Richard
Garriott's Tabula Rasa
Science fiction MMORPG
Instance map: Eloh Vale
Eloh Vale is the
climatic ending to the experience on the planet Foreas.
So far, the AFS players have heard rumors that a Eloh
Benefactor is living amongst the ruins in a hidden
valley. The player has travelled through many
adventures to find the clues to this forgotten location.
Just as they discover its coordinates, word arrives that the
Bane have also learned about the vale. Arriving via dropship,
the players are thrust into battle to save the one that can help
save the AFS cause.
Design Goals:
I was given the
task to redesign the original map and provide a more focused
experience. Originally, the map consisted of large
underground caverns with many choices to arrive at the final
destination. Combined with a thick colored mist, the
overall feeling to the map was one of confusion. When
I took responsibility for the map, the lead designer charged
me to make it more straightforward and have the Forean ruins
appear more Mayan.
To make
navigation more
simple, the lead designer wanted three valleys connected by
a main path. The first valley was to be the "Landing
Zone". The second was to be the "Main Battle" area
where the Bane had established a foothold. The third valley was to be the location
of the surviving Eloh Benefactor and the culmination point of
the map.
The last item I
was to integrate into the design was a Forean device that
shielded the third valley from the Bane. Along with
the shielding device, the valley would have a wormhole tower
to transport the player to the next planet, Arieki.
Above is the
Wormhole Tower suspended in the third valley, Eloh
Sanctuary.
The map has has
been well received by reviewers and the player community.
Here are some of their comments:
Review 1,
Review 2, and
Review 3.
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