Stop ... Look Around
Back
at the start of the year, I mentioned in a previous
blog post that the climactic encounters of Dragon's Delve were going to be published in
the coming months. Certainly, I never forgot that. As we've worked our way up
into higher-level encounters and revealed more of the goings on behind the
scenes in the great mega-dungeon, I know it was moving us step by step closer
to Level 20 and the final encounter with the self-styled Prince of Dragons. But
that only became REAL for me this past week as I sat in a phone conference with
Owen, Anthony, and a few outside designers and talked through our plans for
levels 19 and 20 in detail.Suddenly, it wasn't just theoretical anymore ... it was REAL. Level 20 was coming, and it was coming quickly. And even though we've been continuing to work on the plans for what comes after Level 20--for the next phase of Dungeonaday.com ... even though I'm really excited and anxious to share it with all the subscribers ... I found a bit of a lump forming in my throat.
There's still a good deal of adventure between where we are in the Halls of Hunger and the Court of Meterrak. But with each chamber we finalize, there's just a little bit less. And the final encounter is going to be here in a metaphorical blink of an eye.
I need to remember to enjoy the work we're doing here on the lower levels, difficult as high-level adventure design can be. I have to remind myself to stop and take it all in once a week or so ... or it may fly by without me being able to appreciate it.
We're very lucky getting to work with great designers like Rich Redman and Charles Ryan ... and, of course, Monte. These are blessings that should never be overlooked or taken for granted. And, likewise, we need to be thankful for you ... the subscribers of Dungeonaday.com. Without you, no matter how great these ideas are, they would likely never have become reality.
The other great thing about taking time to examine all the things we have to be thankful for is that it spurs me on to work even harder to produce material that lives up to those blessings.
So, if you'll excuse me, I've got some more of the future to plan.
