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Monster Distribution

ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
in Ashes of Creation Systems and Mechanics
Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere; I'm not sure what keywords to use to search for information.

I'm confused about how monsters will be distributed in game. The typical MMO set up is to have lower level enemies nearest the starting town or zone (usually a large city), with them getting progressively more dangerous as you move further out into wilderness. We *do* have starting zones in AoC, but they are not cities, and given that the node development of cities will be in constant flux, does this mean the distribution of monsters of varying strengths will be changing all the time as well? How would a new player know where to go to train?

Comments

  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    The more advanced the node is the more advanced the enemies in that nodes zone of influence will be. 
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    @Elder is correct. However, there will be a mix of lower level enemies in higher level nodes also. Certain node conditions must be met for certain content to unlock, but not all previous content is removed on a node "popping". So while it may be counter-intuitive to the themepark crowd, there will be no set zones beyond the locked in zones around the 4 portals and the Tulnar starting area. So it is very possible that you are banging on some low level enemies, run around a bend in the road, smack into something way beyond your level. The opposite applies. This is done to remove the "dead low-level areas" that occur over the life of a themepark mmo.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    Interesting... hopefully we'll be able to outrun anything nasty (well, almost anything... I am a fan of the overworld having teeth), especially since there are penalties for death that can undo progress. That is, if I'm understanding what I've read so far about experience point deficits and resources dropping.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    It will be nice to once again play a game where you cant just run up to every mob in the area and slaughter it, the mob over that next rise my just be the end of you. I hope to see the challenge come back where mobs have to be approached with some caution and groups of mobs with different types of abilities such as healing you will need prioritise, or perhaps you might just need to go find a friend.  
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I'd like to see us have to strategize with our abilities, or utilities. Like, cast sleep on a monster so you can run or so it won't call for backup, or levitate rocks to block a passage to prevent more monsters from ambushing you while you deal with a threat. Having CC abilities be useful both in and out of PvP would give the world a more immediate feeling, because you could manipulate it in ways that make sense.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    My thinking is that there will be at least 2 different types of NPC monster allocations:

    1) Certain types of mobs that always appear in certain areas. For example, a pond that always has some water elementals or a Sladeborn cave which always has Sladeborn in it.

    2) Places of interest where the type of monster that inhabits that POI will change depending on the status of nearby nodes, changes in the season, or the triggering of dynamic events. For example, an abandoned mine that might sometimes be home to a corrupted wolf pack, or in other times might be inhabited by a dangerous necromancer who is creating a zombie army.

    We know they want to keep the world dynamic to a degree that people won't always know exactly what is happening in all zones. However, they can't allow things to be totally random, so I think there will have to be a mixture of fixed content as well.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    The spawning of the mobs won't be dull, now if only the mobs were smart...
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I'm not sure how they'll handle the AI for your typical mob spawns, but I am a huge fan of the monster coin system. No AI for you to learn how to manipulate so you can marginalize the dragon attacking your metropolis... no, that is a player who may have a personal stake in destroying all you've built.

    I believe I read somewhere they've even said they'll keep track of how many times you've become a particular monster, and allow you to 'level up' as you use it multiple times. Though that may just be wishful thinking on my part...
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I don't believe you should be able to "level up" as monster, as that would offer direct advantage to players that purchased more monster coins.

    I believe that a player who used monster coin only once, should be allowed same experience as player that used monster coin 100 times.
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