[Crossfire-wiki] [Crossfire DokuWiki] page changed: map_making

Fri Jan 4 16:15:30 CST 2008

A page in your DokuWiki was added or changed. Here are the details:

Date        : 2008/01/04 16:15
User        : eracc
Edit Summary: Fix typographical errors, change to bullet list from number list.

@@ -74,16 +74,17 @@
    - Extremely valuable treasure right next to the entrance, or nearby. Players should need to work to get treasure. If the treasure is fairly worthless (food, or non magical items), this would be acceptable.But a character should not be able to pop in, pick up a potion, spell book,or a lot of diamonds, and then pop out again, without ever meeting monster.
    - Don't put monsters of high experience point near to entrance where they are trapped. Low level player could boost their experience high by using some weapons or spells from distance without danger. For example find a trapped troll and get wand of fireball.
    - Monsters on top of other monsters. A troll should not be sitting on top of an oriental dragon. The only exception to this would be if a monster could be on top of another monster (making sense) and hiding it at the same time. A troll on top of an oriental dragon does not make sense (could not fit), nor can the troll hide the oriental dragon. Using tricks like these which are only applicable due to display limitations is something that should not be done, nor should the player need to click on every monster he encounters to see if something is below it. (as a side note, doing this will tend to lock the monsters into position, making them unable to move.)
    - Large groups of monsters that can be killed quickly with spells. Affair popular tactic to make high level maps is just to put 30 dragons (or other tough monsters) in a big room. Do not do this. All the player needs to do is cast a dozen ice storms, and quickly gets millions of experience .Likewise, it is unlikely that any more than 2 or 3 large (multi square) monsters will be able to attack a player or party at once - the remaining 25will be blocked from doing anything. This then makes it so that having 30dragons is not any tougher than having 3.
+ 
  
  ==== General Suggestions ====
  
-   - If you want to make a high level map, instead of tossing a lot of monster son it, take existing monsters and make them tougher. Increase their hit points, level (which then means spells they use do more damage), add immunities or protections, remove vulnerabilities, change attack types, etc.Try not to totally change the characteristics of a known monster - a normal dragon should still be dragon like. Also, remember to adjust experience that the monster gives.
-   - Try to keep the treasure in line with the difficulty. 5 potions should not be given out for defeating orcs or gnolls (even if there are a lot of them), but if you need to defeat several dragons to get to the potions, that is fine. Likewise, if it is likely a lot of spells will be needed to defeat the monster, and those spells have a chance of destroying the items, then perhaps a few extra items to take this into considerations not a bad idea.
-   - If use of a specific skill/class/spell is needed to complete the map,that should be stated near the map entrance. How clearly this is stated depends on the circumstance. If use of a certain skill is needed, there is probably no good way other than to state that a skill is needed. If use of a certain spell is needed, stating that a spell caster of XX level might be sufficient, with the assumption that a spell caster of that level would have the spell. It is safe to assume that all characters can fight, but spell (especially certain spells) should not be assumed, and thus should be stated.
-   - Also, don't put in hidden rooms requiring dimension door if the only real way to know about them is pure luck or looking at the map. If you want to do something like that, at least put some clues in.
-   - If a certain skill would make a map easier, but is not required, you don't need to necessary state it. The idea of this is that it can be frustrating to wander into some map, complete most of it, but find out you can't finish the map because you lack some skill or spell.
+   * If you want to make a high level map, instead of tossing a lot of monsters on it, take existing monsters and make them tougher. Increase their hit points, level (which then means spells they use do more damage), add immunities or protections, remove vulnerabilities, change attack types, etc. Try not to totally change the characteristics of a known monster - a normal dragon should still be dragon like. Also, remember to adjust experience that the monster gives.
+   * Try to keep the treasure in line with the difficulty. 5 potions should not be given out for defeating orcs or gnolls (even if there are a lot of them), but if you need to defeat several dragons to get to the potions, that is fine. Likewise, if it is likely a lot of spells will be needed to defeat the monster, and those spells have a chance of destroying the items, then perhaps a few extra items to take this into consideration not a bad idea.
+   * If use of a specific skill/class/spell is needed to complete the map,that should be stated near the map entrance. How clearly this is stated depends on the circumstance. If use of a certain skill is needed, there is probably no good way other than to state that a skill is needed. If use of a certain spell is needed, stating that a spell caster of XX level might be sufficient, with the assumption that a spell caster of that level would have the spell. It is safe to assume that all characters can fight, but spell (especially certain spells) should not be assumed, and thus should be stated. The reason for this is that it can be frustrating to wander into some map, complete most of it, but find out you can't finish the map because you lack some skill or spell.
+   * Also, don't put in hidden rooms requiring dimension door if the only real way to know about them is pure luck or looking at the map. If you want to do something like that, at least put some clues in.
+   * If a certain skill would make a map easier, but is not required, you don't need to necessary state it.
  
  ==== Features to Avoid ====
  
    - A map should be designed so that a character can never be trapped in a room (except via other player interaction.) A character should never be forced to dimension door or word of recall out of a map because some gate closed behind him. For a character without these spells,it would mean death. A simple method around this is put a lever on both sides of the door. If the door is opened by special actions (saying things, dropping things), just put the lever on the hard to get side of the gate.


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Old Revision: http://wiki.metalforge.net/doku.php/map_making?rev=1199407087
New Revision: http://wiki.metalforge.net/doku.php/map_making

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