You want more content? Make it your darn self...

[SanePsycho]

I have a most wonderful idea I have to share! After reading countless posts of players making demands of the devs for an uncountable number of different things (mostly new content), and seeing that Turbine is without a Lead Content Designer for DDO (or whatever that post actually implies), a lightbulb went off.

The big thing in game development right now seems to be player created content, and why shouldn't it be? Less work for devs, a near limitless supply of content for players, and a new way for both players and developers to interact and foster a strong community. But in an MMO? Oh yes! Ryzom Ring was an expansion to Ryzom last year that allowed players to create instanced "adventures" they could invite people into. Given the design of DDO and its use of instanced "dungeons", I can't think of anything more perfect!

What I envision:
Give us, the players, your toolset. Modify it, tweak it, dumb-it-down and hand it over! Give me the ability to create my own dungeon, to set deadly traps around every corner, to create mind-wrenching puzzles that confuse those who dare enter, to script the spawn of 12 firey dragons just as the players begin to rush for the exit after a gruesome battle! Let me create a series of modules and form a campaign for my guildmates to venture through as my story unfolds for them. Let me build a shady tavern off a muddy road where I can roleplay with my friends and tell stories of my past adventures and conquests And oh how I've dreamt of writing that beautiful golden DM text myself ^.^

What I propose:
Create a modified version of your in-house toolset, that will give us DMs (yes, we can have them even in DDO!) at least some basic functionality. Let us use the resources you've already created (terrain textures, monsters, tilesets, various placeables etc.), and let us use new resources as you release them with new content. The technical complications of allowing fully user created content (i.e. textures and models and such as is done in NWN) could be forgone by limiting resources to those Turbine created (basically, we can only build adventures with the resources you give us).
I'm trying to abstract the idea from implementation because I don't really feel its my place to tell you how anything should be done, and am just using a concept that could possibly work from this player's perspective.
In a big public area accessible by everyone like the harbor or market even, have one of those quest portal door thingies (yes, that's the technical term) that links to player created adventures. Instead of the normal mode selection window, have a window that shows all the currently running adventures and who "owns" them. If I see the module my friend created I could click "ask for invite" and it would alert the owner I would like to enter, and he/she can accept or reject (kinda like inviting someone to your group but in reverse). My client would then download the necessary files and would join the game when its finished. Once the group is all together we all set off on our merry way burning and looting things as we go, just like any other adventure. There could be a "meeting room" of sorts that you enter before the actual module where players could gather pre-game and chat, prepare spells, and wait for the download to finish, then all enter together.
Because all of this would be user created content and, for the most part, uncontrolled by Turbine, unlike regular quests, players don't gain experience or get to keep any loot they find, but they could earn something else instead. For example rather then making all toolset resources available immediately, players could earn access to use new resources by building and playing in user created adventures. Or have characters level separately when in the user created adventure dimension, so-to-speak. Regardless, there are some very cool possibilities.

User created content would bring so much to DDO. Amazing press, more subscribers, and a butload of good times! Who's with me on this? Dungeons and Dragons has always been about roleplaying and running off on some grand adventure that a buddy crafted to test your wit. Let us have it!

(My apologies if I ramble and trail in my post, I'm extremely exhausted and hardly conscious :P )

[MysticTheurge]

You know I thought about applying, but I don't really have enough experience to be a Lead anything.

[Aspenor]

You know I thought about applying, but I don't really have enough experience to be a Lead anything.

You could be a lead weight.

[GuitarHero]

You could be a lead weight.

hey, even those are useful for something. I mean, if its windy, you need one on your line when your fishing, or your hook goes straight into the weeds every time!

[GlassCannon]

I have a most wonderful idea I have to share! After reading countless posts of players making demands of the devs for an uncountable number of different things (mostly new content), and seeing that Turbine is without a Lead Content Designer for DDO (or whatever that post actually implies), a lightbulb went off.

Oh! You found my lightbulb! Thanks much, I'll screw that back into my head now.

I've proposed this numerous times now.

Shall I cite my posts? No... I am too unconcerned for that.

I proposed a kit like NWN has. I proposed Player Created Dungeon contests.

I doubt it's coming anytime soon. I proposed it back in MODULE 3.

[SanePsycho]

I proposed a kit like NWN has. I proposed Player Created Dungeon contests.

I doubt it's coming anytime soon. I proposed it back in MODULE 3.

Well I'm glad to see they take our feedback seriously >.< *Hands lightbulb back to Glasscannon* Guess we aren't going to need these...

[oronisi]

Well I'm glad to see they take our feedback seriously >.< *Hands lightbulb back to Glasscannon* Guess we aren't going to need these...

I think they even responded to one of the previous times this was proposed. It's not that they don't like the idea, it's that it's not feasible. It supposedly would take more effort to weed through all the **** we would submit to Turbine, rebalance the overpowered loot and xp we coded in, QA the dungeon, look for bugs and secrets we snuck in, etc, than it would for them to make their own content.

[Hendrik]

I think they even responded to one of the previous times this was proposed. It's not that they don't like the idea, it's that it's not feasible. It supposedly would take more effort to weed through all the **** we would submit to Turbine, rebalance the overpowered loot and xp we coded in, QA the dungeon, look for bugs and secrets we snuck in, etc, than it would for them to make their own content.

But the real funny part about this 'suggestion' is that the OP want's no XP/Loot/QA for player made Quests.

So, what's the point?

Spend a **** load of time creating something that you won't be rewarded for running. All that time and effort for what? It's a waste of time to waste time. Shall we touch on potential bandwidth issues with all those people DL Quests from Turbine? Viruses from some dysfunctional child? Of course that would be labeled as 'whining' to look at a bigger picture....

