Everstone Capstone: Narrative and Level design

As a short pitstop, I decided it would be incredibly useful for the future of this project to write a simple narrative to aid in character design and level finalisation. 

Below I have included the narrative I have written for this project which introduces the character of the game and the situation he is thrown into. I have left the details of the character vague except the gender to give me more design freedom when it comes to it but enough to begin painting an image of the character. 

『

Everstone Narrative:

Cast and Characters:

Main Protagonist:

-          Sex: Male

-          Name: Geoffrey

-          How: Stumbles across the ruins of the castle, almost drowns in Merlin’s cave at the base of the hill.

Merlin:

-          Spirit that inhabits the mysterious statue

-          Guard of the sword of Arthur

Ideas for gameplay:

-          Platformer

-          Fight enemies when navigating levels – Creations of the Necromancer, shadowy, grotesque?

-          History: Legendary King Arthur kills his own son Amr = King Arthur turns to necromancy and kills his own son who tries to stop him – The fallen forefather, for plot this is the main protagonist’s ancestor, Arthurian blood line hence he can pull Arthur’s sword from the stone.

-          Collect soul pieces? By killing monsters. Soul pieces reveal where the necromancer is through memories at ends of some levels.

-          Play area is the castle ruins, level one navigates down from the cut scene area?

-          Another level can be the ancestors tomb?

-           

They often say that when you are about to die, your life... all your achievements, the people you love and your happiest moments flash before your eyes as the world goes dim and darkness takes you. Perhaps I should’ve taken it as a sign when this did not in fact happen at all. I remember it as clear as if it were yesterday, the fall, the splash of the water encasing my body, the endless blue fading as my lids were forced shut by the sheer force of the cave dragging me in.

The blackness seemed to go on forever but like all things it ended and presence returned to my body once more. Oddly, water was now replaced by what felt like dirt and the cold embrace now replaced with a light warmth. I winced as I began opening my eyes, not expecting to see the grey overcast sky above me. ‘Where was I exactly?’ groaning in fatigue I forced my tired limbs up but before I was able a voice crept through the air around me. Looking around, I notice a shadow of a figure on the floor beside me cast by statue that I did not notice in my presence. The features of the old hooded man chiselled into the granite feel as if they are calling me and my curiosity betrays me as I find myself moving closer to inspect the statue. “Geoffrey son of the cave...” the voice called as I came closer. I am not a brave man and would run to the hills at the sound trouble, but I found something entrancing about the stone face, “Who’s speaking? And how do you know my name?” I answered.

Eerily the voice fell silent and the only reply was a quiet grumble and shifting of rocks as the earth beneath me shook causing me to fall to my feet. The area in front of the statue that was once flat, was now replaced with an ancient stone harbouring a long-forgotten sword. The sword, much like the statue felt like it was calling to me, getting up once more I brush the dust off the sword and touch the hilt lightly causing it to emit a dim light. “Grasp the sword and seize the light, avenge the fallen forefather” the voice whispered as I pulled, the old rock gave way releasing the mysterious artefact. Stumbling backwards with the pull my energy draining with me as a series of flashbacks filled my head before darkness once claimed me again. “Avenge the fallen forefather...”

EVERSTONE                                                                                                                                         』

With this narrative, I have decided on my level design and made a rough sketch of it to get a better idea of what assets I needed to create for the level itself. This, of course, does not necessarily show everything I will need to create for the level and is subject to addition and change. I felt it was necessary to step to my design process to first write this narrative before even starting on final asset creations. 

Level 1 rough design