World Builder & Game Programmer
Public Release 10 for Legends of Aria featured the Frozen Tundra expansion, including new points of interest, enemies, boss fights, and housing space.
Frozen Tundra
Designed and Built the Frozen Tundra
I was the creative lead for the Frozen Tundra expansion. In addition to building the entire continent, I was also responsible for designing all of the playable content.
An important design goal for Frozen Tundra was to utilize the larger landmass for more sprawling encounters with larger payoffs. Each of the following points of interest represent a drive for more cyclical content that's enjoyable over multiple runs.
Created Diverse Encounters for All Party Sizes
NPC Village
Asper
Asper is the hub for player activity in the Frozen Tundra. It's the first point of interest encountered when entering Tundra by land, so it includes all the amenities of other NPC towns in Legends of Aria.
General Combat Encounter Zone
The Ancient City
Home to the Coliseum and Azura's Temple, the city has begun to emerge from the melting glaciers. The Ancient City serves as a hub for solo and high level group wilderness encounters.
Large Party Boss Encounter
The Coliseum Awakening
The Coliseum Awakening sees players fight through three waves of enemies before being confronted by the ghost of Azura's Champion. Awakenings are encounters for large groups of players in Legends of Aria. I pushed our standards for spectacle much further than before with the Coliseum Awakening.
Dynamic Spawn Encounter Zone
Everfrost Cavern
Everfrost Cavern is host to dynamic spawn encounters for small to mid-range groups of players. On the east side is a yeti nest, and on the west a kobold camp. These are designed to be run back to back without any dead time between them.
General Combat Encounter Zone
Hot Springs
A hub for encounters designed for small to mid-size parties, themed around the recent volcanic activity that opened the path to the Frozen Tundra in the first place. The Hot Springs features both dynamic spawn encounters and static spawn points for low level mobs. This zone is designed to be easily run through to grind low level combat skills.
Linear Wilderness Encounter Zone
Barbarian Village
A short linear wilderness type dungeon that sees small groups of players tackling a barbarian warband, with the final boss being the barbarian War Chieftain. Branching multiple critical paths allows for players to pick their battles.
Linear Wilderness Encounter Zone
Valdheim Ruins
The Valdheim ruins are the remnants of a large city fallen victim to avalanches, and become a newfound home for poachers and yetis. At the peak, the Wendigo makes his gore nest. The yetis are an already challenging foe, with the payoff being the even more challenging encounter with the Wendigo at the top.
