[2-Player Quest] - The Mirror Maze

[Goblin-King]

Yeah yeah, really original name... But the quest is actually pretty good If I dare say so myself.

We missed one of our players today, so we made our own custom quests instead of jumping right into Kellar's Keep.
This is the one I made; designed for an elf and a wizard with pretty much full equipment, but it could easily be adjusted to more or other combinations of heroes.
Just change the monster types or add a few...

I've tried to make this quest more of a puzzle than a pure hack 'n' slash.
I'll admit it CAN seem a bit confusing; Morcar has to pay much attention all the time.
But feel free to use this thread to ask any questions.
I'll also appreciate suggestions for improvements to my level design.

I use the hero quest font package found... somewhere... So it looks a little wonky on the download homepage...

Download the quest here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/79702691/The-Mirror-Maze

Enjoy

[Additional components needed: +2 Chests, 4 Coffin Tiles (from RotWL), +2 Double Blocked Square Tiles, Four-part Stone Map (from KK), Sun-Eye Room Tile (from AtOH)
High Mage Spell Cards, Magical Throwing Dagger Artifact Card (from KK or RotWL)- edit]

[Patroclus]

I don't have play it yet but I've try to make it in HQGM for playing it solo
https://rapidshare.com/files/2852323919/The_Mirror_Maze_1_The_Mirror_Maze.rar

[drathe]

I love the concept behind this quest, it's brilliant. I hope to try it out some time soon.

[Patroclus]

The quest is very good and the idea of mirror works great. I’ve played it with four heroes with no equipment and I had no problem to clean the dungeon until the final boss where I was very lucky and no one dies. If you had put more hard encounters before the final room and if I had use a bit more of my spells, I don’t know if I could make it.

My final HP was: Barbarian(7) Dwarf(6) Elf(3) Wizard(2)
I’ve found: 535 gold
I’ve use the following spells: water of healing, fire of wrath, tempest, rock skin, courage, heal body, genie
Potions: heroic brew, potion of resilience, potion of healing
Traps: two wandering monsters, and a trap

[Goblin-King]

Thanks for playing

So you thought it was pretty balanced for 4 new players without changing anything?
(That's the thing about hero quest though. Sometimes a naked player will slay 3 chaos warriors, and sometimes a couple of orcs will slay two fully equipped heroes!)

Were there any parts that you felt ruined the flow of the level? Something you would like to have changed?

[Patroclus]

There is no need to change anything, but if I had to do it I could put less gold in sarcophagus (100 gold is too much… maybe 25 gold for skull, 50 for shield and potion for black, could be better)... In the beginning I feel that it was a little more linear than expected, but soon I get over it and change my mind. Also it could be nice if there was an explanation why the Fimir has “Fire of Wrath”, but it’s not a big deal.

[Goblin-King]

Thanks for your input. Good call about the treasure and the fimir. I will definitely address that in the revised version.

About it being linear... A couple of thoughts about the design:
Well for starters, you are right, it is kinda linear. The puzzles take a lot of space so not a lot of room is left to add dead ends or alternative routes.
Also I didn't want to make the puzzles too difficult, so once the players grasp the basic concept they should have a pretty easy time. My thoughts were that I would allow the players to acquire the new skill, learn to use it and feel they are mastering it within the quest. After all I don't want to turn it into a thinking game.
If I ever make a "Return to Mirror Maze" quest the puzzles should be somewhat harder as the players won't need to restart the learning curve.

[torilen]

I quite like the name, by the way.

I haven't played it, since I have no group to play. However, looking it over...this is spectacular.
I love the concept, and it does look quite puzzling. I am not sure about the deadliness of the
quest...I'd have to study it a bit as far as monsters and traps and stuff.

Great job, though - I love it at first glance.

[Goblin-King]

It might need just 1 or 2 more traps.

By the way... Priceless moment:
The wizard stepped in the speartrap (lost 1 Bp and his turn ended).
His next turn he used his ring and warped right into the mirrored speartrap!
I was all like, lol yo stepped in another speartrap fool!

[torilen]

Have you had to deal with a situation in which the characters separated, and one of them saw a statue move.
hahaha - that would be great.