So discussion went a different route, and spawned this response: So I’m just going to change the topic.
Here is an idea/suggestion for end game DE’s.
The idea is to create a unique and different experience for players every time they enter the area.
Also from a development angle, it allows them to add new content at a leisurely pace and add it directly to the end game without the need for a zone overhaul or new content.
Orr should be a giant zone of tug and war, ending with a battle with a dragon, occupation of its hold that grants bonuses, and an increasingly difficult amount of monsters (which drop rarer and rarer loots), which will eventually push you back to the start.
Now, you asked for this, and my creative prowess is flowing, so I will deliver:
Imagine 3 Stages of a zone: Front, Middle, End.
You are always in a Stage. Imagine for now, we are in Middle. Now, chains of DEs pop up at the same time.
1. Someone tells you to “Fetch boulders for siege weapons”
2. Someone needs you to help set up an encampment closer to the End.
3. A mysterious light was spotted, investigate
4-infinity : The devs could add an infinite amount at their leisure to add to the depth of this end game encounter. The rarity % dictates what events have a better chance of spawning.
In summary, when creating an event, it would have the following details:
a. Event Trigger Rarity
- what is the chances for this event to be part of this Stage
b. Contribution % towards next stage
- Based on the success and failures of the players actions in the event chains, how much does this event affect the next Stages events. See below example for more info
c. What special items can be found (or bosses spawned).
Example:
The 3 events above happen to spawn for the Middle stage. You are now ready to choose which you want to contribute to. You decide the mysterious light is important.
Situation A: Everyone goes to the mysterious light
- Because everyone goes to the mysterious light because they think its ‘rare’ no one helps with the other 2, they fail, your Stage 2 encampment gets over run, and halfway through the mysterious light event, it fails, and you enter the Stage 2->Stage 1 retreat DE.
Situation B: Everyone splits up equally.
You head to the light. You find it, and it begins spawning waves of monsters. You and your team repel them. The light transforms into a door. You and your team enter it. A jumping puzzle! You read the wall, it explains, “We need the blood of <variable> heros” So, <variable> number of your group needs to reach the top and provide a sacrifice of your blood.
a. You Fail
- Ok, light goes away, you return to Orr, and you go help someone else
b . You Pass
- You summon a giant monster which begins to attack your encampment. Its level is based on heroes in the ZONE, so everyone needs to come help.
You kill it, and it drops a rare component for a rare item.
Assume then, that you then only completed half of the other events to the point of ‘success’ You still make it to Stage 3, but you have no boulders for your catapults. Yeah…well realistically, you only contributed 50% ‘strength’ level to stage 3. Which means, lets say, it sends only 10 NPC soldiers out every 30 seconds to help battle, rather than 20.
As you can see, this model is scalable (at whatever pace they want), and is randomized, offering a new experience every time you go there, and provides great incentives to actually participate.
Everything the current dev team failed to do.
(edited by frOst.2198)