I don't need to wait as long as I thought I would for my mana to build back up. Mainly due to the fact that there is usually always someone on my second floor now. In fact, according to Clyde there is sometimes a line just to get into the dungeon. It's not a huge line usually only one or two groups but it's definitely a sign of things to come. At any rate I quickly gather enough mana to exchange for enough world energy so that I can continue.
The next room I place is another big one right in line with the others along the main path. When laying down the dirt and stone I'm careful to leave a few sheer cliffs. Nothing too crazy but enough for my creatures to hide behind for sure. Some even tall enough to cause serious injury or death if a delver is careless enough to just walk off the edge. Naturally I didn't forget to make several paths through the room that don't require climbing down the cliff.
At the center of the room just before the sheer cliffs near the exit I placed a pond. This one actually deep enough for delvers to swim in or drown in if they're careless. I'd like to create a stream that runs from one side of the room to the other 'feeding' the pond in the process. I haven't worked out how to do that without either flooding part of my dungeon or constantly reabsorbing the water. Neither of which I would consider viable options. I'm hoping that I made the incline shallow enough that they don't notice they're walking up hill from the moment they enter this room. That way the depth of the pond catches them by surprise if they do decide to take a swim while resting.
The next thing I add aside from the grass which is a given at this point are rabbits, sheep, and pigs. It still seems strange to me that certain animals are listed as resources rather than creatures. I get that they need to be labelled something besides encounters since they aren't placed there for combat. Calling them resources though makes them sound no different than the berries or fruits. I suppose they are technically a food source though seeing as the only loot they can apparently have is the appropriate meat type. I also throw up a nice skybox complete with a realistic sky.
As for the monster type I decided on two packs of level 18 wolves with twelve wolves in each pack. I made it so that they would take turns guarding the pond and patrolling the floor. To add to the realism, I even created a few small caves in the sheer cliff with bones from the various resource animal scattered around near the mouth of the cave. Doing this gives me some ideas for hidden areas within a room that I'll definitely have to implement at some point in the near future. Perhaps on the fifth floor, those rooms should be plenty big enough to house a few hidden areas. I'm getting ahead of myself though. As for the current room I add one last finishing touch by making the back wall appear to exit into a cave. in reality I just stuck some normal stone onto the dungeon stone and created a simulated cliff face. The skybox even adds to the illusion giving the impression that there is more to the room if only you could get over that cliff.
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This marks the first time I've actually tried to disguise the border of a room. Unless you count the cave aesthetic. In that case however it's really more of a byproduct of making it appear as though you're in a cave than any actual attempt to hide the boarder of the room. the reason for this is that the next room is going to be rather unique. It's going to be an 80 by 10 by 20 room laid lengthways from east to west. This room will be designed like a giant canyon with a cliff face on either side. Unlike any other room I've created so far it will be possible to rush through to the north side. Of course, if you do that you will miss out on the treasure chests at either end of the room. These chests will contain both copper and silver coins as well as potions of various types. Important and possibly even lifesaving considering the boss will be coming up soon.
As for what kind of creature to put in this room I choose twenty level 19 stone golems. This is the right population density I think, if not I can always change it later. Knowing that it's possible to more or less skip 90% of this room I suspect that more than a few parties will do just that. Some might do it to avoid unnecessary fights, but I suspect that most of the people who opt to do it will be trying to save time. I haven't seen anyone who seemed to be trying yet, but back on earth if there was an activity there would inevitably be people competing to see how fast they could do it. I can't imagine the people of this world are that much different.
Unfortunately, I'm once again forced to pause my construction of the fourth floor due to lack of mana. It shouldn't take too long to gather the necessary mana considering Clyde's party just entered the dungeon again today. They're still pushing hard. Not that I'm complaining but it almost feels like they're rushing levels or trying to anyway. As I focus in to watch them delve, I'm momentarily confused. Not by anything they're doing but by my own dungeon sense. I can clearly see that there are only five people in their party, but my dungeon sense is insisting that that there are six people on the first floor. I spend an embarrassing amount of time looking for someone hiding on the first floor before it dawns on me what it is I'm actually sensing. When I do though I metaphorically face palm so hard I think my creatures actually felt it.
