My imagination runs wild and as such Richardtopia is born

N

o matter what, there is one thing in life you can count on, designers love to design. This designer is no different, and despite my current #Dungeon23 project, I am working on a few new releases for Rogue Games. I am also working on Project Phoniex. 

As I wrote about last week, I take a different approach to the first level of a dungeon. The surrounding area is just as important because it offers more challenges for players. It also provides a place to set action outside the dungeon that affects inside the prison. Additonky, the world outside the dungeon is vital due to needing a village or settlement that the players can use as a resting spot for their characters.

Welcome to lovely Richardtopia

For my dungeon, that location is the village of Elias' Spring. I described some of the business on January 20 (week three of the project). I will write about that on Friday; I am using it as a prologue to this post. With the noting out of Elias' Spring, I started thinking about where the village is located worldwide. I did a few rough sketches and then began fleshing things outward. I was only going to keep the area small. Still, my imagination got the better of me, and the region got larger...much more extensive. How large? Look to the right.

So I got carried away. Why? I let my imagination run and thought about the plot I was setting up. The story, though small at first, will have much more significant ramifications for the region, or world, as a whole. One of the critical things about this rough region is that it has the three things I love most: extensive forests, mountains, and many lakes. How they play into the main plot, I have yet to learn. All of these features give me spots that can inspire adventures.

And no, I am still determining what I will name this place. But, for now, it is dubbed Richardtopia.

From the ruins

I

 mentioned last week how I hated what I had created and how it affected my not being happy with my work. Instead of giving up, I changed course and rethought the first level. By doing this, I created something I like better. 

Sitting down and thinking about what I wanted to do before I did it, I realized that the first level of any dungeon needs to be the hook that sucks you in. Without that first level, you lack a clear idea of where you want things to go. Just randomly starting with a 10x10 square room and putting something in there does not give you an exciting dungeon.

My work on this project has one important rule:

Do not look at the past.

It looks pretty funny coming from the one who created Colonial Gothic. Yet I needed to set this in stone and keep it in mind. There are many, many, many, many, many megadungeons out there. The temptation exists to look at them and study the structure of the whole thing. This is dangerous.

Why? 

Simple, they influence you when designing. I've played and run The Temple of Elemental Evil a few times. I am going to need help remembering what I know. However, if I went back to reread it, I knew it would subconsciously affect my design.

Where does my project stand with all of that out of the way? Since blowing everything up, the first level begins in a keep held by bandits. Slowly developing, these bandits have tied some way into the plot surrounding the dungeon.

One surprising thing that surprised me is another group that is active in the dungeon appeared that I should have accounted for. I jotted down the notes for the three factions and knew they would be a significant subplot for the jail.

Blowing it up

I

 follow one important rule when it comes to games I design.  That rule is simple and has  served me to great effect over the years. The origin of this rule dates back to the time I was  freelancing. I was working on a project -- which got killed due to the company going under -- that was sucking the joy out of my soul. Every word was a chore. Every sentence felt like I was pulling teeth. The draft sucked. I rewrote the draft five times, and I hated every word. To say I was miserable is an understatement. 

Cut to a few years later, and I found myself in a job I never thought I would have. I was working with a historic property. One of the founding fathers called me all day to discuss game design. I loved this job, but the job was built on a shaky foundation. No matter how much I loved the property, I did not love working on it. In the aftermath of this, Rogue Games was born. 

In setting up the company, two rules were created. These rules guide everything; no matter what I write, these rules are always there. What are these rules?

1. Our hobby fuels the hobby of others.

2. The setting defines the rules; the rules do not define the setting.

 The first rule is critical. If I am not having fun with what I am working on, those who play the final product will not have fun either. Of course, some laugh at me when I talk about fun, but fun is the key.

I mention all this to tell you I hate what I have created. Yes, hate is a strong word, but as I look over what I have done over the past five days, I genuinely do not like what I see. The dungeon is just a collection of rooms, and nothing is inspiring about them. The map is insipid and has no character. 

