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*TTRPGs General
Dungeon layout, map flow and old school game design
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<blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 6219979" data-attributes="member: 5868"><p>This is one of the best, classic threads on EN World. Good to see it again.</p><p></p><p>I much prefer this style of dungeon design, which makes exploration interesting and gives players real, meaningful choices. When combined with a sandbox-style wilderness, it results in my favorite style of adventure. It's what I intentionally chose to mirror when I wrote <em><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=414" target="_blank">Raiders of Oakhurst Reloaded</a></em>, though since that adventure is relatively short, the major dungeon only contains two intersecting loops.</p><p></p><p>I'll caveat that by saying good physical map design can't save uninspired encounters, ecology, and linkage -- you need both. If you start with a good map, though, you're partway there.</p><p></p><p>That said, linear design isn't necessarily bad. As I've said elsewhere, because the players normally don't peek behind the screen, there's no difference between real player choice and the illusion of player choice. If the GM is effective at delivering the illusion of meaningful choice, the players will be highly satisfied even if the basic adventure is linear in design. All things being equal I prefer real meaningful choices to the illusion, but worst of all are adventures that lack even illusion of choice. We call them railroads.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Olgar Shiverstone, post: 6219979, member: 5868"] This is one of the best, classic threads on EN World. Good to see it again. I much prefer this style of dungeon design, which makes exploration interesting and gives players real, meaningful choices. When combined with a sandbox-style wilderness, it results in my favorite style of adventure. It's what I intentionally chose to mirror when I wrote [i][URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=414"]Raiders of Oakhurst Reloaded[/URL][/i], though since that adventure is relatively short, the major dungeon only contains two intersecting loops. I'll caveat that by saying good physical map design can't save uninspired encounters, ecology, and linkage -- you need both. If you start with a good map, though, you're partway there. That said, linear design isn't necessarily bad. As I've said elsewhere, because the players normally don't peek behind the screen, there's no difference between real player choice and the illusion of player choice. If the GM is effective at delivering the illusion of meaningful choice, the players will be highly satisfied even if the basic adventure is linear in design. All things being equal I prefer real meaningful choices to the illusion, but worst of all are adventures that lack even illusion of choice. We call them railroads. [/QUOTE]
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