Zot Zealot
Posts: 982
Joined: Monday, 29th September 2014, 09:04
Level effects
WHAT
When a level is generated, there is a low chance for it to get a special effect. This would be a relatively rare occurrence, you would expect to see about one special level per 3-rune game. The effect could be good, bad, or neutral for the player.
Some example effects:
* This floor is poorly lit and you cannot see as far as normal (-LOS)
* You hear the rattle of bones... spooky! (all monsters are zombies or skeletons)
* You enter a lush greenhouse, it seems like plant life is taking over the floor (firewood appears, level generates as "ruined" with some grass and mossy floors, a few oklobs spawn).
Level effects can:
* Change map generation logic (eg generate the map "ruined")
* Modify the map after generation (eg replace tiles, add features)
* Modify monster set before placement (eg use a different branch monster set or depth)
* Modify monsters after generation (eg convert all monsters to zombies)
* Apply permanent passive effects (eg -Stlth+, increased trap rate)
Other details:
* Each level effect would be valid for only certain branches (eg zombie effect wouldn't fire in Crypt)
* Some places would be invalid for level effects (D:1, Abyss, Tomb, Zot:5, probably Hells, etc)
* Each floor can only have one level effect (at least initially)
WHY
I think level effects represent a relatively efficient way to add more variety to DCSS. A small number of effects that fire rarely will add a lot of novelty and replayability to the game ("remember that time I got zombie vault:5?"). Because level effects could modify multiple systems (map, monsters, passive effects) they can have good thematic cohesion, and because they are rare and localised they can be relatively intrusive without becoming annoying.
- For this message the author chequers has received thanks: 5
- Implojin, mattlistener, pedritolo, PseudoLoneWolf, runewalsh