Mega Dungeon in PoEII?

[Bloodshard]

So are we going to have a Mega Dungeon in Deadfire like the endless paths? or are we going to have more smaller dungeons spread through out the world?

 

What do you guys think?

 

I kinda like the idea of shipwrecks and abandoned forts used as dungeons, but a wave based arena is also be a ton of fun. 

[JerekKruger]

I'd love me some good dungeoneering, be it of the mega or standard variety, but I'd rather not see a repeat of the Endless Paths. Fifteen floors was just too much, and there wasn't much going on on many of those floors (particularly the later ones). I'd say that five floors is a good cap on dungeon size and actually three works pretty well most the time (Durgan's Battery was, in my opinion, one of the best dungeons I've ever played)

[gibonez]

Yea I started to get fatigue in the Endless Paths far too many floors.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Yes, but I'd prefer less but bigger and more interesting levels than Endless Paths. I quit endless paths after level 10 or so and powered through the rest of PoE because it was just too boring.

[injurai]

Yes please to a mega dungeon. I'm down for something smaller than Endless Paths if it means a more dense more bespoke dungeon in nature.

​

​Endless Paths was almost like having Diablo 1 built into the game. But yeah, something nautical themed certainly comes to my imagination when thinking what the analogue to Endless Paths could be.

​

​I think a "string" of dungeons that break up a single mega dungeon, maintains a thematic through line would be a neat way to go. Puzzles anyone?

Edited February 6, 2017 by injurai

[Casper]

i wouldn't mind another mega dungeon, just make it vary unique (and give it a very different visual style compared to the rest of the game) so you're not just repaving ground already covered in PoE1. and no mega dragon (that thing took me about half an hour to chip-away at it's health, if i can fight it without a party wipe-out or ten)  

[Bloodshard]

i wouldn't mind another mega dungeon, just make it vary unique (and give it a very different visual style compared to the rest of the game) so you're not just repaving ground already covered in PoE1. and no mega dragon (that thing took me about half an hour to chip-away at it's health, if i can fight it without a party wipe-out or ten)  

 

Indeed that dragon was like going up against unpatched Duirel as an Assassin back in Diablo II, that is the type of boss that needs to be scaled. I got wiped a few times by the dragon and just left and finished every side quest and leveled up as much as possible then took her on before I completed the story.

[Archaven]

Since they revealed on dynamic AI scaling, I'm not sure how possible this would be. But how about 15 levels of procedurally random generated AI on each level with increasing difficulty other than said handcrafted encounters?

[ericdy]

I would like a mega dungeon, but it need to be more versatile. The endless path was good but in some levels the creativity was way to low.

 

I also liked the dragon at the end, and don't think it needs scaling.. you try, you die... so you get out in the world and get faster, stronger, better, harder!

[Heijoushin]

I don't think we really need a mega dungeon. Like a good book or movie, dungeons should know when to stop. Y'know, leave the player wanting more. So I agree that 5 or so levels is just right. The Endless Paths was especially painful on second/third/fourth playthroughs. 

 

Though if there is a big optional dungeon, I would like a medieval castle format like Raedric's Hold. Castles are fun to explore cause there's a variety of areas (dungeon, gardens, towers, libary etc.), not just endless caves. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Heijoushin

[evilcat]

• 3-5 levels per dungeon is enought
• Eothas Temple and Durgan Battery more fun than Skaen (ghost stories?)
• funcional design (old temple, stronghold, workshop)
• loot
• puzzles and secrets
• optional, rather late levels (it is about showing off our builds)
• some background story to smooth it up, maybe ghosts, maybe notes, walls or narration with scenery.
• dungeon crawl is different experience so some ppl will just skip it

Roderick Hold is good quest, but it is more of side quest than dungeon.

Edited February 6, 2017 by evilcat

[Revan91]

The megadungeon in PoE ended up being too big for its own good. 

If it had like five levels instead of 15 it would've been a lot better, some floors just had very little going on for them and were only filled with trash mobs. Durgan's Battery in TWM was definetely better.

 

Hopefully (and it seems one of their goals, as they've stated in some interviews) they'll also focus on open areas that can be completed with multiple approaches, like Raedric's Hold and the Abbey in TWM2. Those were very nice.

[Casper]

actually that's kind of a good point... bout the mega dungeon being optional. in PoE1 taking on the Endless Paths seemed to be kind of required, unless you don't mind a downer ending (i'm assuming, as i've always finished the EP in my play throughs, so i have no idea what goes on with the ending if you leave things with the Paths alone or alone-ish).

 

so, if there is a 15 level mega dungeon it shouldn't automatically effect the ending negatively if you leave it alone.

