Friday with Means - April 30th, 2010 - About the Future

[Anarchic1]

Profession bug-fixing.
New open PvP content + new BS maps.
Alien playfields at levels below and above Sector 10.
New start-up experience.
Revamping old encounters + loot to today's standards. ie: Hollow Island
etc etc.
Have a great weekend!

All i have to say is hell yeah

[nanoforcer]

A TL7 worthy upgrade to the syndicate brain, kinda sad some profs are better of using that at endgame still
More "alternative" symbs like the bezerker symb, alternatives are fun.

[odian102]

My suggestion is “Structured Content Progression from level 1 -150. I just went through those levels without skipping content. The following are my notes and suggestions on each area.


Topic: Structured Content Progression

Concept: Having fun through the content progression

I just recently had a few friends come back to AO. We wanted to start from scratch with no help from our Main (207+) professions. Rushing to 220 was not the goal, the goal was to hang out and have fun with the content provided (not skipping content through: AOE NT Farming borgs, Heckler Groups, or Heckler Off-Side Tanking)

Content: 1-150 (2 months of playing for us)
We are level 150 now. So this breakdown in content is based on those levels of content.

Levels:

1-10

Starting Island:

This area does not reflect AO game play at all. It felt disjointed and unconnected. We discussed this in Vent and came up with the conclusion that it was designed to give you some feeling of how a player accepts missions from NPC, how to distribute skill points, equip items, and get familiar with the GUI.

It did a very poor job with teaching players the above concepts. ( we all agreed that an introduction video at character creation would have done a better job of teaching fundamental concepts than this starting area did) Above all the game play was boring and not fun. If this was all I know about AO, I would have log off and uninstalled the game. The massive Ohhh feeling of AO is lost in this beginning area. This area makes AO feel small and shallow.

Basic agreement in vent was this area will turn off new players, not encourage them the continue to play AO.

1-25

Subway:

We all agreed that we liked the subway in general (can’t go wrong with adding content here. It’s a big success) We even made comments that this is a better starting area than the “starter island”. If you made some concept changes to the Subway, it would be perfect area to start from.

Concept changes discussed were:

1) Players start in the Shopping area. This shopping area has NPC that will teach you fundamental concepts about AO with mission tasks throughout the Subway.
2) The Shopping area should include a full General Store area. This would allow new players to understand the concepts of implants, Vendor machines, Treatment machine, Trade skill, and Profession Nano machine.
3) Missions from NPCs should include: Trade skilling with materials provided from Trade Skill Vendor machines, Designing Implants, and Discovering: profession, armor, guns, and medical vending machines.
Without including a full General Store within the Subway, which is the next progression from the “starter island,” it leaves it up to the new player to figure it out. Stores are a basic concept in character development in AO, it should be clear what stores offer to new players.

25-60

Sand Box Play:

AO is massive and if you like to explore, just head N, S, E, or W. I would suggest adding more quests in the outpost areas. These could be killing X amount of Y mobs and come back for rewards. Does not have to be fancy but gives exploring type people something to do besides just killing random mobs while exploring RK.

TOTW:

We all loved this dungeon. It could use more cool items and equipment to ****e it up, but very good content. We all agreed if you could get new players to this dungeon, most would be hooked on AO.
We did agree that TOTW is kind of hidden content to new players. There is not really a progression map that sends you here. You basically have to hear about it or stumble onto it.

61-100

We started Shadowlands content and Formans. No progression map for players. If you didn’t start your character in SL, then it’s up to the player to figure it out.

Shadowlands:
Activity: Garden Key quests and Sanctuary Key quests.
If you want content here: It’s all about Tiiggs and Hecker groups. That is all that is going on here.

We decided on Formans.

Foremans:

No progression map to this content. If you know about it, it’s a good source of XP. This dungeon needs content. Layout is very cool, but vanilla in content and rewards.

Needed improvement in the following:
1) Progression map
2) Content
3) rewards

85-100

Crypt of Homes

No progression map for new players. Cool dungeon and very hard for level 85-100 level players. We liked this dungeon in general but very few players there.

Needed improvement in the following:
1) progression map
2) Easier access for new players. (Whompa)

100-140

No real content. Grind on whatever…..
This range needs progression content bad!!!!!!!
We did Missions for Tokens on RK. So, Team Missions for 50 levels...



Hope that helps.

[Martialmad]

As some people said, please focus on low and medium levels :
- New starting experience
- Make it easier to earn money, reduce price tag on nanos, implants and every shop item
- Prevent everything related to "pocket leveling" and make challenge really worth it
- Make tier armor useful (add a tier+ofab tradeskill that makes good leveling (clickable) armor)
- Add useful loot on RK, SL and AI bosses
- Add low and mid level fast encounters (like the Dust Brigade ones but easier). These should give tokens, loot, vps and [a]xp. Do not allow HL toons to enter these instances at all, even to help.

