Return to Bleakrock | Level Design

Return to Bleakrock: A Skyrim Mod Project

Return to Bleakrock is custom built game world I am creating using the Skyrim Creation Kit and adds a new land mass to the world of Skyrim in the same vein as Solstheim in the Dragonborn expansion.

Return to Bleakrock returns the player to the Bleakrock Isle over a thousand years after the events of the Elder Scrolls Online. To players of the Elder Scrolls Online, the world will feel familiar yet fresh as new stories and quests grip the land.

My aims for this project are to develop my skills in open world level/world design by undertaking a project at this scale involving both exterior and interior locations. I used an existing location from a different game in the Elder Scrolls franchise as a foundation to build on, but ultimately to inject some of my own ideas and skills into a world I know and love while adhering to the games lore and boundaries. It also presents an opportunity for me to flex some Narrative Design skills. By forming backstories for the world and locations it informs my Level Design decisions when building the world and in turn will eventually play into the Quest Design elements when I arrive at that stage of the project.

As this is a project I am working on in my free time, this page will be updated with new additions overtime.

External POI's

My efforts so far have mainly involved building and fleshing out elements of the Overworld. Creating interesting POI's backed by the narrative of the Elder Scrolls Online and the narrative I conjured for the setting during the 4th Era. Like much of my work in my professional career I attempt to build these spaces with details in mind, asking questions such as; Who was here before? How did they move about town? What is the function of this particular building etc. By asking questions like these and getting to the "why" of it all it allows me to build detailed and interesting spaces while also remaining believable to the setting.

Bleakrock Ruins

"Once home to nomadic people looking to begin anew. The town was brutally culled by the Thalmor in search of a hidden Blade agent."

The Last Rest

"The ancient burial ground of old Bleakrock. Used as an escape by the people in the second era, the tomb is now infested with Draugr since the rise of the Dragon crisis."

Whispering Bay

"Once the gateway to the Bleakrock Isle. Thalmor used powerful ice magic to halt the ships fleeing the slaughter"

Deathclaws Cave

"A cavern carved out by an ancient creature long gone. An entrance to the lost Dwemer city of Ahrknzel was uncovered after Red Mountain erupted."

Hunters Camp

"A campsite at the foothills of Skyshroud Barrow and one of the last opportunities of rest before facing the dangers of Bleakrock."

Skyshroud Barrow

"Housing the remains of the Dragon Priest Haldriin. His spirit was settled by the Vestige in the 2nd Era, however he threatens to rise again a wreak further havoc across Bleakrock."

Stone-Spring Cavern

"A natural spring cave close to one of the isles peaks. The Witch Caria once used it as a secret lab for magical experiments before tragedy befell her family and twisted her, pushing her experiments into lost ancient magics."

Stone-Spring Cavern

The Old Wayshrine

"Situated at the centre of Bleakrock Isle, this old wayshrine stands as a monument to Tamriels past and a reminder of the long lost knowledge of Transitus magic."

Hozin's Folly

"A cursed mining settlement suffering misfortune after misfortune. The only thing preventing the mine from being abandoned is the rich Malachite Ore left inside."

Fort Silksong

"An early 3rd Era Imperial Fort built to monitor the Sea of Ghosts. Now fallen into disrepair and home to a colony of Frostbite Spiders being led by a fallen priestess of Mephala."

Fort Silksong

"An early 3rd Era Imperial Fort built to monitor the Sea of Ghosts. Now fallen into disrepair and home to a colony of Frostbite Spiders being led by a fallen priestess of Mephala."

Bleakrock Ruins

"Once home to nomadic people looking to begin anew. The town was brutally culled by the Thalmor in search of a hidden Blade agent."

The Last Rest

"The ancient burial ground of old Bleakrock. Used as an escape by the people in the second era, the tomb is now infested with Draugr since the rise of the Dragon crisis."

Whispering Bay

"Once the gateway to the Bleakrock Isle. Thalmor used powerful ice magic to halt the ships fleeing the slaughter"

Deathclaws Cave

"A cavern carved out by an ancient creature long gone. An entrance to the lost Dwemer city of Ahrknzel was uncovered after Red Mountain erupted."

Hunters Camp

"A campsite at the foothills of Skyshroud Barrow and one of the last opportunities of rest before facing the dangers of Bleakrock."

Skyshroud Barrow

"Housing the remains of the Dragon Priest Haldriin. His spirit was settled by the Vestige in the 2nd Era, however he threatens to rise again a wreak further havoc across Bleakrock."

