Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
WotC Reveals New Information and Covers for 'Keys from the Golden Vault'
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="EpicureanDM" data-source="post: 8918737" data-attributes="member: 6996003"><p>I don't see it as creating the perfect heist either. I agree with you that the game designer probably wanted to create an interesting chase scene. But the <em>game</em> designer told me to use some game rules that don't quite line up with an interesting chase scene. He also told me to perhaps ignore some of the game rules he included as part of the interesting chase scene.</p><p></p><p>Again, that's part of my criticism. How did the designer expect the PCs to react to this situation? Is that accounted for in the design? I don't think he needs to have every possible reaction covered, that would be impossible. But what <em>is</em> under Arman's control - and what <em>is</em> flawed - is the set-up, the design of the initial conditions before the chase starts.</p><p></p><p>Part of what allows poor encounter design to endure is an uncritical examination of these encounters. Designers (and readers) don't look beyond the surface of an encounter to ask, "OK, but what will that look like in actual play at the table? Is that plausible or likely? Is that fun?"</p><p></p><p>For example, what do you imagine would happen at the table if the party of 11th-level characters "splits up and pursues by a variety of means"? It's easy to <em>say</em> this, but <em>what do you think that looks like at the table, in a situation where players have to announce their actions and a DM has to resolve them? </em>This 11th-level party is in a merchant's backroom. The encounter begins with the escaping wizards zooming away on a <em>carpet of flying</em> down an alley separated from the back room by a solid wall. The DM turns to the party and says, "What do you do?" What would those characters do if they're going to "split up and pursue by a variety of means"? Pursue using what means?</p><p></p><p>EDIT: More importantly, how does Arman's encounter design support the idea that the party splitting up and pursuing by a variety of means will be fun and/or evocative?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="EpicureanDM, post: 8918737, member: 6996003"] I don't see it as creating the perfect heist either. I agree with you that the game designer probably wanted to create an interesting chase scene. But the [I]game[/I] designer told me to use some game rules that don't quite line up with an interesting chase scene. He also told me to perhaps ignore some of the game rules he included as part of the interesting chase scene. Again, that's part of my criticism. How did the designer expect the PCs to react to this situation? Is that accounted for in the design? I don't think he needs to have every possible reaction covered, that would be impossible. But what [I]is[/I] under Arman's control - and what [I]is[/I] flawed - is the set-up, the design of the initial conditions before the chase starts. Part of what allows poor encounter design to endure is an uncritical examination of these encounters. Designers (and readers) don't look beyond the surface of an encounter to ask, "OK, but what will that look like in actual play at the table? Is that plausible or likely? Is that fun?" For example, what do you imagine would happen at the table if the party of 11th-level characters "splits up and pursues by a variety of means"? It's easy to [I]say[/I] this, but [I]what do you think that looks like at the table, in a situation where players have to announce their actions and a DM has to resolve them? [/I]This 11th-level party is in a merchant's backroom. The encounter begins with the escaping wizards zooming away on a [I]carpet of flying[/I] down an alley separated from the back room by a solid wall. The DM turns to the party and says, "What do you do?" What would those characters do if they're going to "split up and pursue by a variety of means"? Pursue using what means? EDIT: More importantly, how does Arman's encounter design support the idea that the party splitting up and pursuing by a variety of means will be fun and/or evocative? [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
WotC Reveals New Information and Covers for 'Keys from the Golden Vault'
Top