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I want to conceptualize what sort of expansion would be best for the game.
OrcLuck
Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
So our goal with this thread, is to think of "What can I expand on in the game" given the system established as is.
I think continent expansions are ok in other games but because of the node system, we aren't going to gain much by throwing out the work of the players to establish their nodes, only then to add a new place to explore and affect the existing nodes. That is unless we're absolutely bored of the current node hierarchy and players have optimized the nodes and the servers start looking humongous, then adding a new land mass and a new node section to affect that math would make sense.
That would be akin to having a set in a card game cycle in and affect the existing set.
We've kinda dealt that WoW style card out, now so what's next?
I think, adding monsters, creatures, influences from the gate way, that the gods are pushing for, or adding elements to that, could be good.
We're not wanting to push established players, and newbs away from eachother socially, so this content would need to trickle down to low level stuff and change that experience up, so its almost a cataclysm like even where everything is getting a new lick of paint, whether its just by adding a few new quests to hunt a new monster, or its the land mass has changed as a event has happened.
That means previous content is going to go away, so a pre-release type event might be good so that people who need to get content done, and don't know what's happening, can prioritize the things they really really want to get to, before the year is through, and that can be a motivating factor for keeping engagement up.
There's also the effect of the nodes and the progressing story of the server, a one size fits all expansion might not be a good idea.
So you could have it be, that this expansion is only for nodes that have existed for a certain time, at a certain level, and leave the player in fighting, to be the pre release content. "I want this node to be the one, that reaches the expansion per-requesits" "no this one!" etc. and in that way not only are players influencing what content they want to further in the expansion, but when they get to experience it.
You could have a server so filled with conflict and changing nodes, that, reaching this expansion represents a clear victory of one node over another, and acts as a resolution for that server's node war conflict.
What are yals thoughts? How do you conceptualize what an expansion would mean for the game?
I think continent expansions are ok in other games but because of the node system, we aren't going to gain much by throwing out the work of the players to establish their nodes, only then to add a new place to explore and affect the existing nodes. That is unless we're absolutely bored of the current node hierarchy and players have optimized the nodes and the servers start looking humongous, then adding a new land mass and a new node section to affect that math would make sense.
That would be akin to having a set in a card game cycle in and affect the existing set.
We've kinda dealt that WoW style card out, now so what's next?
I think, adding monsters, creatures, influences from the gate way, that the gods are pushing for, or adding elements to that, could be good.
We're not wanting to push established players, and newbs away from eachother socially, so this content would need to trickle down to low level stuff and change that experience up, so its almost a cataclysm like even where everything is getting a new lick of paint, whether its just by adding a few new quests to hunt a new monster, or its the land mass has changed as a event has happened.
That means previous content is going to go away, so a pre-release type event might be good so that people who need to get content done, and don't know what's happening, can prioritize the things they really really want to get to, before the year is through, and that can be a motivating factor for keeping engagement up.
There's also the effect of the nodes and the progressing story of the server, a one size fits all expansion might not be a good idea.
So you could have it be, that this expansion is only for nodes that have existed for a certain time, at a certain level, and leave the player in fighting, to be the pre release content. "I want this node to be the one, that reaches the expansion per-requesits" "no this one!" etc. and in that way not only are players influencing what content they want to further in the expansion, but when they get to experience it.
You could have a server so filled with conflict and changing nodes, that, reaching this expansion represents a clear victory of one node over another, and acts as a resolution for that server's node war conflict.
What are yals thoughts? How do you conceptualize what an expansion would mean for the game?
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2. A separate tulnar nation tunnels to the overworld and wants to kill us all (like the Skaven in Warhammer ;D)
3. High seas expansion (maybe a primordial water serpent or something)
4. Primordial dragons (fire dragon erupts volcanoes, water dragon raises the sealevel, natur dragon starts to overgrow cities etc)
5. Evil gods (divine nodes play important role here?)
6. a new iceage comes and we have to survive against new monsters (wave based PvE sieges against massive hordes of monsters and elementals)
The trick would be to not necessarily increase the landmass, but instead to create different dangers to the nodes (dragons outright destroy nodes, evil gods corrupt npcs and flip entire nodes to their side, etc)
They have to keep the world alive, if you know what i mean? The problem in WoW is that we dont have any reason to see the "old" regions anymore, which makes them nearly obsolete, except for people who still have to level or want to farm specific transmogs....
I think they should avoid doing landmass increases and focus on new content to the existing nodes.
I would also like to see that type of thing implemented across the whole server for maybe 2-6 months, then everything returns to normal for 2-6 months, then something else happens. So the new dangers last less than a year and then it subsides (assuming at least one hero/group finished the quest). Although, it wouldn't have to be quest related. Just a spawning of demons that sometimes occurs and naturally goes away would be fine with me.
They could even implement an expansions that happens every few other cataclysmic events. Like a horde of aquatic beasts start appearing and we have to beat them back into the ocean. Island nodes then become important to access underwater raids and dungeons, and that could always happen once a year for two months.
Harbours would be nice too.
I really like your plague idea. It could work like a soft reset, if you know what i mean.
Maybe spawn a wave of infected animals every two to three days and the players have to kill them really fast or they infest the nearest city. This infested city could then spawn events, which in turn could lead to the cure in this specific city or the destruction (and the downleveling) of the node. That "destroyed" city could then in turn spawn extra waves of infected carriers, kinda like a domino effect.
I'd say they are already some kind of mutated beings at this point.
That would be way better for a halloween event! They could spawn our APOC characters as our ancestors ;D
Underwater gameplay is kind of hard to get right. I think WoW had the most means to make underwater stuff fun and successful, but I don't know if even they got it right.
They had a shot at it in Vash'ir but the community didnt like it at all. I found it pretty good to be honest, but since then they never did anything in that direction again.
or a node event where the city gets to big and you disturb the graves