Blog Post 10: Full Maze Population and Environment Refinement
Entering the second week, our focus shifted toward populating the full maze environment. Using Kamal’s ruins, Steve’s sculptures, and my updated blockouts, we worked systematically through the maze, room by room, filling spaces with atmospheric details.
My priority was maintaining navigational clarity without losing tension. Maze paths were designed to look confusing but still intuitively guide players towards puzzle areas through environmental hints like broken light paths, statue placements, and ruin density.
Joel assisted heavily at this stage, offering a fresh pair of eyes on compositions and suggesting better asset placements for gameplay flow. Together, we ensured that stone puzzles were reachable but guarded by the maze’s environmental complexity.
Performance considerations stayed top of mind. We closely monitored polygon counts and material draws, optimizing wherever possible to keep the Oculus Quest 2 experience smooth. Dynamic lighting and particle effects were added sparingly to maintain frame rates without sacrificing atmosphere.
Despite some areas needing last-minute refinements, the maze environment began feeling truly immersive, a vast, intimidating space full of secrets, danger, and history.
