*groan* Am I going to need to make an addon with a game option to turn these off?Infinitum wrote:Slowly collapsing from the western part and eastward, forcing the player to move quickly.
Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitiveness
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- Sher'Tul Godslayer
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Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
"Blessed are the yeeks, for they shall inherit Arda..."
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
Temporal Rift in Old Forest, instead of Daikara.
All levels are same Old Forest, but in different times.
First one looks exactly like level you come from, with all enemies respawned. But in fact it is few days before start of the game (as TW tells you).
Second level is same, but winter few years ago. Landscape is snowed, like Norgo's Lair.
Third is prehistoric - landscape different, populated with saber cats, rats and "dinosaurs" (drakes).
Fourth level is "Time Zero" - pieces of land hanging in space, like in TW town. Temporal elementals and such.
Fifth - "possible future". Same as first, but with orc village, complete with orc boss (or pair). Also there are slaves of different non-orc races present, to show that it is future where orcs won.
All levels are same Old Forest, but in different times.
First one looks exactly like level you come from, with all enemies respawned. But in fact it is few days before start of the game (as TW tells you).
Second level is same, but winter few years ago. Landscape is snowed, like Norgo's Lair.
Third is prehistoric - landscape different, populated with saber cats, rats and "dinosaurs" (drakes).
Fourth level is "Time Zero" - pieces of land hanging in space, like in TW town. Temporal elementals and such.
Fifth - "possible future". Same as first, but with orc village, complete with orc boss (or pair). Also there are slaves of different non-orc races present, to show that it is future where orcs won.
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
I'd suggest not just randomly modding the dungeons (which functionally would be replacing them, but in lore wouldn't be), but actually replacing them (functionally and in lore) with other starter zones.
Maybe instead of taking on Norgos, you can be sent to clear out a spider lair (Norgos style winter forest, Heart of Gloom layout, and tons of spiders and undead to fight, with a giant spider boss).
Maybe instead of facing Trollmire, you're sent to investigate reports of monsters in a nearby river. Layout is similar to Trollmire, but instead of a 1-wide road meandering through, it's a 4-6 wide river, with eels and squid in it (could we limit them to the water?) on top of various animals (but no trolls). The boss is a baby Kraken in a semi-large pond. And if you're feeling brave (and have water breathing), you can dive into the lower levels of the pond to find Mama Kraken (squid who uses that shadow tentacles talent, and suffers appropriate HP damage when they're killed, but is still vulnerable to attack herself).
Maybe the Scintillating Caverns is already cleared, but in doing so the Shaloren uncovered some ancient Sher'Tul ruins, with artifacts inside. The ruins have been sealed until now, but things have already started creeping in and being... changed. Building-style dungeon (rhaloren, Dreadfell, etc) with 'withered' animals (like Heart of Gloom, but no plants) and some fledgeling horrors (maybe of various types, but low level, maybe just a new horror type).
Yes, the more options we have, the less tedious the lower levels will be. I'd love to see a dozen or more options. I think this is less important after the starter dungeons, however. But how would we balance these with backup guardians? Move the same guardians to the replacement dungeons? Make replacement guardians that drop the same loot?
Maybe instead of taking on Norgos, you can be sent to clear out a spider lair (Norgos style winter forest, Heart of Gloom layout, and tons of spiders and undead to fight, with a giant spider boss).
Maybe instead of facing Trollmire, you're sent to investigate reports of monsters in a nearby river. Layout is similar to Trollmire, but instead of a 1-wide road meandering through, it's a 4-6 wide river, with eels and squid in it (could we limit them to the water?) on top of various animals (but no trolls). The boss is a baby Kraken in a semi-large pond. And if you're feeling brave (and have water breathing), you can dive into the lower levels of the pond to find Mama Kraken (squid who uses that shadow tentacles talent, and suffers appropriate HP damage when they're killed, but is still vulnerable to attack herself).
Maybe the Scintillating Caverns is already cleared, but in doing so the Shaloren uncovered some ancient Sher'Tul ruins, with artifacts inside. The ruins have been sealed until now, but things have already started creeping in and being... changed. Building-style dungeon (rhaloren, Dreadfell, etc) with 'withered' animals (like Heart of Gloom, but no plants) and some fledgeling horrors (maybe of various types, but low level, maybe just a new horror type).
Yes, the more options we have, the less tedious the lower levels will be. I'd love to see a dozen or more options. I think this is less important after the starter dungeons, however. But how would we balance these with backup guardians? Move the same guardians to the replacement dungeons? Make replacement guardians that drop the same loot?
