I think Gary got labyrinths right all the way back in early 1980 in B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, with the rather small caves of the minotaur under the spell of direction confusion. It's a bit of fun that lasts a little while, in contrast to the all-to-common Maze of Tedium.
I think the question is: what is the purpose? The maze doesn't have to be represented as a map. It could be an abstract series of skill tests that then drive the order of encounters. If the point is to delay the group, then poor checks result in wasted in-game time (but since it is a check, not in play time). If the point is to eat resources, then poor checks result in more encounters. If the point is frustration, then it needs to be rethought.
I got this glimmer of an idea while playing the tile-laying game Tsuro that maze mechanics in an rpg could be turned into their own little minigame where the party and gm take turns laying down a map, the party trying to "steer" the path out (to an ultimate exit) and the gm trying to circle them back to the center. Untested as yet in the field, but as Kerry says above, "the maze doesn't have to be represented as a map" and I'd add even if it is, the map doesn't have to be represented as a scare quotes "map." Lost in a cornmaze my tendency might be to overlay the physical experience onto an internal pad of graph paper, but I don't think this is how non-rpg heads are experiencing it.
I think Gary got labyrinths right all the way back in early 1980 in B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, with the rather small caves of the minotaur under the spell of direction confusion. It's a bit of fun that lasts a little while, in contrast to the all-to-common Maze of Tedium.
ReplyDeleteI think the question is: what is the purpose? The maze doesn't have to be represented as a map. It could be an abstract series of skill tests that then drive the order of encounters. If the point is to delay the group, then poor checks result in wasted in-game time (but since it is a check, not in play time). If the point is to eat resources, then poor checks result in more encounters. If the point is frustration, then it needs to be rethought.
ReplyDeleteI got this glimmer of an idea while playing the tile-laying game Tsuro that maze mechanics in an rpg could be turned into their own little minigame where the party and gm take turns laying down a map, the party trying to "steer" the path out (to an ultimate exit) and the gm trying to circle them back to the center. Untested as yet in the field, but as Kerry says above, "the maze doesn't have to be represented as a map" and I'd add even if it is, the map doesn't have to be represented as a scare quotes "map." Lost in a cornmaze my tendency might be to overlay the physical experience onto an internal pad of graph paper, but I don't think this is how non-rpg heads are experiencing it.
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