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labyrinth size?  XML
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Poobah
TriadCity Character
here's a question for everyone.

i plan to build a labyrinth inside the park nw. you've probably seen the area called 'labyrinth grove': it'll go inside there.

fyi, a 'labyrinth' is not a maze. you can't get lost. labyrinths are unicursal, you simply follow them through their turns and twists until you reach the center. their purposes are spiritual: in tc terms, there's a reason for reaching the center which, in our case, will impact wisdom, magic, ritual, healing, and other stuff.

now, a proper chartres-style labyrinth with 11 'courses' or circuits is too big for practical implementation in tc geography: it would require 618 individual moves to reach the center, and of course another 618 to return to the entrance. a spiritual quest is a good thing, but, that one would be too exhausting.

so i'm looking at alternative designs with fewer courses. a 6-course design seems like a good compromise: it's very twisty-turny, but it's much smaller: 216 moves from entrance to center, and of course 216 back.

question: is this still too big? it's pretty big! but i'm concerned that making it smaller would cause it to lose the characteristic labryinthine back-and-forth motion which is part of the experience.

for comparison the 'alignment' maze is about 100 rooms large, but, of course, it'll take a greater or lesser number of moves to find the solution. could require far more than 216 moves if you're unlucky enough.

let me know what you think!

~pooh

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
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Bentooth
TriadCity Character
I believe it depends on the level range of the characters you are aiming this labryinth for. Also, depends on how much energy it will take to move from one room to the next, what will be seen in each room, and what you can do in each room that may have an impact either later on in the maze or in the characters internal development. Having internal objectives within the maze will cauze players to take more time within each room and thus balancing the size of the maze. If there is hardly anything to do besides travel directly to the center, then 216 rooms won't be too difficult to travel through... perhaps two or three rests from entering to exiting would be all that was needed.

216 rooms would be plenty for a one way trip to the center as a level 9 or 10 character I believe. Also, knowing the size of the labryinth or the relative size as in having it take a full energy bar to reach the center, rest completely, and then traverse out again.. it would signify to the player to have plenty of rations. I also think that there is a sign that mentions to have plenty of food and water also. A player would be able to carry enough food and water to make it to the center and out again for probably up to around 300-400 room maze at around level 5 or so.

Of course I am only guestimating from what I've seen of the game so far.

< my 2 cents >
Vincent
TriadCity Character
I have 200+ energy, anywhere between 400-500 rooms would be nice, it would take some time...perhaps there could be certain rooms for meditation along the way?
JoeZook
TriadCity Character
We need to phase out into wacky dream sequences during the trip. I mean, if the labyrinth is going to make our characters more spiritual, we should try to recreate some of the mental journey taken instead of merely the physical process of taking a lot of steps.
Poobah
TriadCity Character
well -- you know -- you're welcome of course to phase out any way you like, lol, just as you're welcome to think about anything you like when walking a rl labyrinth. i don't know how reasonable it is to try to impose a particular mental experience on characters walking a labyrinth. just my personal two dinars.

~pooh

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
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JoeZook
TriadCity Character
Particular mental experience = fun
Taking lots of boring steps = not fun

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I cringe at the thought that adding more rooms will make the game more fun. The rooms we have are so darn empty.
Furtive
TriadCity Character
I see the points of both sides- what if, as with many other areas of TC, the 'experience' varies based on the individual- more drastically, obviously, than a basic room would, but not in a way that forces the person to 'think' or 'feel' anything in an imposed sort of way? (was that sufficiently vague?)
ultraviolet
TriadCity Character
there are smaller, simpler labyrinths in RL..I can investigate from a horse's mouth and get back to you if you like....but perhaps you already know them?
 
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