# Questioning "Free-form" design

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [January 4, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244 "2017-01-04T23:04:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ribblle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ribblle/32/5263_2.png) [@ribblle](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ribblle)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 5:48am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244/21 "2017-01-11T05:48:07Z")

</div>

If the evac shelter becomes cooler and has more then 2 people i could deal.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Skeptopotamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@Skeptopotamus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Skeptopotamus)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 5:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244/22 "2017-01-12T05:38:13Z")

</div>

> [@StopSignal](#):
>
> They are indeed super cool ideas. I guess they refer to “Game-ending” things as dungeons so ridicously hard that finishing them would mean “Well, basically this dude can’t ever die now” and be able to go and create a new survivor with a clean heart. Like, the only example i can really find, the dragon in the minecraft game.

Yes, this is what I mean. After some good discussions in this thread with you all I realize that what I really want is just a very difficult dungeon that puts everything an experienced player can do/know to the test!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![keyspace](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/keyspace/32/590_2.png) [@keyspace](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/keyspace)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244/23 "2017-01-15T18:03:50Z")

</div>

Sorry for not reading the whole thread.

> [@StopSignal](#):
>
> The thing though is that it’s a hobby, for free, so they will work of course on what they want to contribute, not on an overarching goal.

Yup! Switched to experimentals a few months ago due to curiosity, got hooked on a few bugs, and been contributing what I can since.

Don’t think I would’ve if I knew there was an endgame. Would’ve found another sandbox, where a goal is what I came up with.

[quote=“Kevin Granade, post:12, topic:13244”]\> Quest line that would have bad repercussions if the player ignores it.  
I’m sort of for this, i want various monster groups to grow over time and become more of a threat if not halted or neutralized, so starting near one of these would have an effect similar to what is being requested, I think. In the worst case it might devolve into fleeing an expanding zone controlled by a monster group.[/quote]

The [somewhat recent fix-ups for hordes](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/19222) has shown a way. What you describe has already happened to me!

Here’s some random thoughts from a hard drive stash.

> Roaming zombie hordes? Awesome! That's a whole new level of AI. [b]A tentacle beyond the reality bubble.[/b]
> 
> And the security bots? I’ve seen them call riot control, but how about police drones? The military? Are they at a base somewhere, waiting to be refueled?..
> 
> Or roaming gangs of survivors that follow the roads on vehicles? I’m looking at you, NPC. Put down your flamethrower and get off my lawn! By the way, it’s mined.
> 
> Moose that graze and wolves that hunt, migrating away from that ever-expanding, all-devouring blob pit…

This passage is about a future nice-to-have, emergent fun. Not a mission, just something that happens. No one coded what will happen, but they did code how.

No need to simulate the entire world, a few key pieces is enough. The perceived reality bubble begins to grow and shrink.

If you want a glimpse of this, turn on “Wander spawns”. All of a sudden, you can’t hide in a cabin forever. They will come for you. And when they do, those spiked pits won’t hold them for long.

[Previous page](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questioning-free-form-design/13244.md?page=1)