6 replies to this topic

[DeLang]

If free-time, initiative and prudence co-mingle to permit a dev to share some information about how adventure and crafting will be encouraged to work together, I'd absolutely love to hear that.

One of the best features I've encountered in many years of gaming is the way the world was altered and opened up by crafters and adventurers working together ala Horizons. That it took weeks and months for crafters to construct the building components, and adventurers to clear the mobs so the materials could be applied to the build site was fantastic. It gave many many people a chance to participate in the action, a way to create new player to player bonds and a sense of community pride in the organization, effort and accomplishment of such feats.

One of the limitations of the way it was implemented in Horizons is that once the project was complete, then that's it for that server. So you had to be a subscriber during those weeks and months or you missed out.

Considering Alganon's Diety approach, there could be some opportunity for bypassing this limitation and still encouraging crafters and adventurers to coordinate. For example, once the initial project was completed, a Diety could walk around and begin demolishing the project if it conflicted with that Diety's purpose and intent for their followers. There could even be PvP between players of different Diety factions, in a fight to either thwart the construction to defend it's completion.

There could be access points which needed to be constructed before players could explore new content areas. I would love to see this implemented especially for accessing Expansion content.

There could be periodic decay which required crafters to maintain completed structures.

There could be PvP sabotage of completed building projects in another factions' home area.

There are many possibilities beyond what's listed here. I'm curious to see what Alganon will offer which promotes sustained coordinated dovetailing between crafters and adventurers.

[Syndic]

I must admit being part of a world project is something you remember for a long time. Even EQ2 did it once to build the griffon towers in 2 of the zones. The problem was they underestimated the amount of commitment players would have completing the projects and they were finished in under a day. The second and only other time I've seen them doing them was building the spires which would teleport players up to the new expansion. Always said they would do more of these still waiting for them.

I do remember some Horizons days but most world objects I missed out on, and was too low for alot of the events except for the Satyr release.

Certainly a good way of bringing the community together. Even if it is a case of the world is half complete and players need to finish it off.

[dog]

Whole community events sound pretty awesome. I would certainly be a good way to bring everyone together and it sounds like it would be a lot of fun too.

I'm not so sure about building structures before you can explore areas though. It would be annoying for those people who are into exploring but not really into crafting.

"What do you mean I have to collect 1000 wood to build an outpost before I can explore the Enchanted Forest?"

[Syndic]

I'm not so sure about building structures before you can explore areas though. It would be annoying for those people who are into exploring but not really into crafting.

I would be more inclined to make it you can explore and adventure in the area, but that outpost once complete would include your vendors, mailbox, some guards, quest npc's, maybe a banker or some trainers. Also depending on the travel systems maybe the teleport there needs to be built also, or the mount station.

The thing is these are only one time things. Also thinking maybe some projects could ones that reset each time the area changes control. The example of the outpost would be it belonging to your faction, if your faction is in control then you can build it up and enjoy it's benefits. When an enemy takes control the outpost just looks like a ruins and is destroyed, taking it back allows it to be built again. Of course other actions would need to be taken into consideration like how often areas can change control and how much effort is needed to build the outpost but you get the idea.

You could extend that in a way that the outpost is the controlling stake in the area, so the adventurers raze the outpost to the ground and the crafters build it up under their control.

[dog]

I would be more inclined to make it you can explore and adventure in the area, but that outpost once complete would include your vendors, mailbox, some guards, quest npc's, maybe a banker or some trainers. Also depending on the travel systems maybe the teleport there needs to be built also, or the mount station.

This would be a cool thing to let players build important structures like this but how long would something like this take to build? It might take ages and cost lots and in the end the player(s) that spent the most on building it would feel annoyed that they created something and then just anyone can waltz in there and use it. And what if some idiot builds it a really stupid spot, that would piss everyone off.

I think that areas should already have their buildings with vendors and trainers etc... put there by the designers but then players could have the option of building their own buildings which only they (and the people they allow) can use. Buildings could have basic mailbox features and storage space and perhaps could be upgraded to have guards and teleporters and vendors and banks etc...

[DeLang]

You could extend that in a way that the outpost is the controlling stake in the area, so the adventurers raze the outpost to the ground and the crafters build it up under their control.

I'd welcome that, Syndic. It could be done in a way which motivated the crafters to rebuild and the opposing adventurers to re-claim. For example, let the Auction House offer a 5% less listing fee. Or let there be Point A to B mounts or teleports which give faster travel to coveted zones. Place the destroyable towns at bottleneck points in the map that players want to use for convenience when travelling. As the site is rebuilt, show the buildings coming up as they're completed, but don't put in the NPC's and services until all are complete. There could be a slider on the building requirements which is adjusted by the average number of players active at peak times on the server, so you keep the average rebuild time at 7 days regardless of server population. Let the capturing faction have the city uncontested for 7-10 days before another assault could begin, etc. etc. etc.

This would be a cool thing to let players build important structures like this but how long would something like this take to build? It might take ages and cost lots and in the end the player(s) that spent the most on building it would feel annoyed that they created something and then just anyone can waltz in there and use it. And what if some idiot builds it a really stupid spot, that would piss everyone off.

I think that areas should already have their buildings with vendors and trainers etc... put there by the designers but then players could have the option of building their own buildings which only they (and the people they allow) can use. Buildings could have basic mailbox features and storage space and perhaps could be upgraded to have guards and teleporters and vendors and banks etc...

It could be that the designers place a blueprint for each town, so that any rebuilding honors their well considered building placement. For those that want to spend ages and tonnes of resources on something that only they and their friends can use, make buildable guild-houses available in instanced zones (and let them be raided and defended and as well!) The city rebuilding will be for those who love to share their hard work with the rest of the community who's coming together for mutual benefit.

[Syndic]

As DeLang said it would be a foundation of the building on the ground to mark out placement. If you ever see Horizons it would have an example of what I mean.

I would be thinking if the outpost was the controlling point and was continuously being destroyed and rebuilt the build time and effort on the structures would not be too great. Certainly wouldn't want to be so much that players wouldn't see the effort as greater than the benefit. Hard to say what a good figure would be in man hours without knowing things like how often it would change hands, populations etc.

Obviously the style of the buildings would be in the style of the race in control of the outpost.

Along that lines I think players shouldn't automatically "know" who controls an area just by crossing a magical line in the ground but should need to have to work it out for themselves through other means like who are the guards patrolling the roads, the look of the buildings, maybe even the condition of the landscape (if we are lucky enough to have such a dynamic world). Having a player cross from on area to the next and either recieve a debuff or buff based on who controls it would sort of spoil the surprise.