The provided transcript is a conversation between Mark Brown and Evan Hill, a former level designer at Naughty Dog, discussing the creation of a level in "The Last of Us Part Two." The level they are discussing takes place in a museum and involves various interactive elements, including a dinosaur exhibit. Evan Hill explains how they designed the level, including the use of block mesh, player freedom, and guiding the player's attention through camera movements and character interactions. They also discuss the importance of dialogue and how it complements the level design. Evan Hill mentions the evolution of the level's design and how it fits into a three-act structure within the game. They end by discussing the transition to the next section of the level and the technical aspects of unloading previous parts to free up memory.
1. The speaker, Mark Brown, introduces himself and explains that he is sharing a heavily edited version of a chat he had with Evan Hill, a former level designer at Naughty Dog who worked on "The Last of Us Part Two" .
2. Evan Hill describes his role in designing a level titled "The Birthday Gift," which is set between the events of "The Last of Us Part One" and "Part Two" .
3. The level is about Joel and Ellie's relationship and takes place in a nostalgic flashback set between the events of the two games .
4. Mark Brown set up a three-way Discord chat with Evan Hill and a mirror of his PS4 output so he could provide commentary on his level as Mark played through it .
5. Evan Hill explains the process of level creation, starting with a brief from Neil Druckmann, the game's creative director. He then describes the creation of the level's outdoor area and the use of navigational techniques to guide the player .
6. He discusses the creation of memorable moments in the level, such as the climbing of a dinosaur, and how these moments unfolded during the development process .
7. Evan Hill talks about the introductory area in the museum, explaining that it is designed to give the player a sense of freedom and the sense that they are driving the experience forward .
8. He also discusses the use of camera movements and level geometry to create interesting and engaging moments in the game .
9. Evan Hill talks about the creation of the space capsule sequence in the museum, explaining that it was intended to deliver a high point in the narrative and to lead into a darker, more confrontational sequence .
10. He discusses the importance of maintaining a consistent flow across the game, despite the level fitting between other levels and having a different tone and narrative .
11. Evan Hill concludes by discussing the level's creation process, which took two solid years and involved a large team of people working on different aspects of the level .