Dev diary: lighting the Drowned Meridian
- By
- Hollow Signal Studios
- Published
The environment team on fog, reflections and why the flooded capital looks different every time you drop in.
The Drowned Meridian was the first zone where the lighting team was in the room from the first day of blockout. Here is what we learned.
Fog is level design
In most zones fog hides the far distance. In the Meridian it hides the next street. We tuned the fog density so a Rogue can see roughly two tower blocks ahead. That is close enough to plan a route and far enough that a Seeker can surprise you.
The water tells you things
Every surface in the canals is reflective, and that is a gameplay feature. Look down and you can spot a crew on the rooftop above you. Look up and you will see the extraction flare long before it clears the towers.
The tide
The water level changes over the course of a match. At low tide the canals are walkable and the lower floors open up; at high tide you are swimming and the vaults are sealed. The tide timer sits on your HUD next to the storm timer, and it is the first thing veteran crews check after they land.
