“Breaking the Machine”
A Thief 2 Custom Level
Summary
- Role: Level Designer, Solo Dev
- Timeline: Sept. 6 – Dec. 13, 2023
- Platform: PC
- Tools: DromEd Level Editor
Intent
“Breaking the Machine” was my first attempt at making a custom level for Thief. As a passionate stealth fan, I was excited to work with the series’ mechanics, and push my skills by designing for the immersive sim genre. My goals for this project were to craft a 15 minute mission fostering emergent, reusable spaces, nonlinear paths to encourage exploration, and stealth encounters that incentivize players to think like a thief.
Design Process
Concepting and Planning
During development, a primary challenge was adapting to a nonlinear design approach suitable for immersive sim gameplay. I initially used a player-centric approach, listing out the moment-to-moment experience and what goals and sights would guide the player. However, this led to a narrow mindset that didn’t allow players to explore freely.
To address this, I moved from a list to a flowchart concept, illustrating connections between spaces and paths for players to progress. This method enabled me to plan out areas based on connectivity. Highly connected nodes would become hubs for backtracking and planning routes, whereas less connected nodes became chokepoints to guide players. I could then continue sketching the level plan with a healthy balance between player autonomy, and key points that controlled pacing.
Designing for Stealth
While player freedom was paramount to the level, encounters still needed to incentivize stealth, aligning with Thief’s non-confrontational gameplay. Now built out in 3D space, I could better refine encounters through lighting and guard behavior. I ensured routes had diverse mixes of refuge spaces (shadowy corners and side rooms) where players could safely observe, and prospect spaces (well lit rooms and tight corridors) where players would risk detection. Recognizing the levels, focus on individual rooms and a lack of verticality, I introduced rafters in tall rooms and a new rooftop route around the mansion, expanding player’s opportunities to sneak around.
Project Takeaways
This project proved to be an excellent learning experience, with the challenges of immersive sim design forcing me to adjust my previous techniques. A tight deadline prevented me from fully utilizing the abilities of Thief’s DromEd level editor, but I gained valuable experience in crafting nonlinear experiences, a topic that I am eager to explore further.
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