map revision:

Admin wrote:



" Maps level 12 and below
Post by Admin Today at 6:33 am

Previously I had instituted a rather bulky system for maps below 10. During play testing it has become apparent that this system is tedious and doesn't really add anything to the game. I am scrapping it. Eleven will remain more or less the same, but 12 and below are going to get another facelift aimed at making them simpler. I have yet to decide what to do with ten. I know it has been mapped ... But it might be worthy of a simplification redo that requires re-mapping. "

========

I am really glad you came to this conclusion.  I have 4 tiles on 10.  Only 2 on 11.  I have 5 tiles on 12.  4 tiles (so far) on 13 with more to come I am sure!  Since most of these appear to be filled with useless rock, and since you can't TP or even blink there... what is the point?  I guess you were shooting for some sort of realism or just trying to make the levels harder to run, but realistically, no one is going to run there.  It is just too hard and no fun at all.  Getting TP'd is so hard to recover from, I have taken to leaving all TP boxes behind.

So yes... PLEASE revise the maps of 10 and below.  Make them more inline with the others and I will be happy to re-map them.  11 is pretty good -- seems a decent map for up to two people to share.  11a is okay as well.  It is a bit skimpy on specials compared to 11 -- but perhaps 11 just has too many.

JF

Since you are pretty much the only active player who has reached level 10, and since you and I pretty much agree that the complex tile system I designed is an EPIC FAIL ... I will be putting new levels in. After reviewing the drop logs... I will probably do something to reduce the rate of premium items falling on 11. It is currently about 1 every 1-3 hours of play time. This is too generous by far. I had intended to have the premium items fall about 1 in 10 hours. As in very, very rare. So far you have found 4 items from the level 13 table that I see and Dave had found 2. I will be tightening that drop rate down a few pegs... as soon as I get a chance to dig into it.

I will post here when I make the changes. I may well reduce some of the specials on REGULAR 11, to bring it more in line with what you are calling 11 A. Again, I will notify. As of this moment, I would no longer use any teleport cords that terminate on 10,12,13,14 or 15.

JPA

I didn't want to go so far as to call it an epic fail, but it was not very successful.  So a redo effort will be greatly appreciated.  

When you are talking about changing the drop -- are you going to reduce it across the board or just the rate associated with the stuff from level 13?  The drop rate overall is probably about right-- tho still too streaky.  I often find 6 or 7 burnables in a row and maybe 1 durable item   And that may go on four 4 or 5 runs in a row.  And then all of a sudden I will find 4-6 durable items in one run.  And then usually a run or two where I find almost nothing at all.  Then repeat the cycle.   I want to stress I am not complaining... Just reporting what I am seeing.   Streaky.   So if I catch the durable cycle a couple times the drop seems very generous.  If however I am catching the burnables cycle a few days in a row-- it seems pretty tight.   Does that make sense?

So I am not sure doing a level wide drop rate reduction is a great idea.   If anything -- I might turn down the rate of spheres but then too many other things will probably start falling.

Keep working the data.   We all appreciate your efforts

New maps on 10 are in the game and live now.

New maps on 12 are live.

an objection was raised about a design choice I made on level 12. basically, it was a one way series of rooms that required the party to either ethereal portal or word of recall out. it would seem to me that would be fair game on a level as deep as 12, but I put an exit in there ... be advised it is a chute and you should be pretty brave before you take it!

enjoy.

JPA

I certainly understand this snap response... you work hard on the maps, I complain about something I think is an error, and it turns out to be a design choice. This makes you angry so you respond in kind with " You want an exit, I'll give you an EXIT." And put what I assume is a chute to 15 in. Or 14. Certainly not 13 judging from your tone.

I understand this type of response, but I don't agree with it or like it much. The area in question is small. It holds a giant room, and might be a valuable addition to a run, IF there is a way to get out without having to face a WoR. In the game you stated that there were two places to cast ethereal portal... this is technically true, but one of them lands you in another room that only exits to the hallway you just left -- so this doesn't count as an exit. So there is one place to ethereal portal out, and now a chute for the very brave. Do you see that this area is just going to become dead space? People won't go there as you have conceived it. If that is what you want, it is your choice. If that is not what you want, then perhaps you might want to put in a real exit, or just rework the area entirely.

JF

You are correct. I let my anger/resentment get the better of me. I regretted my actions even before I read your post... I regret them even more now.

I like the concept of the trapping maze a lot more than I like the reality of it. I mean as it plays out in the real world, it traps the mapper... then everyone else just avoids the traps by reading the maze.

Stop your efforts to map this tile.... I will see what I can do to rework this area.

JPA

And thanks for the level headed post. It was a mature response to my childish one.

Okay. That was really very simple. I bridged the previously trapping areas to the non trapping areas, thus eliminating the trapping areas. Most of the map remains intact... you just need to search for some doors (mostly secret) I added and you will go from there. I removed the chute to 14, and placed a TP in its place that will return you to a useful spot on that level.

I have pretty much finished mapping 14, and have finished the 14 auxiliary (for lack of a better term) dungeon as well.

Either:

There is no way to 15

or

I need to go back up to 12 and make sure I map very carefully looking for a chute

or

I somehow missed it.


I am assuming you just haven't finished 15 yet. But I am getting Q'd pretty often on 15... and running the 14 maze hoping for level 15 mobs is time consuming and not a lot of fun. Any idea on when 15 will be ready?

Once again, you are pretty much spot on. Real Life issues have trumped development time-- and level 15 a long way from ready. I realize this is impacting your ability to build and jeopardizing your precarious lead (cough, cough) on the race for GM ships.

I will put a push on and see if I can get the main part of fifteen ready by Wednesday. (note-- you will be my playtester because I am not going to have time to do it myself.)

I assume you are attempting humor here. Because this isn't at all about GM ships or a race to 999. I just want to be able to follow the progression of the game, and I am being oppressed by the man, held down on level 14 when it is my god given right to be dying on 15!!!! I dream of a day when all players are free to run level 15, and hopefully that day is soon.

I sorta thought I was play-testing already... so put it together and I will check it out.

Alright. 15 is live. (golf clap.)

Jake, don't waste a bunch of time mapping this. There is a very high probability that I will be changing it once I have spent some time with it... but it will let you start making levels again.

Sorry for the delay...

JPA