Coral Grotto — Level Design Showcase
Coral Grotto is a high-risk, end-game cooperative point of interest designed for groups of 5–8 players in the Turquoise Sea, targeting levels 23–25. Accessed exclusively by ship, the POI emphasizes player commitment and tension through contested travel routes, open-water exposure, and elevated PvP risk before players ever reach the interior space.
Designed with shared-world concurrency in mind, Coral Grotto blends vertical cavern spaces, narrow traversal routes, and open combat arenas to create meaningful decisions around positioning, pull management, and group coordination. Sightlines and elevation changes are used to telegraph danger while maintaining spatial clarity in a visually dense environment.
Working closely with environment art, narrative, and NPC teams, I supported the layout and encounter flow for a series of escalating engagements that pull players from exposed shoreline entry points into deeper, more dangerous interior spaces. The POI culminates in a rear grind pocket featuring burning skeleton enemies, providing a dedicated loop for sustained combat, progression, and repeat visits without interfering with the primary encounter flow.
This piece highlights:
End-game spatial design supporting coordinated groups of 5–8
Risk-reward tuning through ship-based access and PvP exposure
Vertical encounter spaces emphasizing positioning and line-of-sight control
A dedicated grind sub-area supporting repeatable PvE engagement (also PVP if you are feeling froggy)
Seamless encounter escalation from entry to deep interior zones