One level I worked on for AP that didn’t make the game was Halbech Rome. It was supposed to be the European HQ of the megacorp Halbech, and in the original draft of the script, Mike Thorton was working there undercover at the start of the game. I can’t recall why the player returns, as this was not just a cutscene level, but also a gameplay level.
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What eventually killed this level was the story re-write. When the story was redrafted and the four hubs, Saudi, Rome, Moscow, Taipei, were reassigned to new designers, all the existing levels were reassigned too. Almost like a sports draft. I can’t speak for anyone else as to why they passed on this level, but I personally passed on it because it’s set in a high rise, with other high-rises visible from all the windows. The skyline is generic, but looks something like Hong Kong. Despite the fact that this level had originally been intended to go into Rome, no one on the team had ever actually been to Rome. If they had, they could have pointed out something interesting about the Roman skyline:
...that it's basically unchanged since Ezio was there.
So yeah, no skyscrapers, no real high-rises. Definitely not the neon lit futurescape that surrounded Halbech Rome. Even Milan, the nearest match I could find, looks nothing like whatever is outside the window of Leland’s office. This is an important lesson to designers and artists. A designer is responsible for making sure that locations and events look right and feel natural. Don’t make assumptions about what a place looks like or how a gadget works- do some research. That goes for artists too, don’t be afraid to raise your hand when design isn’t doing it’s job. I’ve known artists that had internalized a kind of inferiority complex vis a vis the designer/artist relationship. The artist does not work for the designer or vice versa, you work together to create awesome stuff. If a designer hands you something that doesn’t pass the smell test, say something. Similarly, designers, double check what the artists make and don’t be afraid to ask for revisions.
