The best adventure...

[Summer-Knight925]

What do you want out of an adventure?

Heavy combat?
Role play?
Puzzles?
All of these?

I would just like to hear your thoughts on the "perfect" adventure.

 

[carmachu]

The best kind? None of he above or all of the above. The very best ones tell a story, and let the players weave into it, and in doing so make it better.

 

[Bedrockgames]

What do you want out of an adventure?

Heavy combat?
Role play?
Puzzles?
All of these?

I would just like to hear your thoughts on the "perfect" adventure.

For me the best adventure is investigation and roleplay heavy, combat light.

 

[Quickleaf]

Some of the adventures I've been impressed by are "The Veiled Society" and several others in the B-series (Mystara); [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Infinite-Staircase-Planescape-Adventure/dp/0786912049"]http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Infinite-Staircase-Planescape-Adventure/dp/0786912049[/ame] by Monte Cook, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-House-AD-Planescape-Adventure/dp/0786901543"]http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-House-AD-Planescape-Adventure/dp/0786901543[/ame] by Bill Slavicsek (the 1st & 3rd acts are good, the 2nd act sucks),[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Well-Worlds-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/1560768932"]http://www.amazon.com/Well-Worlds-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/1560768932[/ame] and [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hellbound-Blood-War-AD-Planescape/dp/0786904070/ref=pd_sim_b10"]http://www.amazon.com/Hellbound-Blood-War-AD-Planescape/dp/0786904070/ref=pd_sim_b10[/ame] by Colin McComb, and "Umbra" by Chris Perkins in Dungeon #55. (Planescape); [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Assassin-Mountain-Advanced-Dungeons-Al-Qadim/dp/156076564X"]http://www.amazon.com/Assassin-Mountain-Advanced-Dungeons-Al-Qadim/dp/156076564X[/ame] by Wolfgang Baur and [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Voyages-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Setting/dp/1560763310"]http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Voyages-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Setting/dp/1560763310[/ame] by David "Zeb" Cook (Al-Qadim).

I'm particularly interested in checking out Paizo's "The Harrowing" http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/p/pathfinderRPG/paizo/pathfinderModules/v5748btpy8lv9 and Goodman Games' "Death Dealer: Shadows of Mirahan" http://www.goodman-games.com/5371preview.htm.

I guess you could say most of these adventures have a certain amount of freedom so that players can approach the challenges from several angles. Also, many of them are organized in bite-sized chunks, sort of mini-adventures within the adventure, that you can organize as you want. But I wouldn't go so far as to call them sandbox adventure-settings.

 

[was]

for me...50% roleplay, 40% combat, 10% puzzles

 

[delericho]

There is no magic formula for the best adventure.

You can put together a functional adventure by working to a formula. You can even produce a good adventure by working to a formula and applying experience. But the best adventures, the really inspired ones, are the ones that take the formula, work with and against it, throw bits out here and there, add some new stuff, mix it all up, and come up with something unique and inspirational.

 

[ExploderWizard]

An adventure is what is taking place during play, so I would have to say that a good group of players is the number one thing that contributes to the best adventures.

As far as scenario design is concerned, good solid locations,and interesting npcs with understandable (and sometimes unexpected) motivations is a great start. Adventure opportunities are a must and multiple paths to overcoming problems and challenges associated with them are good because the adventure itself is a dynamic entity filled with limitless possibilities.

Frandor's Keep for Hackmaster basic is a good semi-recent example of such a work.

 

[Hand of Evil]

The FUN ones - it does not matter as long as I have fun and enjoy the game but if I had to pick murder mystery or pulp horror.

Breakdown:
35% - Plot, story, locations, NPCs - Background stuff
40% - Roleplay
25% - Combat

 

[khantroll]

My idea of the best adventure is the one that puts all of the elements mentioned into a blender (whilst measuring like an Old South cook) and hitting "shrape". The adventures where I get to have ample opportunity to grab victory from defeat in combat, live a story, and come up with a perfectly in character way to thwart the DM's plans.

Formula's are like recipes; you can make satisfactory stuff with them, but greatness happens by accident.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

for me...50% roleplay, 40% combat, 10% puzzles

Same here as this.