| Samping |
I have only just discovered this project but it has peaked my interest like no other recent MMO in development. Just recently I was talking to my GF about my dream MMO. Pathfinder Online has hit all of those notes. After absorbing the blogs and online info I want to open a discussion on dungeons.
In my opinion the best way for Pathfinder online to have discover-able dungeons is to use randomized dungeons. Instead of putting huge amount of effort into making individual dungeons how about making just the rules for the game to make them itself?
The specifics are less important, but with proper testing it should be possible to have everything a dungeon needs: Traps, secret doors, simple puzzles, monsters, etc. Obviously the dungeons skins and monsters will depend on the region it spawns.
Once the system for generating dungeons is made adding templates or pieces would be much easier. This allows dungeons to change over time as content is developed.
As an aside, I have daydreamed of a system where the quests themselves are also random, but smart. Much like how a dungeon master may roll on a chart to help her with a complication in the campaign. For example:
1. quest to get x from a dungeon
2. complication, another person wants x for a good reason
3. choice
simple, NPC's could be assigned rolls (and depending on the NPC perhaps the choice has an affect on you standings with each NPC's represented faction, or your alignment) on the fly (like in Skyrim), and the simple complication adds depth where none existed before. Writers write scrips that are reused but are modular enough that the average player wont see the ruse (or at least will be able to have some suspension of disbelief.)
Quests like this can also be expanded infinity. Now that your choice NPC has x another quest opens. This new quest never existed before. Instead its generated by the script. New NPC's can be introduced. The script would chose them based on their role within the game (priest, bartender, part of a certain organization, etc). New complications are also generated.
If we want to get really crazy perhaps the NPC who wanted x also got y and z from other players (just by chance). At some point the generator rolls that the players who got got x, y, and z are invited to go on a joint mission! That way player actions affect each-others outcomes for their quests!
Basically what I am saying is invent a game that has infinite story, all created through player actions.
I would be interested to hear what others have to say on the subject.