Overview
This week’s goal was to map out the new Gemstone Grotto mining cave. The layout now spans multiple excavated tunnels, dead ends, and collapsed passages. While still in early polish, the area already establishes the tone of what’s to come — the disappearance of the miners and the first hints of something unnatural stirring beneath Willowhaven.
Details
Most of this week focused on shaping the cave’s structure — defining tunnels, collapsed sections, and key chambers. To speed up layout work, a small in-editor tool was built to generate randomized tunnel patterns, which were then manually arranged and refined into the final cave layout.
Basic fog and flicker lighting were added to test atmosphere and visibility. Ambient cave audio and an early music pass help establish mood. Prop placement has started around mining tools and debris to give the area a sense of past activity. Upcoming polish will focus on transitions between sections and subtle environmental cues to guide navigation.
Next steps
Next week’s work will focus on bringing the Gemstone Grotto to life — tightening the tunnel layout, adding detail where the space still feels bare, and fine-tuning the cave’s atmosphere. The Starmap will also be placed in its intended chamber, though its functionality will come later once the supporting systems are ready.
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