Random Dungeon Generator Reviews Updated
The “Random Dungeon Generators Reviewed” article I wrote almost a weekend ago received some great feedback. I’ve updated the article with the changes. Below is a summary of the differences:
- Another impressive dungeon generator (the one from Wizards of the Coast–I can’t believe it wasn’t in my initial search results) was added.
- A few other dungeon generators that don’t entirely fit the focus of article were also added to an “Others” section.
- How well the maps print was added as another criteria for each dungeon generator.
- A couple of the other reviews were updated significantly. One was updated positively because it did something that I did not see at first. A different review noted how another generator could be improved, based on how it randomly creates dungeons.
Hey, I’m the developer behind the Skeleton Key Games random dungeon generator you reviewed – thanks for the feedback! A little history: I did that project as an experiment, and for use with my own game (I screenshot the maps and use them with RPTools’ MapTool to have my players explore right on the map). I did the project completely without Skeleton Key Games (Edward Bourelle)’s permission, and so that’s why I make a particular point of driving traffic to his sales links on RPGNow – I figure he can’t get TOO mad if it has helped his bottom line.
Your points are all valid regarding the way the generator works – basically it just tries to fill every space with a valid tile, so it doesn’t care whether all portions of the map are connected or not. I have considered making a version (or a checkable preference) that takes that into consideration, but haven’t tackled that yet. For now, I just use those little pocket dungeons as opportunities for secret doors. Sometimes if no valid tile can be found, I break some of the matching rules and look for a tile that matches at least one side of the existing tiles, but that means sometimes you do end up with plain old dead ends.
As for dungeon consistency, I find it’s best to choose just a few tilesets that work well together. For example, my default set for “classic” dungeons is Dungeon Details 1&2, Dungeons 1, 2, & 3 (4 has too many dead-ends for my liking), Multi-Level Dungeon Chambers & Passages, and Round Tower. From there I might add sewers or caves or whatever, based on what I have in mind for the level. Once I have my tilesets picked out, I’ll generate a few times and look for a dungeon that has good connectedness and some nice encounter areas. It’s like I play “Dungeon Realtor” in my head and want to sell my denizens on the dungeon’s features – “As you can see, the barracks room here opens up onto a very nice defensible ledge with a good view of traffic coming from the spiral stairs…”
Anyway, thanks for the review and if I make changes to it that address your issues, I’ll be sure to let you know.
-Dave
the demonweb RDG has been somewhat improved.
Thanks for the update. I’ll revise the reviews shortly.