Personal downscaling slider (aka hard mode)

Personal downscaling slider (aka hard mode)

in Suggestions

Posted by: Wrei Mors Les.8406

Wrei Mors Les.8406

First of all I like to acknowledge the downscaling mechanic of this game for keeping content of all levels relevant to my lv80s. Great work Anet!

That said I have yet to see any mention of implementing a player adjustable downscaling system that allows players to increase difficulty for better loot. This one is for all the GW1 fans crying out for a Hard mode (HM).
(this is not in any forum topic search, but feel free to link me if there already is).

Basically on top of being level downscaled to an area’s appropriate level, you can elected to further downscale (DS) your level and stats thus increasing difficulty. There should be a slider type selection to adjust the amount of DS with a proportionate upscale of magic find (?), exp, karma or even higher Tier loots and materials. This feature should only be changed while out of combat (like traits).
Read further for fine tuning details of this mechanic or just provide your opinion if you don’t like wordy details .

Risks: Where there is HM rewards there should be bigger risks.
For example:
1) mobs get an additional skill that they would only use in the presence of HM players (that hits harder the higher DS a player currently has).
2)Higher teleport costs when defeated in HM.
3)Higher aggro from mobs (thus encouraging team partying to engage safely).
4)When partying, DS will be determined by the lowest DS selected amongst all 5.
5) Mobs agro will prioritise HM players and those with lower toughness/health (as opposed to normally going for high toughness/health players). This discourages glass cannon builds only worried about DPS.
6) The additional reward system is partially nullified by damage contribution from non-HM scalers to remove any exploit of using HM people to just ‘tag’ a mob while normal players kill it. (Again partying is encouraged team tackle mobs). To avoid having a normal nullifying the HM loot bonus, HM parties will have to play lower populated areas (encouraging ppl to migrate out of Orr, fractals etc.)

Conversely, guildie parties (with 2+ of a guild) will get a small boost in reward scaling and influence.
A new reporting feature should probably be implemented to stop HM scalers harassing normals to leave a popular farm area to curb any selfish elitist behaviour but I digress.

I look forward to feedback/opinion on this.