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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TwinBahamut" data-source="post: 3686312" data-attributes="member: 32536">Well, a well designed module...First, I don't think raw exectution matters when discussing the idea of "well designed". Minor typos, flawed stat blocks, bad art, or the like are problems of presentation and editing, not design. However, I consider both mechanical and story elements to be part of design, and thus open to this discussion. It is simply not the (creative) designer's fault if the (technical) printer made a typsetting error, after all, and I prefer to focus on creative elements.Second, I do believe that ideas of good and bad design are relevant and useful to discuss. After all, it is the goal of a game designer, like any other creative individual, to strife to create a better product, and to improve the artform as a whole. Unlike some people, I do not believe that paint thrown randomly against a blank canvas, with no intellignet control, has any artistic value for either artist or viewer. Further, since I can imagine a truly bad module, it implies the existence of different levels of quality.So, on to what I think good design is...First, a good module must be robust, with the same usage of the term as in computer programming. It must be able to accept a wide variety of input from the user, without breaking or performing badly. A good module should not be hindered by the party doing something unexpected. Instead, it should put tools in the hands of the DM that allows for either a correction of the PC's course, or altering the module so that it moves to follow the party's course. Similarly, different party make-ups should work equally well with the module.Robust: Having mutliple end-scenerios, depending on what has happened within the module. If the party kills the BBEG two hours too early, his henchmen are fleshed out enough to carry on without him.Not robust: Requiring that the party bring a rogue, or else the instant death trap on the macguffin is unpassable.Second, a module has to be coherent. It must make logical sense as both a game and a narrative. Internal consistency, verismilitude, and consistency with setting are all part of this. Perhaps more importantly, the DM running it should have a clear understanding of how everything operates, with character motivations, location layout, and monster behavior all easily understood.Coherent: Anything that makes sense, such as a dungeon raid into an underground temple, trying to save a village girl from being sacrificed, and having to fight guardian demons and undead created by the evil cultists.Incoherent: Going into the fifth basement of an underground labyrinth to save a princess who was kidnapped (for no logical reason) by a dragon (who could not possibly fit through the five floors of narrow passageways). When the dragon dies, the cave collapses, and the cavern collapse can be prevented by ripping out the dead dragon's spleen.Finally, the last design quality I can figure out is ease of use. The easier it is to keep track of everything, the better. This is heavily influenced by module format and layout. In fact, sometimes I think having a module exist as a hard-bound book is bad design under this guideline, but that is a different thread. at least, the concept of this one is easy to understand.Easy to use: Monster names are clear, different entries give page numbers of where to find information, the module has different sections for different things with easy to sort tabs, etc.Not easy to use: Random organization, information buried in paragraphs under unrelated headers, poorly labeled maps, etc.These ideas overlap a lot, and certainly the best way to optimize these qualities is subject to debate (open-ended vs. rigid plot, character driven vs. generic, geographic vs chronological organization, etc), but I think these qualities are the most important.Regardless, I do agree that "well designed" is not the same thing as "fun". "Well designed" is a quality of a product, which is not the same thing as "fun", the individual reaction to a product based on personal taste and experience. Still, that doesn't mean good design doesn't matter. After all, there are many supposedly good horror movies out there, but I hate them all since I don't enjoy horror movies, yet I know a horror movie is well designed by watching how fans of horror movies react favorably to it.I hope my thoughts didn't meander too much in this post...</blockquote>

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