Imo the only two things that should be done for TL7 are :
- New BS maps
- Improved PvP balance
There is far enough endgame PvM content already

[gcapasso]

1) Start up Experience. By the end of the hand holding you should be able to do at a minimum the basics involved in the game. Equipping items, buying nanos, making/using imps, and have some idea of where you should be heading next. The cost of lower lvl nanos/ implants also seems to high, but hopefully the daily missions will help with that.
2)Engine: With a new start up experience and a new engine the population of AO could truley bounceback, which is really needed.
3) AI content at lower levels: If you want to sell expansions you want to have people see some benefit to having them. As things stand now there is not much AI content for sub 100 toons. Perhaps add these to daily missions as well.
4)OFAB gear and weps: Selling expansions would also increase if people got better VP rewards at lower levels so the items would be more useful. The trade-up or some return on your lower level OFAB someone had is also a great idea. RIght now most people save until near endgame so they can afford top gear.
5)Leveling content 60+. ELY Heckling is not a fun part of AO especially when an OST is involved. There is so much in the game to explorer, but people need a reason to do it that would be worth while.
6)Solo Content. Hoping the daily missions work out well as that will help, but having to find a full team especially with the population right now, things can be very difficult.
7)Love the idea of adding new character slots so many of the vets can make new toons to help returning and new players alike in the return to AO.

[Pomidor]

New open PvP content + new BS maps.

Means and FC. Content is, but its flawed. Its like you or anyone else in FC doesnt make Enforcers Online™ for lowbies (ppl, that has less time but want to have pvp fun), and they must make Enforcer to have FUN. There is gap, that is huger each update you make.

Shades
Engineers
Crats
Keepers
NTs
MPs

At tl2BS are close to useless (in 99% of cases).

I did some research there (like HUGE one) and I know how to repair it in very easy way w/o affecting higher content at all. It just require to look at the problem and solutions that may be very easy to implement, yet they will be Accurate and should bring diversity, thus, new ways of PVP Experiance. Well, I can call myself Expert in that metter, and I have reasons for that. Did overall 28 twinks for lvl 15-49 already, did gazilions of tests with many players and I will repeat till its done - some things can be done in very easy way, and may give (I am sure they will) new PVP experiance to us all!


And, just for note for what I have rote. Nor balance (seeing documentation) will make ANY diffrance in current lowbie PVP. I mean, NONE diffrance.

[Waldgeyst]

German Translation ninjaed

[Pomidor]

Needed improvement in the following:
1) progression map
2) Easier access for new players. (Whompa)

Sorry for being a pain with this quete, but its that You have just denied urself. You want ppl to explore, yet, u want Whompah at CoH? TOTW has already teleport and its easy mode to get there most ppl are leaded there (since they have heard of TOTW), and no exploration is needed. If you look closely, there are NONE team missions running, you wont meet ppl in MMD (City), Nor WW, Bliss, ect...

Team missions are one that need enchancing. I love them since begining of 2002 and I do them now, just for fun. Yet, best feature in game was Abbondonned by FC years ago. pity.

Team missoins is exploration.

[heartless888]

new pvp content and YES BS maps, infact more modes would also be awesome, fun pvm can keep people ingame but i think its a tad late for a game like AO where zergbots and OP healers ruined it anyway, i doubt pvm will ever be fun, sorry, so pvp keeps people ingame and people are trying to avoid it due to epeen etc so, making it more fun and less serious (aka, oposite of NW) would be great

[Dancingrage]

It seems as though the 'do this first' is falling into two camps: Those who want the developers to drop everything and work solely on the new graphical engine, and those who want the developers to revamp the starting experience and get that squared up.

I fall so hard into the 'revamp starting experience' that I'm willing to watch the graphics engine get pushed back another year or two (and would happily use the QQ from the other side for margeritas) to ensure that the first 150 levels and playfield progression is revamped for maximum new player retention. Everyone wants more players, and even the PVPers are sick of beating on and getting beat on by the same people day in and out.

The true strength of Anarchy Online isn't its graphics, quite the opposite, it's true strength is in its skill system, the ability to twink is what sets this game apart from any other MMO out there, and also happens to be utterly unreliant on shinies and eye candy to be effective. The rebalancing will likely deal with a lot of the issues that have cropped up over the years from expansions and the imbalance that got built up over the years (the lack of perk-based defense had basically ruined 2 professions in pvp from the advent of SL until they were given grossly overpowered tools to try to compensate, for example. Simply giving them perk defenses in SL would have solved the whole problem.), this will give some players incentive to return and enjoy their toons.

