2012-06-10, 04:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 2012-06-10, 04:48 PM by DragonsMirth.)
What I said:
I Wrote:There are many things that need to be changed (for more high leveled content anyways). I shall organize it into 4 categories:
Terrain Changes:
Skill Changes:
Boss Changes:
Other:
Let's start from the first, shall we?
Terrain Changes:
1) Large, realistic terrain
After Big Bang, most of the maps shrunk in size, and almost all hidden-streets became blatantly obvious with yellow portals. Now, small, uniform maps have their pros and cons, but instead of making every single map the same in structure, make the higher-leveled areas more unique.
One keen example was Crimsonwood Keep (before its destruction). As you ascend through the forests and mountains, even with the jump quests, you could actually feel like that you actually ARE climbing up a mountain. The map structures were all unique, there were mazes, and you actually had to INTERACT with the map to not fall (such as the Typhons/Windraiders maps). This actually gives challenge while training, instead of zoning out and moving left and right spamming attacks.
KEEP the boring maps, but RESERVE THEM FOR LOWER LEVEL MAPS (ie: under Lv.120). The small, uniform structure gives an ease of accessibility for low levels and draws them into the game. It makes the game more casual and beginner friendly, BUT once they reach the higher levels, they will discover a whole new world with large, wide expanses, lots of true hidden-streets, and a truly beautiful/deadly world that will keep them entranced in the game.
2) Hidden Streets
Same with the first point, you can reveal all the hidden-streets you want, but for low levels. Once you get to Lv.120+ you want a true sense of mystery and adventure! No more guiding them, they must discover the world by themselves!
But, what makes a hidden street unique other than the fact it is hidden? Offer unique bonuses such as MAP STRUCTURE (easier for specific classes to kill, or build skills around specific map structures), MAP EFFECTS (like the one in the Dragon Canyon of Leafre, in which in one of those boulders, when it starts glowing purple , heals you), MINI BOSSSES/RARE MONSTERS (make them spawn more commonly in these maps).
See? All these exciting things can already be implemented!
Skill Changes:
3) 4th Job Skills
Before Big Bang, once someone reached 4th job, they had to continue striving to collect powerful skills. This was a key motivator to continue leveling/doing stuff after reaching Lv.120. It was like a bridge between the high-leveled content with bosses and reaching 4th job. The quests had interesting mythology behind it and once you finish the hardcore quests, it truly felt like an accomplishment.
Skill books were different, you just killed this plain old boss with barely any background story and it drops it, or you can buy it from sellers in the FM. Skill books were MORE inconvenient, and theres no extra quest EXP or mythology behind it.
So, since most people found it inconvenient, why not return these quests, but rather than locking the skills, allow them to give bonus SP to the specific skills they were originally meant for (along with good amounts of EXP)? Not only would this return these awesome quests and give something to do other than grinding after reaching Lv.120, but this can also open up an opportunity for new skill revamps to include more skills due to the extra SP!
4) Collectible Skills
I LOVED those collectible skills that appeared in the beginner tab. By giving them quests, you can actually give people something to do when they dont feel like grinding. These skills can benefit them tremendously.
One keen example is the set of Cygnus skills; however, instead of looking for ultra-rare drops (which is boring), give them a party quest/maze/boss to hunt/traverse through to find the needed materials. As for the Cygnus skills, other than changing the way to obtain the drops, you should make them more useful as they level, and you can open it up to ALL classes as opposed to adventurers.
Other skills can be like the Pig-Weakness skill, but instead of only pigs, slimes, and shrooms, what about monsters/bosses of a specific type/area (like El Nath Monsters or Undead Monsters)?
Boss Changes:
5) Honestly, bosses need a revamp. As of now, its all unbalanced. Its either too easy, or its blatantly impossible unless you have like a 100,000+ damage range. Timers and high HP only give a false sense of challenge, its all the same in the end: hit as much damage as you can within X amount of minutes. Thats boring.
Bosses can do so much more.
Boss Skills: Allow them to cast their OWN skills (make them appear on the left side of the screen as opposed to the right side and make the background of the skills black). They can have the very same buffs we have for all I care.
Attacks: The attacks should NOT be all map hit: theres no challenge, no need for skills.
Its either
A) You die or
B) You dont.
It's all chance, there's no sense of "AHA! I was so skilled I survived the boss!". Even with seduce, it's either you die or you don't (considering you can't do anything to save yourself). Make them either projectiles or warning signals and make them hit extra hard so players have an incentive to dodge. As for the all-map attacks make them subtly weaker.
Special Effects: You can create pitfalls in which players must shake to escape, or cages in which partners must help break.
Deaths: As of now, its either you die and fail, OR you can have unlimited tries, which sucks. Make it so that every time a person dies, a specific amount of HP recovers for the boss, so they wont have an incentive to just die and come back and yet they will have multiple chances to take down a boss.
PQ/Monster Park Changes:
6) Low level PQs can be as boring as they are right now. As of now, the PQs all revolve around killing monsters and require almost no team work/thinking whatsoever. Players NEED TO THINK when theyre higher leveled, and even if you feel like you still need that casual grinding in PQs, you can provide a different mode for each PQ, but they give more EXP and more PQ items than normal. As opposed to only having stronger monsters, make it so that there are actually puzzles, mazes, jump quests, or things that require players to communicate with each other to work (like pre-Ascension PQs). Sometimes, there MUST be team-work and a sense of danger (ie: CWK).
7) Monster Park had the right concept, but it was too shallow. Monster Park should be more of a maze in which players have to navigate through in order to reach the end for the ultimate boss/EXP reward. The monsters should HIT more, there should be potion cool-downs (making people more careful and not just rush into monsters), and a sense of being trapped in a labyrinth. Maybe, for example, in a more dark-themed monster park map, the maps are all dark and you can barely see your surroundings, make it so that monsters drop torches and open up the range of vision.
These changes, I think, will provide a balance for casual players and more dedicated players, along with decent high-level content that can motivate players to continue.

