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

[Silq]

#1: Like a lot of ppl here, I'd go for arrival hall/start up revamp.

The game is overwhelming to new players, the friends I've introduced have sooo many questions, mainly 'what do I do/where do I go next?'. I remember a newbie asking for advice years back in OOC, and an old player and friend of mine said 'Spend as much time reading as you play', which is fairly good advice as there's so much to learn, but who wants to spend time reading when you've just installed a shiny new game? It would be great if more of this info was IG along the journey so they don't have to spend hours surfing. Much better now than it was, still plenty room for improvement.

#2: PvP areas. I spose it wouldn't be advisable to have a multi-ranged area, but we kinda get that at TL5 wars now anyways, where you need support from Tl7 - sometimes it makes for interesting strategy. Might help with the lower TL ranges not running at all. Any new maps or areas really, I'd like to see like a newbie isle instance as a pvp zone or somethin - like will to fight shoulda been, but out in the open. Maybe revamp Will to fight! With a grid term for starters. Some faction based capture the flag that's always running, and gives some kinda perk, a convenience for that faction like a couple portals in ICC that's a useful shortcut..whatever, I'm rambling... ^^

#3: Finally I'd echo what someone already said about s42 being the only real raid left. I miss the chaotic zergs, at risk of stirring up the bot haters, they were mental and fun. S42 is the most fun raid in AO atm imo, most other raids end up getting systematically farmed by optimal teams with lootrights sold. I'd love another big raid zone like that.

[haxi]

The AO website needs an overhaul. How about ONE section that says something like "Start Playing!" that contains the following:

1. An up to date client download. Torrent option and a couple of mirrors maybe, but only one up to date client. Drop the small client, just a hurdle to those who might upgrade. Patching is not fun.
2. Update the Game Manual and post it in the same place as the client download. The smart ones can read up on the basics while waiting for the client to DL.
3. A history section including the timeline, books, media, etc.
4. Links to a select few current and active AO fan sites.
5. Game requirement specs, common issues FAQ.


Consolidate this stuff in one place that is featured prominently on the site. Have pictures and brief (updated) profession synopsis available so people have a clue what they are interested in playing before character creation.

[PhoenixOfAges]

1. More players. Thats all that matters at this point. Whatever improvements to the game need to target this area first.

That's like suggesting to a company that to be more profitable they need to make more profit.




With all this let's add more PvP content. Do it, I want to watch more PvPers rage quit out of the game when it falls flat on it's face once it hits live like BSs did and all the PvP content in the game now has.

In case it needs to be said I think that's the last thing they should do as we should all know full well it will fall flat at this point. Anyone that thinks more of a type of content that isn't working is suddenly going to make it work needs their head checked out. Even suggesting it at this point should get you a good wack upside the head, which I guess means someone at FC needs to hit Means now.

[Ebondevil]

My Take on Things

1) Start Up Experience
I recently went back to Newbie island and actually found it somewhat improved since they added the waypoints to the missions there, that does help a lot.

Still needing to be done:

1. Add the floating Help objects from the backyards to the island, things like (Shift Right-Click for info), and a Floating indicator above Brandon (Quest)
2. Add a new shop to the Island. This shop should sell a box for each profession which contains a set of Implants (Ql 5 or 10) in an easy to find location, similar to the startup pack of nanos, include an explanation of how to use them, next to this there needs to be a stationary Clinic so they can be installed.
3. Check the experience levels for the Leets, Reets, Snakes and majority of Newbie island mobs and then compare that to the Junkbots, Snakes and climbing Salmanders near the aliens, there is a significant difference. This difference gives players a false impression of how fast they can level when they get off the island, I would suggest increasing experience for all RK mobs so the newbie island mobs experience is indicative of latter experience gains.
4. Reintroduce the Arrival hall and crash sequence, include clear directions of which way to go to get to the planet and have 'Information' help above the NPC's so players can hear more about Rubi-ka before arrival. Let players pick the Clan, Neutral or Omni doors here and have them arrive on the island as that faction. or remodel the Arrival hall to remove the extra doors.

2) Shops, Nanos Etc.
The Shops are currently fairly poor, along with the lack of higher quality gear in them and the horrible way of collecting higher level nanos this discourages people from collecting them, especially when the best solution to getting the higher level (QL 125+) nanos is to use a 3rd party program.

