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<blockquote data-quote="Beginning of the End" data-source="post: 5478139" data-attributes="member: 55271">I'm not sure &quot;ironic&quot; is quite the right word. It's pretty easy to read Keep on the Shadowfell as Mearls' version of what Keep on the Borderlands should look like.The comparison, unfortunately, is not kind to Mearls, IMO.B2, like B1 before it, was a teaching module. The approach taken by these modules was to provide a basic creative scaffold and then require the DM to exercise their world-building skills: B1 covers the dungeon by asking the DM to key the dungeon map to pre-designed monsters and treasure. B2 uses a similar &quot;incomplete key&quot; approach when it comes to the PCs' home base. For the keep, the DM is given a roster of NPCs to flesh out and guidance on how to build floorplans for oft-visited structures (along with samples). Unlike B1, the dungeon is fully-keyed, but it's teaching other lessons: The caves are explicitly designed to make the factions of the dungeon clear, and this is paired with advice to the DM on how to use the rivalry between factions as part of the game.Meanwhile, from a larger design standpoint, B2 is all about emphasizing player choice: When the PCs walk into that valley, the first thing they have to do is make a choice about which of the dozen caves to explore first. There are quite a few other lessons for the players hidden within the design of B2, but that's the big one: The adventure is yours to choose.Now, let's compare that with Keep on the Shadowfell. This is also a teaching module. What does it teach? Linear encounter design. Linear dungeon design. Designing adventures according to a script.B2 isn't perfect and Shadowfell isn't without virtue. But they do present two diametrically opposed visions of what RPGs are about.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Beginning of the End, post: 5478139, member: 55271"] I'm not sure "ironic" is quite the right word. It's pretty easy to read [i]Keep on the Shadowfell[/i] as Mearls' version of what [i]Keep on the Borderlands[/i] should look like. The comparison, unfortunately, is not kind to Mearls, IMO. B2, like B1 before it, was a teaching module. The approach taken by these modules was to provide a basic creative scaffold and then require the DM to exercise their world-building skills: B1 covers the dungeon by asking the DM to key the dungeon map to pre-designed monsters and treasure. B2 uses a similar "incomplete key" approach when it comes to the PCs' home base. For the keep, the DM is given a roster of NPCs to flesh out and guidance on how to build floorplans for oft-visited structures (along with samples). Unlike B1, the dungeon is fully-keyed, but it's teaching other lessons: The caves are explicitly designed to make the factions of the dungeon clear, and this is paired with advice to the DM on how to use the rivalry between factions as part of the game. Meanwhile, from a larger design standpoint, B2 is all about emphasizing player choice: When the PCs walk into that valley, the first thing they have to do is make a choice about which of the dozen caves to explore first. There are quite a few other lessons for the players hidden within the design of B2, but that's the big one: The adventure is yours to choose. Now, let's compare that with [i]Keep on the Shadowfell[/i]. This is also a teaching module. What does it teach? Linear encounter design. Linear dungeon design. Designing adventures according to a script. B2 isn't perfect and [i]Shadowfell[/i] isn't without virtue. But they do present two diametrically opposed visions of what RPGs are about. [/QUOTE]

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