On Dungeons

Handmade for a reason. A lot of reasons.

Dungeons are always steeped in lore, mystery, and purpose. Without it, there would be no point in making them all by hand.

Dungeons must be hard and unforgiving. The fact that someone finds a dungeon entrance does not promise that anyone will be able to explore it throughout. Indeed, we envision that in the beginning, dungeons are places where you try and try again to delve into, but every time you get your backside handed to you.

And let's say you find some of the real masters of that place. That you find her does not mean you can beat her. You may try and try again, you may learn a few things, go home and return later with twice as many people, and perhaps she will kill you all again.

The point is that the game does not make any contracts with the player. No one promises you that if you do A, B, and C, get into the good graces with some overlord, and grind to max level, you will be rewarded with a shiny dragon. IF there is a dragon, anyone will be free to walk up to it and get unceremoniously eaten.

But yes, a dungeon will have immediate occupants, a gathering of enemies and monsters who try to thwart you at every step, a collection of entities with their own reason to be there, their own agenda and history, mysteries and resources. But that is not all. Did these current inhabitants create this place themselves? Or did they move into something that was already there? Is there perhaps some ancient evil lurking way below that awaits discovery? Or does this place lead to other, hitherto undiscovered places, or locations that are not of this creation?

Dungeons. Thinking about RPGs in general, no places are as vivid in one's mind as the really good and juicy dungeons.