Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

in Suggestions

Posted by: SirMoogie.9263

SirMoogie.9263

This is not my suggestion and has several manifestations, but largely the solution seems to be similar to what I give below. I have searched this sub-forum for it, and have not seen it presented here. A little background, I’ve been taking my time with the game and exploring zones to their completion. I have never been to a level 50+ zone, and have completed some dungeons (which I think are challenging, but a completely separate beast). So far I have yet to see a dynamic event fail that has players engaging it. This is troubling as it indicates a lack of challenge. Furthermore, the world doesn’t seem to change as much as it could because events stay in a success state or near success state, when multiple states exist that are never seen. This isn’t as important for events that have no chaining associated for them, but for the one’s that have significant amount of chaining, like most meta-events.

I’ve been exploring Lornar’s Pass lately and the pirate ship meta-event in the lower left corner is a good example. No matter when I stroll by this area it’s always in the same state, the Quaggan captain is securely in charge and when threatened with mutiny the revolt is quickly averted. I’ve never seen this ship taken over by pirates, and I’m not sure how many events precede it, or even if a confluence of events are needed to succeed to get it in this state. I’d know I’d like to experience it though. I’ve had similar experiences in Harathi Hinterlands with the invasion of the centaur camps.

This may change in higher level zones, but I don’t think the lower level zones should be ignored when it comes to event progression and failure, even if it were the case. So, as a suggestion I think dynamic events should scale in difficulty on success. Meaning the next time that specific event triggers it is harder, and it increases in difficulty each time it is run until it fails and is pushed to the step(s) it progresses to on failure. Failure of an event will decrease its difficulty. The branched steps will remain at their existing difficulty unless they too succeed/fail. With this in play the pirates in the above example will get so numerous and challenging* that they will eventually succeed in their mutiny.

This is a basic solution to the problem that also has the benefit of adding replayability, other considerations that add icing to the cake are:

- Mark the event difficulty and increase rewards for completing more difficult events. This could also give an activity for guilds to do together, and boasting rights. (e.g., “We took down the ten-star Shatterer!”)
- Since failure is now an option provide rewards for failure based on partial event success.
- Make it more apparent where completed events branch. I’m less partial to this as I enjoy sticking around and listening to the post-event wrap up, but I notice many players run off after an event, only to return a minute later when the follow up starts.

Not every solution is without its problems, but I think the problems are minor. One problem is new players to a zone may happen to stumble upon it when most events are at their highest, making for a day full of failure/frustration (but not without its compensation). Another problem is this could encourage guilds/players to sit around in one place succeeding at an event to make it harder, rather than exploring the world.

(edited by SirMoogie.9263)

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

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Posted by: Diviner.7405

Diviner.7405

I like the idea, but it does have some problems. When problem I see is for meta events that have no chance for failure. (i.e. the dragons). The Shatterer himself has no goal and thus he will never succeeded since he isnt out to do anything. He just stands there while people zerg him to death. They would have to add a counter objective to him (i.e. protect the cannon or something). Even then it would be a problem, because people would complain about the failure and having to wait 3 hours to fight it again. (All dragons are on a three hour timer until the next spawn). The dragons and other world bosses are problem for another topic.

My suggestion is this: Make some of the events cycle no matter what. For your Quaggan captain, have mutinies occur and have player defend, that is fine. But in some of the mutinies maybe the Quaggan captain gets kidnapped or wounded or something (it is unavoidable) and the pirates take over anyway. Players could still be rewarded for trying to quell the mutiny but the outcome in itself is unavoidable.

The same thing can happen with the Orr events. But make in on a large scale. Maybe there will be some events that forces areas back into enemy hands no matter what. For example, maybe there is just too many undead and the pact has to retreat. The players themselves have to defend the retreating pact members. Even if the event is successful, the area that pact members left will now be controlled by the undead and it will be in a failure state etc.

My idea is a cycle of events and not so much a difficultly increase. This will allow for areas to be in both success and failure state no matter the outcome of events. It is not very hard to come up with ideas. Sadly the game is already out and I doubt they are going to change the game that dramatically.

P.S. I have seen the pirate area in failure state on low pop. servers. Basically, hostile pirates spawn there and it is much easier to complete the heart in the area. It is actually better for that area to be in failure state.

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

in Suggestions

Posted by: SirMoogie.9263

SirMoogie.9263

I like the idea, but it does have some problems. When problem I see is for meta events that have no chance for failure. (i.e. the dragons). The Shatterer himself has no goal and thus he will never succeeded since he isnt out to do anything. He just stands there while people zerg him to death. They would have to add a counter objective to him (i.e. protect the cannon or something). Even then it would be a problem, because people would complain about the failure and having to wait 3 hours to fight it again. (All dragons are on a three hour timer until the next spawn). The dragons and other world bosses are problem for another topic.

The way they portrayed events like the Shatterer when describing it at the various cons was different. Their example was with Tequatl the Sunless, but it could equally apply to the Shatterer. Anyway, they said if you lost the Tequatl the Sunless event that he would eventually start sending out his minions into the zone taking it over, which would in turn start moving NPCs who would keep insisting on help from the players. I’m not sure what causes failure for Tequatl the Sunless, as I’ve only fought the Shatterer who was quite the disappointment difficulty wise.

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

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Posted by: MithranArkanere.8957

MithranArkanere.8957

People are starting to spread the silly idea that all dragons spawn every 3 hours with clockwork precision, like bosses in other bad stupid games that spawn every X time.

That’s because after they ‘reset’ all of the previous events are completed, and so their turn comes right away.

That will eventually make people forget that events must be done before the big bosses come, and leave to come bick right after they spawn, leeching off those doing the previous events. And eventually they’ll complain about the bosses not appearing, because they don’t know they have to do events before they spawn, because sooner or later there’ll be less people doing the previous events, as it’s forgotten in time that meta events have parts.

Instead, every time an event succeeds, its difficulty should increase for the next time it happens, increasing less each time in lower level areas, and more in higher level ones. And every time it’s failed, decrease its difficulty to, but not too much compared with how it increases with wins.

If anyone wants to see the Big Boss, they should give a hand in at least one or two previous events.

The final event in a chain of a metaevent with a boss would be not be unaffected, such as the Shadow Behemoth, or The Shatterer.

SUGGEST-A-TRON says:
PAY—ONCE—UNLOCKS—ARE—ALWAYS—BETTER.
No exceptions!

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

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Posted by: Lonesome Road.8472

Lonesome Road.8472

This is such a fantastic idea. This would solve literally every concern I have with the long-term sustainability of dynamic events. I absolutely love this!

Scale Dynamic Event Difficulty on Success

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Posted by: AlexanderFaust.4518

AlexanderFaust.4518

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Combat-Dynamic-Events-what-s-the-point-if-they-re-easy-mode/first#post261251

#A thread I created on the topic that applies it’s own take ~
More than welcome ta check it out and drop a comment or two via critiques