The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Team Diary

Bethesda’s official The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion website has been updated with a new team diary penned by level designer Michael Ryan. In it, Michael provides a few screenshots while he talks about his work building the game’s dungeons:

Because the game has so many dungeons, we tackled the job in stages, chipping away at the lengthy list and adding more and more polish over time. Each builder on the team has a preferred process for designing a solid dungeon, but we all start with the basic layout of the environment. Oblivion has a very powerful (and cool-looking) map feature that can help you find your way through the toughest of labyrinths, but that’s still no substitute for a coherent, well-planned layout. Not only will the layout dictate the pacing of your combat encounters in the dungeon, but it will also determine the available lighting options at your disposal (which in turn, have a huge impact on how well the dungeon will actually run). As often as possible, we also try to incorporate elements such as multiple paths, dramatic overlook spots, and cool vista moments. Throughout the process, the dungeon type (marauder fortress, goblin cave, vampire lair, etc.) determines the architecture we use and the types of spaces the layout can and should use.