Astral Cave
Mechanic
These pylons can be used to :
- Hinder the player during a combat phase.
- Give the player access to normally inaccessible areas.
- Allow the player to survive a fatal fall.
Layout
Pacing & Flow
Narrative Context
This place served as an outpost for students banished from Liurnia Academy. They specialized in gravity magic and focused their research on space and the stars. As their research on space and the stars. As their research progressed, the students became increasingly weird, isolating themselves from other students, experiencing unknown and dangerous magic, speaking an imcomprehensible language. At one point, hostile entities made rapid appearances in the academy, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.
Rennala had no choice but to banish them to avoid disaster. The banished students formed a group and exiled themselves to a cave north-west of the Consecrated Snowfields, where they could continue their research in peace. After a while, the students seems to have lost their humanity and now speak an unknown language. They were called "Starcallers" by those unlucky enough to enter the cave.
The use of magic by the Starcallers seems to havve alter the area, the motivations of the Starcallers are unknown but it seems they are trying to summon something. The cave is filled with summoning circles and magical rituals. Creatures such as the Alabaster Lords seems to have come from
these invocations. This excessive use of gravity magic has transformed the cave, and the inaccessible areas of the cave now look like infinite space with stars shining in the distance.
Project
The Astral cave
Game
Elden Ring
Roles
- Level Design
- Script
- Documentation
The astral cave is a dungeon concept lasting from 15 to 30 minutes. This project was carried out as part of an exercise to create a level and an interesting new game mechanic. The dungeon was designed and built around the mechanic to provide a unique experience consistent with the dungeon's theme.
Level Intentions
- Spatial Anomaly : A mystical/paranormal aspect, space seems to be connected with this cavern, suggesting that it is a gateway to another dimension.
- Verticality : Using mechanics to form interesting paths and navigation.
- Instability : Ennemies and level elements alter the character's movements, giving the player the impression that his freedom of movement is unstable.
Level Context
- Scope : 1 Level Designer Junior
- Constraints : The level must last between 15 and 30 minutes, the level must fit into the Elden Ring universe, the ennemies must relate to the dungeon's narrative context.
- Objectives : Use the mechanics to enrich the "exploration" aspect, alter the way the player handles combat.
Level Aesthetics
- Feeling : The cavern gives the impression of being a kind of a gateway to an another dimension.
- The emptiness and inaccessibilty of the level give a vision of space that seems to be infinite. A mystical unknown aspect emanates from the Starcaller's architecture
- Gravity Alteration : This is a state in which the character can fall more slowly and jump higher, and also applies to rolling, the roll is slower but crosses more distance.
- The character is immune to fall damage in this state.
- This state is applied when the character enters the violet zone generated by a cosmic pylon of varying size.
- Specificities : This state applies only to the character, projectiles, sorceries and incantations ha can cast will retain their normal speed. Enemies are also unaffected. This state can be temporarily cancelled if the character uses the "Gravity Well" spell or the "Gravitas" war ash.
