A nostalgic blog concerning designing mansions

[Freddy]

BLOG (part 7)

2022 July the 5th

First of all I have to remind the readers of my blog that Brave New World is not an existing or forthcoming mansion. It is just a collection of ideas about how a new mansion could be.

Refering to the original mansions the standard difficulties are easy, normal and hard. Because of the size of Midnight Mazes and Mansion I added very easy and very hard to them. And to be honest, I have the feeling that there also should be a difficulty degree like ‘quizzical’, probably best used in miniatures only.

But let's assume that there are only The Three Degrees.


You may absolutely disagree with me, but for me, as a player, the most important element to decide if a room or a complete mansion is easy, hard or normal is the risk of losing Jack-lives. But as a designer I believe that I have to take care that (all) other elements are in balance with the previously chosen difficulty: the amount of money, the number of shields and safe pedestals, the puzzles (!!), the place of the lantern or the first backpack.

One single example of a mistake out of my own lab. In the very easy area of MM&M there was a rugsack-maze (see added pic): the maze where Jack could find his first backpack. While it was really impossible for Jack to die, the 3-room-puzzle wasn't easy at all. Room 1 had real and fake ladders, room 2 also ànd magic doors.
:-?

More complicated is the handling of secrets. It starts with the fact that, what's in a name, secrets should be secret. So a designer can't just use bricks with cracks for all secrets. On the other hand both Psychonitric and Alex mentioned me that at a certain point the fun is over when you don't have any clue, therefor get the feeling that you're playing blind and Jack has to kick, jump and duck everywhere.

I prefer not to get into details, because sooner or later I like to restore my own mansions. But saying some things more in general is of course possible.

The hint(s) for a secret may be:
- in an adjoining room;
- on the map;
- a sound (of a hidden falling moneybag, an eye ball, ...);
- the abrupt absence of music;
- in the name of the mansion.
8-)

And also: the lack of a 'normal' way out of an enclosed area.

Conclusions

Hints for secrets must be subtile. (Bricks-with-cracks feel only good in easy mansions.)
Take care that the hints are not too subtile.