[injurai]

 

• 3-5 levels per dungeon is enought
• Eothas Temple and Durgan Battery more fun than Skaen (ghost stories?)
• funcional design (old temple, stronghold, workshop)
• loot
• puzzles and secrets
• optional, rather late levels (it is about showing off our builds)
• some background story to smooth it up, maybe ghosts, maybe notes, walls or narration with scenery.
• dungeon crawl is different experience so some ppl will just skip it

Roderick Hold is good quest, but it is more of side quest than dungeon.

 

 

​Just going to reiterate the desire for:

​

• ​Puzzles and secrets

[Gfted1]

Mega...Mega...Mega! The more mega, the better. Perhaps the angry god's partner is down there and releasing it is the only way to stop the rampage.

 

Aside, iirc, wasn't the mega-dungeon billed as a side quest that didn't affect the main story? Interesting that it is the genesis for PoE2.

[Ninjamestari]

I don't know if they're doing a mega-dungeon, so I won't comment on that, but what I will say about a mega-dungeon is GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! :D

[Archaven]

To me.. pillars of eternity is more like baldur's gate, torment and icewind dale. Maybe for people who just like combat like me, they should go for another genre under the pillar's franchise ala Icewind dale? I'll surely buy it.

 

but of course.. i want MEGA.. maybe not dungeon.. how about..  MEGA forest? I love lushful forest. great place for nature characters like rangers and druids.

[Ninjamestari]

I'd love me some good dungeoneering, be it of the mega or standard variety, but I'd rather not see a repeat of the Endless Paths. Fifteen floors was just too much, and there wasn't much going on on many of those floors (particularly the later ones). I'd say that five floors is a good cap on dungeon size and actually three works pretty well most the time (Durgan's Battery was, in my opinion, one of the best dungeons I've ever played)

 

It's true that the Endless Paths had its share of problems, but I think there could be a mega dungeon with more a more expanded story and questing experience. 15 levels is good if you have 15 levels of interesting content that keeps surprising, progressing and building up to the final encounters. Either way, I like the idea of having a deep well of enemies to go slaughter if I feel like dungeon crawling, so while the Endless Paths could've been a lot better, I still like having 'em.

[Bloodshard]

Maybe instead of one big 15 level mega dungeon, we have ether three, five layer dungeons or five, three layer dungeons. each with its own story and boss at the bottom, this way they can be more easily hand crafted with puzzles and larger levels. with a overall playtime of maybe 45 min for each dungeon. Maybe stick one under an Inn and kick off the quest with the innkeeper asking you too clean out the rats from the basement.

[injurai]

Or maybe .5 30 level dungeons. That should solve it.

[Ninjamestari]

I'd rather have one 15 level story than three 5 level stories.

[Miroku of Nite]

It all depends. I'd rather have a 'deep' dungeon that was more detailed. A five level pirate king dungeon would be ideal.

 

First level would be a cave with access to the sea, and a couple buildings and boats.

Second level would be inside a stone keep of sorts.

Third level would be natural caves with prehistoric wall paintings.

Fourth level would be really old ruins.

Final level would have lava and treasures laying around and a pirate king. Either living, undead, non-human whatever.

 

Something like that I suppose.

[Casper]

i actually liked the idea of not limiting it to a dungeon. a cursed forest, or an ancient sand covered city half buried under the dunes. or a haunted ships-graveyard in the middle of a dead sea.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Casper

[Silent Winter]

Mega...Mega...Mega! The more mega, the better. Perhaps the angry god's partner is down there and releasing it is the only way to stop the rampage.

 

Aside, iirc, wasn't the mega-dungeon billed as a side quest that didn't affect the main story? Interesting that it is the genesis for PoE2.

Sure - but occupying the keep wasn't optional.  Even if you never built it up, you still have the keep, have to go to the basement and see the head (or near enough). And so it doesn't matter if you do the side-quest or not, the statue can still tear its way out of the ground and ruin your (already ruined?) keep.

 

Although I enjoyed the mega-dungeon in PoE, I agree that it did get a bit big with not  quite enough relation between all the levels (most, but not all).  I took it as designed though and returned to it in several stages throughout the main game.

I'd prefer a big dungeon that's closer in size to Durlag's Tower or Watcher's Keep (though the latter wasn't as cohesive as the former and came across as more 'gamey' ('no magic level'!))

[JerekKruger]

Sure - but occupying the keep wasn't optional.  Even if you never built it up, you still have the keep, have to go to the basement and see the head (or near enough). And so it doesn't matter if you do the side-quest or not, the statue can still tear its way out of the ground and ruin your (already ruined?) keep.

 

 

Isn't the head further below the basement? If I recall correctly only the raised hand is in the basement.