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- Halfling
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:37 pm
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
These sound great. I've always wanted to fight a Kraken.Planetus wrote:I'd suggest not just randomly modding the dungeons (which functionally would be replacing them, but in lore wouldn't be), but actually replacing them (functionally and in lore) with other starter zones.
Maybe instead of taking on Norgos, you can be sent to clear out a spider lair (Norgos style winter forest, Heart of Gloom layout, and tons of spiders and undead to fight, with a giant spider boss).
Maybe instead of facing Trollmire, you're sent to investigate reports of monsters in a nearby river. Layout is similar to Trollmire, but instead of a 1-wide road meandering through, it's a 4-6 wide river, with eels and squid in it (could we limit them to the water?) on top of various animals (but no trolls). The boss is a baby Kraken in a semi-large pond. And if you're feeling brave (and have water breathing), you can dive into the lower levels of the pond to find Mama Kraken (squid who uses that shadow tentacles talent, and suffers appropriate HP damage when they're killed, but is still vulnerable to attack herself).
Maybe the Scintillating Caverns is already cleared, but in doing so the Shaloren uncovered some ancient Sher'Tul ruins, with artifacts inside. The ruins have been sealed until now, but things have already started creeping in and being... changed. Building-style dungeon (rhaloren, Dreadfell, etc) with 'withered' animals (like Heart of Gloom, but no plants) and some fledgeling horrors (maybe of various types, but low level, maybe just a new horror type).
Yes, the more options we have, the less tedious the lower levels will be. I'd love to see a dozen or more options. I think this is less important after the starter dungeons, however. But how would we balance these with backup guardians? Move the same guardians to the replacement dungeons? Make replacement guardians that drop the same loot?
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
As you enter the trollmire, you suddenly notice that the red archeas have bloomed early this year. You proceed with caution, knowing that the pollen is poisonous and widely used as a hallucinogenic drug favored by the malicious leprechauns stalking the giant dwarf mushroom shrubs running circles around the technicolor meadows as you divide down the meandering blue brick road fighting off spiders tat walk in the way of men and the sixteen pie eating truths of creation dropping lovely honey cucumbers for you pleasures under a green suns all meaning wrath, periodically smiting the roiling cream-hills and as you strike down the giant broccoli you find the note leading to the cowardly big boss hiding in the west with little yellow buttons and SUdden urGes of schoolfish swimming arouNd the SKY deCrepit liaeR ass it RoTs t'e buRning touCh but you msT have the tressure Sneaky stIck beckons YoU uss itt aNd the worrld-swrlsarrondinRaInBOWS
You regain conciousness on the outskirts of Derth, with your armor and clothing neatly tucked into your backpack along with a wealth of gems and assorted loot you never recall collecting. In your hands you grasp a curious rod the likes of which you have never seen before, inlaid with runes that hurts to look at and humming softly with eldrich energies. You have a curious taste, the like of ripening raspberries lingering at the back of your throat.
You shall not speak of this again.
Gameplay-wise, the first zone is the normal trollmire with red flowers scattered about and some slightly off enemies (trolls wearing hats, dancing mice etc). The second has the same forest layout but with increased contrast and weirder enemies still (that are still re-sprited and renamed versions of ordinary trollmire enemies). Third zone uses another tileset altogether (say the technicolor mushroom one), Bills lair uses the Abashed Expanse tileset and background. Backtracking is impossible, the player must use the rod of recall to exit back to the worldmap.
If possible, move Alduin to the first level rather than the second when the player returns from the west and make it impossible for the player to proceed past the first zone if they return to the mire.
You regain conciousness on the outskirts of Derth, with your armor and clothing neatly tucked into your backpack along with a wealth of gems and assorted loot you never recall collecting. In your hands you grasp a curious rod the likes of which you have never seen before, inlaid with runes that hurts to look at and humming softly with eldrich energies. You have a curious taste, the like of ripening raspberries lingering at the back of your throat.
You shall not speak of this again.
Gameplay-wise, the first zone is the normal trollmire with red flowers scattered about and some slightly off enemies (trolls wearing hats, dancing mice etc). The second has the same forest layout but with increased contrast and weirder enemies still (that are still re-sprited and renamed versions of ordinary trollmire enemies). Third zone uses another tileset altogether (say the technicolor mushroom one), Bills lair uses the Abashed Expanse tileset and background. Backtracking is impossible, the player must use the rod of recall to exit back to the worldmap.
If possible, move Alduin to the first level rather than the second when the player returns from the west and make it impossible for the player to proceed past the first zone if they return to the mire.
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
Having fun with these!
I liked the suggestion someone made before, of tying the probability for getting an alternative dungeon to the ratio of unlocks achieved to possible.
Moar ideas:
Reknor:
Flavour of the Pride: One of the Prides has taken up the mantle of leadership for the invasion.
