Idea for how to use existing content in a new way

[Targonis]

Out on Korthos, there is a system where people who have been through the Korthos storyline are in a different version than the "snowy side" of Korthos. This idea could be used throughout the game, where areas like the harbor could be changed based on if the character has completed certain adventure series. The system for allowing players to choose if they want to go to a certain area in a different event line could be put in place, or you decide if you want to just move the character forward, closing the book on the older adventures in that area could be either easy or difficult depending on how DDO is coded. It could also be limited in scope to some places like the waterworks.

With the waterworks being mentioned, if the character completes the waterworks quest series, why not CHANGE how waterworks looks, new adventures for those level 10 and up, and perhaps even make it a larger adventure area? Even the entire harbor could get a facelift for those who have completed various adventures, with "key" quests that trigger the shift.

Or make it so those who have completed a quest on elite now have access to a storyline progression that those who did it only on solo/casual/normal/hard would not? What would happen if you have done everything, advanced the area, but you never went on a given quest, could that quest you never went on have allowed an evil to grow and become more dangerous? The dungeon could be the same, but with more powerful enemies in the new version, and since you made the mistake of not ridding the city of that menace early, you don't even get more favor for FINALLY cleansing it on the new higher difficulty in the updated version of the area. Stealthy repossession for example might be one that characters would be able to re-visit, but this time it wouldn't be the same goals(not so stealthy attack is the goal this time).

All of this would make for a game that feels more dynamic, where the player can decide to advance the storyline for an older area, and where things can move forward. What would happen if you just ignore the problems in the harbor after you arrive in Stormreach? Invasion could really do some crazy things if the character did not help to stop it. Keeping multiple versions around based on if the character did something or not would make the game really feel like it is different based on the actions of the characters as well, so old harbor would still be there as well as the new, and only character and player choice would decide which content that character would get access to.

What do you think(other than this post being too long)?

[FranOhmsford]

For Waterworks - Take a look at Invaders {Lvl 12}

Stealthy Repo is the perfect quest for what you describe BUT I'd prefer for stealth options to be boosted so as to bring it closer to the original idea for the quest.

1. Pulling Levers should not break Invisibility.
2. Prophets should have slightly lower listen and spot skills - come on the stealth score needed in this quest is obscene.
3. There are too many Prophets in there compared to the max kills {6}. Have other kobolds patrolling early corridors instead.

At the moment the optimum way to do this quest is solo - Prot Elec/Res Elec, Rage, Heroism, Haste and Charge!!! Grab gem at end, Kill everything afterwards nothing before. This totally defeats the idea of the quest.

I also believe Claw of Vulkoor suffers from many of the same issues - Scorps are insanely hard to sneak past.

Now People are gonna say that I'm just useless at sneaking - Maybe I am {I certainly don't play sneaky rogues - preferring trap skills} But I've been in enough groups for Stealthy Repo to know the majority simply can't get thru it w/out at least one death {usually 2-4}.

As soon as the rogue/ranger's stealth is broken you're charging anyway.

Claw I usually run short man with hires But I've been in groups - None of whom have attempted to stealth it.

[Aurora1979]

Deleted

Done a big edit and site went down again. cant be bothered to participate in constructive discussion on a good idea.

[Targonis]

For Waterworks - Take a look at Invaders {Lvl 12}

Stealthy Repo is the perfect quest for what you describe BUT I'd prefer for stealth options to be boosted so as to bring it closer to the original idea for the quest.

1. Pulling Levers should not break Invisibility.
2. Prophets should have slightly lower listen and spot skills - come on the stealth score needed in this quest is obscene.
3. There are too many Prophets in there compared to the max kills {6}. Have other kobolds patrolling early corridors instead.

At the moment the optimum way to do this quest is solo - Prot Elec/Res Elec, Rage, Heroism, Haste and Charge!!! Grab gem at end, Kill everything afterwards nothing before. This totally defeats the idea of the quest.

I also believe Claw of Vulkoor suffers from many of the same issues - Scorps are insanely hard to sneak past.

Now People are gonna say that I'm just useless at sneaking - Maybe I am {I certainly don't play sneaky rogues - preferring trap skills} But I've been in enough groups for Stealthy Repo to know the majority simply can't get thru it w/out at least one death {usually 2-4}.

As soon as the rogue/ranger's stealth is broken you're charging anyway.

Claw I usually run short man with hires But I've been in groups - None of whom have attempted to stealth it.

Invaders is something of a follow-up that takes place in the same overall area, but I was thinking something more like "snowy vs. sunny" side of Korthos, but on a larger scale. The game could even take the quests you have run already to decide what is going on in the updated version(or make it so NPCs are more dynamic based on if you have run various quests).

[Uska]

Deleted

Done a big edit and site went down again. cant be bothered to participate in constructive discussion on a good idea.

to stop yourself from being logged out. Log out log into myddo remember to click remember me then go to forums from myddo you shouldnt get logged out anymore I have been logged into the fourms for days now

[Rheebus]

Out on Korthos, there is a system where people who have been through the Korthos storyline are in a different version than the "snowy side" of Korthos. This idea could be used throughout the game, where areas like the harbor could be changed based on if the character has completed certain adventure series. The system for allowing players to choose if they want to go to a certain area in a different event line could be put in place, or you decide if you want to just move the character forward, closing the book on the older adventures in that area could be either easy or difficult depending on how DDO is coded. It could also be limited in scope to some places like the waterworks.

With the waterworks being mentioned, if the character completes the waterworks quest series, why not CHANGE how waterworks looks, new adventures for those level 10 and up, and perhaps even make it a larger adventure area? Even the entire harbor could get a facelift for those who have completed various adventures, with "key" quests that trigger the shift.