Stone-Spring Cavern

The Last Rest: Dungeon Design

Narrative

Background Narrative Sample:

"After the evacuation of Bleakrock in 2E 582, nobody truly resettled on the isle. Plenty tried, nomads and expats from deep within Tamriel often journeyed there seeking a new frontier, but rough seas and harsh conditions proved fatal to those without hearty Nordic blood. The Isle soon became just another rock off the coast of Skyrim, touched only by smugglers and bandits seeking refuge from the authorities. It wasn't until the eruption of Red Mountain in 4E 5, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak of Windhelm reclaimed the land for his people and the Nords re-established a presence on the island in response to the mass migration of the Dunmer people fleeing the volcanic devastation. For some time the stores, farms and the Inn of Bleakrock Village thrived.

It was only the arrival of a stranger seeking refuge that brought this prosperity to an end. Not long after his arrival, the Thalmor followed, a group of Elven supremacists seeking out one of their sworn enemies, the Blades. The Thalmor had never been friends to the Nords, so the townsfolk stood against them. Believing the villagers were harbouring an enemy of the new Aldmiri Dominion the Thalmor made an example of the townsfolk, butchering them all and leaving the town in ruins. All that remains of the town are husks of former homes and the bones of those that once lived there, left to be reclaimed by the earth. Amongst the death and broken lives one person remains a penance for his failures."

The Last Rest is one of the key areas on the island of Bleakrock and is featured in the finale quest on Bleakrock Isle in Elder Scrolls Online. When developing this area I wanted to remain somewhat faithful to the original Nordic Tomb while at the same time taking creative liberties and adding more rewarding elements for the player.

Entrance Hall

As the player enters theyre met with a wall of debris. This is where I introduce the concept of teasing the player to explore further by giving them glimpses through broken walls and ruins.

Entrance Hall Top Down

The initial area is scattered with low level enemies and exploration is encouraged as a small reward is provided. This further reinforces that the player should search every nook and cranny for loot.

Central Chamber

I invite the player further into the dungeon by using contrasting elements such as ice and natural lighting against the old stone and brazier lighting.

Central Chamber Top Down

The central chamber contains more powerful Draugr this time around telling the player to up their game a little in regards to combat. This is also one of the areas that I was determined to faithfully recreate from Elder Scrolls Online to give players that sense of familiarity.

Narrow Crypt Chamber Top Down

The space narrows as players traverse further in the dungeon and more Draugr lurk around the corners and grooves within the corridors, giving players that element of surpirse. I also reinforce the tease here as players can see chests through the collapsed walls and vines. The tease is reinforced here as it becomes an important element in one of the upcoming chambers.

Exit Tease

As players enter the Draugr Lord chamber across them is the original entrance to the dungeon exit.

Draugr Lord Chamber

The more 'adventurous' route is highlighted through lighting where the original route out can be seen to the bottom right.

Draugr Lord Chamber Top Down

The Dragr Lord is found in the north portion of the chamber as the player searches for the route up the fallen bridge.

Point of No Return

The route taken eventually leads to a point of no return preventing the player from going back and grabbing anything they may have missed.

Point of No Return Top Down

The point of no return room drops the player into a hazardous pit that leads out into the exit corridor.

Exit Corridor Top Down

The exit corridor is scattered with similar enemies to when the player first entered the dungeon indicating theyre close to the outside world.

Exit

To further show the player they are close to the outside world I reintroduce outside elements such as snow and ice. This will eventually lead the player to a yet to be determined boss area to further reward them.

Entrance Hall

As the player enters theyre met with a wall of debris. This is where I introduce the concept of teasing the player to explore further by giving them glimpses through broken walls and ruins.

Entrance Hall Top Down

The initial area is scattered with low level enemies and exploration is encouraged as a small reward is provided. This further reinforces that the player should search every nook and cranny for loot.

Central Chamber

I invite the player further into the dungeon by using contrasting elements such as ice and natural lighting against the old stone and brazier lighting.

Central Chamber Top Down

Narrow Crypt Chamber Top Down

Exit Tease

As players enter the Draugr Lord chamber across them is the original entrance to the dungeon exit.

Draugr Lord Chamber

The more 'adventurous' route is highlighted through lighting where the original route out can be seen to the bottom right.

Roles & Responsibilities

Developing the open world play spaces and interior levels using completed assets and iterating upon them based on playtesting.

Placement of interactable and clutter assets including weapons, armour, consumables and more.

Terrain terraforming and terrain texture painting.

Navmesh and collision building.

Enemy and AI placement.

Basic Lighting placement.

Narrative Design.

Quest Design Sample:

I have also began further fleshing out the Narrative and Quests that the player will experience in relation to some of the above POI's. The document to the right for example highlights the planned quests related to Fort Silksong. The Quest Design doc highlights important characters, locations, enemy types and stages the player will experience. I made this the first quest I plan to design for Return to Bleakrock as it creates a good spread of challenges that I'm yet to tackle such as Quest Design, Dialogue Systems and Character Creation without being too over complicated and ambitious.

MICHAEL HOWE

LEVEL DESIGNER