What needs to be done:

1. Change the Quality level of the shops, so Basic has equipment from Quality level 1-75, Advanced has equipment from Quality level 76-150, and superior has equipment from Quality level 151-200.
2. Insure all Rubi-Ka nanos can be bought in the shops. (This includes Grid armour, Nullity Sphere etc.)
3. Make rarer equipment very expensive, make standard gear cheaper.
4. Allow players to set the quality level of goods they're buying from shops, so if a player wants a ql 46 NCU they don't have to run around 30 different shops to get it, they just buy it from the nearest retailer, this would help limit the number of items needed in shops, while making them a lot more user friendly and hassle free.

3) Profession Rebalancing/Bug Fixing
We saw a good start to this but lately it's declined, the limbo this project is currently in is demoralizing players, get more information out soon.

What needs to be done:

1. Remove or lower the step in the Battle-stations teleporter areas so Mechs and Pets can get over it.
2. Produce some more rebalancing documents.
3. Finish off the LE Content, specifically Ultimate Ofab and Ofab Shoulderpads
4. Make Ofab Level at a VP cost so people will be willing to buy it at lower levels.

4) Alien play-fields
Personally I don't like the lockout on Sector 10, or the lack of progression through the sector, it doesn't encourage people to go there at lower levels but to twink at 150 and stay at 150 till they're finished, this breaks a good levelling cycle.

What needs to be done:

1. Rework Sector 10 so there's a reasonable progression of mobs, letting lower level players enjoy the zone as much as higher level players.
2. Instance the zone so the players level will determine which instance they enter, providing multiple instances to cover all levels.
   For example:
   • Level 1-15 instance (so people can feel comfortable starting in the Shadowlands and not miss out on a couple of Alien levels)
   • Level 15-25 instance
   • Level 26-50 instance
   • Level 51-75 instance
   • Level 76-100 instance
   • Level 100-125 instance
   • Level 126-150 instance
   • Level 151-175 instance
   • Level 176-200 instance
   • Level 201-220 instance
   So everyone can enjoy the sector even if they levelled past it before it existed, the different instances would only need to change based on the loot dropped and the difficulty of the monsters therein. This could also be extended down to create fast and simple content for level 100 or lower players.
3. At some later date create new sectors modelled on this design so players can go to multiple places for AXP.

5) Revamping old encounters and loot to new standards
This is something that needs doing not just for Hollow Island but for other places as well.

What needs to be done:

1. Rework the Shadowlands missions so they're available in all SL zones
2. Add some more statue locations to make it easier for players to get to the missions without having to run miles in some cases.
3. Create Sanctuary Insignias or let normal Insignias access Sanctuaries in SL.
4. Modify the RK Dynaboss loot to be valuable.
5. Modify the Shadowlands loot to be valuable.
6. Modify the Shadowlands Boss loot to be Shadowlands loot.
7. Add Zone specific rare Dynaboss loot to Mission Boss Loot tables, e.g. Nippy John Stilettos dropping from Halen Van Dummy in Adonis team missions.
8. Increase the drop chance of Pocket Boss patterns (See Gunk!), farming the pattern shouldn't be the difficult part of the process, killing the mobs should be.
9. Allow players to trade-skill very rarer loot from less rare objects.

6) New open PvP content + new BS maps
Could be fun, but certainly not until the profession balancing and bug fixing is complete, otherwise it'll be a waste of time.

7) New graphics engine
Get all of the above done before the engine is finished, particularly Points 1, 2, 3, & 4. Let players have some time to give feedback on the above so its finalized, then release the new engine with as much marketing as you can.

[Traderjill]

I didn't have time this week to read through the 13 pages of responses so if what I'm saying was already said.. my apologies.

I think that the biggiest issue with this game is population. There simply aren't enough players and a result, the game itself 'seems' different in many ways that might not be an issue if we had a higher population.

If the graphcis engine is what is going to bring in people (Read: That's when you'll start pushing this game HARD via sales/marketing efforts) then dump as much time as you can into getting it done. Assuming you are doing that and you're asking for other suggestions on what to work on...I would say that you need to work on having a very welcoming and enjoyable new player experience.

The Games Suggestions area of the forums is litered with small suggestions that would make a huge difference in how new people see the game. Simple things like:

- Adding some sort of reasonable armor and weapon choices in shops. Using the example of nanos and implants, add another building in each major city (or take advantage of existing structures) where players can buy ql 1-125 weapons and armor.
- Making Ofab right click upgradeable with VP
- Add daily missions to Shadowlands
- Roll out the mentor system
- Have a message get spammed to players at certain levels to direct them on areas they might want to visit next. (Similar to the message that is spammed to direct you to the subway)
- Profession NPC's that can give players information about their profession and helpful tips.

