Mega dungeon (didn't see anyone make it a poll and Obsidian said it'd be a good idea to do a poll...)

[Metabot]

What are your thoughts on adding a mega-dungeon to the game?

Edited September 21, 2012 by Metabot

[nikolokolus]

bump a dump ... how did this fall off the front page so quickly?

[himmy]

I would love to see a Watcher's Keep-like dungeon if, of course, it's not too much of budget drain. I like the idea of a normal RPG where you suddenly fall into Legends of Grimrock for a few hours.

[Klaleara]

I don't want the mega dungeon to be random. It loses....epicness in that part of it.

 

I would love a giant story driven dungeon. One that the story kind of points you to maybe. All kinds of people talk about it. And when you go in, you find out it is a much larger feat than you initially realize.

 

If they were to add it there would be some things I would think would have to be requirements....

 

-It must be unique, and epic, an ACTUAL DUNGEON CRAWL

-Traps, possibly puzzles

-An enthralling story, that keeps you guessing

-Difficulty, large amounts. To the point, where you may just have to come back at another time, especially the end.

-If you manage to beat it, the outside world should speak of the feat!

-Possibly a companion that you get from the dungeon (Probably before the point of beating it)

-Boo should be in it

Edited September 21, 2012 by Klaleara

[l3loodangel]

What are your thoughts on adding a mega-dungeon to the game?

 

Dude add how many levels people want to the poll!!!

[nikolokolus]

Ooh! I love the idea of a companion being recruited/rescued from the dungeon. There are so many things they could do with that.

[Metabot]

I don't want the mega dungeon to be random. It loses....epicness in that part of it.

 

I would love a giant story driven dungeon. One that the story kind of points you to maybe. All kinds of people talk about it. And when you go in, you find out it is a much larger feat than you initially realize.

 

If they were to add it there would be some things I would think would have to be requirements....

 

-It must be unique, and epic, an ACTUAL DUNGEON CRAWL

-Traps, possibly puzzles

-An enthralling story, that keeps you guessing

-Difficulty, large amounts. To the point, where you may just have to come back at another time, especially the end.

-If you manage to beat it, the outside world should speak of the feat!

-Possibly a companion that you get from the dungeon (Probably before the point of beating it)

-Boo should be in it

 

Yes! Maybe it should be a huge secret, very hard to find with clues spread throughout lore books and NPC conversations, etc. Maybe a complex puzzle to even open the door or something.

[Vorhees]

Anything similar in size and scope to watchers keep in BG2 would suit me....as far as content inside such a dungeon goes....well theres an office full of developers down in sunny california that probably have a much better idea of what sorts of goodies could go into such a structure than I do

[Metabot]

What are your thoughts on adding a mega-dungeon to the game?

 

Dude add how many levels people want to the poll!!!

 

Unfortunately I could only ask three questions for some reason.

[nikolokolus]

Hard to find and harder to open is a good hook too.

[Metabot]

bump a dump ... how did this fall off the front page so quickly?

 

I was surprised myself with how much activity there was in the original thread.

[nikolokolus]

Another thing that could be kind of neat in a big labyrinthine dungeon like is being suggested here is somehow tying in really, really ancient lore about the game world if you delve deep enough, some revelation about ancient history that somehow rocks the conventional wisdom about how the world works or the perception of some long lost people, etc.

[Kabraxis]

Highly depends.

 

For example.. Dragon Age: Origins. I think it was called The Deep Roads (played it in German, so not sure) and it really bored me to death after the first hour. The design was poor. Thankfully it became interesting again in the end with a nice little boss battle and the voices you heard.

So the story behind it was okay in my opinion but the level design was boring. It always looked the same.

 

If we have a huge dungeon then I hope that it is varied, especially in level design. I need to feel that I am making progress.. no, i need to SEE it.

I think The Deep Roads used exactly the same tile set for three levels and there were no details that could make the levels more interesting at all!

 

Buf if it is well designed... sure. I would like to see a huge dungeon.

 

(Voted for partially needed for story progression by the way. Nobody should be forced to do it all if it is massive. Or completely alternative)

Edited September 21, 2012 by Kabraxis

[evdk]

Infinite randomly generated levels with 2D hand made backgrounds? I am having Modron cube flashbacks and think I will need suicide watch.

[eimatshya]

I prefer a smaller number of well designed, challenging, and unique battles to long dungeon crawls. As such, I'm not stoked about the possibility of a Mega-Dungeon. Still, since I suppose it is traditional for the genre, I guess it could be offered as a stretch goal so as to, hopefully, not take resources away from the other aspects of the game.

[morhilane]

Something like Durlag's Tower would be nice I think.

 

As long as it have:

- different levels with various "ecosystems"

- interesting encounters

- puzzles and/or riddles

- traps

[Sylvius the Mad]

I love the idea of having a giant dungeon where only part of it is mandatory.

 

Ultima IX did this, though there it was a result of rushed development. The second half of Hythloth wasn't balanced yet, and the puzzles were diabolically challenging, so they put all of the plot-relevant stuff in the first-half of the dungeon and then added an escape hatch. Still, the final result was terrific.

[nikolokolus]

I prefer a smaller number of well designed, challenging, and unique battles to long dungeon crawls. As such, I'm not stoked about the possibility of a Mega-Dungeon. Still, since I suppose it is traditional for the genre, I guess it could be offered as a stretch goal so as to, hopefully, not take resources away from the other aspects of the game.

