Community Workshop: Dungeon Delves Redux (Maps)

eldarth · April 2015

Nothing OFFICIAL yet - just brainstorming, collecting ideas.

For the next community foundry contest we'll try a dungeon delve remodel!

Okay, it looks like the follow are the "least favorite" dungeon delves.
I found a few of the maps in the foundry, but don't know if any of the others are available.

If you can identify a map used for one of these, let me know which map for which dungeon.

Or, if you have a suggestion for another of the least favorite dungeons (pre-mod6, post-mod6)
let me know which dungeon/map.

Or, finally if there is a map we have in foundry that isn't on either poll, let me know which dungeon/map combo for that as well.

I think we ought to get at least 4 that people can choose to redesign.

Least Favorite Dungeons

Malabogs Castle - Sharandar
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entance) Malabog's Castle Exterior
- Map: Malabog's Castle Interior
Gray Wolf Den - Vellosk
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) ???
- Map: ???
The Cloak Tower - Tower District
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) Tower District Cloak Tower
- Map: Cloak Tower
Caverns of Karrundax - Mount Hotenow
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) ???
- Map: ???

reiwulf · April 2015

So what is the idea?
Just to be sure, are we supposed to take the map from one of those dungeons and try to remodel it to something different?
is that all there is to it? no more requirements? =O?

eldarth · April 2015

reiwulf wrote: »

So what is the idea?
Just to be sure, are we supposed to take the map from one of those dungeons and try to remodel it to something different?
is that all there is to it? no more requirements? =O?

Right now it's just brainstorming -- figured I'd let some other people help shape the next foundry contest.

torontodave · April 2015

So take a dungeon and make it unrecognizable ?

We shouldn't be able to tell that it's Malabog's Castle anymore for example? All landmarks changed?

I.e. What we would have liked to see in Drowned Shore/Reclamation Rock?

eldarth · April 2015

torontodave wrote: »

So take a dungeon and make it unrecognizable ?

We shouldn't be able to tell that it's Malabog's Castle anymore for example? All landmarks changed?

Not necessarily. There may be "landmarks" or areas or mobs that you may want to be recognizable to maintain story/lore/feel/etc.

orangefiree · April 2015

I like the idea, but these are the only dungeon maps I've found, so everyone would be doing Malabog's Castle or Cloak Tower. And if we're trying to keep the original story in there, Malabog's Castle won't be happening, ((Dragon end boss)) so everyone would be doing Cloak Tower.

eldarth · April 2015

orangefiree wrote: »

I like the idea, but these are the only dungeon maps I've found, so everyone would be doing Malabog's Castle or Cloak Tower. And if we're trying to keep the original story in there, Malabog's Castle won't be happening, ((Dragon end boss)) so everyone would be doing Cloak Tower.

Kinda figured we didn't have most of the maps.
What if we focus on the lore/story more than the (non-)existing map.
Are there maps we could use that would be good replacements?

Here's the desription of Malabog's Castle from the wiki:

Campaign Window
Malabog is the fomorian king of this fallen fey castle, served by a cadre of loyal fomorian warriors. It is with his castle walls that he and his lieutenants are building up a cache of warmachines, and mustering his forces to wage war upon Sharandar, and possible Neverwinter.

Queue Window / Quest Summary
The foul fomorian king, Malabog, must be stopped. He commands his grotesque army from a fortress at the far end of his realm. Worse, he colludes with the lich of your world, Valindra Shadowmantle, who has given him control of Fulmninorax, an elder blue dragon!
On behalf of all of Sharandar, we beseech you to help us put an end to this! We require a small team of heroes to infiltrate the fomorian castle, slay Malabog, drive off the dragon, and end this war. Will you help us?

I think we can "update" the story -- Valindra is absent, and the Cult of the Dragons have lured the dragon away. There is still a fomorian king with warriors and building a cache of warmachines (siege weapons, maybe some "invented" warmachines).

eldarth · April 2015

Updated Maps...

Least Favorite Dungeons

Malabogs Castle - Sharandar
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entance) Malabog's Castle Exterior
- Map: Malabog's Castle Interior
Gray Wolf Den - Vellosk
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) ???
- Map: ???
The Cloak Tower - Tower District
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) Tower District Cloak Tower
- Map: Cloak Tower
Caverns of Karrundax - Mount Hotenow
- Map: (Optional Exterior Entrance) ???
- Map: ???

izatar · April 2015

One of the most common complaints I got for Cloak Tower:Cult of the Dragon was that the dungeon was poorly laid out. Of course, that is the actual Cloak Tower map. So I advise against that one, people hate it!

waryur · April 2015

Here are some assets I found to maybe help.

Gray Wolf Den - not a lot to find, however... Exterior Map Vellosk is there .... Interiors - Storm Caller Caves. Also, if you create a new map, you can use asset "Cave Room - Unique - Wolf Maw Boss Room" - which is the boss fight room for Gray Wolf Den.

