Dungeon Map Maker Update Notes (v.091)

Overview

Dungeon Map Maker is a tabletop adventure game designed for one player in which you first draw a dungeon map (Mapping Phase), and then go exploring in it (Exploration Phase). 

It is a bit of an odd game in that it features two distinct phases, each requiring different skills from the player:

• The Mapping Phase is a spatial puzzle with push-your-luck-elements that rewards careful use of Scroll abilities to best create your Dungeon Map to pass the Main Quest and earn as much gold as possible. 
• The Exploration Phase is a rules-light RPG in which the player needs to choose an attack strategy and upgrade their Character's traits to maximize their chances of survival.  

The main design goals for these phases are:

1. Mapping Phase: To create an engaging round-to-round experience that leads to the creation of an interesting dungeon map regardless of the player's artistic skills.
2. Exploration Phase: To create memorable story-telling moments and opportunities for player choice and expression through the way each combat plays out.

I am also hoping the game can get even more interesting when players begin to become familiar with the cards, and can develop strategies during the Mapping Phase to help them in the Exploration Phase. 

The demo that is available now on itch.io is a proof-of-concept prototype for the "One-Shot" mode of the game. As such, many planned features for the eventual full game are not part of the demo. Still, even though the demo is just a slice of the game, I hope that it offers a glimpse into the full game's potential.

With all of this in mind, I have made the following changes to the demo to help it get closer to the vision for the game...

Changes in Latest Update

Rule changes/clarifications:

• Mapping Phase: Map Edge. Room walls can now run along the edge of the map. This adds more available spaces to the map, thus potentially more space for rooms and a bigger dungeon.
• Mapping Phase: Maximum 20 Gold for Side Quests rule. In my previous game, Fantasy Map Maker, a similar rule exists where you can only earn a maximum of 20 points for each scoring objective. In that game, the rule is in place to encourage players to avoid spamming points in one particular scoring criterion, thus leading to more realistic-looking maps. The initial thought to not limit the gold here was that dungeon maps are a mixture of man-made and natural features, so it is okay if the maps look a little unnatural or strange. However, a helpful playtester pointed out that you could simply place the Boss in a gigantic cavern and earn a huge amount of points for it, which doesn't require much skill and also sets the exploration up for a dull encounter where the boss and the player's hero have to cross vast distances before they begin fighting!
  
• Mapping Phase: Clarifications around Entrance placement. It has now been stated more clearly that Entrances must be placed on vertical or horizontal lines (i.e. not on diagonal or curved ones), and that parallel Entrances must have a 1-space gap between them. Both of these rules are in place to avoid ungainly Entrance placements.
• Exploration Phase: Line of Sight rule clarified. Projectile attacks still have one thematic flaw in that there is no mechanism to account for variances in range (you have the same chance of hitting and doing the same amount of damage if you are 2 spaces away or 200 spaces away). However, the Line of Sight rule that has been added should at least make this mechanism easier to adjudicate for the player.
  

Removed:

• Exploration Phase: Armour: Although it was thematic, ultimately having armour in the game was an extra step that didn't really add any fun to the Combat. Armour may return to the full version if it can be incorporated into the game in a more meaningful way.
• Exploration Phase: Move Away Action for Monsters: In general, I have tried to streamline the rules in the demo to help players get started playing as soon as possible, and this was an action that didn't survive the cut. The thinking for including it in the first place was that I thought it would be interesting to have an enemy that tries to run away and heal itself, but it was such a minor part of the demo, that it was better to remove it.

Additions:

• Exploration Phase: Accuracy Trait / Combat Accuracy Checks: To try to make combat a bit more unpredictable, I have introduced a classic D20 check system for Melee and Projectile Attacks. A potential downside is that there is more randomness in combat now, but it's better than the feeling of combat being pre-determined and lacking choice. I am still not satisfied entirely with the Combat system, but it's a step in the right direction, I think.
• Exploration Phase: Ghost Spell. This is effectively a mulligan that allows you to escape an unlucky encounter with strong enemies.
• Game Files: Extra example map (pictured below) kindly provided by Shams Nelson. This gives someone wishing to skip the Mapping Phase another option.

Altered:

• Exploration Phase: Monster Actions/Health. Monster actions have been tweaked and their health has been reduced. Overall, with the addition of the Accuracy trait, monsters are a bit easier to tackle than before. 
• Exploration Phase: Character Card. Some alterations have been made to the Character card, such as allowing Trait upgrades (earned by collecting experience) to occur twice as fast.

There are some other minor things that have been changed, but that will do for now!

I also have a thread relating to the demo on BGG if anyone is interested: this is also the best place to leave play-testing feedback, which is very much welcome.

The full version of Dungeon Map Maker is coming to Kickstarter on January 31st (link here). 

Please consider supporting the project if this is a game you think is worth making.

Thanks for reading!

Harry