TOPIC: Proposed Planar Nightmare Mode for normal Dungeons

Here is a proposal for making Relics / Eldritch / Legendary tokens more useful and worthwhile.

How about making a fourth difficulty level for the regular 4 Dungeons next year - Planar Nightmare! It would be just like Nightmare, except that you can only use Relics, Eldritch, or Legendary Tokens, plus the 10 pack you start with would be the white-backed Planar tokens from the special AG runs. It could either have it's own Planar Nightmare buttons or use the regular Nightmare Buttons. Instead of the normal Rare Participation button, participants would get the Rare participation token from the AG run.

It would be a fun way to get more emphasis on the Relic and above tokens, an extra challenge to the top players, and would have little added cost to True Dungeon. Jeff is already printing the 10 packs of white Planar tokens and the Rare Participation token, so he just has to print extras to cover these runs as well (and for every 10 pack of planar tokens and Rare Planar participation token he uses one less regular 10 pack and regular Rare Participation Token).

The only downside is that it would make the AG run a bit less special, but the AG run is still using different rooms than the other Dungeons so it is still pretty special. And it seems a waste to go to all the trouble designing the Planar system for such limited use.

And, it does open up the possibility of Jeff designing special White Backed tokens for use on the Planar Nightmare mode, if it is going to be an option on all the runs. That may or may not be a good idea, but the option is there if desired.

What does everyone think?

I don't think I like the idea, as you said it makes the special run less special, if it goes in the gencon system people with no relics will sign up headless of the difficulty, if it does not it takes a run slot away from the regular dungeon, it creates additional complexity for already taxed Dms, and if you want to buy out a slot and do it you already can (you just don't get the cool white tokens), and finally while raising relic visibility in the regular dungeon is good a run like this would be composed mainly of people who already have relics so it wouldn't do much to showcase them to members of the general public.

I like the idea... implementation as Picc stated would be difficult.

Maybe some type of sign up at TD and use generic tickets. They can have time slots allocated and you can only sign yourself up not your group. This way no one group can monopolize the slots. Also, limit it to two runs per person.

A few questions about the whole planar cube concept.

1. Our builds are made up of items for every slot. While there are a few people who talk about naked dagger runs and such, many of us have no interest in ignoring the rest of our tokens. Even if we don't often use them, they are still part of the build. I, for one, most enjoy a room where I get to use basic gear tokens to solve a problem with my brain, rather than relics and legendaries (which we have built from scratch despite the vast investment) to overpower the monster.

2. What does the creation of a planar cube dungeon for elite players do to the other dungeons and the basic players? I already can't escape the feeling that as much as we have lots of fun at TD, that we are taxing the organizational skills, management planning and implementation ability, and most importantly the creative juices of the management to the max already. Are we now in a position where we are going to take the little bit of that stuff still available and throw it into an elite only dungeon so that we can further goose token sales for another year or two?

The broader concepts of appealing to the mass of players without alienating the loyal veterans may be challenging and complicated but it is a worthy undertaking. I urge the management to heed that consideration and not march down a short term reward path.

Jeff - other people have been where you are with respect to maintaining and growing a business oriented toward pleasing the public - read some history.

I apologize if I have peeled the onion too raw here. We love TD and have made a massive investment in it. I'd hate to see it get twisted on itself.