One problem with the ubiquity of fantasy is that it’s hard to instill the sense of “wow, what kind of person would build this place” "Who carved row upon row of cyclopean statues into this wall? Why the hell would they do that???"
the question doesn't NEED to be answered explicitly (though an implicit answer is a delight). what matters is that it sends a shiver down the spine of those who behold it.
— James Haeck, Your RPG Cousin (@jamesjhaeck) November 13, 2020
WHY would anyone build a five-story structure beneath the earth like this??? who has the resources to do such a job? these things add flavor to an otherwise well-known dish! even the ur-dungeon Moria had a reason: Dwarves! It was a grand city, before it was a goblin-infested ruin with a balrog problem. As with most cliches, it's not the trope that matters, its how deeply you think about it!
— James Haeck, Your RPG Cousin (@jamesjhaeck) November 13, 2020
I think a lot of game designers think that a historiography of the dungeon's inhabitants qualifies as deep thought. First dwarves, then balrog, then goblins… yeah yeah, that's fine and all, but don't stop there! Go deeper than WHO, think about WHY!!
— James Haeck, Your RPG Cousin (@jamesjhaeck) November 13, 2020