Trap Mazes in DM events.

[nammykun]

Trap mazes, and traps in general can be fun especially when you have a small group of people coordinating together. The same cannot be said when there are so many people that at least one of them won't pay attention to chat, or walks ahead. I am this person on occasion who walks ahead.

It's not fun when half of a large-scale event is nothing but one-hit kill traps that effect anyone nearby, because one person's mistake ends up punishing the rest of the people. I'm not suggesting that traps be removed from large-scale events altogether, but at least make them non-lethal but punishing, or lethal to only the person triggering it.

EDIT: In summary in a 2-6 person event it's fun when you can coordinate. When you have over 10 people, it's a chaotic mess that results in a lot of XP loss and the event loses any sense of 'fun' that was there prior.

EDIT: This is just my opinion and my experience from this. <_<'

[Johnston]

So long as you don't recommend four-dimensional cubic dungeons. I shudder at the thought.

I've heard of quests... similar to mazes, in that the PCs were more or less stranded in a dungeon with no idea of how to get out, and potential pitfalls around every corner. Fairly linear if one knows the way, but...

The players themselves were horrified, confused, and going slowly insane. Imagine what the characters were going through.

All in all, a good (and decidedly magnificent bastard-ish) idea.

[xXCrystal_Rose]

I would eagerly welcome a fourth dimensional dungeon, but it is true not many minds are in tune with such abberant distortions of reality to be able to read the clarity in such madness. Such a place where a convex curve acts as concave, where you could travel for hours just to be not actually moving, where you are your reflection in a mirror but also neither of them are you while simultaneously being both at the same time and your shadows laugh at both from across the room at an angle where they are not linked to the reflections like they know a secret you do not. It would be heavenly. With such things possible in only a 4th dimension I shudder in anticipation to see the others- the 5th, the 6th, the 7th, though by this point it would likely be so maddening that the brain dies simply trying to make sense of it. The thousands of different dimensions that entities like our lord Mak Thuum Ngatha swim through simultaneously. Mmmhh.

[Kotenku]

In this forum, nobody actually reads anybody else's posts.

[Random_White_Guy]

In this forum, no one actually reads anybody else's posts.

[SanTelmo]

Trap mazes, and traps in general can be fun especially when you have a small group of people coordinating together. The same cannot be said when there are so many people that at least one of them won't pay attention to chat, or walks ahead. I am this person on occasion who walks ahead.

Pay attention. There usually is no hurry anywhere and I personally enjoy it more if players take some time to try and solve the puzzles/proceed in organized way, both as a player and a DM.

It's not fun when half of a large-scale event is nothing but one-hit kill traps that effect anyone nearby, because one person's mistake ends up punishing the rest of the people. I'm not suggesting that traps be removed from large-scale events altogether, but at least make them non-lethal but punishing, or lethal to only the person triggering it.

90% of the traps I lay and I have seen being laid are not lethal if you are close to your full hp. If you are a low level, low HD class in a quest where few high level PCs are participating, expect the quest to be balanced more to fit their level.

It should be seen much in character if someone (with low search and hurry) always tramples forward ahead of the group in grounds where there has been noted many traps. We have those "scout" skills for a reason and wise party leader utilizes them and removes the idiots from their party or keeps them in a leash, so to say.

If some of the traps were not be lethal, they would lose much of their allure. DMs tend to spice and run quests more to those who enjoy the thrill of chance and danger rather than to those who expect always to succeed and be babysitted by the DMs.

EDIT: In summary in a 2-6 person event it's fun when you can coordinate. When you have over 10 people, it's a chaotic mess that results in a lot of XP loss and the event loses any sense of 'fun' that was there prior.

Forming the party is an important part of the game. Wise leaders select a party fitting their needs and wise characters drop out from parties if they see bringing more to the scenery might be deadly to all. (or him/her!). It is of course annoying from OOC point of view to be dropped out from DM quests from time to time but I see it more important to play your character (whether it is dummy or wise) rather than rush on and perhaps be sad because of the consequences (permanent death of the character or loss of EXP).

Sometimes DMs reward (perhaps another quest for them later, EXP, loot) the players who drop out from the quests because they play their characters (a paladin refusing to travel with the evil, experienced mercenary judging the group to be too inexperienced and bring him harm too/too crowded to result in dangerous situations... and so on). My experience has also taught me not to join quests (even scripted ones) when you are extremely tired or otherwise unable to play your character with full potential. Usually deaths happen during the dawns early light and you go to bed angry, stressed and as a potential candidate for peptic ulcer.

EDIT: This is just my opinion and my experience from this. <_<'

You have spent relatively little time on this server, Nammykun. Over the years, EfU and EfUs DMs have learned to balance quests quite well, trapwise too. Although balance issues or otherwise remarks about the difficulty of our servers are welcomed, they should be issued by players who have experienced enough to reflect this to their earlier experience and EfUs general desired level of danger and atmosphere. I am very sympathetic towards people dying and losing their hard earned exp (especially when it happens to those higher levels where it has taken a lot of their time) but I'd rather have a server where character actions can have dangerous consequences upon the party or themselves rather than one where you are all toggled to invulnerable and always prove victorious.

A longer answer than I originally had planned but hopefully this provides some useful notes for you and other new players.

[Paha]

Whip those fools that run into traps. It's legit, people just don't get it.

Getting your party killed by triggering trap, is all the same as hitting them with a sword. Just act on it IC. It's allowed - it's encouraged! It is very much preferred if people also use more commonly known negative topics to fuel their RP. In setting like efu, racism is very much, it is part of the game.

Things like accusing someone of wrong doing, punishing them for endangering mistakes - it's all good. If someone threatens your life with their actions, you're well in right to act on it.

[Gotham]

Generally I love traps in dungeons/on DM events. Teaches you to not be dumb/make friends with a rogue really quick.

The only ones I don't like are rockfall traps because of their massive radius and the fact you can't disarm them.

Also, In this forum, no one actually reads anybody else's posts.