Crit Path Mission - Blood of Arlathan
Mission Overview
This was one of the first Critical Path levels I designed for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and there were many factors to consider throughout its creation. This mission was a balancing act that required selling the fantasy of a cultist gathering through dense crowds, atmospheric worldbuilding and standout set pieces. At the same time, we had to be careful to maintain consistent, but not overwhelming, combat pressure that gives the experience of being relentlessly pursued once Rook is discovered.
While directing the POD, one of our key focuses was ensuring that the pacing and beats supported the narrative stakes. By the end of the mission Elgar’nan had to still be seen as a formidable threat despite Rook’s success and their escape depended on trusting Solas.
My Contributions
Direct IC from Concept to Shippable
Whitebox / Layout Design
Mission Scripting
Encounter Design and Scripting
Cinematic, Conversation and Banter Scripting
POD Runner
Polish and bug fixing
Help from an Unexpected Ally
Video Timestamp 27:40-33:40
Solas saving Rook from an unwinnable situation, was one of the core beats that our Writer wanted us to achieve. This posed a challenge as Solas was currently imprisoned in the Fade and we didn’t want Solas to seem omnipotent by physically dealing with threats. As a POD, we pitched the idea of Elgar’nan trapping Rook in a ‘maze’ where through verbal bouts, Solas could help.
I still personally love how this came together in the end. Not only does the player get a down beat away from combat before the final fight, but it also provides a compelling stage for the player to witness Elgar’nan’s and Solas’s disdain for one another while keeping the player immersed in gameplay.
Close and Personal
Video Timestamp 3:33-7:16
As early as concept, the POD and I wanted the player to experience the Venatori in a way that leaned into the cultist gathering narrative. This hadn’t been done in Veilguard at the time of development. We did a lot of investigations into how we could achieve the dense, intimate crowds we’d need to fill the space, while still leaving room for stand-out moments that would showcase the Venatori as the sadistic blood mages they are.
Through consistent iteration and by working closely with VFX, Environment Art and World Animation, we struck an experiential balance that sold the energy of a bustling rally. This allowed us to implement memorable moments designed to leave the player thinking “wow, those guys are evil…”
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