Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormcrow
If you have a series of rooms in which the party simply slaughters all the monsters from the manuals in alphabetical order and takes all their treasure, you won't have nearly as much fun as when you suddenly encounter a little old hermit guarding a golden tree whose fruits glow with a pale light, and who gives you a riddle explaining the purpose of the tree. Can you figure out the riddle? Do you try eating the fruit? Do you kill the old man? Is he really just an old man? These are the sorts of encounters players will remember.
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QFT. (Though I also agree with zuljita that combat is not a last resort for many players.)
I love memorable situations and NPCs. I love a great map. I love being surprised when I open the door. I love unexpected terrain: glowing mushroom caverns, rope bridges over chasms, houses (or cities) built into giant stalactites, weird gravity, invisible stairs, talking rocks (or slugs or smoke), ... magical and fantastical locations to explore and interact with. I love it when the vertical dimension is referenced, especially in a dungeon (levels with various connections, multi-story rooms, etc.) Add funky monsters and it's good times.
As for length, I'm good with anything. Vignettes are great. I used to enjoy those "Book of Lairs" types of things with basically fully worked random encounters or mini-dungeons. Easy to drop into a larger game. But I definitely don't turn my nose up at epic adventure paths either.