Update #9: How to Create Non-Linear Adventures!
In today's update, we will review various approaches RPG designers can adopt to create intelligent non-linear adventures. This reflection came about with the help of Tiavals and much of the text below was written by him.
Non-linear adventures can be particularly enjoyable to RPG players thanks to the feeling of player freedom they create. Non-linearity itself is seen by many players as something that is very valuable. Non-linearity can also make a game a lot more replayable.
However, non-linear adventures present particular difficulties for map and module designers. If the adventure is linear, the designer knows exactly what level the party is at when facing each particular encounter. As a result, he or she can tailor each encounter and make sure that all encounters are very challenging and interesting to the player.
If the adventure is non-linear, the designer does not know what level the party has reached when it meets a particular group of enemies, and the party's level is likely to be too high for the encounters.
Using a system of automatic enemy level scaling would be unrealistic and wholly unsatisfactory. The question then is how should we handle the loss of challenge that comes from the fact that the party's level is too high for the encounters being faced?
We will now outline seven possible solutions to the problem.
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