This was a wonderful read, I am definitely adding this to my RSS feed, along with having to now go check your other blog as well! I am in the beginning stages of preparing my own megadungeon campaign, and so it has been quite the stroke of fortune to have resources like this spring up as I am doing this.
Also, as another artist I absolutely 100% agree with the "good enough" sentiment in the post. Anything beyond that starts to impact one's ability to actually get art done, which is always, always worse than a piece that is simply good enough.
True serendipity! I hope it is all an aid to your endeavor. How big are you planning out your levels? You can an vibe or themes you are going for?
100% agree on the last part of your comment. Forcing myself to embrace "good enough" for my cartooning is one of the main reasons I do everything but coloring physically. I let trying to make things perfect keep me from completing anything for a long time. Making fixes take time helps keep me from just trying to fix it all the time.
I'm glad to see another person inspired by Ben L's new podcast. I'm looking forward to reading more.
I was also intrigued at your mention of the Starship Warden as a megadungeon. I'd never thought of it that way, but I think you're absolutely right. It's a huge structure with many, many adventure/encounter sites. I've run a short adventure (using FATE Accelerated) on one of the decks from the Troll Lord Games edition. I'd love to go back and revisit the setting some day . . . too many games and too little time.
Yeah. Ben's project is really exciting. We both have similar thoughts about examining the topic- wanting go get to practical information that can help in the running of a game.
It is awesome you have run some of the Starship Warden. I never have. What was it like? It seems like you enjoyed it. I am not sure I would always have considered it a megadungeon but in recent years, my thinking has settled on it. I feel like I can see a direct line from the earliest campaigns to Starship Warden's design. Jim Ward's thoughts of being surprised that people just used the Warden rather than making their own starship aligns with similar thoughts about dungeons form that early period of D&D. I think influences my take as well.
I definitely agree there are too many games and too little time. Being committed to a long form megadungeon game, I feel like it is going to be awhile before I run something different even though there are so many games and settings that I want to try.
My players and I had a blast with it. They've asked a couple of times to get it back to the table.
The TLG version is a beast! I didn't want to run it in their Star Siege system/setting though, so I decided to just convert it on the fly with FATE, which turned out to be a great idea. The players traveled from their starting village - cast out due to a political conflict. After exploring a couple of sites, including a shipwreck, they ended up finding an abandoned beach side resort with a number of working androids (and some unfriendly cephalopods that dwelt just off shore).
If we do go back to revisit the setting, I think I might try a Gamma World inspired Cairn hack I'm working on for another adventure. It would be fun to close the Metamorphosis Alpha -> Gamma World -> my cairn hack -> M. A. loop.
Thanks for the enthusiastic interest! I hope to touch of some of these elements in future installments. I will say that I have some set procedures at the start of sessions but not so much at the end. I also don't handwave too much of travel through areas well trafficked by the players. I will sometimes only require necessary checks (open doors, encounters, etc.) if the players have a specific goal they really want to get at. In general, though, these movements through familiar areas do a lot to communicate what is currently happening in the dungeon.
This was a wonderful read, I am definitely adding this to my RSS feed, along with having to now go check your other blog as well! I am in the beginning stages of preparing my own megadungeon campaign, and so it has been quite the stroke of fortune to have resources like this spring up as I am doing this.
Also, as another artist I absolutely 100% agree with the "good enough" sentiment in the post. Anything beyond that starts to impact one's ability to actually get art done, which is always, always worse than a piece that is simply good enough.
True serendipity! I hope it is all an aid to your endeavor. How big are you planning out your levels? You can an vibe or themes you are going for?
100% agree on the last part of your comment. Forcing myself to embrace "good enough" for my cartooning is one of the main reasons I do everything but coloring physically. I let trying to make things perfect keep me from completing anything for a long time. Making fixes take time helps keep me from just trying to fix it all the time.
I'm glad to see another person inspired by Ben L's new podcast. I'm looking forward to reading more.
I was also intrigued at your mention of the Starship Warden as a megadungeon. I'd never thought of it that way, but I think you're absolutely right. It's a huge structure with many, many adventure/encounter sites. I've run a short adventure (using FATE Accelerated) on one of the decks from the Troll Lord Games edition. I'd love to go back and revisit the setting some day . . . too many games and too little time.
Yeah. Ben's project is really exciting. We both have similar thoughts about examining the topic- wanting go get to practical information that can help in the running of a game.
It is awesome you have run some of the Starship Warden. I never have. What was it like? It seems like you enjoyed it. I am not sure I would always have considered it a megadungeon but in recent years, my thinking has settled on it. I feel like I can see a direct line from the earliest campaigns to Starship Warden's design. Jim Ward's thoughts of being surprised that people just used the Warden rather than making their own starship aligns with similar thoughts about dungeons form that early period of D&D. I think influences my take as well.
I definitely agree there are too many games and too little time. Being committed to a long form megadungeon game, I feel like it is going to be awhile before I run something different even though there are so many games and settings that I want to try.
My players and I had a blast with it. They've asked a couple of times to get it back to the table.
The TLG version is a beast! I didn't want to run it in their Star Siege system/setting though, so I decided to just convert it on the fly with FATE, which turned out to be a great idea. The players traveled from their starting village - cast out due to a political conflict. After exploring a couple of sites, including a shipwreck, they ended up finding an abandoned beach side resort with a number of working androids (and some unfriendly cephalopods that dwelt just off shore).
If we do go back to revisit the setting, I think I might try a Gamma World inspired Cairn hack I'm working on for another adventure. It would be fun to close the Metamorphosis Alpha -> Gamma World -> my cairn hack -> M. A. loop.
Amazing! I am into all the stuff having with the Metamorphosis Alpha you ran. Sounds like a blast. Best of luck getting that hack up and running
Thanks for the enthusiastic interest! I hope to touch of some of these elements in future installments. I will say that I have some set procedures at the start of sessions but not so much at the end. I also don't handwave too much of travel through areas well trafficked by the players. I will sometimes only require necessary checks (open doors, encounters, etc.) if the players have a specific goal they really want to get at. In general, though, these movements through familiar areas do a lot to communicate what is currently happening in the dungeon.