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Dev Discussion #17 - Non-Progression Content

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  • Undead CanuckUndead Canuck Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Like a lot of people, I like exploration. Just wandering around checking out the world that is so peaceful. Until you get jumped by the bear behind some bushes...
    That and house decorating. Even just crafting lots of stuff to fill the houses (EQ2 I had multiple houses per character).
  • ZephiriusZephirius Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Exploring and looking for anything lore related is something I've always enjoyed in any game, MMOG or otherwise. That usually entails a tendency to horde mundane items, which unfortunately ends in me having to destroy or sell items at some point. However, I like to think about any given item and ask questions to its purpose, how was it created, why was it created, where did it come from, who made it, etc.

    I also enjoy collecting things and working on achievements, even if those achievements are just for bragging rights or maybe it opens up some kind of cosmetic, house decor item, or something else unique that's not tied to adventuring, crafting, or otherwise.

    And sometimes I like to just take in different scenery, observe flora, fauna, and character animations. Listening to the in-game music (if it's really good) while doing all the above activities makes it all the more enjoyable and immersive, too.
  • When I'm not out adventuring, I usually spend my time hanging around taverns watching others interact and roleplay. Other times I love to go out for a walk somewhere pretty or make new outfits/customizations.

    Roleplay, from what I've seen, is such a huge staple in the MMO genre. Even though Ashes of Creation is PvX oriented, I could see the community benefit from more 'fluff' or RP features to bring the Roleplayers to the game.
  • People likes to collect things e.g. mounts, pets, titles, achievements, vanity items, decorations and transmogs.
    Do you need a ride to the Underworld?
  • iznebulaiznebula Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter
    Exploring the world and finding hidden lore related locations.
  • AudioAudio Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited April 2020
    progression related hunting world bosses that spawn in random locations was always a good time. non progression related in-house guild events are the best.
  • ProteyProtey Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Do that which is thought by others to be impossible. Like soloing bosses.
  • Wandering MistWandering Mist Moderator, Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Usually just sitting around chatting to people, taking in the environment and exploring.
    volunteer_moderator.gif
  • Like most people I love to go sightseeing in MMos and discover the best views over the landscapes a game has to offer.
    But nothing is as time consuming an enjoeyable as Decorating onse home and Caracter.
    My best example fore this is Warframe where you can change color an apearence of all your equipment and there are a absurd amount of colorpalats to choose from.
  • PrycePryce Member
    finding Easter eggs and "collectables" would be nice to be able to display these findings in POHs or special cosmetics for collecting say 1000 in some form. also finding lore based eggs would be amazing. like scrolls that give a brief story of an npc or history of that area.
  • Roleplaying, that and taking screenshots after dressing up my avatar in an exact way I envision them.
  • HjerimHjerim Member, Leader of Men, Alpha One
    Jumping puzzles!
  • What I do when I dont care about progression have often been things like fishing or hanging around in a profession related activity and just chatting with friendly people.
    "You're seeking for perfection, but your disillusions are leading to destruction.
    You're bleeding for salvation, but you can't see that you are the damnation itself." -Norther
  • GriekeGrieke Member
    edited April 2020
    I'm new to following this project, but I loved managing, stocking and advertising a player-owned retail location that sells your crafted wares like how it was done in Star Wars Galaxies. Having an in-depth version of this in game would be amazing, not something like WoW auction houses or selling from just caravans but being able to build your store or tavern where it suits you and building up a reputation where others seek out and venture into your shop because you craft and sell the best items or gear.
  • LoyhetaLoyheta Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Hmm "not progression related"

    Well since I enjoy crafting as much as leveling and gearing I'd consider anything crafting related, progression.

    I do really enjoy collecting. I'll collect pets, mounts, furniture, armor sets, cosmetics, etc. In games like TOR and ESO I'd farm out furniture collections.

    I also like unlocking titles or achievements.

    I will also try to fully explore anything I have access to. I love mapping out the whole world.