Yea, sure, Ill spend hours in some player made chain quest, maybe loosing XP and cost of repairs/supplies, only to come out at the end with no XP, beyond debt, no loot to recover my expenses, and nothing to show for it beyond wasting some time.

Shortsighted to say the least.

I agree with you oronisi, player made content would detract from what Turbine does for us and thusly giving more fuel to the haters.

[Arianrhod]

Well, they could at least have an official location (email address, forum area, or whatnot) for people to submit ideas for new content (putting it all in the development forum tends to result in it getting lost amid bug complaints, suggestions for class improvements, etc.). A uniform format for submitting such ideas would make it easier for the devs to pick & choose what they'd like to add to the game.

[oronisi]

But the real funny part about this 'suggestion' is that the OP want's no XP/Loot/QA for player made Quests.

So, what's the point?

Spend a **** load of time creating something that you won't be rewarded for running. All that time and effort for what? It's a waste of time to waste time. Shall we touch on potential bandwidth issues with all those people DL Quests from Turbine? Viruses from some dysfunctional child? Of course that would be labeled as 'whining' to look at a bigger picture....

Yea, sure, Ill spend hours in some player made chain quest, maybe loosing XP and cost of repairs/supplies, only to come out at the end with no XP, beyond debt, no loot to recover my expenses, and nothing to show for it beyond wasting some time.

Shortsighted to say the least.

I agree with you oronisi, player made content would detract from what Turbine does for us and thusly giving more fuel to the haters.

Actually, I don't agree with what I posted (paraphrasing what I think I remember the devs saying). The devs definitely have a problem coming up with quality quest ideas. It's like they are filling out mad libs and not even using different sheets, it's all the same:

You fight [insert monster here] in an effort to [save someone / get something / clean out the dungeon]. This quest will take place in an epic [long / very long quest length] [tileset (sewer1, sewer2, temple1, cave1, fire_cave, ice_cave)]. To reach your goals, you will need to collect [1, 2, 3, or 4] keys, or destroy [1, 2,3, or 4] sub-bosses.

In the very least, I think the DDO devs could take player-made IDEAS and build dungeons around them. Ideas can't contain exploits, unbalancing items, glitches, or secrets. But they could improve the quality and diversity of what we have to play with.

[Hendrik]

Who would be QA on player made content?

I mean, we have to have someone to test it out and make sure the proper risk/reward is there. Cannot have some player made quest that is (more) out of whack then we have now. This means Turbine would have to do it in addition to everything else that they have to do to bring us content. Having them take time out to go over player made content would take away from what they have to do - further delaying Modules.

Would player made content be good? Hells yea it would! Just look at NWN and what the player base has done there.

I just do not think we are at, or if we ever will be, to the point where player made content would be viable. Just do not think there is the manpower nor tech to pursue it. Would be very difficult to keep the vision for DDO and quality if the content creation was taken out of the DEV's hands and placed in ours.

[SanePsycho]

There doesn't need to be any type of QA, it's player made. It's not like I send my NWN(2) mods to Bioware/Obsidian and ask them for a gold star before I release it to the vault Check this out to see what I imagine. And with the instance design of DDO I don't see what could work more perfect with as little work.

[Dane_McArdy]

There doesn't need to be any type of QA, it's player made. It's not like I send my NWN(2) mods to Bioware/Obsidian and ask them for a gold star before I release it to the vault Check this out to see what I imagine. And with the instance design of DDO I don't see what could work more perfect with as little work.

I'm not paying 15 a month to play some player made dungeon.

Besides, the have talked about why they don't do this.

[Aethene]

I'm not paying 15 a month to play some player made dungeon.

Besides, the have talked about why they don't do this.

That's right... i'm paying $15 a month to play the same old stuff i play every month

[Bombalo]

While I don't think that pure player created content would be the way to go I wouldn't mind seeing a monthly contest for a dungeon or two that turbine would develop into a later release.

[neoanderthal]

That's right... i'm paying $15 a month to play the same old stuff i play every month

You do have a choice, after all. I don't know about you, but no turbine employee showed up at my apartment, and demanded that I hand them money and sign on every few days... :P

[cdbd3rd]

As Hendrik was hinting at...
What would be the controlling factor to keep someone from making the "kill a kobold, loot a level 14 chest" scenario? We all know it would happen - and don't even need to comment on what the farmers would do with that ability.

At the very least, I would think that any character that transfered to the 'player-created-zone', would have to become a 'player-created-zone' only toon after that. Perhaps a server devoted to player-created instances with a ban on being able to pay for a server transfer from that server.

*shrugs* Just random thoughts about it all. Doubt if we'll ever see it come around.

[Hendrik]

There doesn't need to be any type of QA, it's player made. It's not like I send my NWN(2) mods to Bioware/Obsidian and ask them for a gold star before I release it to the vault Check this out to see what I imagine. And with the instance design of DDO I don't see what could work more perfect with as little work.

Sorry Sane, but no QA on player made content is ripe with abuse. Kill a Kobold for 500k XP? Think loot is out of control now? Wait til a player can populate a chest! :P

I know the process for made content with NWN, have a few of my own up. NWN design model included end user created content, DDO does not.

*EDIT*

TY for your addition Cd!

[Hvymetal]

Also it seems that WOTC seems to have a fair amount of input into DDO so almost any player-made content would also have to be run by them possibly......

[Hendrik]

Also it seems that WOTC seems to have a fair amount of input into DDO so almost any player-made content would also have to be run by them possibly......

Very true!

Not only logistical issues but legal it would seem to pursue end user created content.