Filling up underutilized zones?

[khy]

In addition to the weekly TF/SF and all, what if there were encouragements to have people visit and quest in some of the less-used zones? The Trial zones, or pretty much all of red side, or even the PvP zones.

 

Perhaps something like an XP boost for lower-level (1-30) zones, an inf boost for higher level zones? Or maybe bonus salvage? Or heck, just merits based on enemies fought or something. I dunno. It just seems like such a waste that there's some REALLY amazing zones out there that don't get much use. What do you guys think?

[Carnifax]

Even moreso Praetoria. I'd love to see some way of being able to "dip into" the starting Praetorian zones somehow and use the content in there, because the zones are pretty. 

 

I have no idea how to go about it though (especially considering the 1-20 journey can be so quick nowadays) 

[ZorkNemesis]

It would be nice if a bunch of the underutilized zones just got repeatable mission contacts for the zone just to give you something to do while you're there if you want.  Set them up like Borea or Meg Manson; a "defeat 30 of x group" in the zone for one option while the other sends you to a door for something like rescuing kipnapping victims, disabling hideouts by destroying supplies, or taking down some big shot who set up shop in the zone.  I mean, it wouldn't be much and would probably be insignificant in the grand scheme of things but some zones like Boomtown, Eden and Terra Volta really need something to do if you want to hang out there for some reason.

 

I do think there were plans to overhaul some of the zones at some point.  Boomtown did get some construction near the entrance and the Council Base that popped up with the post-Praetoria War Walkers found only there (not counting Provost Marchand's missions).  Still though, a lot of the old hazard zones got largely ignored and serve no purpose then and now.

[Frostbiter]

Repeatable mission contacts in the old hazard zones are a great idea. I'd like to see something like a zone event added for the giant Freakshow city in Crey's Folly. It's been begging for it for a long time.

[Clave Dark 5]

I don't think these zones serve "no purpose" or anything, and it's OK to have less well-used zones  But I have no objections to them dropping in some new content in them, or even revamping some older to point you over to one, say, for the last few missions or something (just as long as we avoid the time-wasting back and forth of the worst TFs).

[unblocked]

Remove all those stupid "beat 7000 x in y" missions from regular blueside contacts and put Security Chiefs next to Reconnaissance Officers inside all hazard zones with all that crap on repeat. Don't bother to even change mission texts. Afterwards street sweepers can sweep in perpetuity and mission doers will have a less shitty levelling experience.

 

Would be better if some real new and cool content like events were added to hazard zones but it's not very likely at this point. So might as well make them officially the potty for existing poo content.

[Greycat]

They don't need XP boosts or other little gimmicks like that. They just could use some content. And while repeatables are ok, having stuff thematic to the zones would be better.

[GM Crumpet]

Extra content is always welcome, and the suggestions are well thought out. I can't comment on future plans (mainly because I don't know what they are) but if it's in the pipeline it's a very long way off. New content such as you suggest is very man hour intensive and instead of dozens or a hundred people able to work on zone revamps and new contacts and missions, the chances are it would be one person doing it for the love of the zone and the changes. Add to that the person doing it would most likely be holding down a full time job and be doing real life stuff as well, Which means those hundreds of man hours would have to be spread over a long time and take maybe a year or more. Creating the content wouldn't be enough, it all has to be hooked into the game proper, so it appears seamless and doesn't break anything already there. I'm not saying it's not possible, just very long winded and time consuming. And then of course three months later when the new content has been played to death people start on again about being bored and wanting new content 🙂 

[Greycat]

We need new GM replies, I've *read* this one before.

 

🙂

 

(Though it does somewhat circle into another common and hard-to-implement request of AE missions having doors in the wider world, too.)

 

Honestly, the ideas I've had for Boomtown since live would take *far* longer than that, given it would be reclaiming/fixing buildings and such - I generally envisioned 3 stages and wouldn't have been surprised at it being a year plus in between.

[GM Crumpet]

16 minutes ago, Greycat said:

We need new GM replies, I've *read* this one before.

 

🙂

 

(Though it does somewhat circle into another common and hard-to-implement request of AE missions having doors in the wider world, too.)

 

Honestly, the ideas I've had for Boomtown since live would take *far* longer than that, given it would be reclaiming/fixing buildings and such - I generally envisioned 3 stages and wouldn't have been surprised at it being a year plus in between.

It's probably because we have no other information to give you. I won't lie or try to fob people off, I think an honest response is the least I can give to a question. It's one of those difficult subjects where people often ask different variations of the same question. And the answer is always a different variation of the same answer. We would like to, and if it's possible we will, but as a legacy fan run server we just don't have the ability of the devs on live to make sweeping changes easily or quickly. Even if we are able to do something, it's going to take a vast amount of time and not be ready for a long time.

