Re: [DL] Murder at Overlook Hotel

[Brett Dixon <balance@tubas.net>]

On Monday, April 14, 2003, at 12:28  PM, Bryce Perry wrote:

> The absolute best resource I've ever found for building maps is video
> games.  Seriously!  Just go pick up a walkthrough from the bargain bin
> at Wal-Mart for an old game that has a level in a hotel or mansion or
> whatever and you're set!

My biggest problem with most video games is that most ignore common 
sense...i admit to a bit of obsessive-compulsiveness for this, but most 
buildings at least start with a simple, well-thought-out basic plan. 
Older buildings may have been remodeled or such, and expansions, 
repairs, etc. may change things a bit, but most still try to use a 
proper floorplan. None of this BS of having the stair to the 2nd story 
on one side of a mansion from the stair to the 3rd story...

For an upcoming HoE scenario I'm taking a lot of inspiration fromt he 
photos on several web sites, including the one here:

http://www.oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm

or directly,

http://www.oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/index.htm

for the exterior. I've got a rough layout done and need to 'populate' 
it, but I'm trying not to obsess. While Classic deadlands doesn't have 
to worry about this quite as badly, my HoE posse isn't stopped by mere 
walls (BOOM!) so I;m not obsessing with the layout too much, and am 
just going to mark up the multi-story structure with large regions for 
wards, offices, the cafteria, infirmary, and other locales.

I'm also keeping this loose to allow a loose form of railroading. The 
posse won't be forced, but the map will have a mix of 'keyed' 
encounters (I.E. those linked to a specific locale) and 'scripted' 
(those that happen at a range of places, in a specific order). I hope 
that this will allow me to build up some genuine freakiness

Urban Renewal did a good job with this... There's multiple paths to 
most places, and what's not open is blocked by perfectly logical ways. 
the one major mistake I made when running UR is that a simple 
behind-the-scenes change can make one posse choice effectively 
non-existant, but they don't know that... Thus making things run 
smoother.

One last thing: While the Overlook hotel concept involves a blizzard to 
keep the Posse close, there's a lot of fun things to do to keep the 
group from moving. Deadlands posses, especially with a Blessed, 
Templar, or some other Arcane Backgrounds, can be unstoppable if given 
time to rest, and one thing I've learned from Shane and McGlothlin is 
to keep the group moving. In my case, the insane souls trapped in the 
asylum, combined with a Cthulhuish spirit trapped below who's dreams 
are given form will make resting difficult, and leaving the Asylum is 
definitely bad.