Peter James Nelke
Bards College Expansion
The team's primary goal for this project was to expand the content and roleplay potential for the Bards College Faction in Skyrim. My primary responsibility was to create engaging dungeons that assisted in storytelling through visual design and utilize the new chanting and shout enhancement systems for compelling puzzle and exploration gameplay. It was also important, especially in the early block out phases, to collaborate with the writer and programmer to make sure the layout is able to support the intended story and scenes as well as discuss any desired programming changes for gameplay. This was my first professional project, and I had a blast working with the team at Kinggath Creations.
Responsibilities:
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2 World Spaces
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3 Interior Cells
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Enviornmental Level Design (Layout, Lighting, Set Dressing, Clutter, SFX, FX).
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Gameplay level design (Navmesh, Combat Encounters, Puzzles, Platforming).
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Edit textures and adjust properties on objects in NifScope.
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Collaborate with team members to develop dungeons efficiently and accurately through discord communication and live walkthroughs.
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Create graphs to assist in the block out, pacing, encounters, and visual design phase of development.
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Fix bugs, and close issues in Github, reported by Q.A.
Project Highlights
Environment
Gameplay
Stonesong Grotto Part 1 Section 1
Environment
A damp, lushes, secluded grotto serving as an entrance to an even more forgotten Nordic tomb full of mystery and treasure. A tight narrow path through ferns, mushrooms, dead skeevers and travelers leads to a large, exposed cavern filled with aging Nordic structures leaning over a creek bed.
Gameplay
A very small world space designed to be quick introduction of the Stonesong grotto cavern, and the resonance crystal puzzles utilized throughout the dungeons. The player teleports into the second cell Entrance (Section 2) after solving the puzzle in the Cavern (Section 1). There is no combat here so the players focus can be entirely on solving the resonance crystal puzzle. The end of the dungeon (Section 6) loops back to the beginning (Section 1)
Stonesong Grotto Part 2 Sections 2-6
Environment
A Nordic tomb/mine, once home to Sledrig's research is now solely filled with his cloned phantoms and reanimated servants still serving their master. Deep blue crystal clusters emerge throughout the cave walls throughout this dungeon as the player dives deeper exploring excavation sites, servant chambers, crystal refinery, crystal carving, and finally Sledrig's Laboratory.
Gameplay
A primarily linear layout with a focus on crystal puzzle gameplay and utilizing the "Earthsong" shout to destroy specific crystals. There is an abundance of enemy encounters however they are low difficulty, excluding the boss in the Laboratory (Section 6), to keep the challenge and focus on puzzles and exploration.
Chillwater Hollow Part 1 Sections 1-4
Environment
As you descend through these frozen cave excavation sites, more blue crystal clusters emerge from the walls. Thralls, servants of Volgaafsonaan's, patrol here continuously mining the crystals for resonance crystal production. While the dominant theme is ice, Nordic structure are blended in the environment throughout the delve.
Gameplay
Similar too dungeon 1, while combat here is quite frequent, the difficulty is lowered due to the introduction of chant puzzles. From the entrance to the Crystal Refinery (Section 2) the layout is linear so I can keep the pace steady as I test the players understanding of the chanting puzzles. After the layout branches out allowing for further exploration, platforming, rewards and secret puzzles. Cell transition to Chill water Hollow Part 2 is in between Section 2 & 5.
Chillwater Hollow Part 2 Sections 5-7
Environment
As we delve deeper into Chillwater Hollow, water begins to more of a central theme in most sections, we are under the ocean after all. Halls and rooms both large and small are flooded with ocean water, water pours and drips from the Nordic Heads and cracks in their stone surface. Occasionally the blue light emitting from the crystal clusters reflects off the flooded floors providing a cool effect in areas like the Dining Hall and Prison.
Gameplay
Smaller than Chillwater Hollow Part 1, this dungeon is more linear with only one optional route, branching from the prison (Section 5, for a challenging platforming/puzzle encounter. This dungeon starts out with a difficult ice jet gauntlet on the critical path providing a solid pace change. The end section (Dining Hall) provides a challenging combat encounter and the final Chant Puzzle.
Chillwater Hollow Part 3 Section 8-9 (Volgaafsonaan's Lair)
Environment
Here resides Volgaafsonaan's Lair, a place of long rest for the ancient powerful dragon. After a short narrow decent through frozen cave walls illuminated by dim yellow candlelight, an enormous ice cavern below the ocean is revealed. The dragon with blue and bright light beams shining upon it, lays in rest at the top if icy ascent dead in the center of the cavern.
Gameplay
The main focus here was to create an enormous battle arena under the ocean that could support an epic dragon fight. Plenty of movement space for the player and dragon, enough pieces of rubble to provide cover, and perch points for the dragon. After, is a quick direct path to the entrance of Dungeon 02 Part 1, providing copious boss loot and new shout word along the way.
