I'm having an argument with a guy I'm playing.

Do you place the map/board pieces (not markers/terrain/pits,etc) down before the game begins... or do you place the map pieces as the heroes encounter each area?

As the rules state, you build the entire map when the quest starts.

In Doom: The Boardgame you used to build the map as the areas were revealed. They altered this in Descent to partly save time (setting up the map as you go along adds some tedium to the whole process), but also as a thematic device, saying the heroes had a "map" to the dungeon, and so the invader lays the whole thing out at the beginning, but who knows what's in each area until it's actually revealed.

You could probably house-rule that you reveal as you go, but I'd okay that with the heroes first, since it will up the difficulty...

-shnar

I'm actually quite glad that we have to lay down the whole map when starting the game (and yes, it is indeed incorporated in about all quests, in a way that you receive/find a map of some sort). The thing is, Descent is a BIG game, and we're always happy when the big maps, heroes including all stuff, hidden area for the OL (behind the cover of the game), the dicetower (made it myself and love that thing!) etc can fit on the table.
When you know what shape the map is, you can shift things around nicely so that everthing fits "perfectly"

I had a feeling I was right.

I even read aloud the part of the rules quoted above to the guy.

So yeah, the game is already EPICALLY LONG... the idea of placing map pieces as they are revealed is daunting to say the least.

Thanks for the replies!

one thing i do to help is if we are playing an advanced campagin i will take the pieces for 3-4 lvls and put them in zip lock bags ready with the dugeon lvl card.so the OL just takes the bag from a box of random but ready to lay out dugeon lvls.so the is no lost time looking for parts to build the lvl.and if teh is any bits i run out of i will place a note in teh bag saying which dugeon zip lock bag the part is in.

but i do have two set of the basic game and one copy of each expansion so i have lots of dugeon bits.

wblackthorn

I have my map pieces all organized in the box so it's easy the find the appropriate pieces to make the maps. I used foamboard and glue and sectioned off the main game box to store the map pieces. I should take a picture next time we play...

-shnar