured two identical towers, but one was in better condition and less damaged than the other. One of the towers was assigned to a junior-level designer whom I mentored during that time. The tower I designed was focused more on climbing, dialogues, and interactions with AI characters to avoid. This first part of the level was action-oriented, encompassing all the mechanics the player had learned throughout the game, serving as the final test for the player. After a significant explosion, the level underwent a transformation. My idea was to introduce a maze-like area where the player could cool down and prepare for the ultimate confrontation with the antagonist.