The list goes on and on.

[AGPEcko]

The froob leveling process is nearly painful.
Dungeons like subway, totw, biomare, while all very good are rather slow in XP.
After borgs, leveling as a froob is even painfully slow.

[MassDebater]

Rome, Omni-trade, and especially Omni-Ent are pretty close to that 'Blade Runner' look now, they just need a few touches: steam/limited visibility in parts (should be easy to do under the new engine), lights in run-down area that flicker more, some stationary indigents.

the buildings need to be much higher and more closed together aswell.

[Crashalts]

If you really want to invigorate the game, an experience adjustment isnt just enough. Still new people cant make money fast enough to bo good and if they feel cripled (the game is too hard for them) they just give up.
First you should start selling game playtime in game, that noobs could buy for real money and sell for credit.
And second AOs economy sucks. If ppl have to play the game mostly only for farming, cause everybody wants to be good, then they get bored of that camping.
Most of ppl would just like to have fun. Thats why remove all Nodrop tags, keep unique tag for rare/uber items. And if ppl like to farm and make money this way, then good luck.

I know couple of MMO-games that have doubled theyr players with similar changes.
Think about!

And to keep old players in game please give as something fun. For old players most of fun comes from PVP. So Id sugest you to make some new RK countys with different lvl mobs and bosses with nice loot. But those playfields should be with 0% gas where everybody can attack each other. And maybe try some of PFs even w/o lvl restrictions.

[Pomidor]

Ao aint easy. Actually, somewhat AO might be pain to play, especially for newbs. If you need spend 300 hrs to get fully OFAB Armor with upgrades (its 60 days if u got no luck, like me) its definetly something wrong. And, if you need to make PVM just to be able to enter PVP content with avarge gear, its like more wrong in here. But, there is some bright sides of each situation, and I belive there is no need to simplyfy game. They done it before, and they ruin it w/o knowing it.
And, players dont think - its a fact. Easy mode = more players,t at will moar on everything, like walking from shop to shop...

Besides, players tend to dont think a lot: like, they sit on borgs at lvl 70, when their XP is capped, and they can get 4-5 times faster XP (Same ammount/mob) on Team mission, yet, they still sit and kill lvl 170 mobs...

[Technogen]

My Take on Things

I support everything stated here.

I'd also like to add that there should only be 1 start up experience. the SL startup area should be bumped up to a level 25-40 instance and Shades and Keepers should be forced to start on RK with everyone else.

[Amickson]

improving AO:
- revamp old RK encounters (HI, mercs, smug/eel) and add more. Include difficulty settings, so froobs/endgame players can start the same encounter tweaked for them.
- add some solo experience into game. Everything added into game last few years was team/raid based. Solo acquirable loot diminished as new things from quests/instances make him obsolete (SL dynaloot, high symbs, RK dynaloot + dyna only nanos, etc.).
- when developing new encounters, think about replayability. The extreme bad example is DB1 quest, in fact mandatory for anyone above 215. With current population it is very hard to get team for this quest, as there is no incentive to do it again for people who already dit it. Another one is Arid rift - nothing useful drop here, so after quests done, only axp grind come to mind (most boring thing ever).
For new players:
- include some guide for implants on starting island.
- add perennium weapons for every weapon skill
- make OFAB armor/weapons upgradeable to next QL via VP (and introduce some usable way to acquire VP in low levels)
- leveling 150-200 is extreme pain. Ado hecks aren't so great, pen missions doesn't run, too low for inf missions pugs. Allow Dark Ruins solo version to be repeatable, get rid off locks for team version.

[Yugoth]

Sooo many great suggestions here!
Here's what I would like to see in the future, some are agreeing with other posts, some are my own thoughts.

1) Starting Experience:
AO today is waaaay to obscure for new players. While it can be fun to explore, the state of AO today sadly scares off those players that don't want to dedicate hours every day to just explore.

1. RK: Arrival Hall with Story line that follows character from start, through a tutorial newbie area(Like Windguaerd's or Trousers' suggestion!) and all the way to lvl 125(or 200 with some new dungeons/areas). Should include Subway, SoM, ToTW, Biomare, CoH and IS connecting them with a cool story. Oh and be sure to give the players directions for how they can get to the dungeons!

