The Adventure Dungeon is now in open beta!

A large, mysterious temple has been discovered in the desert sands of Anarchic Frontiers. Explorers and adventurers are encouraged to seek it out, gain entrance, survive its many perils, and escape with any treasure they might find inside.

---

Here's the deal, folks: I'm not going to provide a detailed run-down of where the temple is, how to get in, or what risks and rewards to expect. Still, There are a lot of things I think people should know to have the most fun with it.

WHAT TO KNOW GOING IN:

Regarding its location, I've already mentioned that it's in a desert biome, and that's more than enough of a clue for people to find it. I'll circle back to the secrecy/mystery of it below.

You might find the temple's single gate sealed, but it can and does open. There are structural clues nearby that should help you determine when that will happen. When it does, be on your toes. You'll have only a brief moment to dash inside. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until the next opening.

The only thing you MUST have to complete the dungeon is a bow and arrows (1 stack at least). You're free to use any other supplies you wish to bring with you, including potions, pearls, and so on, but you're more obviously awesome if you complete it without using such things.

Monsters may spawn inside--I can't control that--so gear up accordingly. Just remember that you'll drop everything if you die, and you may have little to no chance of recovering lost items. Don't take anything inside that you're not prepared to lose.

Some of the challenges are quite lethal and unforgiving; others you might find quite simple on your first try--or once you find a successful strategy. Not all of the challenges are immediately obvious to the eye, while some are deliberately concealed. In all honesty, I can run through the whole thing in less than a minute, and if you get good at it, you will too. That's okay.

There is treasure to be had at the end of the dungeon. I won't say how much, of what kind, or how I'm managing loot distribution. I'll be frank and say: Lower your expectations. Also, don't expect everyone to get the same rewards. You're doing this for the fun of it and for the bragging rights--the treasure is intended as icing on the cake.

Think of this place as more of a living museum, a novel, interactive design showpiece that you can visit for a daily freebie (like a daily quest in an MMO), rather than a serious, ongoing gaming challenge that will provide hours of challenging entertainment. If you think of it as the latter, you will probably be disappointed.

If the community would like to contribute to a treasure fund to keep it loaded, that would be a fun way of keeping it up and running. This would make it like a raffle, or poker, where everyone throws something into the pot, and one person has a chance of walking away with far more than they put in.

If you complete the dungeon, the only way out is to beam out. This is intended. I didn't want people to simple run back around to the front and go again.

However, if people want to put spawn points in the area, that's fine by me. In fact, I'm curious to see if the temple's presence prompts any other developments in the area. If you do want to build nearby, please leave 30 meters on all sides of the temple. That would help preserve the look and feel of the area.

RULES, EXPECTATIONS AND ETIQUETTE:

The entire complex and immediately surrounding perimeter is snitched and bumpered. Every block is protected with stone or better. You will not have to place or break blocks to complete the dungeon. I'll be radically honest and admit that it wouldn't be too hard to break into the dungeon. I'm not counting on the server's physical defenses here, I'm counting on social defenses.

I reserve the right to imprison first and ask questions later anyone who:

- Breaks into/otherwise enter the dungeon from a point other than the gate
- Damages, vandalizes, disrupts, or otherwise harms the hidden mechanics

For all other activity I deem to be inappropriate or suspicious, in my sole discretion, I reserve the right to exclude you from usage of the temple for any period (including forever), on threat on imprisonment (i.e. if a banished player shows up on a snitch, I may then choose to imprison).

That said, you all know I'm a pretty reasonable guy, and this isn't aimed at players in good standing. If you accidentally break a block, cosmetic or functional in nature, or find anything else out of order let me know ASAP via message on this board. The temple is in indefinite "open beta." I will fix major problems when I can, but can't commit to a high level of availability.

I have tried to make it as hard as possible to get stuck, but it is still possible. If this happens, I ask with all humility that you do not break/tunnel your way out. You might break machinery, and you will not be able to repair any holes you leave behind you and I can't always just pop on and fix things.

I think everyone can play a part in helping others get the most out of this experience. If you find the temple, don't tell anyone else where it is until you have completed it. Once you complete it, tell two people how to find it. Please don't post screenshots or text that spoils anything. Maintaining some mystery could be fun, but if no one likes that idea, I understand.

Big thanks to Jonin for donating many valuable resources--especially slime and pistons! I literally would not have been able to build this temple without them. Thanks to Savanah for scouting sites and being otherwise supportive of the endeavor. Thanks to Pigeon for being my supply-runner on several occasions.

ORIGINAL POST: Savanah recently suggested a group project, like a tower city, and I pitched the idea of a playable adventure dungeon--something with death traps, puzzles, treasure and so on. I've spent the last few weeks designing a basic adventure dungeon, and I promised Savanah I'd post a few teasers now that it's done.

It's an introductory-level experience, in terms of size, challenge, and my design/engineering abilities. There will be several deadly traps, and your options for recovering dropped gear are, shall we say, reduced. However, you will not need expensive weapons or armor to deal with the challenges (it will be up to each dungeon-runner to decide how to prepare for any mobs that spawn inside). There is one archery-related challenge, so all you'll need is a bow and some arrows. There will be material rewards involved.

I chose a desert theme because: 1. it would be very easy to build in a desert, 2. to gather the tons of sandstone needed for the structure, and 3. it fits with the tone and genre of an Indiana Jones-style locale.

I don't want to say too much more about it yet; I think part of the fun of the experience will be letting there be an air of mystery around it. My purpose here is to say that the design is complete, tease the project a bit, and to see if anyone is interested in contributing resources and/or labor to the project.

Although I'm open to other options, my current intention is to build the critical guts of the place myself, so as to keep its contents secret, and also because setting up the communication, citadel groups, etc. to build the place collaboratively would probably be more work than just having one person build it.

Areas for assistance:

1. Finding the best site (a flat, 40 wide x 150 long area in a desert biome)
2. Materials needed (at least 72 sticky pistons, loads of stone and iron for citadel protections, etc.)

It may even turn out to be extensible, with the possibility for branching paths that can be added in a modular fashion. So if you wanted to build your own death trap or puzzle, it might be possible to add it on once the core structure is complete.

Questions and comments welcome. I'm not going to dive into this project right away, so it may yet evolve.

Username
Password