Most of the new content for 2015 has probably already been partially finished or at least scheduled, so I wanted to discuss content for 2016 as next year is more open ended. I started a thread about the DDO 10th Anniversary which is on February 28th, 2016 so I thought I would follow up with this wish list for Updates 29 and beyond.
# 1 10th Anniversary Live Event. I really like the idea of a Devil Invasion sequel live event for DDO's 10th Anniversary which was mentioned in the earlier thread. A Devil Assault live event for DDO’s landmark anniversary would also tie nicely into the new Shavarath and Vale of Twilight quests for Updates 26 and 27. After the live event ends, a new quest or raid commemorating the event would be added to the game in remembrance of the occasion. I truly hope that we get more than a funny hat or consumables for the 10th anniversary as those sorts of anniversary presents are not memorable or newsworthy. DDO’s 10th Anniversary should be a game changer in some manner.
# 2 Crafting Revision. Updating the crafting system will most likely be pushed out to 2016, based on the current slate of content but also because the new level 30 cap won't happen until the end of 2015. The new crafting system should be made relevant for players up to level 30 and hopefully include some new features like the ability for wizards and artificers to brew potions, craft scrolls and wands, or maybe even a new skill called Fabrication. This major crafting overhaul should be approached in such a fashion that it need only be performed once so that crafting does not become dated with future updates.
# 3 Player Housing. Player housing was mentioned once by the developers in 2014 but has since been shelved. We have Guild airships in DDO but player housing would provide another dimension to game play for individual players as well as expand individual character storage. Player housing worked well in LOTRO and much of the art resources and game mechanics used to revise the Guild airships could be applied to make instanced housing. Player housing could be themed based on class, race, and DDO area with examples being a monk dojo, a Halfling garden home, and a padded cell for those players interested in Xoriat.
# 4 Guild Strongholds. Neverwinter Online will offer Guild strongholds later this year as that game lacks any pooled resource related to Guilds for its players except a shared Guild bank for items. DDO has Guild airships but these are only accessible in Eberron and from the Eberron side of the Hall of Heroes. As the DDO game world continues to be built out, Guilds could be offered the option of owning a Guild Stronghold in the Forgotten Realms. The Guild stronghold would be similar to the airships with buffs and storage but perhaps have new amenities like a Guild council chamber (what the hot tub was used for in the past) and a PvP area. Like player housing, Guild strongholds would be themed with options for a medieval castle, an Iron Tower, an underwater palace, etc. The amount of content that would be required to justify Guild strongholds might take longer to bring to DDO than what can be achieved by 2016, so this is a suggestion for any year in the near future.
# 5 New Airship Amenities. The Guild airship model upgrade was a success and appreciated by the player base. Further enhancements to airships would improve the airships with possibilities being themed cosmetic airship skins (e.g., ghost ship, pirate ship, Spelljammer nautiloid, and so on), an airship trophy room for Level 151+ Guilds to display collective accomplishments, and more amenity buffs. At present, there is very little incentive to pass Guild level 150 so introducing more ship amenities would encourage Guilds to reach these levels. For example, as of now a high level Guild with a Daedalean Kraken airship has almost an entire deck of empty space if all of the existing large and usable small amenities are hooked so offering exclusive level 151+ amenities would be a tangible benefit to belonging to a level 200 Guild.
# 6 New Paid Expansion. I have been promulgating a Waterdeep / Undermountain / Skullport expansion on these forums for a while. More Forgotten Realms content is the best way to promote DDO, as much as I like the Eberron setting. The new expansion should include a 2nd starting area for level 1 players in the City of Waterdeep, as a contrast to the rural setting in Korthos which would help refresh the TR experience for players. If the DDO version of the Forgotten Realms started to rival Eberron in size, Guild strongholds as outlined above could be added to the Realms. I would also want a level 30 Griffon fighter hireling to be included with any Forgotten Realms expansion, as the player base has been asking for a new permanent hireling companion.
# 7 A VIP Lounge. I started a thread asking for a VIP subscriber Lounge last year on this sub-forum. The VIP Lounge (not called this but instead some other name, like 'The Golden Lion Tavern') would be free to VIPs but accessible to premium or f2p players that purchase a pass like the one for the Hall of Heroes. The VIP Lounge would be something like The Portable Hole but for all classes, offering an all in one place with vendors selling items at steep discounts, a PvP area, and special vendors selling goods or amenities available nowhere else. The VIP Lounge would be "up in the clouds" and accessible via the Teleporters, the Guild airship Navigator, and The Hall of Heroes. The VIP Lounge would be a relatively inexpensive way to add more value to a VIP subscription, especially for new players, and create a communal space in the game world.
# 8 Goblins.
# 9 Gnomes. Producer Severlin stated that Gnomes would be the next playable race, whenever a new race is added to the game. If Gnomes are adapted properly into DDO, they would add a new dimension to game play and help bring back veteran players. I agree with Severlin that Svirfneblin (Deep Gnomes) would be awesome.
# 10 More Iconics. A number of potential Iconic classes were mentioned by Producer Glin in a 2013 podcast: a drow ranger, a warlock (which we are getting as a core class this year), and a Harper Bard (which we now have to some extent as an Enhancement tree). Finishing the Iconic line for all 13 core classes should begin next year and have an eventual goal of creating an Iconic Completionist feat.
That is all I have at the moment. I would welcome everyone else's suggestions as a reply to this post. It would behoove us to put every suggestion for 2016 in one thread for easy reading by the devs.