2. SL: New questline that connects the story of SL from start, through newbie area and all the way to lvl 200. Should include Nasc, Ely, Scheol, Ado, Pen, Inf. We have tons of (sadly too many retarded) quests already, but what is needed is a questline that connects all the zones together and gives the player an incentive to go from one area to the next, beyond the need to find new hecklers to kill. Add cool rewards along the same line as the current SL quests have. Incorporate standard garden key quests into this questline.

3. Maps: Incorporate AORK/AOSL maps directly into the game, replacing the old uselass crap maps.

2) AI-playfields:
Everybody should have the possibility of a cool experience with the Alien Invasion expansion they bought, outside of the endless grind of LE mishes and the Org-required city raids. I mean, they pay for it! Why not give them access to the fun* @ all levels? *LE missions are not fun! They are a boring grind....

1. AI-Playfield s10: Scale the zone. Make it so lvl 100s can solo the beginning of the zone and progressively scale it up towards lvl 150. Last parts would need a heavily twinked 150 to solo or an average team to defeat.

2. Create 3 new playfields for lvl 25-60, 61-100 & 151-180. Scale the zones according to s10 suggestion above. Add some cool/fun quests that scale with the zones; so one quest for level 25s that start in each of the major cities and initially lead them to the 1st zone and then progressively new quests in the zone that teaches the players things about the AI experience. Make it so the first quest giver gives non-AI expanded players extensive info about the Alien invasion. Free advertisement for the expansion
Examples of quests: Kill different Alien types and teach the player about the differences of each. Rewards: AI items and AI tradeskill items and instructions on how to create them. Some low level viralbots, weapons etc.

3) Revamp RK:

1. Make all the junk useable. There are sooooo many weapons/armors/junk that drops from RK mobs/missions/shops nowadays that have no meaning at all in the game.... Either make them social only(remove any retarded stats) or make them all useable of some extent. I mean, who would use a weapon that does 1-34 dmg @ ql200? The current state of AO-junk only serves to confuse and eventually scare off new players.

2. Check out Windguards Dreams of Anarchy articles. I would love to see some of these incorporated into the game! And do the other zones while you're at it!

3. Make new RK dungeon along the line of the old dungeons for lvls 150+ that can compete with heckgrinding. A dungeon with trains can be annoying, but are infinitely more fun than heckgrinding, which is the most boring aspect of AO atm. ToTW is at the moment the best AO experience for Fr00bs/pre-endgame, and it's only for level 20-60....

4. HI: Great raid, no need to change it except for the crazy retarded spawning after end-boss is killed. Why punish the players by making the rewards so hard to loot? And worst of all, some of the loot is no-drop, causing endless grief when someone loots that specific loot by accident cause they have to loot like crazy before getting killed by the spawns... No logic whatsoever!

5. Upgraded weapons to 000's broke more than they fixed... Make them more useful!

4) Revamp SL:

1. Ely: Make grey hecks run away from highbies, pocketteams close to solved. Add Ely quests like Ado/Pen/Inf or some cool dungeons. Why should Tiigs/Hecks be the only way to level "effectively" in Ely?

2. Scheol is still broken.... Fix it! Add Scheol quests like in Ado/Pen/Inf, make them easily accessible and competetive with Heckgrinding in Ely. Making it the prime area for leveling 125-140.
The profession quests of Scheol are ridiculously hard compared to the target level range. Make them more solo-friendly for toons in the intended level range(125-140). It's hard to get a team going to do these quests.

3. Ado: The profession quests of Ado are also ridiculously hard compared to the target level range. Make them more solo-friendly for toons in the intended level range(140-160). It's hard to get a team going to do these quests.
Garden key quest, do something about the pattern drops. They drop from mobs that spawn so seldom that it becomes boring to get it.... Either make it into questrewards, or make the mobs spawn faster/add more mobs that drop them.

5) Tradeskilling:

1. Make old useless RK items upgradeable with SL junk(like ingots, tagging device, rings etc.). This gives [at least] paying customers the chance to improve all of the junk already in the game.

2. Low-level tradeskilling that gives the newbs access to more HUD/Utils items, like Range Meter.

6) Lost Eden:

1. Mechs are cool, but close to useless.... I'm with Nosgoth on this one. Make them more usable!

2. OFAB - Make the OFAB equipment buyable only @ ql 1, keep upgrade with biomaterials. Make them upgradeable with items bought with Victory Points. Let me elaborate... OFAB should all start @ ql 1. Make some items that are buyable with Victory points able to upgrade the QL. Say 1st upgrade = ql 10, then ql 25, ql 50, ql 75, ql 100, etc. This gives all players a reason to use them through all levels, and not just end-game. They shouldn't be the ultimate choice of course, more like an alternative to current items.

