[crossfire] Random maps

[mail-lists+cfdev at dogphilosophy.net]

The idea sounds great, but the more I think about it, the less enthusiastic I feel about it.

Right now, my impression is that random maps are purely unfocussed experience-and-treasure 
harvesting exercises that don't really advance any sort of storyline.  That being the case, it seems
like adding randomly-placed traps, doors that need to be opened with randomly-placed levers, etc. would 
end up just being speedbumps rather than enhancing the play (well, except to the extent that players 
could gain some experience in search and disarm traps).

On the other hand, if there were means of keeping the traps from being TOO random (so players wouldn't 
have to just keep searching every step to spot them) and additional means of gaining something in 
exchange for the additional time they cost (for example, if the non-hostile randomly-generated NPC's that show
up in places like the "small houses" in Scorn tapped into some database of "general gossip" conversation
and/or could grant experience or occasionally give items, or some of the random levers or secret passages 
led to things you don't normally find (special treasures? Portals to interesting places? A greater likelihood of 
finding something interesting on or under randomly-generated chairs and tables [even if it's just used gum]?) )

In short, setting it up such that the additional randomly-generated features added something that made the 
random maps more attractive to play rather than just adding more clutter and/or unrewarding delays to 
deal with.

On the other hand, my own tastes may not match the typical Crossfire player.