After a rather frustrating time playing PG this past Sunday, I decided to share some thoughts on basic dungeon design as the game seems to indicate. As always, I hope this feedback will be useful to the developers (it is an alpha version after all), and encourage some discussion of these issues.
Scenario: Three players in a group decided to go into the Crypt for an afternoon of adventure. The primary combat skills of the players was a 30 sword, a 25 sword, and a 15 archery, each with a variety of secondary skills active. We spent about 2 hours adventuring in the Crypt, a good bit of it inactive.
Issues.
Maybe Project: Gorgon, in its current inception, would be more suited as a single player game.
Scenario: Three players in a group decided to go into the Crypt for an afternoon of adventure. The primary combat skills of the players was a 30 sword, a 25 sword, and a 15 archery, each with a variety of secondary skills active. We spent about 2 hours adventuring in the Crypt, a good bit of it inactive.
Issues.
- Breaking the group. There were several occasions where the group was isolated from each other, and unable to function. The level 1-to level 2 portal is a significant design issue for groups. Normally, a 1-way portal isn't an obstacle for a solo player, but it presents becomes increasingly important with groups. Regrouping usually required all trapped on the second level to suicide.
- Death on level 2. A death in the second level of the dungeon allows the dead character to revive at the entry to level 1, breaking the party. It was exceedingly difficult for the 1 character to return solo to the group.
- Portal to level 2. The portal to level 2 only opens in response to some event (possibly killing the level 1 boss mob). The bigger issue is there appears to be a time limit on this portal. On at least one occasion, all three of us did not use the portal in the time allotted.
- Multiple groups. The dungeon is cramped. There is no place where multiple groups can effectively hunt in the dungeon. There are no niches where a group can camp a set of mobs while other groups move through. There wasn't space to 'leap frog' another group without mass confusion.
- Linear design. The linear nature of the design ensures that the dungeon can support only a fixed number of groups at a time. Every place is 'on the way' to another place deeper in the dungeon, and there's no reason to not go in deeper. Many quests basically encourage constant movement, get to a specific location or kill these mob types.
Maybe Project: Gorgon, in its current inception, would be more suited as a single player game.