Now, I could push on. I might find the plot and have a better dungeon. Yet, I won't. Why I am not having any fun. This really bothered me all day yesterday and made my bad mood worse. But, while reading Multi-Field Inflation from String Theory by Per Berglund and Guoqin Ren, everything cleared.

I found the dungeon. I found the hook. I found the fun.

So as of today, I have started over. A ruined castle. It is from here that everything begins. With this new outlook and starting place, the dungeon is now fun.

So today's entry begins the new outlook. From here on out, my path is clear.

Fun is important. 

Assembling my thoughts and tools

Well, tomorrow, the journey begins. I am still determining what to expect, and I will have something by this time next year. What? We'll find out together. More than anything I have designed, this will be in real-time. I don't know how I feel about this. 

That got a little deep.

Moving on.

I have assembled the two most essential tools for this journey.

The first is the notebook.

Muji is one of my favorite makers of planners, notebooks, and writing tools. I like the design and the thought put into functionality. Unfortunately, though nothing replaces my love of Moleskine for this project, they did not have what I needed.

The second thing I assembled is my writing tools.

Pretty simple.

Tonight sees the end of 2022, and tomorrow sees the start of this project.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Preplanning this whole damn thing

 Going into this, I will take my approach to this seriously. 

What do I mean?

I am not planning ahead regarding the number of rooms per level. Nor am I preplanning what certain rooms will be.

I am treating this as I do with everything I design. First, write a few bullet points of what I want, and then from there, I start writing. I also write a To-Do list to list things I want to cover or add. This To-Do list grows over time as more ideas come to me.

Another thing I do is create lists. These lists encompass persons, places, and things. Every time a name comes to me, I write it down. The same for locations magic items. I create lists for spell ideas, poisons, monsters, traps, and encounters. All this helps create content because I look at the lists if I need help.

The last thing I do is come up with an elevator pitch. This is crucial; in everything I design, this is the first thing I do. Why is this crucial? It keeps me focused, and if what I create does not match this pitch, I scrap it.

Here is the elevator pitch for The Temple of the Lost Flame:

Hidden within the flames is an evil long forgotten. The gate soon shall be open, and the fire of retribution will return.

Admittedly the rise is weak, but it is enough to keep me focused.

Building from this is what the dungeon is going to be like. I know lava is going to play a prominent role. This will be the home of the forgotten evil. I also see the truth of the dungeon will only be known as the players explore. Further, people must learn what lies below in the first two levels.

As for structure, I have one idea that I want to work into my creation: sub-levels. Why? It allows for movement up and down, allowing players to access regions they cannot access liner. Case in point Level 2A is only accessible via stairs from Level 5. Likewise, Level 10A is only accessible via a portal found on Level 1. I like this because it takes the maze concept of dungeons and forces them vertically and horizontally. As a result, it allows for a more exciting flow and limits the sprawling nature that megadungeons tend to have. 

The other benefit of this is it will keep me engaged,

Finally, the last thing on my To-Do List is creating a location where the dungeon is based. I want a village that serves as a home base. I also want to set this in a larger region that offers more adventure hooks. Why? Because I love creating. I also recognize that I will need a break from creating this dungeon for 365 days. I want to work on both the outside and inside. 

In the end, this preplanning will make my spontaneous creation easier but enjoyable. 

Time to get it into gear

Two years.

That is how long I have had this writer's block.

It has been crippling. No matter what I do, what I try, or how I act, this damn block has not gone away.

Sure, I have tried, but I still fail.

I am changing that right now.

How?

#dungeon23

What exactly is this?

Design a mega-dungeon in one year, one room per day, 12 levels. Yes, you are reading this right. Every day I add something that slowly sees the growth of a mega-dungeon. This process will continue every day of each month. At the end of each month, I will have one dungeon level. Then on 12/31/23, with the creation of the last room, I will have a 12-level dungeon.

The impetus of this project started with a tweet from Sean McCoy, designer of the SciFi horror RPG Mothership. Then like most things, the idea took off.

So why am I doing this? First, I need something to spur my creativity. Second, I am looking at this as the spark to get my butt moving on the projects I have stalled on.

I do not know what this project is going to become. But I know it will surprise me as much as it surprises you.