PrinceofNothing
High Executarch
Not trying to poke the bear, but has anyone ever played this marvelous gem? I think it might be the only good D20 adventure ever made.
Castle Xyntillan
- Thread starter squeen
- Start date
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
You reviewed this, didn't you? (quick check) Yes you did. It's on my list, but the low score has me passing over it for other things...
Not a huge Guy Gavriel Kay fan, but he's got a good novel set in the aftermath "Children of Earth and Sky"
PrinceofNothing
High Executarch
It's really one I should re-visit. The implementation is an absolute trainwreck but as a shudder system-neutral adventure its a fascinating piece of work.
Melan would you be willing to do a deep dive developer commentary using your dungeon analysis techniques for CX?
Something in line with https://beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com/2020/05/blog-anatomy-of-dungeon-map.html or your other famous article?
I really love your theoretical technique and thesis and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see you apply it to your opus!
Something in line with https://beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com/2020/05/blog-anatomy-of-dungeon-map.html or your other famous article?
I really love your theoretical technique and thesis and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see you apply it to your opus!
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The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
I'd love to see it too, but might writing about one's own product be construed as egotistical?...
I would equate it to a directors commentary track on a DvD for a film they made.
Thats pretty normalised for me, but maybe all those were egotistical.
If anyone knows Marty S make sure to tell him I enjoyed his audio tracks. And also we forgive you XD
Melan
*eyeroll*
Yes. I am also concerned about pulling back the curtains fully, since my post might be taken for gospel and constrain the reader's imagination.
The Byzantine did the upper levels a while ago, and, having run a long campaign in the castle, he is about as knowledgeable about it as anyone can be.
I will check it out! Thank you!
I still think you can provide commentary without contributing to a gospel.
Pablo Abodavar, G Del Toro, Quintin T, M Scorsese have done so on commentary tracks.
I think the tactic they focus on is how it was made. Not the meaning of the art. Focusing on the construction.
I still think you can provide commentary without contributing to a gospel.
Pablo Abodavar, G Del Toro, Quintin T, M Scorsese have done so on commentary tracks.
I think the tactic they focus on is how it was made. Not the meaning of the art. Focusing on the construction.
DangerousPuhson
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Yeah @Melan : Don't think of it as "bookseller plugging their own work" - think of it more as "designer diary" or "author walkthrough". Those have real value to communities like these, like when a director does a Q&A after a film screening, or a panel of celebrities talk about their experience making a TV series at a convention. People here won't see it as self-horn-tooting; they want to hear that stuff.
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
I checked out that link and this really stood out for me:
In the earlier, easier areas, straight combat and highly lethal traps are de-emphasized in favor of interactivity, and where tough combats do exits they are usually placed at the end of short chains of rooms, and not far from an exit.
Where heavy NPC or environmental interaction is present, room progression is often much more linear, though I can't say for sure this is a pattern rather than my spurious assumption.
I'm interested to know if this was indeed intentional or just happened organically...
Now that I'm thinking about it, the pacing was noticeable in the manor. There are some OSR-style over-powered NPC's that can be encountered on the 'lower levels' [more easily accessible areas of the manor] but there's room to flee the encounter or, in many cases, there's room in the NPC description for smart PC's to talk their way out of trouble Planescape-style.
In the earlier, easier areas, straight combat and highly lethal traps are de-emphasized in favor of interactivity, and where tough combats do exits they are usually placed at the end of short chains of rooms, and not far from an exit.
Where heavy NPC or environmental interaction is present, room progression is often much more linear, though I can't say for sure this is a pattern rather than my spurious assumption.
I'm interested to know if this was indeed intentional or just happened organically...
Now that I'm thinking about it, the pacing was noticeable in the manor. There are some OSR-style over-powered NPC's that can be encountered on the 'lower levels' [more easily accessible areas of the manor] but there's room to flee the encounter or, in many cases, there's room in the NPC description for smart PC's to talk their way out of trouble Planescape-style.