Alignment

[Display Name]

When I first heard the arguments about "fixing" the alignment "issues" I largely ignored them because I was still new to the game and still learning.

 

Now that I've played toons across the alignment spectrum, I think it's ok for me to make my own observations.

 

I think it's been mentioned that on Live, alignment was a tool to enforce an obsolete marketing strategy.  However, I don't believe a "total overhaul" is necessary at all.

 

1) Geographic restrictions

Even before I had a better understanding of alignment I've always agreed that the geographic restrictions on alignment should be removed.  If only for role-playing.  As a hero, the Rogue Isles are EXACTLY the place I'm needed.  And vice-versa.  As a villain, Paragon City is the place to go for the best heists.

 

2) Team restrictions

I see no need to change this.  To me, this correctly simulates the role-playing of enemies.

 

3) Contact restrictions

Just because a hero is able to TRAVEL to the Rogue Isles doesn't mean they can just talk to anyone.   Arbiter Rein is just going to tell them to get lost (if they're lucky) when some do-gooder hero tries to learn Mu Mastery.  So I see no need to change this either.

 

4) Etc.  Did I miss anything?

[Sif]

4 minutes ago, Display Name said:

1) Geographic restrictions

An ability to go to Paragon/RI "under cover" could be interesting, which would allow explaining away why the drones don't just immediately vaporize arrest you. Would also be neat to have some minigames a la the side missions in mayhem/safeguards, but in the over world, although it'd need to be done in a way that doesn't involve actual PvP (instead something like the invaders set up bombs, which creates an event for the other faction to defuse). Although any system of this sort would have to be careful to not forget the massive population imbalance that would exist at  least at the start.

 

4 minutes ago, Display Name said:

3) Contact restrictions

How many redside/blueside contacts are there where the missions+story would make sense for the opposing side? Might be wrong, but I doubt the number is that high (especially if we avoid the coop/villains trope of 'I'm a villain that's trying to destroy the world, but I'll fight for good because I don't want them to do it!').

[Chris24601]

My thought on removing the geographic restrictions is that, once our devs have finished all their backend projects (i.e. 64-bit client, code clean-up, etc.) and start focusing on new content in earnest, adding hero contacts to the Isles and villain contacts in Paragon would be a good way to essentially add “new zones” to the game (in the sense of having varied playthroughs for different toons).

 

One interesting way this could be explored might be interlocking stories. This is the approach that SWTOR used for it’s worlds/zones; the vibrations disrupting the droids in one side’s mission turn out to be from a device that’s the McGuffin of another side’s mission. The Imp-side bounty hunter’s final mission results in the assassination or resignation of the Republic’s chancellor and nearly all the Pub-side conclusions involve dealing with the chancellor’s successor in one way or another.

 

So my thinking would be to create faction missions that either set-up or follow the existing missions of certain contacts. The villain player is the one who stole the McGuffin for the villain group that has it in a hero arc (ex. make an arc out of exploiting the chaos in Galaxy City to steal the artifacts Habashy is trying to recover from the Hellions in Atlas Park). A hero arc sets out to put right what a villain contact set wrong (ex. make a Mercy Island hero arc out of recapturing as many of the villains Arcachnos broke out of the Zigg in their original tutorial mission as possible).

 

Even better would be, if specific mission doors can be set, you could specifically direct opposing faction players in the “new” zones towards less explored/traveled regions of the zones; almost as if they’re skulking about in the background of the zone’s original factions (anywhere in Skyway for example... he says only half-kidding).

 

Another potential location to do this too would be pre-Incarnate War Praetoria. Dark Watcher, Longbow and Dr. Science are already working in secret there as early as the Neutropolis content and Arachnos is probing there as well.

 

So, how about two level 14-20 story arcs that involves your character helping to create that beachhead for their respective side (before being sent to First Ward to look for allies there... where the normal FW/NW content plays out as normal)?

 

Blue-side you could even spin that out of the early Praetorian incursions from the Shining Stars arcs... including Dr. Science using Photon’s confiscated portal as the means level 14-20 characters can reach Praetoria.