Or make it so those who have completed a quest on elite now have access to a storyline progression that those who did it only on solo/casual/normal/hard would not? What would happen if you have done everything, advanced the area, but you never went on a given quest, could that quest you never went on have allowed an evil to grow and become more dangerous? The dungeon could be the same, but with more powerful enemies in the new version, and since you made the mistake of not ridding the city of that menace early, you don't even get more favor for FINALLY cleansing it on the new higher difficulty in the updated version of the area. Stealthy repossession for example might be one that characters would be able to re-visit, but this time it wouldn't be the same goals(not so stealthy attack is the goal this time).

All of this would make for a game that feels more dynamic, where the player can decide to advance the storyline for an older area, and where things can move forward. What would happen if you just ignore the problems in the harbor after you arrive in Stormreach? Invasion could really do some crazy things if the character did not help to stop it. Keeping multiple versions around based on if the character did something or not would make the game really feel like it is different based on the actions of the characters as well, so old harbor would still be there as well as the new, and only character and player choice would decide which content that character would get access to.

What do you think(other than this post being too long)?

The fact that being on the snowy/summer sides of korthos makes it difficult to form groups makes me think this mechanic would not be a good thing to spread around.

I do like the idea of using old quest dungeons for new quests as long as they aren't in the same chain (Tangleroot! BLAH!). Invaders is a great example.

[Urist]

The fact that being on the snowy/summer sides of korthos makes it difficult to form groups makes me think this mechanic would not be a good thing to spread around.

Given that there is practically zero difference between snowy and sunny Korthos, beyond the weather, I'd think that such mechanics could be implemented almost entirely graphically, on the client side.
I noticed that after Under The Big Top, for example, the NPCs surrounding the quest entrance had changed to reflect my success. I could be wrong, but I assume that their altered states would not have been be visible to any other passing players, who had not just completed the quest?

[Targonis]

The fact that being on the snowy/summer sides of korthos makes it difficult to form groups makes me think this mechanic would not be a good thing to spread around.

I do like the idea of using old quest dungeons for new quests as long as they aren't in the same chain (Tangleroot! BLAH!). Invaders is a great example.

If you could transition between versions somehow, it could still work. I was thinking more in terms of level ranges and such, so there could be a harbor area that ends up being higher level(10-15) for those who have completed certain objectives, or something similar. As I mentioned, Hiding in Plain Sight is a great example of using the overall area that players might remember from the lowbie quests in a higher level quest. Since areas like the Inspired Quarter are only open to those above a certain level range, that could have held lowbie quests for lowbies, but then once you have completed the series, that section would now hold new adventures for high level characters.

The exact mechanics would need a bit of planning, but the idea of making the game more dynamic and being able to re-use existing adventures with a new story that would mesh well with what the character had already done would be a nice touch. If you skipped quests due to not enjoying them(Archer Point for example), then what happened if you DID skip it? Perhaps a higher level quest to re-take the fortress or something.

[FranOhmsford]

The missing series of quests has already done this - Kobolds appear in one part {the same part as the dead cartoon characters} and say that we're trying to throw them out of their new home {Old one being WW}. These Kobolds are of course higher lvl.

I'd love to see a new danger appear in the Cerulean Hills to replace the Orcs we drove off {there's a trail in the Captives quest that's blocked off leading to another part of the hills.

I've asked in other threads for Goblins to arrive in Stormreach - driving the Kobbies out of the sewers {A background for Kobold PCs and Giving higher lvl characters the chance to face Hordes of Goblins}.

Hiding in Plain Sight Carries on from Baudry's Chain and Info is Key then leads into The Restless Isles - For me this completes that storyline.

Durk reappears in the Madness Chain in the Marketplace.

Ringleader leads into Waterworks which in turn leads into Shan to Kor then I believe on to Tempest Spine.

Kobold Assault leads to Archer Pt and Gladewatch Outpost.

Garrison's, Bringing the Light, Haverdasher, Butcher's, Where there's Smoke and the Lighthouse don't really leave any room for sequels.

This leaves Smuggler's Warehouse and Stealthy Repo in the Harbour proper - Both of which imo could do with a boost in themselves.


We could do with more quests in the marketplace though - Maybe a Return to Shan to Kor chain for lvl 12-14s.

An even Better idea - Many people choose to leave Proof is in the Poison and Freshen the Air till lvl 10+ Why not give them the choice to do a far higher lvl version for 3 times the favour, 5 times the xp and real loot instead. {One off - No repeating/farming.
Frankly there's more lvl 4 quests than needed anyway.

I'd also like for The Dragontail Saloon to open for anyone who's completed Sharn Syndicate on elite - Providing better food and drink and other benefits.

[Targonis]

FranOhmsford: I was not talking about just seeing a continuation or a cameo appearance of people for higher level quests, I was thinking more like, "They did the Waterworks series, but then left the following quests undone. Because they skipped those quests, what you see in those buildings may have changed, not just higher level, but something very different. What would have happened if the character didn't help Baudry...the outcome might not just be the death of Baudry, but a power shift in the Harbor that could stir up some real trouble.

You can see the outcome if you do something, but what about if you DON'T do something? If no one played the hero to rid the city of a certain evil influence, what would the city be like?

[Mat59765]

that sounds like having the game be a persistent evolving world (kinda like how fable games are) rather than the instanced style we have now i think they're designed a lot differently, if the dev team are sturggling to be able to allow shape shifting for druids to work asking them to combine 2 separate game styles sounds a bit of a push. Does sound like a fun idea though