New Holloween Event Suggestion

[Srotten]

For the Mabar endless night event around Halloween (the one where we all work together to defeat the spectral dragon) why not add a "haunted house" that players can explore. My idea is to make it dark like the Den of Obscurity from the Rainbow in the Dark Quest, that way you could make all sorts of things jump out and scare players. Each player would have a choice to carry their own torch (thus limiting you to a single one handed weapon and no shield) or have to stay close to the torch bearer so you can see. If possible, make the room layouts random so nobody would know what to expect each time they run it. The Den of Obscurity has such a cool lighting mechanic... why not use it for something else.

Thoughts?
-Mark

[The_Human_Cypher]

For the Mabar endless night event around Halloween (the one where we all work together to defeat the spectral dragon) why not add a "haunted house" that players can explore. My idea is to make it dark like the Den of Obscurity from the Rainbow in the Dark Quest, that way you could make all sorts of things jump out and scare players. Each player would have a choice to carry their own torch (thus limiting you to a single one handed weapon and no shield) or have to stay close to the torch bearer so you can see. If possible, make the room layouts random so nobody would know what to expect each time they run it. The Den of Obscurity has such a cool lighting mechanic... why not use it for something else.

Thoughts?
-Mark

I really like this idea. A completely dark haunted house would be fun to explore. Long time players are probably bored with the spectral dragon at this point and want something else.

[tralfaz81]

If they could pull it off - make it creepy and still fit the feel of d&d, I'm all for it. Sounds like a great idea.

[doubledge]

throw in some undead popping from the ground, maybe some gargoyles that at first are statues, but when you face away turn into mobs (and some regular statues just for fake outs). Make sure to add some traps that can be disabled by pulling levers, or by disabling them outright (levers are hidden, but allow solo barbs ot make it thorugh without being anihillated, and letting rogues just bypass that portion)

[The_Human_Cypher]

DDO could sell passes to the Haunted House in the DDO Store and also make the passes rare drops. If you make it to the end of the Haunted House maze (similar to the hedge maze in 'A Study in Sable'), you receive a reward.

[Silverleafeon]

LOL, sounds interesting.

[The_Human_Cypher]

LOL, sounds interesting.

This idea could be offered to the devs in a Player's Council post. Interest in Mabar is waning not only due to the repeated problems the event has had but also because it is somewhat stale. Two options (the Haunted House and the Spectral Dragon) for participants would improve the Halloween event and renew interest. Also, werewolves need to be added to Mabar!

[LeoLionxxx]

This is a great idea, but now how could this be different from a normal "kill everything and get to the end" quest? The objective here would be to give out event ingredients I would imagine.

Perhaps it could work like a challenge, though might want to waive the time limit - if the theme is to explore a haunted house, we should have a good amount of time. Points could be awarded for killing things and maybe finding items, kind of like a treasure hunt.


Quick build solution (if the devs really like this idea and want to work with it these 2 months): put the players in a random Stormreach sewer, with the lights complete out and the map blank. People might be able to get a sense of where they are going if they recognize the place, and it would be a thrill. Add some rising zombies and a fore mentioned gargoyles for some good Mabar fun :)

[droid327]

This seems like a fun idea! But I would implement it a little different....rather than a standalone quest with rewards for completion, just have this be an extension of the Delera's adventure zone. Ie, you just go in to hunt undead. It could be instanced for each person, so it gives you a place to hunt that's not horribly overcrowded and camped.

Also, that way the undead wouldn't be "tab-targetable"...you'd have to actually look at the screen, reacting to the undead visually as they became visible - which would force players to watch attentively and give you better opportunity to scare them :)

For an added scare....maybe have the zone be "first person view only", prevent you from zooming out so its a more visceral, cinematic experience. And forces you to constantly look behind you :)

[TrinityTurtle]

This idea could be offered to the devs in a Player's Council post. Interest in Mabar is waning not only due to the repeated problems the event has had but also because it is somewhat stale. Two options (the Haunted House and the Spectral Dragon) for participants would improve the Halloween event and renew interest. Also, werewolves need to be added to Mabar!

The devs read the forums, and we have no more clout that anyone else. Getting a player council to repost it will NOT give this idea any more weight or attention than it has here.

As I've said before, we are a not a senate with the power to change things, we are a focus group so they can get an early read on how people will react to an idea. They have been very clear that they read the forums and we're just parroting things they've already seen when people want us to do this.

As for the op: It sounds like fun, but I doubt it would ever be random. Random programming is extremely complex and costly to produce, unlikely to ever be used for an event as rarely in play as Mabar. But it still sounds like a blast, especially since everyone could have their own torches and thereby minimizing the issue of jerky players who will not wait for others in a quest and leave them dead somewhere. I see this in rainbow all the time.

The only thing I think is stale about Mabar is the lag issues that plague it and the grinding to open it. IN my personal opinion the event is genuinely fun, and I love the mechanic of a large group of people having to talk to each other and coordinate outside their little groups. I wish they'd just schedule it to open every hour and move on personally, same with cove. That way no one gets shafted due to time zones.

[The_Human_Cypher]

Perhaps it could work like a challenge, though might want to waive the time limit - if the theme is to explore a haunted house, we should have a good amount of time. Points could be awarded for killing things and maybe finding items, kind of like a treasure hunt.

Yes, making the Haunted House crawl like a Challenge is a good idea, maybe even with a timer (30 minutes). We already have a Challenge with a haunted mansion - Dr. Rushmore's Mansion. :)

[Silverleafeon]

I have started a Player Project index inside the Player's Council and I feel that this is significant enough to merit being added.


THANK YOU.
Keep up the good work.

[Srotten]

I have started a Player Project index inside the Player's Council and I feel that this is significant enough to merit being added.


THANK YOU.
Keep up the good work.

Thank you guys for all the positive feedback. Would love to see this come together... Some great additions to the idea that you guys have, and werewolves would be a must... maybe a giant skeleton or 2 crawling out of the ground just for old time sake :)

[The_Human_Cypher]

I have started a Player Project index inside the Player's Council and I feel that this is significant enough to merit being added.


THANK YOU.
Keep up the good work.

Thank you!

[TrinityTurtle]

Thank you!

Just be aware that really, the devs don't pay attention any more to the threads we start on the players council than they do here. You have as much voice here as silver or I do there.

[Oberon_Shrader]

I love this idea. It sounds like so much fun! I can envision carrying a torch in the pitch black through a ridiculous maze with random (red or purple named) encounters and just trying to survive to the end.

It could be DDO's 1st inroad to Ravenloft!

Probably not for this year, but I hope we see something like this in the future!

[rosedarkthorn]

I think a haunted house Halloween event would be pretty cool. I always loved haunted houses around that time of the year. It'd be fun to explore one in the game too.

[Uska]

I think a haunted house Halloween event would be pretty cool. I always loved haunted houses around that time of the year. It'd be fun to explore one in the game too.

Me to and I am going to go to the one Rob Zombie has out here in Arizona