As I have been designing out this level, I have been trying to work out not only the architectural design of the level (making it look good), the in-world function of various aspects of the level, as well as how I want gameplay to flow throughout. As the intended game is a single player fighting his way through the base to capture a prototype spaceship, I decided to limit the entry point to the downstream river (maybe sticking close to the river between the mountains is the only way to approach undetected). If this is the case, the player will start at the docks at the base of the dam and be forced to fight their way upwards constantly. I think this vertical aspect will result in some interesting gameplay and challenges. The final ship that the player needs to capture will be positioned on the landing pad at the very top of the dam.

As for design elements, I still feel like I am in the early stages of building this out. I am still exploring the various shapes that make up this level (trying to find something that looks interesting). At the same time, I am still locking down the various in-world purpose of different buildings and sections of the dam. Hopefully, these will start to come together during the next week or so as I explore different things.