From last week’s Update of the Avatar #214:
The Rhun Ruins are one of the six ruined cities found in Novia that date back to the period in Novian history in which the Obsidian Order rose to power. (As described in the Sword of Midras prequel novel by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott). The exact history of some of these cities has been lost to time, but it is rumored that some of them may have been abandoned even before the rise of the Obsidians. Rhun was a city devoted to Compassion but has since been overrun with the undead. It is located in the Drachvald region in the northeast of Novia.
Rhun started as a clone of the Dysborg Ruins, but is getting completely rebuilt this release to have a unique layout and visuals. We are expressly focusing on being sure the map has interesting setups for PVP conflict, with plenty of space for hiding, escaping, ambushing, and skirmishing.
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys! SorcerousSteve here to give you an update on progress on Rhun Ruins!
This week I began further detail work on areas of the map, alongside adding more traps and making sure there are plenty of corridors, alleys, destroyed buildings and overall environmental clutter to provide an engaging PVP experience.
More interactive hazards and traps have been added to the Maze area, such as this pressure plate which under the right (or wrong) hands can turn the center area into an inferno!
Areas like the one below, nicknamed “The Killing Fields” by Lord British, are filled with plenty of deer blinds and perfect places for archers to stand guard and attack. In building this map, I was inspired a lot by the architecture found in the city Minas Tirith, such as this sloping city street that features multi-story buildings alongside jagged cliffs.
These huge gaping holes in the ground are remnants of what was left behind when obsidian shards ripped those floating islands off the ground.
The corruption brought along by Obsidian shards causes alien life to fill some of the ruined areas .
Watch last week’s livestream with Esteben giving the community a video tour of Rhun Ruins!
See ya next time!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer