ZACHARY SHEWBART
Technical Designer | Game Designer
Starfield: creation kit
Volition
Base Parameters:
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Target critical path playtime: 15–20 minutes
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1 main quest with 2 branching outcomes
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1 side quest
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1 custom exterior worldspace
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1+ custom interior spaces
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3+ combat encounters
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Multiple playstyle support (combat, persuasion, security, thievery, etc.)
"Volition" is a single-player quest level for Starfield set on the industrial planet Gagarin. Players investigate a luxury casino and the surrounding mining settlement, uncovering a Starborn experiment harvesting quantum essence to cure a deadly lung disease. The level combines environmental storytelling, branching narrative choices, scripted gameplay, and combat encounters designed to support multiple playstyles.
Developed as a polished extension of the Starfield universe, the project focused on delivering a Bethesda-style quest experience through level design, scripting, exploration, and narrative-driven gameplay.
Design Focus: Level Design, Technical Design
Engine: Starfield: Creation Kit
Development: 4 months, 300+ hours in engine
Gallery
Successes
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Created a strong atmosphere through lighting, color, audio, and environmental storytelling, resulting in an interior space with a memorable identity.
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Managed the project at a sustainable pace, allowing for consistent progress throughout development while delivering a complete, playable experience without excessive crunch.
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Expanded my technical design skills by implementing several custom gameplay systems in Papyrus, including clone combat behaviors, security systems, and interactive environmental scripting.
Challenges
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Prioritized production over documentation, which limited the level of design documentation and planning available during development. Better time management would have improved both areas.
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The project's broad scope left less time to iterate on combat encounters, resulting in gameplay spaces that could have benefited from additional refinement and player-focused polish.
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Some exterior geometry and interior layouts lacked the intentionality I was aiming for, highlighting the importance of investing more time in early blockouts and spatial planning.
Key Takeaways
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Strong planning and documentation create a better foundation for production, especially when designing level layouts, flow, and encounter spaces.
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Time should be focused on the elements that most directly impact the player's experience, while environmental polish should support and not replace strong gameplay.
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Regularly seeking and acting on feedback leads to stronger designs. Learning to embrace critique earlier in the process has become an important part of my design workflow.
what i accomplished
Design
Level Design
The level was designed around vertical progression and meaningful reuse of space. Players ascend from a grounded mining settlement to an elevated casino through layered pathways, catwalks, and multi-level combat arenas that support varied playstyles. Throughout development, playtesting informed improvements to navigation, resulting in interconnected routes, shortcuts, and spaces that are revisited with new gameplay context, reinforcing player orientation while reducing unnecessary backtracking.
Aesthetics
The level's visual identity is built around the contrast between a luxurious casino and the struggling mining settlement beneath it, using lighting, architecture, and environmental detail to reinforce the narrative without relying on dialogue. Strong landmarks and visual framing naturally guide the player through the space, while custom scripted searchlights transform the casino into a memorable focal point that remains visible throughout the level.
Technical Design
The clone combat system was designed to reinforce the narrative themes of identity and unethical experimentation while creating dynamic combat encounters. Through Papyrus scripting, enemies duplicate themselves during combat, increasing pressure without overwhelming the player by leveraging open arenas, verticality, and careful encounter pacing. Playtesting informed adjustments to spawn timing, visual effects, and arena readability, improving both combat clarity and player understanding of the mechanic.
