10 things that will improve DDO

[Syrin]

Here is a top ten list of changes the developers could make, in order of importance (mostly). I had been kicking around the idea of making a list for a while now, mainly to get the devs attention. If anyone would like to reply with comments they would be welcome.

Ive also included some handy labels after each # stating how they help.
[FUN] - Increases player enjoyment
[BUSY] - Sometimes reffered to as a "time sink" in MMO terms, it gives players something to do.
[PROFIT] - Generates extra cash for the developers.
[REVITALIZE] - Motivates players to complete previously neglected quests, or aquire previously obsolete loot.
[SIMPLE] - Would require minimal effort to implement. Like adding an item to a chest, or changing a small amount of code.

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10) Add more character slots, at a cost.
Development of new content has been slow. Once capped, players still continue to improve their characters by getting raid loot, but we like variety. Another form of enjoyment comes from rolling up a new character/build. Like many, I have 9 capped characters, and would certainly enjoy rolling up another, without having to delete a character I love and invested time into.
The developers could easily charge a small one-time fee for each additional character slot beyond 9. It would generate profit that they could spend on development of new content too!
[FUN] [BUSY] [PROFIT] [REVITALIZE] [SIMPLE]

9) Add more rare named loot that has no or a low minumum level, that is useful, but is found in mid level quests that don't get a lot of attention.
The Developers already did this a few times, but I hope they continue this trend. The necklace of contemplation from the Caverns of Korromar is an excellent example, no minimum level, and very beefy helpful item for a level one caster or monk. You run it with your mid or high level chracter to get for your new character.
[BUSY] [REVITALIZE] [SIMPLE]

8) Add rare named loot that has stats on an abnormal slot.
There are a few items in the game like this, but there could be a few more. Example: constitution +6 on a helm, isn't in the normal loot tables, but would create new gear configuration possiblities for players, and as a byproduct make characters more diverse. You could also place the loot in neglected quests to breathe new life into them.
[BUSY] [REVITALIZE] [SIMPLE]

7) Simplify feat respeccing.
Upon speaking to Fred, paying your fee and giving him a siberys dragonshard you should be able to reorganize your entire feats chosen, and he would only accept it if it is legal. Currently you often have to "untangle" your chosen feats in a lot of situations. Like waiting a total of 21 days and spending 70k and 7 shards to make my monk a 2 weapon fighter in time for the new changes.
[FUN]

6) Add "detach all" and "delete all" button to the mailbox.
It is SO incredibly tedious to detach and then delete all your mail individually if you are active in the auction house, or have a hagglebot character. It is rediculous they haven't added these buttons to the mailbox.
[FUN]

5) Remove the flagging mechanism for the Demon Queen and Vault of Night raids.
This has been suggested 17 billion times, but it bears repeating. At this stage in the game's life there is enough OTHER content that you don't need to have the extensive flagging here for a time sink. You would gain your time sink back in another way: By players completing the raids more often. You could keep both quests preraids, they are reasonable. And you certainly should have to do VoN 1-4 the first time. You could even make the desert quests like Wizard king have a random chance of dropping the phylactry so you have to run it a few times just like the orchard quests and their sigil pieces.
[FUN] [BUSY] [REVITALIZE]

4) Add more favor rewards, especially for top end favor. And re-examine a few of the rewards that are underwhelming.
Of all the things on this list this gets the developers the most BANG for their development BUCK. This would instantly add motivation to complete every quest in the game, and would take little development time to code in the rewards. A few suggestions:
-Free agent favor @ 75 and 150 is virtually useless with the availability of +5 thieves tools from chests, and the fact folks RARELY use heal or repair kits.
-Free agent 400 is pretty bad too, most people don't want to waste the time going to Zawabi's to get reairs after every quest.
-There should be something nice at 2000 and 2500 overall favor, and maybe one at 1000 too, to breakup the distance to 1750. (a +3 tome at 2500 would be nice.)
-House J's favor and buffs are pretty lackluster.
[FUN] [BUSY] [REVITALIZE] [SIMPLE]

3) Beef up monks.
If I had a copper for every time where I saw LFMs for shroud asking for everything BUT monks I would be a rich man. The developers need to take another pass at monks to make them attractive party members, especially for raid content. Some suggestions:
-add greensteel handwraps. Almost everyone has suggested it, with good reason. Mainly due to the fact that unarmed monks desire mineral 2; due to the lack of damage-bypassing handwraps. +4 AC insight would be nice as well.
-add enhancements that allow you to bypass more types of DR while fighting unarmed. Fists of good? Yes please!
-add an unntyped Ki attack that does potent damage or scale the force fist attack by level (cuz right now it is a joke). Elemental ki attacks are often ineffective at high levels (and especially in raids) when many monsters are resistant.
-add enhancements that improve your stunning fist, quivering palm, and finisher DCs. Most high level mobs have too high of saves (I play a high wisdom monk, im not just guessing)
-reduce the cost of quivering palm slightly to 40 ki.
-Allow Ki to slowly regenerate around town and in taverns. This would help in PvP and for general fun running around stormreach. Casters get spell point back, monks should get Ki.
[FUN] [REVITALIZE]

2) Add a mechanic that you can improve out-dated raid loot.
Holy cow would this revitalize the game! *steps away to do a rough count* There are currently 92 pieces of raid loot in the game. If you count just Von, Titan and DQ there are 51. Of those 51 I would gererously say 11 pieces are still valued, though to me more like 7. How great would it be if you could take a piece of old raid loot and upgrade it in a new quest or raid. Or combine 2 pieces of old raid loot to make a new more useful piece. It would completely revitalize the older raids, and prevent them from becoming obsolete. It would have the added benefit of taking items that were completely useless in the first place and make them desirable as well (I'm talking to you "Mr. guy who decided the original VoN necklaces were cool")
[FUN] [BUSY] [REVITALIZE]

