The status of the Cooperative Dungeon Project?

[der_kluge]

I like the map, but if you want to cut it down to seven encounter areas:

1) eliminate the southeast passage leading to areas 13 through 17. (wall it off)

Uh, 17 is where the Dragon resides!
I'm not opposed to eliminating areas 13 and 14.

2) get rid of the number 11 (encounter area 10 can still describe what's going on in 11).

This is certainly feasible. But remember, these don't all have to be combat encounter areas. There might simply be some interesting treasure or a trap or something in an area. Area 10 might have the rotted remains of a human skeleton with a few rotted weapons, and nothing more in it. Area 7 might be nothing more than a very low ceiling, and tight passageway that restricts movement. I'll see if others have opinions on these.

3) get rid of numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7. (area 2 can describe 3 & 4, 6 can describe 5, 8 can describe 7).

Feasible. I'll see what others have to say on them.

 

[Gansk]

Uh, 17 is where the Dragon resides!

Wouldn't the dragon have more interesting tactical options if it roamed areas 6 through 10?

This is certainly feasible. But remember, these don't all have to be combat encounter areas. There might simply be some interesting treasure or a trap or something in an area. Area 10 might have the rotted remains of a human skeleton with a few rotted weapons, and nothing more in it. Area 7 might be nothing more than a very low ceiling, and tight passageway that restricts movement.

I agree, but I guess Mark has his reasons to keep the number down to seven. I think the temptation of a contributor is to give more detail than a very low ceiling, so by merging the numbers the contributor can make a more meaningful contribution, possibly changing area 7 to 6A, for example.

 

[deltadave]

Personally, I would get rid of the grid and put a scale bar in one corner. The grid kind of clutters up the look. The elevation lines should be a light shade of grey rather than black. Other than that I love the look, the graduated color makes it totally intuitive which way the slopes go.

 

[Mark CMG]

Let me post this again for those who missed it on the first page of this thread -

In fairness to all who have posted (and those who lurk? ), I am the one who asked that the map be posted *and* I am interested in any and all opinions on it. As long as people are being polite to one another there shouldn't be a problem.

I am also thinking that I will blow up the map we use this time so that people can print it out as map tiles for the game table. Five foot squares will be necessary to this. I'd like to limit the number of extraneous (non-encounter) rooms because of this, also. While a map similar to the one presented so far might be useful, there are features inherent in it that are problematic for this actual project.

I would suggest the following be kept in mind for anyone interested in proffering a map for Cooperative Dungeon 05 (- Lair of Lament ?) -

Cavern-ish (no relation to Butch or Henry )

Seven encounter areas

Five foot squares

Clearly defined elevations

It should be designed to fit on one standard 8 1/2 x 11 page while leaving some room for a numbered breakdown. No writing (lettering or numbering), including the legend and compass, should be on the map as they are more easily incorporated during the graphical layout process.

It should be a 300 dpi tif, gif, or jpg image, for posting in this thread, though a Photoshop or Paintshop Pro for later, should your map be accepted, would be even more useful. I deal dimensions might be 7 or 7 1/2 x 8 or 9 *or* 5 or 6 x 9 or 10. I'm not particular if the map winds up in portrait or in landscape orientation.

While I think that is all fairly clear while still keeping things about as flexible as possible. Feell free to ask questions if this is not clear or if there is something I did not address.

Thanks!

Please, note I posted "Seven encounter areas" not "Seven combat encounter areas." Thanks.

der_kluge - I understand you put a lot of work into that map. It's nice. I like it. But it won't work for the next CD project. If you intend to take a shot at making one for the next CD project, please check the above guidelines. Thanks.

 

[der_kluge]

Please, note I posted "Seven encounter areas" not "Seven combat encounter areas." Thanks.

der_kluge - I understand you put a lot of work into that map. It's nice. I like it. But it won't work for the next CD project. If you intend to take a shot at making one for the next CD project, please check the above guidelines. Thanks.

Mark, why so bent on just 7 encounter areas? I just want to understand your reasoning there.

 

[Mark CMG]

Mark, why so bent on just 7 encounter areas? I just want to understand your reasoning there.

Personal reasons. Maybe the one after that will be larger.

 

[Conaill]

Hey Mark - while you guys are wrangling over a map, perhaps the rest of us could start thinking about encounters?

For example, instead of splitting up the Dungeon into encounter *areas* on a map, you could split it as follows:

1. dragon
2. primary dragon minion
3. secondary dragon minion
4. group of minor minions
5. group of minor minions or other cave inhabitant(s)
6. trap or natural challenge (e.g. rockfall, underwater passage, ...)
7. trap or natural challenge

Once we've worked this out, then someone can draw a map to fit the encounters. Or whomever draws the map could base it around the encounters which are already posted, and the remaining encounter would have to fit the map.

We don't really *need* to have a map to get started on this. In fact, we may get a more organically flowing encounter if the map is at least partly built around the encounters, rather than the other way around...

 

[Mark CMG]

Well, this all seems to have a mind of its own and a pace beyond what I am comfortable commiting to at this time. Tell you what . . .

I'm going to shelve the CD 05 Lair of Lament idea for a short while and start it up in it's own thread at a later time. Rather than rain on anyone's parade in regard to the map by der_kluge or the organization by Conaill, why don't you fellas go right ahead and work out a project at your pace. It can't be a Cooperative Dungeon, for obvious and previously posted reasons, but that doesn't mean it can't move ahead cooperatively.

Perhaps you can even wrangle a publisher into slicking it up and handling the legal whatfors and such. There are more than a few who already do similar projects (though not cooperatively) and the only thing that prevents me from suggesting one directly is the off chance it would seem I was putting someone on the spot.

So, you've already got a start, a map, a head of steam, and I'd only suggest you do it all in a new, fresh thread to avoid any confusion by potential contributors. I wish you all well and I'm sure you'll do a great job of it.

 

[Conaill]

Nah, I'll gladly wait until you're ready to take it up as a real CD 05.

I was only suggesting a potentially different way of organizing it: organization-first, instead of map-first. I don't have anything invested in the organization I posted above, that was just an example off the top of my head.

You just tell us what you have in mind and how you'd like to run things, and I'll be happy to help out when the time comes!

 

[Conaill]

PS: Now that Trainz has bowed out... is there any part of the behind-the-scenes work that you'd like more help with?

Any way we can make your job easier (and thereby perhaps entice you to start CD 05 a bit sooner than you might otherwise)?