Hey guys,
Its been a while since we’ve posted anything directly design related on our main site so I thought I would throw a quick update together to show the progress so far on Ether. I’ve been working away trying to get the first episode of the game blocked out with all the game play added. Ben has also started work on the second episode and has all that pretty much blocked out too with game play being added as we speak. The UDK has really given us the option of quickly prototyping our levels so that we can focus a lot of our time on the actual game play and the balancing of the levels.
We’ve also got some added support on the art side of thing’s so hopefully more visual updates to come!
I’ve also included a breakdown of the first episode level design so you can see how we have developed our levels.
The first episode is the first time the player will experience gameplay inside of Ether. I won’t give too much away at this point about how the gameplay changes, but it will be different to play on the Island. The main aim of the level is to introduce the player to the environment and past memories of Jean. Here she will experience lots of different emotions not only through the narrative, but also from a ludology point of view. The player will then make their way through a Cornish coastal town and up into the lighthouse.
Here are a few images showing in the basic block map with around 60% of the game play added. Still more puzzles to go in but that may give too much away
This is the main overview of the level. There is still a lot more fleshing in to do and adding bits of landscape but this is the bare bones of the gameplay.
This is the first puzzle part and in the last room (indicated on the right of the image) you will find a lamp which shows what type of gameplay this level may have. Theres also a small jumping section getting up on to the top of the cliff..but we may alter some of that to be a little less repetitive after play testing it.
Heres one of the first puzzles. Mght be able to figure it out from the screenshots if you look closely
Walking down the steps to the coast..the lighthouse as a focal point ever present in the level.
As you emerge from the town, ive positioned this walkway to focus back on the lighthouse as this is always the players main objective.
Main part of the mining town, lots of puzzles with moving parts here.
Man Engine. (Google?)
Apologies about the image heavy posts, hopefully you have a good idea about how the first level is going to play out now. I’ll be back with some more design breakdowns very soon but now to start fleshing out the level and adding some more Kismet.
I’ll leave you with a concept for this level by our resident wanderer Josh Taylor
And remember to check www.whitepapergames.com for all other information about us 
