Divinity: Original Sin 2 Map

Level Designer

As a personal project to show my love for narrative-driven roleplaying games, I designed a level mod for Divinity: Original Sin 2 using Divinity Engine 2. The level is a small open-world map with multiple paths and alternate approaches to progress. It features narrative, a puzzle and a combat encounter.

Individual Project

Divinity Engine 2

1 month

Overview
Planning
Result

Overview

Enshrouded Isle

The enshrouded isle… Legend has it that an old pirate hid his treasure here. Many have come looking. None have returned. Perhaps I’ll be the lucky one?

Enshrouded Isle is a small open-world island level mod made for Divinity: Original Sin 2. This was a solo project I made on the side of my studies and I was responsible for narrative, level design, puzzle design, and combat.

Main Aspects of the Level

EXPLORATION

Puzzle

Combat

Narrative

Main Aspects of the Level

Exploration

I wanted to create a map that you can explore, with something around every corner and multiple ways to approach the area. 

There are multiple branching paths in the level. There’s also an alternate, more hidden entrance to the maze that you can access if you find one of the lockpicks scattered around the island.

 

Puzzle

The level forms a simple puzzle and the player must find the right pieces to progress with multiple approaches, such as:

  • The key to unlock the main gate of the maze
  • A lockpick to enter through a side entrance
These two paths with the most direct approaches are marked on the map on the left, but there are multiple lockpicks and the player may find a lockpick elsewhere.

Combat

I implemented a combat encounter that is triggered when the player tries to get the treasure.

The player can get the key to open the treasure chest only after defeating the enemy. 

Narrative

The whole level supports the narrative I developed with environmental storytelling, but I also added other features to enhance it:

  • Books with text
  • Interactable objects like a statue with an inscription
  • Corpses
  • Items
  • Dialogue

PLANNING

Narrative Progression

I first developed the narrative of the project and established the narrative beats for the level.
  1. BEACH: Player arrives on the island. A book mentions hidden pirate treasure.
  2. FOREST: Player starts looking for the treasure but comes across dead bodies.
  3. MAZE: Player finds old ruins but the entrance gate is locked.
  4. DOCK: Player finds the key to the ruins at the dock.
  5. MAZE: Player enters the ruins and navigates around traps to a treasure chest.
  6. ENEMY: Before the player can open the chest, they are stopped by a mage and a combat encounter starts. When the player kills the mage, they get the key to open the chest.
  7. TWIST: The chest has no treasure.
  8. HOUSE: The player exits the ruins and enters the mage’s house, where they find out what happened to the treasure and get their reward.
Once I had the narrative established, I started planning the level by making a node map that shows the connections between the different areas of the level. 

Top-Down Map

Based on the node map and the determined areas, I used a DnD map creator called Inkarnate to visualize the island. 
The different areas of the map are highlighted in Photoshop.
I made a top-down sketch of the map in Photoshop, showcasing the player paths, hazards, and important items.

A top-down screenshot of the map with the same paths overlaid on the final map.

Result

Learning Outcome

My main learning outcomes for this project were:

  • Using a different game engine
  • Creating a small open-world level with multiple approaches
  • Designing a level for a roleplaying game
  • How to convey narrative through level design
  • 3D landscape sculpting
  • Designing a level and a mission for an existing game
Full playthrough of the main path of the map.
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