Devlog · Episode 9
The 210-floor tower and the Doors
The game has a tower that seems to climb forever and Doors that lead to sealed places. Here is how I thought through each scenery piece.
A tower of 210 floors
The Tower has 210 floors. That is a lot to climb, and I knew the biggest risk was wearing the player out. Floor after floor of the same thing would be boring. So every stretch of the Tower has a scenery piece that changes the mood, so you feel you are going somewhere and not just repeating the same room.
The pieces that mark the way
I picked few pieces, but very big ones. An enormous rib, which makes it clear that something gigantic once lived here. A burning scaffold, as if the work had been interrupted by fire. And a landmark tower, so the player always knows where they stand compared to everything else.
The Doors
The Doors are something else. Each one leads to a sealed place, with its own rules and its own bosses. It is not the Tower again, it is a separate world.
The idea is that each Door has a design that hints at what waits on the other side. You look at it and already suspect whether it will be dark, hot or full of creatures. The hint is in the drawing, and that is what I want players to learn to read.
The invitation
I will not show the inside of the Doors here. That is for whoever walks in. The invitation is this: before crossing the first Door, stop and look closely at its design. It is already telling you something.
Next episode I will talk about clan war.