The Variant Dungeon Formula - only aesthetics and enemies will change

[Ransu]

Do you really think they are going to drastically change new content within a single patch cycle? That stuff only happens in expansions.

[dspguy]

Software developers reuse code. They don't rewrite from scratch every time. Why not reuse the code? It isn't like they rewrite their engine that produces character models every expansion.

[Ayche]

Yeah and on a sudoku puzzle only thing that changes is the placement of the numbers.

[Absurdity]

Do you really think they are going to drastically change new content within a single patch cycle? That stuff only happens in expansions.

Yes, I do expect them to figure out changes to the formula after 8 months, because the next expansion is when they abandon the entire thing if it wasn't popular enough.

If this plays out the exact same as the Sil'dihn Subterrane with just a new coat of paint then it will, once again, be dead content after 2 weeks, especially the Criterion version.

[Ransu]

Yes, I do expect them to figure out changes to the formula after 8 months, because the next expansion is when they abandon the entire thing if it wasn't popular enough.

If this plays out the exact same as the Sil'dihn Subterrane with just a new coat of paint then it will, once again, be dead content after 2 weeks, especially the Criterion version.

Then you don't know how development cycles work. They plan this stuff months in advance, have schedules, budgets etc... They cannot just reverse course on content they had already been working on for months. This is why significant changes only occur much much later and usually in the next expansion where they can plan for these things.

[Arkdra]

So we now know about the Variant Dungeon formula:

All Variant Dungeons will have one NPC to explore the place with you.

All Variant Dungeons will have exactly three pathways at the beginning to choose from, each leading to a hallway with two bosses.

The first boss on each path is the same for all paths but with varying mechanics.

There is a fifth, hidden boss that requires you to solve a riddle by running the dungeon multiple times to find different clues in the logbook entries.

There are exactly 12 entries to get by running various modifications of the three routes, triggered by certain actions.

So the only things that will really change between the Variant Dungeons are the mobs and bosses and the aesthetics. The formula itself is always the same, just like it is with normal dungeons. So don't expect to be surprised by anything other than that.

Ugh, can't believe the new expert dungeon is 6 trash pulls and 3 bosses all in a corridor. And can you believe that the new raid is 4 instances comprised of a single boss and an arena shaped like a large square/circle?

[Shougun]

I wouldn't mind such a design for a normal roulette dungeon, to make the dungeons a bit more varied each run- I'm sure they could improve the ideas as they go along too. If "choosing" becomes a problem for the gotta go fast community then the dungeon can always choose for you or each branch a single player is selected to choose.

Perhaps occasionally the new dungeon is a variant dungeon, help make it less of a side content too and reduce the reward issue.

[hunkygladiator]

Then you don't know how development cycles work. They plan this stuff months in advance, have schedules, budgets etc... They cannot just reverse course on content they had already been working on for months. This is why significant changes only occur much much later and usually in the next expansion where they can plan for these things.

Please understand, Square Enix very smol, very indie company and adjustments to an internal .csv v v hard

[Ransu]

Please understand, Square Enix very smol, very indie company and adjustments to an internal .csv v v hard

Size of a company has nothing to do with it you troll. You can't just reverse course on things that have already been planned/made/tested. There was an entire conversation from the WoW developers explaining their process and why they can't just flip a switch to change things players didn't like. It takes a long time to change things and every development studio has similar processes, especially for games that are constantly live.

[Duskane]

better not catch you looking up the anwers to the puzzles in the new criterion dungeon.