    For me these types of things are what gets me to log on when I don't want to run dungeons/raids or pvp. I think this is just as important as other mainstay time investments.
    Referral Code: KRIFFNYDUZV6L9SF
  • Fishing and farming mobs for rare drop items.
  • akitsugiakitsugi Member, Explorer
    I would say one of my favorite things is secrets. I think that's a feature that people do not appreciate, because it's hard to come across it, or someone else has already discovered it. But one of the more exciting things about new games is figuring out all the details, hidden things, secrets, easter eggs that appear throughout the world. I love the idea of secret quests, of needing very specific things (yet somehow people still able to figure it out) to unlock a secret quest. Or a quest that makes you do something a certain way, yet there is totally another way you can go about it if you wish so. Items that are seemingly useless but they have this very specific purpose that unlocks something for everyone. These days because of being able to break open the code, a lot of that is really not possible. While I'm not totally for complete online experience when it comes to gaming, I feel that if we were able to get to a point where we could just stream the game to our PC, means a lot less cheating overall, but also no code digging, and that could allow for so much hidden content in games that people could only figure it out themselves. Usually this is done with achievements, but achievements should be mostly for cosmetic rewards. However, it would be cool if really focusing on your craft could reward you with something really unique to your character. Not that no one else could get, but that no one knew how to get.
    I however, don't like technical secrets of stats, and such because there are bound to be rules breaking something you really want to achieve because the game mechanics just don't let you, and wasting all that effort on something not rewarding at all.

    This is very general question. I love the Guild system. These days the BBS like features are done on Discord I assume, but Guild Housing, Guild Ranks, Guild activities, Guild Buffs, guild missions, guild alliances. A lot of things are usually not done to my liking but I do appreciate a good guild system.

    Housing system is also one of my favorite things. Love being able to make a place you can call home and decorate to your liking. Especially if you can have themes or layouts for different themes of the year, whether RL Holidays or ingame ones.
  • Terraforming. For obvious reasons it's very complicated to do in an mmo but I love games that will let me physically craft the land to my will. And I know it's been said before but exploration and finding Easter eggs is super fun for me to do.
  • I spend far too much time transmogging and dyeing gear. Out in the world, I like to look in weird places, climbs things I obviously should not be able to climb, and look for any easter eggs like the Excalibur sword you find in a random pond in skyrim, or any of the various conveniently placed skeletons with notes here and there about why they're there and how they died. I like find the unwritten quests, or just seeking out the trail of clues, not for any stats or gear, just to know what happened there.
  • I love expanding the non-combat utility of my toon and home. I love exploring and being rewarded for it.
  • basvisionbasvision Member, Founder, Kickstarter
    I would use that time to improve things I can upgrade. Lile my outfits, but also achievements and even staring to build my own house of castle (depending on game). having to farm for materials and use those to build up the houses and towns would be a nice touch.
    I also like the compagnionsystem of swtor where you can have questlines attached to them and do those stuff. A guard could have a job for me to to together with her, this could help create a bond between my townspeople and me.
  • tricksykitsunetricksykitsune Member, Pioneer, Kickstarter
    edited April 2020
    It would be cool to have creative things to do in the world, things that are fun to fill in time, world build the activities of that world, or what ever else. Most mmorpgs only have the basic combat and things like that to do, but having interesting creative things that you can do with others is what I would recommend to promote the multiplayer community you would have.

    Mysterious labyrinth locations and systems like I mentioned before. festival games, competitions of various types with their own small game mechanics (archery for example, or what ever else your willing to pull off). Beyond even just board/table games. Things you do more actively even.

    Being able to do silly things around town like walk around juggling. They do not need to be super complex, just simple things, some maybe more complex, and maybe those things that can be done together. You could have them emote like, such as juggling, or you could even add small mini games to it where you have to press the matching key between 2-4 keys available as they land in your hand to catch them or you drop them. People could turn this into fun things to do, and even into small goofy mini competitions. Just things like this, or even slightly more fleshed out into activities like catch, or mini sports. Just depends on the activities and how you want to flesh them out. These would all help flesh out the world and give things to do even when waiting in town bored like other mmo's. Maybe even a couple levels of activities, smaller ones that can be easily done like juggling, or more active ones.


