Laurie's MA Games Design Blog

Mapping The Space Now that much of the work on our initial tutorial level inside the scientist's workshop has been done, we have started to think about the world outside, as we are now hoping to build a level from later on in the game that takes place in a location outside the workshop. Tristan has been doing some really good work developing our narrative/backstory so that we have a better understanding of the reasons for our world's current state, rather than just some vague industrial disaster. Broadly, we have landed on the idea that our game area is a self sustaining compound run by a scientific research corporation. The area includes living quarters for the scientists and their families, as well as research facilities and food production. Within this compound, the player will visit key locations to activate water purification devices in order to reach the final location, a massive power plant that is responsible for the toxicity. Tristan's initial sketch listing some p...

  Ziggurats Recently I've been researching types of NE architecture for inspiration within my world concept. One of the most defining structure types of this historical milieu is undoubtedly the ziggurat, a tiered, terraced structure that housed a deity within the temple that sits atop its highest layer. There are many notable ziggurats found all across Mesopotamia and built by many of its most prominent societies. Here are some examples:  The Great Ziggurat of Ur, modern day Iraq Artist's Impression of the Ziggurat of Ur Uruk Ziggurat Reconstruction Buried Ruins The first way I wanted to incorporate these structures into my world was in the form of buried ruins found across the lands that hint at the many lost civilisations previously established by former wielders of the creation power. Given that within the historical context, ziggurats would have been the largest structures, towering above the rest of their cities, it makes sense that within my game world these would be th...