Next Criterion Dungeons - Where do you want them to be?

[Iscah]

Frankly, I'd rather they just scrap the variant dungeons entirely, and put the work of them into standard level 90 dungeons instead.

I've posted before that I would like to see them take the variant dungeons and create an extra "roulette-compatible" version that stitches the three paths into one linear dungeon with the usual three bosses. Then they can put it into the expert roulette cycle for some more variety.

[Atelier-Bagur]

I've posted before that I would like to see them take the variant dungeons and create an extra "roulette-compatible" version that stitches the three paths into one linear dungeon with the usual three bosses. Then they can put it into the expert roulette cycle for some more variety.

Interesting that Ive seen this opinion around (including Mr.Happy). I get the reason but also I feel like that would just kill the entire point of a Variant dungeon if they force you to run a set path. It'd be just a slower paced dungeon at that point. I think we can handle having it be on a roulette but without pruning the content. If people are being weirdly toxic about trying to go for certain paths, then thats the player's job to report them and the gms to enforce the set rule ettiquette that we've been adhering to in this game for so long. Its not like running variants with randos isnt a thing; its literally an option for the queue we have.

But indeed, they need to start implementing a roulette for variants, especially if they'll keep adding more to the variety in later expansions.

[Iscah]

I get the reason but also I feel like that would just kill the entire point of a Variant dungeon if they force you to run a set path.

I mean as a separate thing to the (fairly one-shot) business of running the actual variant dungeons. Take all that visual work and boss fight design, and make an altered version that can come up in standard dungeon roulette in addition to the real version with its special structure.

[Nezerius]

Frankly, I'd rather they just scrap the variant dungeons entirely, and put the work of them into standard level 90 dungeons instead.
I could believe that the 9 total paths equal about the work of 5 total dungeons; so then we could be back to getting 2 dungeons per patch again.
Nothing the variants have offered so far would come even close to beating that. (And that's sad...)

So you'd rather have 5 standard dungeons that consist of mindless wall-to-wall pulls and bosses that are complete pushovers, instead of a Variant dungeon that brings the Criterion difficulty along with it? Y'know, a difficulty that actually requires players to think about mechanics that are happening? Bit of a weird take.
Instead of just scrapping entire things because you don't like them, it'd be much better for SE to simply use the variant assets to create an optional dungeon. Similar to how they designed the HM versions of dungeons in ARR/HW/SB.

[RitsukoSonoda]

20000 leagues under the ruby sea

[Khryseis_Astra]

I've always been curious about this door in the Dravanian Forelands...

Yes! We need one that takes us through this door!

[Gullis]

So you'd rather have 5 standard dungeons that consist of mindless wall-to-wall pulls and bosses that are complete pushovers, instead of a Variant dungeon that brings the Criterion difficulty along with it? Y'know, a difficulty that actually requires players to think about mechanics that are happening? Bit of a weird take.

if said person don't care about hard difficulty content, its not a wierd take at all. if I had the choice between more dungeons per patch, or variant, i'd take more dungeons anyday.

SE are too stubborn to change things, so I have no faith they will do better with the 7.0 variants. But i'll be glad to be proven wrong

[VerdeLuck]

if said person don't care about hard difficulty content, its not a wierd take at all. if I had the choice between more dungeons per patch, or variant, i'd take more dungeons anyday.

SE are too stubborn to change things, so I have no faith they will do better with the 7.0 variants. But i'll be glad to be proven wrong

It's definitely a weird take to go into a variant speculation thread, where people clearly like the content and want more, just to say "They should scrap this content you like and give me more content I like".
Like, okay man, that wasn't the question. The OP was asking where would be a fun variant dungeon to explore, where SE could add a cool variant dungeon that would make use of the branching paths, and where is likely for the Dawntrail ones.

I fail to see where "Do you think we should cancel these for hypothetical replacement content" was anywhere in the thread till someone decided to pop in and blast their opinion around.

[Iscah]

It's definitely a weird take to go into a variant speculation thread, where people clearly like the content and want more, just to say "They should scrap this content you like and give me more content I like".

It's not so much a "variant appreciation thread" as "what niche location do you want explored in side content next?" – which used to be the domain of standard non-MSQ dungeon but has now been handed over to variant dungeons.

It's not outside the scope of the thread to wish to go back to the old format for visiting these locations.

[Absurdity]

if I had the choice between more dungeons per patch, or variant, i'd take more dungeons anyday.

For me it's the exact opposite, I'd rather take a single variant dungeon in my expert roulette than 2 normal dungeons that are just utterly bland corridor simulators with a different wallpaper every time.