| NeonScorpion |
Hello! I need some help designing a puzzle that could be completed by my players. I already have a concept and an idea, but I need advice figuring out the logistics.
First off, I have a party of 4 players, two adults, and two children age 12 and 9. The kids are actually very bright and keep up just fine, but if it gets too complicated they can get boggled. I need help because I need a challenge for BOTH the adults and the kids that doesn't feel way to hard or too easy.
Setting: Its futuristic sci-fi (campaign was before star finder, I home-brew literally everything) they find themselves in a star-ship half submerged in the desert, hundreds of years old and crumbling. The star-ship is massive, and its our campaigns first real "Dungeon" so I want some staples. Currently they have to find away to give an onboard A.I they awoke more power to proceed further into the ship and discover why the star-ship is causing problems for the nearby town.
Players:
Gunslinger (kid), Fighter (kid), Alchemist (adult), and Skald (adult).
Concept: I was a puzzle that requires them to split up along two paths, two to each. Their goal is to get power cores from stations on symmetrical opposite sides of the ship level, then carry them along parallel but separated corridors to a main power room also separated where they can install them into slots, one on either side to give the A.I access. My idea was that there where only 4 usable Cores, 2 on each side, and only two cores are needed to charge the A.I. But the challenge came that removing too many cores at once turned the little power left in the area off, causing doors or obstacles to shut, and the A.I to turn off, meaning unable to get them to their destination. I like the idea that they must communicate to alternate and place power cores in certain stations along the path to open and shut doors on the opposite side, so they must work together to give power to the other side and vise versa until they reach the end and can install them. I was inspired by something like the "Cloister of Trials" type puzzles from Final Fantasy X. Where placement of certain orbs unlocked paths and you had to do it in a particular order. The problem is I have this concept, but I need practical advice on how each corridor should be different, ideas of power core slots along the way and what they open on either side, and how to make it so its actually playable so there is no chance of them getting stuck. It doesn't have to be a straight path, there can be more sections and rooms that are symmetrical on either side, but acting in one affects the other so they have to work together.
Any ideas on how to actually do this type of puzzle, the possible layout and triggers, and in what order cores should be placed to make the path clear would be amazing, because even though I love the concept, I just can't seem to make it reasonable and cool. any help would be wonderful.
BASIC PUZZLE LAYOUT TO BUILD OFF OF:
Green are the cores to pick up
Red doors shut when 2 cores have been removes on either side
Blue is where they should go
https://imgur.com/3QU8jZz
The thing is this same puzzle could be done in which there is a single main "pipeline" to channel the energy from cores down the corridor and into the right one, and players separated could flick switches and have to coordinate because these switches affect and open and close valves or gates blocking or letting the power through, they both have to work to find the right combination and order of switches on both sides to let it flow through completely without obstruction, Either or can work for me, so if you have an easy time with help on this idea I would take that too!