I think one option that should be considered as well is that during the US primetime, population usually drops like a rock compared to the EU primetime. By about the time I'm able to log on and get into playing, around 7pm Pacific time, it's very very quiet in comparison. Getting teams for even the popular instance like Dark Ruins is nigh impossible, and I would consider re-enabling the solo instance for a while while US player population builds up, maybe tweaking Alappaa as well for soloist play.

[Colawren]

First!

- Alien playfields at levels below and above Sector 10.
- New start-up experience.
are what I would most like to see.

I think we should have alien playfields alongside existing levelling area. So a 30-60 one that goes alongside totw/nasc, a 60-100 for foremans/ely, then obviously S10 takes over.

Definitely need to make start-up more interesting to keep new players keen. (Maybe make an superawesome new intro movie!)
Could possibly go for a start up room for each breed, then something happens and whatever follows, leading them to the general newbie experience.
Since opi/nm/trox are genetically modified (I think?), they could wake up in different labs while a human could maybe wake up in a surgery thingy where people have been testing implants on them and bla bla etc. (which also opens up a potential new storyline!)

Thats what instantly springs to mind, possibly rubbish/cliche but meh.

[kehaan]

Maybe an Auction area were people can auction there stuff ie:bid rather than buy from gms for set price

Hello.

Indeed! A auction house is needed in this world :P A future game where you have to go out and find the items you want to buy, does not really seems rather realistic :P Even WoW got a auction house.

From Kehaan

[Darkbane]

Starting Experience should be the main priority, some revisiting old content (including missions! though the texture updates are nice ), and a scattering of bug fixing. Thread in the ongoing balance work and the engine update work, and that should keep you busy for a while.

[sultryvoltron]

What should we make next? Where should we spend our time that it would make the most difference/be the most fun?

1) New start-up experience. This is desperately needed to keep people playing this game and should be step one to fix the dwindling population.

1.1) Alternative leveling. DR was/is awesome. We need more of this, and not always in SL. Put in a new instance or OMG GREAT IDEA!!!! A DUNGEON!!! on RK. ToTW was great back in the day, and Foreman's was a very cool dungeon but annoying to grind XP there. I would LOVE for a new dungeon to be introduced akin to one of these.

2) New open PvP content + new BS maps. This might encourage some old vets to maybe... come back to the game. Also helps the population problem.

3) Profession FLAW-fixing. I don't want you just fixing bugs. There are glaring problems with professions that need some attention sooner rather than later. If you've spent any time reading some of the more reasonable posts on the forums, you must know what these are. But, for example:

• MA attacks putting you in recharge,
• Agents being almost completely disabled under init debuffs from most professions,
• Advys and Enfs being 200-300 points FASTER than Fixers,
• Ranged Advys being largely unkillable,
• TL5 Doc Ring giving seemingly infinite nano pool,
• MPs ... good lord I feel bad for MPs,
• Keepers... same as MPs, and
• Please do SOMETHING about low level PvP being dominated by Enfs/Traders.

4) Alien playfields at levels below and above Sector 10. This is low on my list because it will just end up as another farm zone, or if you make it difficult enough that it can't be soloed it will wipe entire teams of newbies repeatedly. Above S10... I've got no strong opinion.

5) Revamping old encounters + loot to today's standards. ie: Hollow Island. HI loot is very much up to today's standards. Maybe not at TL7, but please, please, PLEASE don't add more phatz that we absolutely HAVE to grind to get our toons up to snuff. I actually like HI just like it is, if maybe the first 5 waves just spawned a little faster. In fact, most of the RK stuff is fine. They are nice distractions that can be done purely for fun by fairly small groups of people. There is no need to grind phatz, the bosses are never farmed, and they serve their purpose perfectly.

6) I would like the dev team to please take a look deep inside and find that little tiny piece of you that cares about the underdog. Ok, find it, embrace it, love it. That little part of you is saying something. What? You can't hear it? Let me tell you what it says. You did a really good thing giving the unfactioned board bases some increased stats. I appreciate what you did there. Just one more thing though, give the Xan Combat and Defense Board Bases 100 comp lit. The Neutrals need it to keep those silly bracers you made out of OE. Oh, and while I'm here, don't forget to follow through on the promise of new boards that Neutrals can use for the lower TLs as well. Teehee. Remember me when you're betting on the World Cup or Superbowl."

