Thread by @DanaENight

The sixth thing I worked on at Arkane was "Eminent Domain" for Dishonored's DLC, "The Knife of Dunwall". This is what we made instead of the very expensive Clocktower map. 1/14

It's known that this map was originally Dishonored's second prototype (vertical slice). The prototype was convinced as the most genetic Dishonored mission possible (which also make it a good marketing asset), so it was pretty easy to use it as a canvas. 2/14

This wasn't the first time we used parts of that prototype in the game. Galvani's estate (and the Art Dealer and Burglary challenge map) all used the mansion interior. Naturally I wanted a totally new Estate for Eminent Domain, with a critical change. 3/14

It was very important to me that the interior wasn't a separate map. I envisioned a mission without a single infiltration moment. The building would have a dozen ways in, but movement inside was extremely dangerous, so the idea was you'd make many small brief infiltrations. 4/14

This could not work if the interior was in a separate map. This put an incredible constraint on the amount of memory the map could take up. (Xbox 360 & PS3) Environment density of an interior mixed with the scope of a street map was a dangerous combination. 5/14

Another thing we had to scope down was Thalia's role in the mission. We had planned a complex & interactive tarot reading scene, but there was simply no time in the animation schedule for it. In the end Timsh's location was always random. 6/14

If you're reading the charts (and please do) you may notice that Billie Lurk is absent. She wasn't created until halfway through the DLC's development, coinciding with it being split into two. What's the point of giving your protagonist a voice without someone to talk with? 7/14

I'm retrospect, Billie Lurk's creation is easily the most important contribution Knife of Dunwall made to Dishonored as a whole. Adding her in allowed for the creation of a ton of fun moments that weren't possible with Corvo (or even Emily in Dishonored 2). 8/14

Timsh's routine though the map seems to be buggy. He is supposed to randomly begin at one of three spots and then randomly move to the other two, with dialog with his staff at each spot. I haven't seen any walkthrough mention this so I guess it's broken in the final version. 9/14

My biggest disappointed was having the "Pull" power cut from Knife of Dunwall and made exclusive to Brigmore Witches. I designed the map around its use. If you play it, look at all of the spots were it could come in handy and know that my heart is broken for each of them. 10/14

Why was the man who gave you the non-lethal goal wearing a Boyle party mask? Because we could not afford a unique face for him. Putting the mask on him also let me give him Weeper eyes. Did you notice them? 11/14

Why does he send you to read a book rather than explain the nonlethal goal? Because we were not going to get a 2nd voice acting session and I knew that the chances of getting the design right on the first try were zero, so I planned ahead. I was correct. It changed 4 times. 12/14

I believe the scene were Timsh is confronted by the general may be the funniest moment in the entire usually extremely serious Dishonored series. 😅 Did you know that if Timsh's bodyguard survives until that moment there's an extra line at the end? 13/14

And finally, yes, Billie. The Outsider does smell like wildflowers. And yes I'm salty that we didn't do a callback to that line in "Death of the Outsider".

I'll probably remember more anecdotes later! As per usual with these threads, AMA! 14/14

It looks like the flowcharts are uploaded at full res, though compressed to heck, so there is a way to read the text, but I am not sure if it's possible on the mobile app. On desktop if you right-click and "view in another tab" the text is readable.

Sorry about this.