7) PvP:
Do something about BS! Right now, it's impossible to have BS fun unless you're a lowbie twink(and then you usually won't get any BS action because of too few participants) or 150+

8) Shopping and GMS:
Remove player shops from Org cities and make them accessible from the major cities instead. Make them instanced, so one player can have several shops, this will make it easier to sell complete implant sets, armor sets etc. AND make items purchaseable directly from GMS to your mail!

[Regidoc]

noooooooo rubika is a huge planet of pioneers, ruffians, and angry mutants. having to (occasionally) experience that while travelling to scary remote places is a small part of what defines life on rubika - everyone i know has nostalgic memories of getting nearly killed in some faraway place by mobs 50 levels higher than them, and noobies should have the chance to have that fun as well ^^

in my opinion grid + whoompa + making friends with fixers makes for enough easy travel options.

I miss the old days where youi'll be running around on RK and then a mob much higher than you that didn't seem to belong in the area aggroed and WTF stomped you into nothing.

[Gatess]

1 hour of work quick fix -> The graphics of the "shuttle" (see white door) when you finish character creation look like something made in 1995.

[Ceenah2]

just curious, why would the basic/advance/superior shop need to be instance?

[Mastablasta]

just curious, why would the basic/advance/superior shop need to be instance?

Because at some point there were far more people concentrated in the zones with these shops, using them. Shops would have been completely stuffed if they weren't instanced.

[Ruffixx]

I've read most of the posts, and pretty much agree. Although I hate the one generic map, BS maps can surely wait compared to everything else.

#1 - The AO website is a complete piece of crap. Besides not being able to link stuff to people, it has no substantial information, guides (worth reading), or anything to help new players or gain an outsiders' interest.

#2 - ICC Newb Isle. It's gotten much better since its inception, but it's far from perfect. I, too, miss Arrival Hall and think that it should return. Even if you want to idiot proof it with a line on the floor going from one NPC to another to point the newbies in the right way, fine. It was and is the perfect intro to Rubi-Ka chocked full of knowledge.

#3 - Profession bug fixing, bug fixing in general. Still way too many bugs in this game. Fix them.

Personally, I say DO NOT touch my treasured raids like HI. If you revamped them, how would you? Modify loot tables only or add difficulty? Both? What about the poor froobies? Would any changes make it out of their reach (though everything outside of DeValos and one PW General is really tough)? Not like the vast majority of playing characters care, but maybe something to consider. Same goes for all RK raid encounters really. The loot is still desirable for quite a bit of toons, so I really don't think loot should be modified in any way. Difficulty increased, maybe. I'd rather see new RK endgame bosses than anything else. Not everything has to be in SL or Xan crap.

[BartsFixer]

Eliminate the towers or change the benefit from them. One faction or the other holding the majority of the bonus side XP for years at a time hurts all players. As one faction has a much greater population than the another it unbalances the effort and makes the PVP, for lack of a better word, un-fun.

As the last statment is probably going to start a flame campaign against me, I also recommend focusing on upgrading the new player experience by revamping the Start-up and adding AI content focusing on newer players.

[Alternity]

Eliminate the towers or change the benefit from them. One faction or the other holding the majority of the bonus side XP for years at a time hurts all players. As one faction has a much greater population than the another it unbalances the effort and makes the PVP, for lack of a better word, un-fun.

As the last statment is probably going to start a flame campaign against me, I also recommend focusing on upgrading the new player experience by revamping the Start-up and adding AI content focusing on newer players.

Taking away towers is no solution at all, there are a lot of people who live and breath for that part of AO.
Besides it's not like the XP bonus from Nowum Wars, makes or breaks leveling a toon.

[Mastablasta]

Eliminate the towers or change the benefit from them. One faction or the other holding the majority of the bonus side XP for years at a time hurts all players. As one faction has a much greater population than the another it unbalances the effort and makes the PVP, for lack of a better word, un-fun.

As the last statment is probably going to start a flame campaign against me, I also recommend focusing on upgrading the new player experience by revamping the Start-up and adding AI content focusing on newer players.

I agree, towers should be even BETTER! That way, maybe people would start fighting over them.