Open up the Tower and add some baddies!
The Tower of Adal map area has a ton of unused space and potential map traversal areas in it. Use it! Open that up! Let us explore that whole thing. I don't care how often I fall off a platform or in a crevasse, there is just too much awesome map space in there going to waste. For instance, the visible platforms midway up and around the core of the tower (which contains the library area as it turns out) suggest that space could/should be traversed. Additionally the lower area has what looks like potential alternate paths to the Library. I for one would love to be able to traverse the Library from bottom to top and fight in it like we already do in the Essence Reserves. That would create a cool alternate upward path to Risryn which could easily be locked in the same way, or even just like Mesca's door. Likewise the Imperial Quarters are absolutely gorgeous but there is literally zero to do there. There are tons of unused paths in the area that would be a ton of fun to run around and fight on. Opening up the tower core and outer wall would better use the map space and let us adventure throughout all of that big beautiful map you built. It's extremely impressive looking and a damn shame I can't explore it further.
To be honest it feels as though the original level design called for the tower to be traversed and someone decided it was either too hard to too expensive to flesh that area out before release. Ok, as a software professional I'll poke at you a little here, so bear with me. I mean this in good fun. For example the Essence Mine area does not look as though it was intended to be the original path. Especially since after completing it you go through that stairwell warp zone which puts you in the Imperial Quarters. Heh, that is probably the most telling spot in the game from a design point of view. It seems as though this was originally designed to go as follows...
There are three main areas in game, North Face, West Face, and The Tower.
Gameplay organized as follows:
Narrative: As you beat the marked ones you awaken the bosses by 'disturbing the peace' of their area.
North Face - Beat Revario, Ama Saba, and Angrel to activate the Adalian Columbary so you can fight the Twins
West Face - Beat Lamren, Ristael, and Jinn to activate the Raslan Colosseum so you can fight Kuretz
The Tower - Beat Dormek, The Twins, and Kuretz to activate the Imperial Quarters so you can fight Risryn
Two position changes for the marked ones make sense as well:
Jinn belongs in the Oration Quarter near the broken bridge and in the shade since he's a drunk. Possibly within the broken bridge area itself since it's pretty empty. This would directly mirror his current second spot toward the Adalian Columbary.
Dormek belongs at the end of the Essence Reserves so she can be the final marked one. I do like her current combat area a lot though. She would fit very well in the Imperial Quarters area with a little work. Maybe put her in both spots like Jinn and give her three helpers instead of two. She feels like she should really kick your butt until you are ready to fight Risryn.
Finally, there is no door blocking the Essence Reserves, that is open, but there is a Door on the base of the tower core blocking access to the Library. Looks like it should be one story above the floor level of the Tower right up the stairs from the Alter. Such that you can't enter it and progress through the Library to the Imperial Quarters without having beaten all the Marked Ones. Place various baddies in the Library and Quarters to fight for fun on the way.
In summary it feels like the Library and Quarters areas were cut from release to save time. However, the level design looks like it was planned well in advance so it looks extremely awesome and would fit as above, but you didn't get time to finish the traversal spaces between them for release. Or QA gameplay against baddies in those areas. So you ended up kludging together the Essence Reserves and Imperial Quarters because you didn't get to finish the Library. Hence no baddies in the Quarters and Library areas and the stairway warp zone.
It may seem crazy but I would love to see this finally fleshed out in a future Update. The Downfall areas are fun and all, but I'm personally dying to explore that Tower thoroughly. It would also be cool to experience the full intent of that vision if I am at all on the right track.
Hope you found this fun, and yes I did design work at one point in my career.
To be honest it feels as though the original level design called for the tower to be traversed and someone decided it was either too hard to too expensive to flesh that area out before release. Ok, as a software professional I'll poke at you a little here, so bear with me. I mean this in good fun. For example the Essence Mine area does not look as though it was intended to be the original path. Especially since after completing it you go through that stairwell warp zone which puts you in the Imperial Quarters. Heh, that is probably the most telling spot in the game from a design point of view. It seems as though this was originally designed to go as follows...
There are three main areas in game, North Face, West Face, and The Tower.
Gameplay organized as follows:
Narrative: As you beat the marked ones you awaken the bosses by 'disturbing the peace' of their area.
North Face - Beat Revario, Ama Saba, and Angrel to activate the Adalian Columbary so you can fight the Twins
West Face - Beat Lamren, Ristael, and Jinn to activate the Raslan Colosseum so you can fight Kuretz
The Tower - Beat Dormek, The Twins, and Kuretz to activate the Imperial Quarters so you can fight Risryn
Two position changes for the marked ones make sense as well:
Jinn belongs in the Oration Quarter near the broken bridge and in the shade since he's a drunk. Possibly within the broken bridge area itself since it's pretty empty. This would directly mirror his current second spot toward the Adalian Columbary.
Dormek belongs at the end of the Essence Reserves so she can be the final marked one. I do like her current combat area a lot though. She would fit very well in the Imperial Quarters area with a little work. Maybe put her in both spots like Jinn and give her three helpers instead of two. She feels like she should really kick your butt until you are ready to fight Risryn.
Finally, there is no door blocking the Essence Reserves, that is open, but there is a Door on the base of the tower core blocking access to the Library. Looks like it should be one story above the floor level of the Tower right up the stairs from the Alter. Such that you can't enter it and progress through the Library to the Imperial Quarters without having beaten all the Marked Ones. Place various baddies in the Library and Quarters to fight for fun on the way.
In summary it feels like the Library and Quarters areas were cut from release to save time. However, the level design looks like it was planned well in advance so it looks extremely awesome and would fit as above, but you didn't get time to finish the traversal spaces between them for release. Or QA gameplay against baddies in those areas. So you ended up kludging together the Essence Reserves and Imperial Quarters because you didn't get to finish the Library. Hence no baddies in the Quarters and Library areas and the stairway warp zone.
It may seem crazy but I would love to see this finally fleshed out in a future Update. The Downfall areas are fun and all, but I'm personally dying to explore that Tower thoroughly. It would also be cool to experience the full intent of that vision if I am at all on the right track.
Hope you found this fun, and yes I did design work at one point in my career.
Comments
Thanks a lot for your cool feedback about map/levels design and their potential. We find that interesting, but can't promise that your ideas will be implemented in the game. Nevertheless, are happy to know about your ideas and your vision of how the game can be expanded further, do not hesitate to share more thoughts with the community and us!