While the art team's top priority has been continuing efforts towards the surface zone rework, our level design team has been able to keep busy by examining rooms and layouts that need improvements and could benefit from some touch-ups.

The most obvious candidate was the foundation of LCZ, SCP-914's containment chamber. In this post, we will be showcasing the layout, aesthetics, and the reasons behind why this room has been given such a dramatic facelift.

Level Design and Rationale

With Content by: Plookiedookie

SCP-914’s containment chamber serves its purpose well in Containment Breach, but when that room is transferred over to a game like Secret Laboratory, some flaws in the design start to appear. Finding 914 in early game usually results in a standoff between SCPs and the humans trapped inside, and is often resolved only by SCP-106 entering or SCP-079 opening the gate and everyone inside being killed. This issue has reached a point where many players will not even consider SCP-914 as an option outside of the first minute or so of the round, which is problematic as it is one of the only reliable ways to escape into HCZ.

(Above is an early image of the #914 rooms greybox before implementation, created by Plookiedookie)

With this new room, heavy emphasis was placed on alternative exits. The straight hallway allows for two entrances into the room and the containment chamber, giving civilians inside more options to escape from an SCP if they are cornered.

The first and most direct option is by the stairwell, accessed from the left side door. This leads to a winding set of stairs directly in front of an observation window, which allows civilians inside 914 to see through and observe any potential threats approaching the room.

The room’s second access point is by the elevator located on the right side. This is a standard elevator that is intended for moving heavy equipment into 914, but it also allows for a possible escape from adversaries that manage to get into the room. Despite the elevator taking six seconds to ascend and descend, not needing to wait for the elevator is considerably quicker than fleeing to the stairwell, permitting a quick escape if the need arises.

(The Hallway also acts as a line-of-sight blocker, meaning that humans leaving though one door cannot be seen by someone at the other door)

Room Showcase

With Content by: Soup

Hallway

The main hallway is styled in the same way as a standard LCZ hallway, however the entire hallway curves to the side to block line of sight.

Stairwell & Observatory

The quickest way to get access to the containment chamber is through the main stairwell. This area has a small staircase leading to a messy storage area (with a potential hiding spot underneath the stairs) and a small seating area for researchers to observe tests being performed in 914, which contains a keycard.

Containment Chamber

While slightly smaller than its previous home, the containment chamber for 914 has been modernised with some small additional improvements, including a workstation directly opposite the machine, a whiteboard providing a small explanation on how to use the machine, and additional loot spawns with more shelves around as well as an SCP item pedestal.

Storage Elevator

The final section of the new 914 room – and the most interesting – is the new elevator. There is now an elevator on the far side of the room next to a loot shelf and a large box which connects the top section to the bottom section. This elevator takes six seconds to reach the other floor, which is enough time to give warning to anyone inside 914, or for a human going up the elevator to escape a chasing human if the other player goes up the stairwell at the same time.

SCP-079 Cameras

Video Presentation

Final Notes

Be sure to catch up on any exclusive upcoming teasers we regularly post on our Discord server (https://discord.gg/scpsl).

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~Northwood Studios