[thombgun10]

Revamp some old encounters and update the loot.
This sounds like a very good thing to do, though important is that it does not mean only "super twinks" will be able to survive while rendering non twinks (the bigger mayority of players) useless, or worse render certain professions unwanted because all they can do is a tiny limited toolset no one needs.
Would be very nice if this means there will be tons of different options for armor, items and "usables" instead of what it usually boils down to the same endgame gear for most.

Profession bug-fixing
Although pretty hard to balance it well enough to make everyone happy it is an important aspect too.
I know you said no one is unneeded before but the truth for wanted people on raids usually boils down to crat/enfo/sold/doc so breaking the chain and makeing other professions more viable would be an good move.
This might include lowering damage (because now some encounters do so much damage that alone renders alot of people "useless" to the raiders).

Alien playfields at levels below and above Sector 10.
Would be an awesome thing too, given there is a massive void for lvl 15-100 (or what it takes to do S10) and the high ones till arid rift arent made for soloing ai xp either.
LE missions work sometimes but arent supposed to be done solo either.
I know its an MMO but often you find yourself on your own if you do not have big friends, an big org or know alot of people and it would be good not always haveing to bother other people to get something done

New start-up experience.
Quite important to make getting into the game much smoother, it shouldnt be a bad thing if people are hand held their first 10 or 15 levels for all the steps we, the long term players take for granted.


My own little suggestion for makeing the lower levels more meaningfull
Many more dungeons in RK and SL, which have npc's optimised for smaller level ranges for example every 10 levels.
That way content can be much more fine tuned to shorter level ranges and people will not suffer so much from repetitive gameplay.
Daily missions mixed into this should create a really good alternative aswell breaking down the grindy feeling AO seems to have on alot of people.

Also haveing more options for armor, weapons and other assorted items for all levels would be great.
There are currently many items that really have no meaning but still confuse new players who might think they got a good weapon while in reality its really bad and only hurts their gameing experience from useing it (because everyone they team with considers them a gimp and they cant survive on themselves).
Takeing out the trash items or updateing them to make nearly everything usefull in a way including alternatives would go a long way in helping the new player aswell.

Another idea that would be nice if there would be very random rare encounters (spawned at random places, different then dyna's and certain static uniques we got right now) with unique drops which should stay rare but should be usefull and wanted by many.

Tradeskilling could also get alot of improvements since there are alot of items that drop that serve no use (shadowland metals for one).
It would also be nice if you could improve weapons with the weapon packages that commonly drop (for example to add more bullets to a weapon or add damage / change damage type of a weapon).
That way you would get truely custom weapons suiting each player his / her own playstyle.
Some materials could be shop sold, and the upgrade could have a chance to fail so a player could attempt to upgrade a weapon with 3 upgrades and succeed in makeing a cool weapon or it breaks right on the 1st upgrade.

There are like you said just too many ideas so not all will make it ingame.
I really like daily missions and collectors instance alot, they sound like alot of fun and i cant wait to try them out when they hit live :P

[ninor]

New start-up experience.

Revamping old encounters + loot to today's standards. ie: Hollow Island
etc etc.

Start-up experience because AO really makes more fun with more people around. the current stat-up experience is the first and as such probably most important impression new players have.

Revamping old * not only the encounters. AO has some great to awesome areas and monsters. Not just encounters. make full use of the new engine for these areas would have great effect on the playing experience, old and new players alike. Make Exploring RK and SL fun again with maybe some more randomness to dynas. intorduce new settlements and whompas maybe.

Basic game play issues like an auction house system instead of the current player shops. Maybe put new life into the TSing, introduce a political correct recycling skill =)

[Regidoc]

I think some people are overlooking the fact that the group of people that would be working on the engine would not be the ones that would be working on these other things that Means is proposing. The engine update is likely considered their top priorty right now and these other propositions are to give the rest of the team something to work on

[Grim-One]

"What should we add next?"

A good PvM alternative for gaining Victory Points is the only thing I can think of that you don't already have on the list.

[Cyreidan]

End game boss that can't kill in just one team(need whole side/community kill it) and more benefits in low level wars.

[Odov]

The most important, indisputable issue with AO is player retainment. I'm not a game designer, I'm not a marketer and I don't have AO's analytical data.. But my assumption would be that if you could come up with a solid, exciting, unique, and most importantly engrossing welcome experience it could greatly help AO in more ways than any other single content update.

To keep this brief, I just want to ask you a question - what hooked you into AO? For me it was being completely immersed in the Borealis junkyard and the massive (and visually stunning at the time) city that followed. Without this welcoming and stupidly addicting starting experience I wouldn't have seen all the great things that followed. AO is a great game, but your average gamer won't accept that blindly and certainly won't stick around for long hours of player development to find out.

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