Caverns of Karrundax - Exterior... there's three maps, Mount Hotenow Part 1, 2, and 3. ... Couldn't find anything that fit the actual quest, just the pre-fabs for other Mt. Hotenow dungeons - all interior maps - Shadow Fire Caverns, Primordial Temple, and Fireguard Fortress.

essenti · April 2015

I'm not sure why we would *want* to use their prebuilt maps. Only the lore and basic concept needs to remain the same, the maps and all content internally should be open for complete modification.

eldarth · April 2015

essenti wrote: »

I'm not sure why we would *want* to use their prebuilt maps. Only the lore and basic concept needs to remain the same, the maps and all content internally should be open for complete modification.

Hmm. Was thinking we would want to keep it as familiar as possible (hence the existing maps) and really showcase better design/use of those maps. Also, if multiple people wanted to remodel the same dungeon delve there would then be a basic starting point.

If we want to allow even more freedom, perhaps we should just make certain architectural requirements for each dungeon delve?
i.e. cloak tower must be 7 "levels" high, levels 1-4 must be wthin 250' diameter circle, and 5-6 must be within 200' diameter, and 7 must be within 150' diameter. Something like that.

reiwulf · April 2015

I'd prefer to have a contest to remodel the reused areas like drowned shore and reclamation rock, to what it could have been, with more changes, instead of just a few ones and a change of sky.
But maybe for another time?

eldarth · April 2015

reiwulf wrote: »

I'd prefer to have a contest to remodel the reused areas like drowned shore and reclamation rock, to what it could have been, with more changes, instead of just a few ones and a change of sky.
But maybe for another time?

Yeah -- I think we kind of did that with the northern docks district, so a dungeon delve is probably a better change of pace - more enclosed caves/tunnels/dungeons/crypts/etc.

But, I can understand -- I did have a lot of fun detailing out Old Magic and Gruumsh's Tower of Conquest existing zones and re-flavoring them.

katamaster81899 · April 2015

I think it would be better to remodel the lairs, the ten minute quest things that all seem to be identical. That would be way more doable, and I think attract far more people as it requires less time to make it.

torontodave · April 2015

eldarth wrote: »

Hmm. Was thinking we would want to keep it as familiar as possible (hence the existing maps) and really showcase better design/use of those maps. Also, if multiple people wanted to remodel the same dungeon delve there would then be a basic starting point.

^ This.. I'd like to take the Malabog's Castle maps because they're outdoor? And allow for riding mounts..

Nice and large, lots of architectural reworking can be done.. ;D

torontodave · April 2015

reiwulf wrote: »

I'd prefer to have a contest to remodel the reused areas like drowned shore and reclamation rock, to what it could have been, with more changes, instead of just a few ones and a change of sky.
But maybe for another time?

Also this. ;D Lots of the stuff on the drowned shore somehow 'survived' the tidal wave.. I'd want to obliterate it. ;D

torontodave · April 2015

katamaster81899 wrote: »

I think it would be better to remodel the lairs, the ten minute quest things that all seem to be identical. That would be way more doable, and I think attract far more people as it requires less time to make it.

This is feasible. Problem is, all the lairs are already re-used more than once. If you play all teh content, chances are you've already BEEN to that same mini-lair (with cryptic's alterations) three or four times already.

I don't think the entries will vary much, as the walls/bridges/etc are always in the same place. Also, it's kinda cramped indoors. I think we'd see a lot of variations on interior design. Not much you can do with the lighting inside either.

eldarth · April 2015

torontodave wrote: »

Also this. ;D Lots of the stuff on the drowned shore somehow 'survived' the tidal wave.. I'd want to obliterate it. ;D

That'd be interesting if we had a non-detailed map of the area -- I believe we have the fully detailed version. Kind of hard to obliterate existing map details. Although that could be an interesting challenge all by itself.

reiwulf · April 2015

I agree, with the details it can be harder, but there are ways to make it work (hint: cover the details you want to hide with gigantic ruined stuff XD)

torontodave · April 2015

reiwulf wrote: »

I agree, with the details it can be harder, but there are ways to make it work (hint: cover the details you want to hide with gigantic ruined stuff XD)

seaweed, seaweed, more seaweed, dead crabs upside down [crab assets please!], etc. ;D raise the water level by 5 feet .. "drowned" shore indeed. ;D

reiwulf · April 2015

I would make a mess out of that area, water level MUCH higher, covering at least half of it, and making all the roads different, ships turned down becoming bridges to new places, jumping from floating debris to floating debris, etc.

drowned shore indeed.

eldarth · May 2015

Sounds like we have the next contest forming. :cool:

Community Workshop: Dungeon Delves Redux (Maps)

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