Darren Baker Interview

IGN PC had the opportunity to run several level design questions past the producer of Dungeon Siege, Darren Baker. Here’s a bit of what was talked about:

Q: Dungeon Siege is unique in that the game world is one continuous, free flowing level. Transitions from one landscape to another are seamless… Are there intermediary stretches of land between main areas? How do we go from desert to snow? Better yet, how has it been working through and developing these areas while keeping it believable and navigable by the player?

A: For most of our levels, our primary goal was to create a realistic-looking environment. With that in mind, we tried to keep climate changes gradual and believable. When an outdoor transition just wasn’t possible, a cave or dungeon was a good vehicle for providing separation between the two environments. One of the greatest feats of climate change is an entire mountain that can be crossed over in the huge multiplayer world map. The journey begins by the ocean and then enters into a lowland forest. As the elevation increases, the trees get smaller and the foliage becomes sparser. A steep mountain cave exits onto the snowy slopes above, and increasingly steep trails wind into the mountains up to the tree line and finally the summit. From the summit the journey continues down the other side and eventually reaches the murky swamps far below. It’s an inspiring experience!