Deep Bellow:
Second Front: Orcs have opened a second front. Can also be pride-flavoured.
Heart of the Gloom:
Forest Maze: Would be interesting to see this in Trollmire or Maze style layout.
Norgo's Lair:
Poachers! Norgo is long dead, it were an alchemist and her golem that kept up the pretense (the golem dressed in bear skins, obviously). Poachers are a mix of humans and halflings, rogues and ranged, occasionally alchemists. Layout is a mix of traditional and trollmire, with the trollmire style predominating more and more in the deeper levels.
Trollmire:
The Half Shall Rise: A secret society of halflings, bent on overthrowing the hated longshank "occupation", has established themselves in the deeper regions. 1st level has about half the trolls replaced with rogue-ish halflings, 2nd level has only those instead of trolls, 3rd level has a fortress. They keep Bill in a stone pit and feed him prisoners.
Kor Pul:
1) Houseguests: A bandit gang tried to make the ruins their base - now they are ghouls!
2) Dwarven Ruins: Fun Fact: Kor Pul was originally built by dwarves, and so has a Reknor style layout. The more you know!
Scintillating Caves:
Spellblaze Surge: The Spellblaze is restless, and its destructive energies have made themselves felt in the Scintillating Caves. Spellblaze Scars are much more common, and there are lakes of lava - more on lower levels. Vermin is snakes and drakes, plus maybe the occasional faeros and xorn.
Rhaloren:
1) Flooding - the lowest level has underwater corridors. Elves mostly stay in the dry rooms, instead of rats there are jellies and oozes.
2) Corruption and Madness: They dabbled in things best left undabbled with. Inquisitor replaced by a Worm That Walks boss, the guards turned into reavers and killed the mages. Some blight-themed critters around.
I liked the suggestion someone made before, of tying the probability for getting an alternative dungeon to the ratio of unlocks achieved to possible.
Moar ideas:
Reknor:
Flavour of the Pride: One of the Prides has taken up the mantle of leadership for the invasion.
Deep Bellow:
Second Front: Orcs have opened a second front. Can also be pride-flavoured.
Heart of the Gloom:
Forest Maze: Would be interesting to see this in Trollmire or Maze style layout.
Norgo's Lair:
Poachers! Norgo is long dead, it were an alchemist and her golem that kept up the pretense (the golem dressed in bear skins, obviously). Poachers are a mix of humans and halflings, rogues and ranged, occasionally alchemists. Layout is a mix of traditional and trollmire, with the trollmire style predominating more and more in the deeper levels.
Trollmire:
The Half Shall Rise: A secret society of halflings, bent on overthrowing the hated longshank "occupation", has established themselves in the deeper regions. 1st level has about half the trolls replaced with rogue-ish halflings, 2nd level has only those instead of trolls, 3rd level has a fortress. They keep Bill in a stone pit and feed him prisoners.
Kor Pul:
1) Houseguests: A bandit gang tried to make the ruins their base - now they are ghouls!
2) Dwarven Ruins: Fun Fact: Kor Pul was originally built by dwarves, and so has a Reknor style layout. The more you know!
Scintillating Caves:
Spellblaze Surge: The Spellblaze is restless, and its destructive energies have made themselves felt in the Scintillating Caves. Spellblaze Scars are much more common, and there are lakes of lava - more on lower levels. Vermin is snakes and drakes, plus maybe the occasional faeros and xorn.
Rhaloren:
1) Flooding - the lowest level has underwater corridors. Elves mostly stay in the dry rooms, instead of rats there are jellies and oozes.
2) Corruption and Madness: They dabbled in things best left undabbled with. Inquisitor replaced by a Worm That Walks boss, the guards turned into reavers and killed the mages. Some blight-themed critters around.
Ghoul never existed, this never happened!
Re: Optional events/dungeons to prevent earlygame repetitive
Different monster sets are alright, but I really like the changes that change how you fight. The most fun zones are sandworm and sandworm alt, timeless space, underwater, lava pits, timed objectives ect. These are the ones that wake me up and make me feel I'm on an adventure.
How about a zone engulfed in magic darkness (or fog). Illuminate can dispel it but it returns after 5 or so rounds. There are neutral will o'wisps that illuminate a radius 3 around them and phasedoor around as well as drifting. The will o'wisps can be hurt which causes them to go hostile and explode on you. Don't kill all your lights.
How about a zone engulfed in magic darkness (or fog). Illuminate can dispel it but it returns after 5 or so rounds. There are neutral will o'wisps that illuminate a radius 3 around them and phasedoor around as well as drifting. The will o'wisps can be hurt which causes them to go hostile and explode on you. Don't kill all your lights.