Introduction
I have reached the stage where creative goals start overtaking the purely technical work of building engine technology. As I progress, more time will be spent on building front-end tools for creative work (e.g. painting terrains), and putting those tools to use crafting the first playable area for Project Arroa: Revenwood.
Dougal’s Glade is where the player starts their adventure. It’s also a sandbox where I can experiment with processes of production, art styles, and gameplay.
Concept Map
“A marauding force of revenants and their host of thralls has spilled from the Ghasthill Wilds. They advance on the city of Auldport, razing all in their path. Brigands and creatures from deep within the dark places of the world now follow in their wake, emboldened to trespass and plunder unguarded lands.
You fled your village as it burned in the night, helpless against such evil. Evading capture, you stagger, exhausted, into a forest clearing. The creatures hunting you have either lost your trail or are hesitant to enter this place. Whatever the reason, you appear safe for now. It’s time to rest and explore your surroundings as you gather strength to continue.”
1 – This deteriorating house of stone and wood appears to have once been a well-kept home. The lower level contains a modest stable and adjacent forge. Whoever lived here might have been a craftsman.
2 – A lush, towering tree casts ample shade over tall grass. It looks to be an inviting place to rest.
3 – The wheel of this crumbling watermill is broken and dislodged, laying half-rotted in the flowing stream that once powered the mill.
4 – A field left fallow and overrun with wildflowers. Something of its past remains, as berries and other wild crops persist amongst the flowers and weeds.
5 – A small shack is placed back from the path toward the stream’s eastern bank. Tools of stone masonry are strewn outside by a partially worked and weathered stone block.
6 – Statues of a man and a woman stand before two earthen mounds enveloped in wildflowers. The woman’s statue is more weathered, indicating many years passed before the man’s statue was placed here. It looks to be a memorial, or perhaps a grave for the pair.
7 – This area appears to have been flattened from the surrounding hills and mounded with sand from parts unknown. Huge round boulders litter the area, with deep grooves indicating they were somehow moved through the sand.
8 – The stones look to have been quarried nearby. Tools for splitting and shaping stone lie forgotten on the ground.
9 – A dark tunnel recedes into the mountain, perhaps the entrance to a mine. The entrance is almost entirely blocked by a cave-in. It’s unclear if this obstacle formed naturally or intentionally.
10 – Offset from the main path is a large firepit. Stone blocks are set into the ground, providing places to sit. Evidence of past fires and the bones of small animals line the pit.
11 – A waterfall spills from the rocks above, forming a stream which flows south until it cuts through thick forest and the mountain pass beyond.
12 – This looks to have once been a cultivated garden. A winding path rambles around the low hummocks and standing stones. Wildflowers bloom in the grass surrounded by deciduous trees. The standing stones look to have been relocated from the northern quarry, but it’s not clear how they were moved here.
13 – A crumbling stone bridge crosses the stream here. Small boulders are piled up beneath the bridge, perhaps to form a crossing point before the bridge was built, or as foundations.
14 – These paths are scored deeper into the ground than elsewhere. They lead around the garden southward to the mines and north to the quarry.
15 – The burnt remains of a large tree, perhaps once equal to the one by the main house. It appears to have been struck by lightning some time ago.
16 – An overgrown field of wildflowers stretches north until it reaches thick forest. It may have been the beginnings of another garden like that to the south.
17 – This garden stands out for the rare and beautiful blooms growing here, unlike anything found elsewhere in the glade. They are sheltered from the afternoon sun by the western mountains. A heady fragrance hangs in the air, like vanilla with a hint of rot.
18 – Thick forest and tumbling hills precede the southern pass. This will be difficult terrain to navigate.
Conclusion
Dougal’s Glade may take several months to realise fully, and will require substantial effort to overcome both engineering and artistic challenges. I will share my efforts as I progress through each problem in turn.
At the end of this stretch, my goal is to have created the nucleus of a game and something I can hold up when people ask what I’m working on.
Depending on overall interest in my project this year, Dougal’s Glade could form the basis of a rolling demo or even a smaller standalone game if that becomes something I need to fall back on while building a larger work.
Thank you for reading! Until next time, you can also find me at the links below.