The Drakalor Chain in JADE
I'm surprised we haven't done this thread yet, so here it is. Thomas said that the DC won't be featured in the initial release of JADE, and that's fine. Implementing it would be a lot of coding and I think we're all patient enough to see the Chain implemented a few versions later. However, it will eventually need to be in the game. Here's my thoughts on it.
For one thing, once the Drakalor Chain is implemented into JADE, it should be present in every single game. It would make no sense for it to be sometimes generated and other times not. After all, this is a large landmass and JADE takes place only a few centuries after ADOM. The Chain would not have disappeared, so logically speaking you should always be able to find it, even if its relationship to the world generated in a given JADE session varies.
This permanence has its advantages. In many threads we grapple with the issues raised by a completely random world. Having one fixed region in an otherwise random world solves a few problems. If you want any non-random quests or artifacts, throw them in the Drakalor Chain. So that's something to think about.
What I'm more interested is the evolution of the chain in the time elapsed since ADOM. Some features can be dispensed with: If the village dungeon, puppy cave, and UD are still there or gone, that's not a big deal since those weren't interesting areas. But there are plenty of other interesting areas which I'd like to discuss.
Terinyo: It's been a few centuries and the chain has been peaceful since Chaos was vanquished, so one would expect to see a larger town, which allows for more quest opportunities. Even though the geography of the Chain should have a few fixed features, the quests and npcs you find can have plenty of randomness too.
Outlaw town: Does it still exist? If so, a source for plenty of chaotic quests.
Water Dragon cave: Dragons live for incredibly long times and are hard to kill, so I would expect to see the water dragon again. However, since she's older she should also be tougher. That means her treasure horde is up for grabs if one is in a dragon killing mood, but she should be a harder fight than before. I would also suggest that high level monsters in JADE like ancient dragons and whatnot should be able to cast basic spells like Light. The darkness trick against her was always a bit cheap.
Infinite Dungeon: I believe it's the minstrel who tells you this, but the ID was a temple of Order corrupted by Chaos. With Chaos gone, the infinite nature of the dungeon should also be gone. Has it reverted back to a temple of order, or do pockets of corruption still linger?
Darkforge: Dwarves live pretty long, so I'd love to see a return of the Dark Dwarven Smith. This could be a source for more chaotic quests, and perhaps even the fabled spear of raw steel. Since its been centuries, he would have had time to work on new creations. Instead of just steel golems, how about a steel dragon or even a steel titan?
Caverns of Chaos: The cave system should still exist, even if it's no longer the source of all Chaos. Places like the arena and Dwarftown could still exist, but that's not essential. Perhaps the Ogre tribe regrouped and wiped the Dwarves out. So there's plenty of room to add new things to the CoC. The only thing that really can't be there is the Casino. In a limitless game, the presence of the casino would break it. And what about D:50? Perhaps an enterprising Chaotic PC could reopen the gate, though that would require relocating or even recreating the elemental orbs.
The Library: Like the casino, presents the problem of scumming. Perhaps it could still hold a few books, but the ghostly librarian could lament how an adventurer centuries ago made off with the bulk of the books.
Tower of Eternal Flames: The orb and dragon are gone but the tower still stands. Perhaps an elder fire elemental or fire demon has moved in? Better have a ring of ice handy to find out! Another place where fixed features can meet randomness. The tower could always be present, but what's at the top can vary from game to game.
There's a few other areas like bugville or the stone circle, but what I've already said largely holds there too. Do other people agree that the Drakalor chain should always be present? What would you like to see in it?
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Originally Posted by Grey
