EightBitEngine
2018-02-08, 10:28 PM
I'm currently building a very unusual d&d experience for my players.
I'm building the over world and dungeons using retro pixel art (Some of the game assets are just cut and paste, I basically ripped all the enemy sprites from old d&d games and various other sources, but drew all the player characters sprites myself.)
Everything in the world and dungeons is hand placed like most d&d games but unlike a usual d&d game the players will see everything I narrate as I narrate it in full colored illustration (At lest as far as dungeons and npc talking heads are concerned.)
I'm hoping seeing it right in front of them will help sell some of the more weird things I want to include in the world as more real.
Anyways getting to the point
I need help making my first dungeon better. I've been crafting dungeons for years and and I'm running out of ideas
As it stands now the dungeon feels pretty artificial.
Screen shots
Here is what I have so far.
Entrance
https://img00.deviantart.net/de8f/i/2018/039/0/b/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_1_by_eightbitt-dc2l5p9.png
Walls that would other wise cover the player are see through
https://img00.deviantart.net/ff01/i/2018/039/f/3/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_2_by_eightbitt-dc2l5rk.png
Doors are animated and can be opened
https://img00.deviantart.net/3f0f/i/2018/039/2/7/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_3_by_eightbitt-dc2l62g.png
In the first room the players will see this (Desk, book shelf, another door, and a devil npc)
https://img00.deviantart.net/6bb6/i/2018/039/1/e/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_4_by_eightbitt-dc2l67t.png
This npc can be interacted with and is a Narrative tool and merchant
He gives the players an opening speech as the first thing he does.
NPC Splat screen
https://img00.deviantart.net/e11f/i/2018/039/d/5/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_1_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l6qb.png
Dialog box
https://img00.deviantart.net/1026/i/2018/039/e/2/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_2_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l6wk.png
Quest Speech
https://img00.deviantart.net/8326/i/2018/039/4/e/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_3_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l772.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/2ac9/i/2018/039/4/9/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_4_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l76t.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/6bfb/i/2018/039/c/b/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_5_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l76i.png
A Few Examples Of His Randomly generated shop
https://img00.deviantart.net/28b7/i/2018/039/0/9/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_3_by _eightbitt-dc2l7s6.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/514b/i/2018/039/1/2/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_2_by _eightbitt-dc2l7sg.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/a7ac/i/2018/039/2/f/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_1_by _eightbitt-dc2l7st.png
And yes if the players want they can try to kill this guy and take his stuff. My game is meant to be completely freedom of choice with no telling the player "You can't do that"
But evil actions will have consequences.
From here the player can proceed to the next room but if they inspect the book shelf they will find a hidden room
https://img00.deviantart.net/4b42/i/2018/039/4/9/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_bookself_1_by_e ightbitt-dc2l8e9.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/acda/i/2018/039/5/9/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_bookshelf_2_by_ eightbitt-dc2l8dv.png
If found this room can be used as a short cut to get back to the dungeon entrance from a later section of the dungeon in order to cut down on any backtracking. Not to mention it has loot in it.
But here is where I run into a problem. This is the next room.
https://img00.deviantart.net/1895/i/2018/039/8/6/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_5_by_eightbitt-dc2l8wp.png
The first room has a desk and book shelf in it so the players can assume what the room's purpose is (It's some kind of study)
but this room only has a single combat encounter with an undead, drow, fighter in it and nothing else, the room has no purpose in the context of dungeon and there isn't anything all that interesting in it.
I am considering putting a pressure plate trap in the room that triggers a sleeping cloud spell because the enemy in the room is immune to sleep. That might make it a little better but the problem still stands that the room is generic and lacking any identity or context within the dungeon.
If you have any ideas on how to improve this one room or any ideas for later areas in the dungeon I would be extremely appreciative of any help.
If you have any questions I'll answer what I can.
I'm building the over world and dungeons using retro pixel art (Some of the game assets are just cut and paste, I basically ripped all the enemy sprites from old d&d games and various other sources, but drew all the player characters sprites myself.)
Everything in the world and dungeons is hand placed like most d&d games but unlike a usual d&d game the players will see everything I narrate as I narrate it in full colored illustration (At lest as far as dungeons and npc talking heads are concerned.)
I'm hoping seeing it right in front of them will help sell some of the more weird things I want to include in the world as more real.
Anyways getting to the point
I need help making my first dungeon better. I've been crafting dungeons for years and and I'm running out of ideas
As it stands now the dungeon feels pretty artificial.
Screen shots
Here is what I have so far.
Entrance
https://img00.deviantart.net/de8f/i/2018/039/0/b/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_1_by_eightbitt-dc2l5p9.png
Walls that would other wise cover the player are see through
https://img00.deviantart.net/ff01/i/2018/039/f/3/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_2_by_eightbitt-dc2l5rk.png
Doors are animated and can be opened
https://img00.deviantart.net/3f0f/i/2018/039/2/7/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_3_by_eightbitt-dc2l62g.png
In the first room the players will see this (Desk, book shelf, another door, and a devil npc)
https://img00.deviantart.net/6bb6/i/2018/039/1/e/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_4_by_eightbitt-dc2l67t.png
This npc can be interacted with and is a Narrative tool and merchant
He gives the players an opening speech as the first thing he does.
NPC Splat screen
https://img00.deviantart.net/e11f/i/2018/039/d/5/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_1_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l6qb.png
Dialog box
https://img00.deviantart.net/1026/i/2018/039/e/2/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_2_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l6wk.png
Quest Speech
https://img00.deviantart.net/8326/i/2018/039/4/e/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_3_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l772.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/2ac9/i/2018/039/4/9/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_4_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l76t.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/6bfb/i/2018/039/c/b/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_5_by_eigh tbitt-dc2l76i.png
A Few Examples Of His Randomly generated shop
https://img00.deviantart.net/28b7/i/2018/039/0/9/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_3_by _eightbitt-dc2l7s6.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/514b/i/2018/039/1/2/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_2_by _eightbitt-dc2l7sg.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/a7ac/i/2018/039/2/f/demon_merchent_talking_head_screen_shots_shop_1_by _eightbitt-dc2l7st.png
And yes if the players want they can try to kill this guy and take his stuff. My game is meant to be completely freedom of choice with no telling the player "You can't do that"
But evil actions will have consequences.
From here the player can proceed to the next room but if they inspect the book shelf they will find a hidden room
https://img00.deviantart.net/4b42/i/2018/039/4/9/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_bookself_1_by_e ightbitt-dc2l8e9.png
https://img00.deviantart.net/acda/i/2018/039/5/9/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_bookshelf_2_by_ eightbitt-dc2l8dv.png
If found this room can be used as a short cut to get back to the dungeon entrance from a later section of the dungeon in order to cut down on any backtracking. Not to mention it has loot in it.
But here is where I run into a problem. This is the next room.
https://img00.deviantart.net/1895/i/2018/039/8/6/dungeon_in_castle_town_screenshots_5_by_eightbitt-dc2l8wp.png
The first room has a desk and book shelf in it so the players can assume what the room's purpose is (It's some kind of study)
but this room only has a single combat encounter with an undead, drow, fighter in it and nothing else, the room has no purpose in the context of dungeon and there isn't anything all that interesting in it.
I am considering putting a pressure plate trap in the room that triggers a sleeping cloud spell because the enemy in the room is immune to sleep. That might make it a little better but the problem still stands that the room is generic and lacking any identity or context within the dungeon.
If you have any ideas on how to improve this one room or any ideas for later areas in the dungeon I would be extremely appreciative of any help.
If you have any questions I'll answer what I can.