The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey Wrap Report

High-Level Goals Greg Gorden: At the high concept level, we wanted to deliver the depth and complexity of a PS1 title, let the player experience the size and open-ended gameplay that are Elder Scrolls hallmarks, and put it on a mobile gaming device, namely the QD. By delivering something with the qualities and standards of The Elder Scrolls, we would distinguish Shadowkey from other RPGs.

Technology James Parker: The technology used for Shadowkey was newly created for the game. The renderer is a 3D cell-based engine including lighting and collision. The only third-party software used was from Nokia.

Regarding game depth, Shadowkey is the first Elder Scrolls handheld title that has the scope and gameplay of a full Elder Scrolls game.

Development Timeline Douglas Frederick: Shadowkey design began in December 2003. While the scheduled gold master delivery was September 14, the actual delivery date was November 8, 2004. Although some might speculate that the delay was due to a first-time product on a new platform, the reality was that we got a late start and created a huge game that required time to pull together.

Changes and Enhancements James Parker: Directional changes in gameplay were met with along the way. When we originally set out to make Shadowkey, our plans were to treat it much like a PC game with multiplayer. We originally wanted to create a new multiplayer medium for the platform. We eventually committed to Bluetooth and proprietary N-Gage technology that incorporated multiplayer. This change in approach did not include the option for a unique player experience allowing users to go in and out of games with a symbiotic relationship and able to join games in progress, similar to a Diablo-like experience. In the end, we achieved two-player gameplay that is both fun and stable.

Major Challenges Douglas Frederick and James Parker: Several challenges specific to our development process are worth noting. In terms of an N-Gage product, Shadowkey started 60 days behind the standard start dates of October / November. This time would have been valuable to have. I can't say we overcame this, because it would have added to a larger result.

Another big challenge was how to deliver a vast game on a handheld platform. Shadowkey was following on the heels of Morrowind, an Elder Scrolls game again known for vastness and beautifully detailed worlds. Oblivion will also deliver another vast and detailed game environment. Both of these are tough acts for handheld console games to follow. When push came to shove, we worked hard to maximize the potential of the platform and provide all the Elder Scrolls experience possible.

One of the ways we assured ourselves of doing this was by looking back at how we did games of the past on lesser technologies and platforms. We were able to measure our goals based upon past achievements and manageable scopes. When all was said and done, a combination of Arena and Daggerfall / Morrowind became the solution.

Best Decisions Douglas Frederick: Several decisions in the development process were key to the depth of the game and completion. The decision to make a deep game that maximized the amount and size of the levels, characters and monsters (based upon available memory) assured we had the canvas to paint an Elder Scrolls adventure. Obviously, an Elder Scrolls game had to be rich and deep, with great variety.

Secondly, using tried and tested team members was vital to the authenticity and depth of the game as well. There are many skilled artists, designers and programmers in the world of gaming, and even in RPGs, but Elder Scrolls fans that played the early games will recognize the continuity and roots. This can be credited to creative energies from earlier Elder Scrolls games.

Finally, it turned out that decisions made in June / July to remove some of the large levels, character art, four-player multiplayer and N-Gage Arena features enabled delivery within the last moments of the launch window. If we hadn't made those decisions at that time, we would still be building Shadowkey.

Key Strengths Greg Gorden: There were several areas in which the team really came through and established key strengths of the game. The character classes, races, growth options, attributes, skills, spells and items were much more like the console titles than previous mobile titles. For example, a Khajiit thief differs from an Argonian one, as it should. This went a long way to capturing the Elder Scrolls experience.

In order to populate the world with as many entities as we did, we often had to sacrifice poly count to make everything fit. When it came to set dressing and art, the artists did a great job of increasing the variety and number of nice-looking objects in the world while keeping the art size within original parameters.

Regarding game depth, Shadowkey is the first Elder Scrolls handheld title that has the scope and gameplay of a full Elder Scrolls game. Even though the J2ME games (Dawnstar and Stormhold) maximized what those devices and platforms could deliver, there is more gameplay in one level of Shadowkey than in either one of those. The entire dev team including programmers, artists and designers really came through with a very robust gameworld.