That is why I nowadays prefer smaller "dungeons" aka buildings and underground structures which make sense, have a purpose and maybe even a logic ecology. When I was young these things did not bother me so much, BUT ...
... back then you know, there was one very, very big difference in playstyle:
DM narrated : You travel down a 10' corridor for 50' and some player would draw an according map on grid paper.
That was the purpose of these megadungeon being big with empty rooms and long winding corridors:
The party has to examine to find that concealed door along the 50' corridor, they have to ask for irregularities, declare how long they search for some, and eventually draw roaming encounters.
It was expect the unexpected at every turn which caused the tension.
But these days this does not work out anymore. Today it is easy to bore people, they are used to shiny flashy videos and video games, and instant gratification. It is like they keep more of their "impatient child traits" because they do not know anything else.
A video clip is boring? One mouseclick and you get to the interesting scene. Back then it was long FF or REV on the video recorder. Everything was slower. Also the megadungeon.
But as I said, today I prefer the arrangement to make sense. The biggest common structure to encounter for my taste is some city sewer or burial catacomb or mine. Not something called undermountain and calling it "mad" mage dungeon to imply why it might be so senseless big, even for a crazed mages playground.
So I can understand your frustration tbh, if I ran it as written I would probably feel the same.
... back then you know, there was one very, very big difference in playstyle:
DM narrated : You travel down a 10' corridor for 50' and some player would draw an according map on grid paper.
That was the purpose of these megadungeon being big with empty rooms and long winding corridors:
The party has to examine to find that concealed door along the 50' corridor, they have to ask for irregularities, declare how long they search for some, and eventually draw roaming encounters.
It was expect the unexpected at every turn which caused the tension.
But these days this does not work out anymore. Today it is easy to bore people, they are used to shiny flashy videos and video games, and instant gratification. It is like they keep more of their "impatient child traits" because they do not know anything else.
A video clip is boring? One mouseclick and you get to the interesting scene. Back then it was long FF or REV on the video recorder. Everything was slower. Also the megadungeon.
But as I said, today I prefer the arrangement to make sense. The biggest common structure to encounter for my taste is some city sewer or burial catacomb or mine. Not something called undermountain and calling it "mad" mage dungeon to imply why it might be so senseless big, even for a crazed mages playground.
So I can understand your frustration tbh, if I ran it as written I would probably feel the same.