Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (
More info?)
Jeff Lait wrote:
> Radomir 'The Sheep' Dopieralski wrote:
> > At 29 Aug 2005 01:46:24 -0700,
> > Michal Brzozowski wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > > In my game I've decided not to draw visited parts
> > > of the map, only those that the PC can see. My
> > > reasoning is that it's the player who should have
> > > memory, not the character.
> > > So, moving around and finding one's way will be
> > > a challenge, and the player will have to mark
> > > his way back to the village, etc. And I think
> > > this should make the game more fun, as long as the
> > > dungeon is not too complicated of course.
> > >
> > > So what do you guys think about this?
> >
> > Long time ago I played games like 'Adventure' with a pencil in my hand.
> > I still have the old sheets of paper with maps, item descriptions, etc.
> > somewhere on my shelf.
> >
> > It turns out it can get pretty fun, interesting and even addictive.
> >
> > But the key is that you need interesting maps, interesting items and their
> > effects, etc. The items and monsters can be made interesting only the
> > first couple of times you meet them -- when you can see new behavior.
> >
> > It's extremely difficult to generate automaticaly a level that's fun to
> > map by hand. I'd even risk the statement that it's impossible.
> >
> > Note, that there are also other randomized ares of roguelike games that
> > use the simulated player character's memory, instead of the player's
> > memory: potion colors, scroll titles, ring kinds, etc.
> >
> > The fact that those 'secrets' are generated automatically makes them
> > pretty uninteresting to note by hand -- so the note-taking is automated.
>
> I don't think it is because they are generated automatically.
>
> I think it is because it changes every single game.
>
> In an Ultima game I might learn that Yellow is the Heal potion and then
> apply that knowledge for my entire 30 hours of play. It thus becomes
> useful to write that down in a separate note book and can add to the
> enjoyment. The relationship of potions to effects could have been
> created entirely randomly without affecting this mechanic.
>
> In POWDER, I learn that Yellow is the Heal potion, die five moves
> later, and the fact becomes another piece of scrap. I *don't* want to
> remember yellow=heal as that memory is better suited to storing "heal
> stops bleeding" or some other bit of meta-information that was
> discovered.
>
> > Note also, that, altrough you can disable the automated, in-game
> > automapping, you can't forbid the player to make his own map and notes by
> > hand.
>
> I would think that would be the intent. To engage the player to engage
> with the map-making half of the game.
>
> We do see note taking occur in roguelikes when players reach a certain
> level of stability. They start to record where there caches are, for
> example, or where certain special levels are. It is also very common
> for roguelike players to record the permament features.
>
> Lack of a map recall would mean, IMHO, your characters should either
> have a long life expectency or that the maps shouldn't be random.
certaintly it would get boring to map out everything by hand,
especially for a random map of essentially the same nature every time.
it can even get tedious exploring a map that you don't have to map. the
whole point of using a computer(for anything; not just adventuring) is
to remove tedium.
What I thought was meant by this suggestion was that the pc would have
less-than-perfect spatial memory and would have to carry a scroll of
notes with him/her. the player, OTOH would have simply to press M for
map, and the pc would take a turn or three to draw everything he could
see. Of course, it would be logical for the player to make sure that
said scroll doesn't get lost or wet.
This would add a level of strategy to the gameplay. you can't take the
time to write anything down while fleeing for your life, and you're not
likely to remember every detail in that situation either. so, you get
lost, wander the caves hopelessly untill you see something you
recognize. perhaps memory should record one square in fifty, every turn
it remains within you los. that would allow you to remember something,
and include more strategic detail.
I don't believe that more detail is neccessarily goosd for a game, but
more strategic detail means more stuff to fiure out, which is fun, in
my opinion.