1) Change the abbot raid.
I'm not the 1st to say it, or the last. 99% of the player base considers the Abbot a failure. There is currently a great discussion going on about it here:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=161293
So I will just take the time to make a few suggestions:
-Make the invisble tiles permanent. The pattern can be random, but even if the didn't phase in-and-out it would be a challenge.
-Slow down the asteroid puzzle. The game is too laggy and not everyone has high end machines (I do... but still lag).
-When the abbot is going to send you away have 3 portals pop up so players can CHOOSE which puzzle they do. This would make it so you don't have to be a twitch uber-gamer to complete the raid and/or so you can practice and master a specific puzzle.
-Make the ice flows in the main room connect to a permanent island (where you couldn't damage the abbot) because standing on them and tranferring before they run out w/ 12 people is absurd.
-Fixing the Abbot would feel like the developers had just added a new raid to the game. It would reinvigorate an ENTIRE module. There is ZERO downside.
[FUN] [BUSY] [REVITALIZE]

[weyoun]

/signed

Great post.

Edit: Seriously, this should be the thread of the week, month and year.

[Bubbahotepp]

Sheesh, I was all set to say "No" to everything. Then you had to go and make sense.

Nice suggestions IMO.

[lord_of_rage]

/ signed I love the ideas and the rating system. Great job.

[Nyvn]

Awesome and well thought out. Though I doubt much older content will be revisited. There is too much demand for "new" content.

[Samadhi]

Some of these ideas have varying degrees of utility - but /signed on #10 - More Slots over and over again. While we're at it, can we make that one number 1?

[DoctorWhofan]

11. add TS style raid. -- NO MORE ONE ROOM RAIDS!!!

12. and most important...TAKE ATARI OFF THE GAME!!!

[Ironscale]

Wow... Ill sign this 1 over and over again... Well thought out

[negative]

I've got to say, I was ready to say 'no way' to all the 'beef up monks' part, since they are getting TWF with unarmed, but those are actually really good suggestions for the class that make a lot of sence, particularlly the additional enhancements.

[Arjen]

Excellent post and one that I hope makes it to the desks of the decision makers.

/kudos

[Lorien_the_First_One]

That's the most reasonable list I've seen a player put together yet... I don't agree 100% with all of them, but really nice list and good ideas.

[Oreg]

Well written.

[Uska]

2,3,10 I say no the rest yes

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

devs have said that they're looking into beefing up favor in mod 9

Garth

[Grimtooth333]

Very well put and constructive post...

/signed

[rezo]

#3 no but, add greensteel handwraps yes, all the rest sure ( /signed )

[Yaga_Nub]

I like all but #2 and 3.

Monks are fine and will only get better. This is just a matter of time as the devs see how players are playing them and using them in quests.

#2 is just a joke though. Not all raid loot SHOULD be valid the whole game. Things that are powerful at one level don't need to be powerful forever. The raids, as they are now, are made to be completed by certain levels of characters and the raid loot should reflect those levels not the end level of the game.

The only reason that an item such as the titan belt is still valued is because who doesn't want +6 Str and GFL. Put that on one item and it becomes even more valuable. It's really the fact that it frees up an item slot that makes it valuable. I suspect that higher level raid items will start doing more of that type of thing because they can't really make much more powerful items without throwing the game way off balance.

[Syrin]

#2 is just a joke though. Not all raid loot SHOULD be valid the whole game. Things that are powerful at one level don't need to be powerful forever. The raids, as they are now, are made to be completed by certain levels of characters and the raid loot should reflect those levels not the end level of the game.

I totally disagree. Raiding takes too much effort for the raid items to become obsolete a few levels later. Especially since the raid loot doesn't drop every time. You could easily outgrow the loot you are looking for by just trying to raid for it and getting the XP that comes from doing it.

To put it another way. The average character will spend most of his/her time being capped, but still running quests looking for loot or just for fun. If quests like VoN still had desirable loot for all classes it would be one more fun thing to do with your free time.

[Yaga_Nub]

I totally disagree. Raiding takes too much effort for the raid items to become obsolete a few levels later. Especially since the raid loot doesn't drop every time. You could easily outgrow the loot you are looking for by just trying to raid for it and getting the XP that comes from doing it.

To put it another way. The average character will spend most of his/her time being capped, but still running quests looking for loot or just for fun. If quests like VoN still had desirable loot for all classes it would be one more fun thing to do with your free time.

Raiding takes very little effort but let's say that it takes a lot of effort.

That effort doesn't mean that you deserve to have a powerful item for the rest of your characters life.

What if you got your coveted item on your first run? Does that mean that you should be rewarded for ALL of that effort (please insert sarcastic tone).

If a person chooses to blows through content then they will just have to live with the fact that some items become obsolete. I remember when a +1 vorpal was the holy grail and now if a vorpal isn't +3 or higher and has a suffix to it people don't want them as much except as a twinking item.

[Belwaar]

Great post. Very well thought out. I agree with all of what you said.

I also liked the idea to make raids more like TS. TS is a blast, but seems to be losing/lost popularity. I highly advise doing this on the next raid. I also like the idea to upgrade once thought uber loot that now has become almost obsolete.

/signed and kudos to you sir