Non-Linear Dungeon vs Jaquaying vs Jaquaysing vs Xandering a Dungeon

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Don't know if any of you where aware of this:


Xandering is Slandering

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Xandering the Dungeon

Jaquaying the Dungeon Original Title

[The Perilous Dreamer]

A Historical Note on Xandering

A Second Historical Note on Xandering the Dungeon

[The Perilous Dreamer]

An Update on Jaquaysing

[The Perilous Dreamer]

To be clear Jaquays was the first person to publish a distinctly non-linear dungeon. Jaquays was not the unique creator of the design ideas of how to design a non-linear dungeon. Many, many people did that at their own tables without reference to any other table or published product.

I don't know, but suspect that the Greyhawk dungeon of Gary Gygax created during the per-1974 playtest era was non-linear, in fact I would be highly surprised if it were not.

From January of 1974 to July of 1976 all OD&D players played without published dungeon modules(maps), but even when in July of 1976 the first module was published from then until 1979 when Jaquays Caverns of Thracia was published, hundreds if not thousands of referees(DMs) were creating dungeons without reference to a dungeon module. I was one of those guys. In fact, I did not see a dungeon module until around 2010 or thereabouts. I made non-linear dungeons from 1975 forward and I do not believe I was unique in that since it is the most logical way to design a dungeon. The common module design of a linear railroad is illogical IMO and I never did it that way.

So just like Jaquays was the first to publish, Alexander was the first to write it out and break the various pieces out into design notes that anyone could understand and follow. But the principles of non-linear dungeon design, no on can claim credit for being the inventor because, at a minimum, hundreds of referees where doing that from 1974-1979 and many did it after that still without seeing a dungeon module.

So all credit where credit is due, but creation credit of the ideas, does not belong to anyone person.

As for all the controversy angst and drama, that could all have been avoided if the original article had just been titled Non-linear Dungeon Design. If Jaquaying or even Jaquaysing had never been used, just Non-linear Dungeon Design, then none of this would have ever been an issue. Sometimes trying to have a catchy title comes back to bite you.

[simrion]

Whhhaaatttt? RPG drama????Who knew?

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Feb 2, 2024 5:46:45 GMT -5 simrion said:

Whhhaaatttt? RPG drama????Who knew?

Exactly, who knew!!

[hengest]

I don't have so much experience in designing dungeons. I feel like every room should be so packed with possibilities that it's impossible to get through even two. That said, I appreciate all refs and designers whose imaginations breathe more freely than mine does and don't have to imagine cramming everything into the first chamber.

[hengest]

Agreed, credit where credit is due, and again, I don't know that much about this. But the notion of "Jayquaysing" a dungeon has always kind of bothered me. As if there's a pre-existing dungeon and then you apply this thing to it to make it cool. Not saying that was Jayquays's technique, belief, or idea. Just articles and videos I've seen in the last few years...some of them have given me the feeling that they do think that way: make a set of stuff, then spray this "coolness" onto it. To me that is not in harmony with what I have come to learn about seat-of-pantsing it and creativity.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

DH Boggs has some interesting thoughts and observations on this subject in his post, Xandering, Jacquaysing, or Arnesoning the Dungeon?, at his Hidden in Shadows blog.

[muddywater]

I am just going to go with Non-linear Dungeon, with Arneson being the first practitioner of it. I've never bought any of the products by Jacquasys so it has not been an influence on me at all. If that was your primary influence, then you are entitled to your opinion.