ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

I think it would be a good idea to add yes/no warnings on all one-way stairs/entrances/portals. Some places already have this, but it's not consistently implemented.

Especially High Peaks should get a proper "There is no going back once you decide to face the Big Bad"-warning attached to it. As an unspoiled player, I went up to the first level of High Peak at character level 42 and found myself stuck and under-levelled.

From an in-game perspective it would sense for the character to be able to judge if some stairs or a slope was normal or *somehow one-way-only*.

Dacke wrote:I think it would be a good idea to add yes/no warnings on all one-way stairs/entrances/portals. Some places already have this, but it's not consistently implemented.

Especially High Peaks should get a proper "There is no going back once you decide to face the Big Bad"-warning attached to it. As an unspoiled player, I went up to the first level of High Peak at character level 42 and found myself stuck and under-levelled.

From an in-game perspective it would sense for the character to be able to judge if some stairs or a slope was normal or *somehow one-way-only*.

In fairness, most places can be escaped with the Rod of Recall, which makes a number of one way staircases (like the Last Hope Graveyard one) meaningless. Is this not the case for High Peak? If so, I agree that it should be (or that the player should be warned).

The in-game perspective argument won't go far, though. If the exit vanishes, this is typically a trap or a nasty surprise that your character wasn't supposed to see coming. In the case of High Peak, leaving might give the sorcerers time to finish their ritual (which you are presumably interrupting just in the nick of time).

I agree that it's not strictly necessary in most situations (except at High Peak and farportals). But I think it would fit with the game's friendly spirit, where you generally get warnings before getting into stupid trouble.

But especially High Peak could need some fixing. You don't know that you are racing to the top. You just happen to get there just in time, no matter how long you take getting there. So there shouldn't be a story problem with letting the player leave. But at least a warning would be in order, so that you can go and prepare before getting trapped.

Dacke wrote: But especially High Peak could need some fixing. You don't know that you are racing to the top. You just happen to get there just in time, no matter how long you take getting there.

Well you do know, or anyway you get told at several points that time is critical. It just suffers from the common videogame thing where actually imposing a time (or turn) limit would be horrible gameplay, and so there's a divide between that and the story.

Sure, story-wise. But as it is, you are allowed to take your time to prepare. Trapping players (without a warning) once they enter High Peak just punishes unspoiled players.

I'ts been suggested before that the player get some warning before entering the High Peak. I thought it was a good idea then, and I think it's a good idea now.

http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=27673

http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=31814 (the final bullet point in the first group)

done