[Patti]

But you have way more people now?  Get a project lead er and put the call out to all the people here.   Deligate the work and all sorts of people volunteer.   With a good leader then things can be done the way they want.

[Glacier Peak]

4 hours ago, Patti said:

But you have way more people now?  Get a project lead er and put the call out to all the people here.   Deligate the work and all sorts of people volunteer.   With a good leader then things can be done the way they want.

Sounds like @Pattiis volunteering to lead this effort. 

[Oubliette_Red]

4 hours ago, Patti said:

But you have way more people now?  Get a project lead er and put the call out to all the people here.   Deligate the work and all sorts of people volunteer.   With a good leader then things can be done the way they want.

I recommend you first start in AE to get a jump on creating the new mission arc.

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Oubliette_Red

[RPW]

Hell, I'm a published author, I'd write story arcs for free. Like Crumpet said, it would take a while because I also must work a full-time job, but it would be a blast to do. And the first place I'd like to see new content is in Khalisi Wharf.

Edited November 2, 2020 by RPW

[cranebump]

I’ve already done some AE scripting featuring King’s Row NPCs (and some from Atlas). I’d jump at the chance to work stories in the actual Row. 

[Greycat]

12 hours ago, GM Crumpet said:

It's probably because we have no other information to give you. I won't lie or try to fob people off, I think an honest response is the least I can give to a question. It's one of those difficult subjects where people often ask different variations of the same question. And the answer is always a different variation of the same answer. We would like to, and if it's possible we will, but as a legacy fan run server we just don't have the ability of the devs on live to make sweeping changes easily or quickly. Even if we are able to do something, it's going to take a vast amount of time and not be ready for a long time.

Oh, the response was purely in fun, not in criticism. 🙂

[Darmian]

Zone dedicated mission arcs?  There's a thought.

[tidge]

The poor Sewer Networks were even forgotten in the Beta Issue 27 teleporter revamps!

[khy]

Creating new content is very, very, very time intensive. I thought there's a good chance that something like a small zone-wide XP boost might be less so, or other small incentives that could encourage people to check out some of the hazard/trial zones. But mostly when I posted this I didn't know if anyone else really felt strongly about the underpopulated zones at all. I love the variety and I felt it a great shame that many of the zones rarely get used.

[DrBasics]

I wish that there would be a way of unlocking radio/paper missions for all zones to go from 1-50. So once we are all at level 50+, we can still go into Atlas Park, or the Hollows, or Mercy Island and be able to fight 50(+4) Skulls, Hellions, Snakes, Goldbrickers. Things we don't get to see on radio missions once we hit 50.

[Twisted Toon]

18 minutes ago, DrBasics said:

I wish that there would be a way of unlocking radio/paper missions for all zones to go from 1-50. So once we are all at level 50+, we can still go into Atlas Park, or the Hollows, or Mercy Island and be able to fight 50(+4) Skulls, Hellions, Snakes, Goldbrickers. Things we don't get to see on radio missions once we hit 50.

The problem with that is that some mobs are level capped.

I think Skulls and Hellions are capped at around level 15 (+/- 5 levels)

[DrBasics]

4 minutes ago, Twisted Toon said:

The problem with that is that some mobs are level capped.

I think Skulls and Hellions are capped at around level 15 (+/- 5 levels)

Yeah, I actually already knew that. It was just a pipe dream of mine to be able to see other factions at lvl 50.

[tidge]

You can run lvl 50 tip missions in many low level zones.

[Eva Destruction]

I don't think these zones need a Faultline-style revamp in order to add new content.  Boomtown has already been updated to reflect changes in the wider game world; set an arc around the Council base.  The Freakshow are always doing dumb stuff, add some fun arcs set around their bit of Crey's Folly, they don't have to have any impact on the broader game world to be in character for the Freaks or for players to want to play them.  I'm sure someone could come up with something for Eden and Terra Volta and Perez Park.  And if the arcs are geared toward the higher end of the zone's level range and there aren't any hunt missions, which suck anyway, the fact that it's a hazard zone with hazard zone-sized spawns won't matter.

[Techwright]

On 10/30/2020 at 12:25 AM, khy said:

Perhaps something like an XP boost for lower-level (1-30) zones, an inf boost for higher level zones? Or maybe bonus salvage? Or heck, just merits based on enemies fought or something. I dunno. It just seems like such a waste that there's some REALLY amazing zones out there that don't get much use. What do you guys think?

I'll settle for a temp power chainsaw, and a badge for felling 100 trees in the Perez Park or Eden mazes.  Clear that rot out!  (Then get a 10-use chainsaw temp power with the badge.  Bring me the Banished Pantheon!)

 

Okay, a bit more seriously, how about creating several AV's or even GM's that appear if you clear a few hundred of their gangs hanging around empty zones?   Potentially useful for getting teams to clear mobs for badges, and get an AV or GM fight at the end.