    I think one of the worriesome things I noticed is that fishing will be a main profession it sounds like? But professions are things you either go all the way in to become a master of, or you must become a jack of all trades to participate in more than one. Fishing in other mmos is just a fun social activity to do with friends when passing time, but it will be restricted to those willing to forfeit their main professions mastery it sounds like? If that is the case I really hope we do get some of these other things to fill in the gap for small things to do to goof around and hang out with. Or at least an allowance of a little bit into any profession, but going past this allowance makes your a jack of all trades instead. Idk, I just thought of this and became a little worried.
  • cotukcotuk Member
    I miss times when I played MMO which late game quest system was made around bonding peoople. I loved server (and multi-server) wide events that had not that good rewards, but were simply fun and gave good memories. Like I remember participating in racing event where I had to do some sort of pvp activity between points A B C etc. Another memorable even was that you register on a event, and you get random pair-number, and another opposite gender player character gets same pair-number, and you when manage to find echother begin travel around map and complete many different and fun quests, first X number teams got rewards.
    Most fun thing tho was having "social hubs" where people could just chat and have fun, like I wasn't place that devs dedicated for social stuff, player base by itself decided where people gather and speak. Back then game had like 0 spam bots, nowadays place like that would attract spam-bots :(
    Another fun thing for me is collecting collectibles that can't be collected easily. Like small drop rate, specific mobs, unpopular dungeon and so on.
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  • tricksykitsunetricksykitsune Member, Pioneer, Kickstarter
    cotuk wrote: »
    I miss times when I played MMO which late game quest system was made around bonding peoople. I loved server (and multi-server) wide events that had not that good rewards, but were simply fun and gave good memories. Like I remember participating in racing event where I had to do some sort of pvp activity between points A B C etc. Another memorable even was that you register on a event, and you get random pair-number, and another opposite gender player character gets same pair-number, and you when manage to find echother begin travel around map and complete many different and fun quests, first X number teams got rewards.
    Most fun thing tho was having "social hubs" where people could just chat and have fun, like I wasn't place that devs dedicated for social stuff, player base by itself decided where people gather and speak. Back then game had like 0 spam bots, nowadays place like that would attract spam-bots :(
    Another fun thing for me is collecting collectibles that can't be collected easily. Like small drop rate, specific mobs, unpopular dungeon and so on.

    Yup, imagine having towns with people hanging out and different events/activities such as that to participate or spectate in. Would be a blast. Hang out, participate sometimes, chat, and enjoy the atmosphere. Not just one off events.
  • DiamahtDiamaht Member, Braver of Worlds, Alpha One
    I always enjoy going on resource and market runs.

    Also collection runs are enjoyable, EQ2 had a ton of that. Outfit hunting is great too, in GW2 and SWTOR lower quality equipment is viable if it looks good, so you can farm and collect outfits. SWG of course made every item in the game place-able in your home so you would be scouring all the maps to collect all manner of stuff.

    Essentially anything that gets you out and exploring the world to get meaningful items for your character and house is enjoyable.
  • jentarajentara Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Non progression - Exploration, Treasure hunting, Fishing, collection quests (especially for housing items) all come to mind first. How about interactive fun events that you can do with your guild or a party - Horse Racing, Dueling, Find-a-Location (kind like a hide and seek), why not board/card games (not gambling) - but maybe a Game Table that can be crafted (or is located in taverns) and when people sit at it, they can launch a board/card games of some sort.
  • When not progressing I really enjoy exploration. Whether that is going to a new part of the map I have never been or sitting in one of my favorite areas just enjoying the game music and chatting with friends and guild-mates.

    Furthermore, I really enjoy non-combat special events. When I used to play LOTRO, me and my guild-mates would do all the drinking challenges, horse races, and what ever else they had for their holiday events. I really enjoyed the special events that were built around interacting with other people since it was a cool way to get to know the community.

    In general, I think it would be fun to hangout and socialize with your favorite NPCs. Allowing, players to form attachments with the inhabitants of Verra, not just the quest giving NPCs.
  • UrulokiUruloki Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    My first MMO was back in the 90's. They added a system where you could grow plants from seeds found on different quests or purchased. What was cool, is you could cross cross pollinate plants and create new breeds. Each plant had some basic regent value. However, it seemed very few players went beyond the basic few plants or combinations. I had over 50 seed types and on my server had a seed library.
    Was pretty cool and I don't think I ever discovered all the plant types. It's possible the developers just kept adding new plants. As you got into 4th and 5th generation plants, it often took 5 or so days to produce a new plant.
    I always thought that was fun and that a chemical version (maybe potions) would be cool. They could even be based upon common and then discovered plant regents.

    Anyway was fun and I think added flavor to the gaming experience.
  • Playing different MMO games always wanted to have danji and quests with a unique loot, rare few people had such a loot. Still not enough Dungeon that are hard to find and when found there is Very unique loot(weapons, armor) and again this dungeon was not able to go through. they closed after they passed it.
  • Favorite non-progression activity is collecting vanity items, especially if thereis an actual window / menu that displays what you have and what is still out there to get. Whegher it be mounts, companion pets, trinkets and toys that do cool things, or unique outfits, if it's collectable, I wanna try to get it.
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