The Outer Worlds 2 - Zyranium Manufactory VII - Main Quest location - Marisol Companion Acquisition

The Zyranium Manufactory VII is both a Main Quest dungeon, as well as a Companion Acquisition level. Balancing those two things in this design was a complex challenge that required a bunch of iteration.

Premise - the player arrives on this planet, they see an attack that's visibly launched from this POI. The quest - come here and find who was responsible. The strike wasn't approved. The area is on lockdown, and the player has to identify the traitor.

Approaching the POI, the player will hear a intercom blaring a message that states that there is a lockdown. The front door is sealed until the player has gotten clearance during the main quest in this planet.

The player has to decide between two NPCs which they think is responsible for the unapproved attack that occurred. This NPC is in charge of the facility, and claims to have the traitor cornered.

This is the other NPC the player is deciding guilt between. Alva claims to have been set up, and states that she's innocent and has been forced to override controls here in order to prevent someone from killing her. She put the facility on lockdown.

NPCs around the POI will offer more information on what happened here. This was a fun thing to implement with the Narrative Designer. If the player wants to investigate a bunch, they will be rewarded with context.

This initial blockout by me shows what I originally planned for the POI. This failed to meet the goals I had with my collaborators. There wasn't room enough to properly pace out and handle the complex narrative requirements of the POI

blue - normal path to Lab, conversation/combat progression

red - stealth path, spider combat/stealth around, alt route into lab

green - where Marisol is located

pink - silo (where attack was launched from)

To create the proper pacing, I got asked for a larger scope for my level and got approval. There would be an exterior and an interior dungeon. The exterior handles the setup and context dump for the playthrough.

The Dungeon is the "meat and potatoes" of the quest. This features a hub & spoke level design. Initially most spokes are locked, but they unlock as the player completes steps in their investigation.

To emphasize the lockdown, I set up troops outside this building to look like they're guarding from an attack that could come from within. The guards and the cover provide that visual storytelling.

This spoke is a combat/stealth space. Verachnids here will attack on sight.
Red X - enemy
Green - stealth route
dude - trapped NPC
star - clue for investigation

This is the Verachnid spoke. The player can take the sneak route on the right (lit up), or the combat approach to the left. These lead to the clue in the building further in. A trapped NPC calls attention to that quest space, and RPG skills free them.

These Autodocs are in the locations with the clues. These heal the player, and they're in these locations to reward the progression through the combat or hazards the player will encounter.

This spoke is a hazard gauntlet. The Shield Gadget and/or the Double Jump Boots offer easier navigation. The player can disable the hazards for a reward from an NPC nearby, that's by the clue.
white - paths through hazards
red - routes back
star - clue

This NPC is in the Hazard spoke. They offer the player a reward for shutting off the hazards. If the player does this, the hazards are gone, and this NPC gives them a clearance keycard that gets them into locked spaces around the POI.

This is the first sightline into the hazard gauntlet. The sightlines here are important. The clue they're looking for is in the control room under the lit up sign center-screen. From this position the player can plan their approach with the visible paths.

The clearance card the player can acquire will allow them into spaces like this. This is the barracks. This location offers visual storytelling for how the NPCs live here. There is a narrative element that supports Alva in this space as well.

The clearance card gets the player past this locked door. Inside is a high value item the player can find useful in the rest of the game. That item is seen in the window to add intrigue and encourage exploration of optional content here.

The quest can end one of seven ways in this secret area that's sealed off until the player has made their choice on the guilty party. This is where the main quest advances, and where the potential companion offers to join the player.