 

I think the general consensus seem to be that most people would like it to be optional too, so people that hate such things can just skip if it they choose.

[Crooked Bee]

I'd love a good and long optional dungeon, with some tough encounters and puzzles. Would add a lot to the game, as far as I'm concerned.

[Torgo]

I think a huge dungeon would be great as long as it has a legitimate place with the world of Project Eternity. Either a questline or a well layed out story told in the dungeon's background would be great!

[Klaleara]

Highly depends.

 

For example.. Dragon Age: Origins. I think it was called The Deep Roads (played it in German, so not sure) and it really bored me to death after the first hour. The design was poor. Thankfully it became interesting again in the end with a nice little boss battle and the voices you heard.

So the story behind it was okay in my opinion but the level design was boring. It always looked the same.

 

If we have a huge dungeon then I hope that it is varied, especially in level design. I need to feel that I am making progress.. no, i need to SEE it.

I think The Deep Roads used exactly the same tile set for three levels and there were no details that could make the levels more interesting at all!

 

Buf if it is well designed... sure. I would like to see a huge dungeon.

 

(Voted for partially needed for story progression by the way. Nobody should be forced to do it all if it is massive. Or completely alternative)

 

A massive dungeon could go so many differnet ways. I mean you could start off in some crappy cave, then sooner or later turns into a crazy underground tunnel, and finally some Necromancers underground Keep of Deathly Apocalyptic Hello Kitty Doom.

 

And bring teh story along with it the entire way.

[Cantousent]

I don't want it to be like DA:O at all in terms of the dungeons. I want a living, vibrant cavernous area with it's own ecosystem and everything else attendant to such an area. I'd like it as a stretch goal if the devs think it would really add to the game.

[Kabraxis]

Highly depends.

 

For example.. Dragon Age: Origins. I think it was called The Deep Roads (played it in German, so not sure) and it really bored me to death after the first hour. The design was poor. [...] It always looked the same.

 

[...]

Buf if it is well designed... sure. I would like to see a huge dungeon.

 

A massive dungeon could go so many differnet ways. I mean you could start off in some crappy cave, then sooner or later turns into a crazy underground tunnel, and finally some Necromancers underground Keep of Deathly Apocalyptic Hello Kitty Doom.

 

And bring teh story along with it the entire way.

 

That's what I am talking about.

Hello Kitty Doom, haha.

[oldmanpaco]

I'd love a good and long optional dungeon, with some tough encounters and puzzles. Would add a lot to the game, as far as I'm concerned.

Something that is very difficult but available early would be great. Then you can feel progression as your character begins to be able to handle it.

[eimatshya]

Highly depends.

 

For example.. Dragon Age: Origins. I think it was called The Deep Roads (played it in German, so not sure) and it really bored me to death after the first hour. The design was poor. Thankfully it became interesting again in the end with a nice little boss battle and the voices you heard.

So the story behind it was okay in my opinion but the level design was boring. It always looked the same.

 

If we have a huge dungeon then I hope that it is varied, especially in level design. I need to feel that I am making progress.. no, i need to SEE it.

I think The Deep Roads used exactly the same tile set for three levels and there were no details that could make the levels more interesting at all!

 

Buf if it is well designed... sure. I would like to see a huge dungeon.

 

(Voted for partially needed for story progression by the way. Nobody should be forced to do it all if it is massive. Or completely alternative)

 

Yeah, that part was called the the Deep Roads in English, and it bored me to tears. That section of the game has significantly reduced the replay value of DA:O for me, because I don't have any desire to trudge through that segment ever again. It wasn't too difficult (at least not on hard), it was just tedious. The exact same tactics could be used to beat just about every fight, and it just became a monotonous process of mechanically going through the same combination of moves/spells over and over again while we whittled down the stupidly long health bars of the stupidly uniform enemies.

 

If Obsidian does a mega dungeon, or in any large dungeon for that matter, they should focus on variety. It shouldn't be ten levels of trash mobs interspersed with a couple of boss fights. Each level should feel distinct, yet part of the same dungeon, and there should be a wide range of adversaries that will demand different tactics on the part of the player, rather than just copy pasting the same few groups of enemies. If you have to make a huge dungeon, may as well make it as unique and challenging as possible. Break out the puzzles, and give us multiple ways to circumvent traps and other obstacles. In fact, don't make the dungeon linear; there should be multiple routes through it.

 

So, if you are going to make a mega dungeon, go all out. It should:

 

1. Have multiple ways through it (i.e. not be a long corridor filled with monsters). This could be due to choosing which passage way to go down; through finding secret passages; through using ropes, climb checks, line of sight teleport spells, fly spells etc. to find shortcuts; through failing a detect traps roll and falling into chasm or underground river then having to find your way out and ending up in a different part of the dungeon; solving a puzzle that makes your way easier (teleports you, opens a hidden door, etc.); and so on.

2. Have a variety of enemies, and different enemies should require different tactics to beat.

3. Quality over quantity when it comes to enemies (although occasional swarms of cannon fodder would be alright).

4. Have meaningful puzzles.

 

Otherwise, it will just be a tedious time-sink like the Deep Roads.