Crucible was a competitive, objective based ARPG that focused on PvEvP rather than straight PvP. As much Diablo as LoL, each map featured a unique win condition that centered around environmental interactions, rather than destroying the enemy's core. I worked primarily on said maps, handling everything from the scenarios, mob and boss encounters, and layout to asset placement.
The Frozen Docks is a fairly confined map designed for fast paced games. In it, players must capture and maintain control of objective points (located on the eponymous Frozen Docks, the King's Seat, and the Keep), earning control points over time in a manner that's instantly familiar. The close quarters and nature of stationary zones lends itself to explosive pushes, but there's always another approach for those looking to sneak around the lines.
Brisk.
The King's Seat is exposed and harder to defend, but is worth the most control points for those up to the task.
The warmer orange shadows of the upper area help to delineate it at a glance from the starker white light of the exposed center and cooler blue-green lighting of the docks.
In the Gruntling Mines players need to help a feuding gruntling chieftain win out over his rival by claiming more silver from the abandoned mines their tribe calls home. Each side regularly sends out mining crews to gather ore from the many rich seams that dot the mines and, as only the gruntlings can mine and transport the silver, it is up to the heroes to protect their own miners while "disrupting" the operations of their opponents. Slain gruntlings, after all, gather no silver.
In addition to the danger posed by roving bands of murderous players, a truly unfortunate number of monstrous spiderlings lurk in the darkened tunnels, snatching up unlucky gruntlings and generally making a menace of themselves. Gruntlings rescued from the spiderlings, by either beating off an ambush or freeing them from webbing cocoons, repay their saviors by joining their side in the conflict as additional miners.
I'm sure they're just on lunch.
In the Catacombs of Kar'varn, the players race to recover ancient dwarven relics lost when the catacombs were overrun by trolls in ages past. The heroes must contend not only with each other, but with fiendishly clever traps left behind by the dwarves, massive trolls that still roam the halls, and the unquiet dead that haunt their own tombs.
No relics are left unguarded, so it is up to each team to decide whether to split up and cover more ground at the risk of getting in over their heads or group up and take on more powerful enemies protecting more valuable relics but risk getting outpaced by a more flexible team.
He won't mind. It's not like he's using it.
Boss encounters are a highlight and integral part of several maps, rewarding skillful and prepared players with a king's ransom in items and gold, making them tempting targets even when they aren't required for victory in the scenario. More than simple gear or level checks, each demands coordination, teamwork, and environmental awareness if death, whether by the boss' own monstrous hands or those of opportunistic opponents, is to be avoided and glory secured.
Eitrdrot, Queen of the Crystal Web, makes her lair in the delightfully charming Webwood, where she and her brood spend idle summer nights enjoying the sweet forest breezes and hunting screaming elves through the undergrowth. Would-be heroes looking to confront her must contend with more than “just” her venomous bite (which inflicts a downright nasty DoT) and crushing claws.
Just don't ask if she's pregnant. It's rude, and she'll bite your face off.
As befits a brood mother, she releases waves of Eitrdrot's Spawn throughout the fight. While individually weak, their numbers and stacking poison vulnerability debuff make them a real threat, especially to anyone suffering from their mother's vicious bite. Her more formidable children also make an appearance, as she occasionally hurls a singular, but massive, egg onto the battlefield which, if not quickly destroyed, spawns a much more dangerous Crystal Crawler (equipped with it's own nasty DoT, plenty of HP, and three-pronged PBAoE) to rampage through her foes. Even just a single unchecked crawler can ruin an attempt on their mother's life, so snap re-targeting, good burst, and quick pickups of any that do spawn are vital.
She also unleashes a massive, eight-pronged PBAoE (after expanding out from her, the lines connect to form a spiderweb-like pattern, naturally) that both damages and knocks prone those who fail to avoid it. Her most iconic ability, however, is her Stoneshard Web, which continually coats the ground under her in poisonous webbing that damages any who stand in it. If she remains in one place, though, the webbing pools outward from her in all directions, so she needs to be kept moving if anyone looking to tank or melee her hopes to avoid the heavy damage it inflicts. Dealing with the webbing (think of it like a game of snake, only featuring a giant, murderous spider) is one of the keys to this encounter, as the damage inflicted by standing in the web, or even just too many quick passes through it, will quickly outstrip even the most dedicated healer and drop even the toughest tank.
