Narrow dungeons vs open dungeons

Sapiverenus

@Strevi
Ah who knows. Will probably do better than every other MMO in that regard lol

Sapiverenus

@Sunboy
Hmm.
I imagined a narrow ravine or corridor to some fountain of youth or magic or something that becomes an Apothecaries jealous treasure lol. Renewable resource that rises from engraved stones and is used in potions or as a drink. Hence a fought over resource at times.
Just through a very narrow crack in the base of some low cliffside and there are the large grey blue black cut stones inlaid the end of said ravine; and slightly light and bubbling water coming up from them once a day.
You'd have to move sideways through it but there's room to turn halfway through. About 20 yards deep.

grisu

I don't think narrow or open dungeon matters. The dungeon design/ Identity does. It is what brings out the magic of excitment to want to run it again and again.
Tera's Kittycat witch house is practically just narrow hallways but is just such a fun design. It's a magic academy filled with witch cats and pumpkins and the like enslaved by adult witches.
WoW's Black Zitadell is an imposing bastion you had to bomb your way into through the sewers with big interconnected rooms that all make sense to have in a castle like this. You felt like you slaughtered your way to the top of it, through hordes of henchmen to meet Illidan.
There are good and bad examples on both sides, but the ones that are memorable are the ones that have an identity.
It's not the labyrinth that is exciting it's the reason of why it is a labyrinth in the first place. What is it protecting? What is it keeping in? Who are the wardens of it and why the heck is there a lifeless overgrown golem sitting here?

Not_A_Lizard

Sapiverenus wrote: »

@Sunboy
Hmm.
I imagined a narrow ravine or corridor to some fountain of youth or magic or something that becomes an Apothecaries jealous treasure lol. Renewable resource that rises from engraved stones and is used in potions or as a drink. Hence a fought over resource at times.
Just through a very narrow crack in the base of some low cliffside and there are the large grey blue black cut stones inlaid the end of said ravine; and slightly light and bubbling water coming up from them once a day.
You'd have to move sideways through it but there's room to turn halfway through. About 20 yards deep.

This would be cool for a few rare desirable locations. I wouldn't necessarily want it to be common in the game though. It seems like having these types of places all over could get tedious pretty quick. I don't know how fun it would be to be frequently a few players behind two people fighting to advance down super narrow corridors leading into dungeons. I could also see it being susceptible to griefing. It's a cool idea though.

Ace1234

I think map design is one of the most under-utilized tools for adding strategic depth. There is so many tactics that can be added through having a map design that allows you to flank, defend choke points, having blindspots, deducing enemy positions, covering lanes, having confrontations of varying distances, etc. All of this can be used to allow you to get the jump on an enemy, to position yourself well, and put yourself in advantageous positions while trying to exploit your enemy by puting them in disadvantageous positions. If these elements are there, then that can add new options for enemy mechanics that can be used that you have to deal with- while also adding to the pvp setting if they apply these principles to the pvp focused areas, or through the environmental design in general.

Taking inspiration from the elements of first person shooter map designs, such as call of duty or CSGO can be very beneficial for doing this, because a lot of these tactics are non-existent if its just big open areas with no cover or alternative routes to utilize.