Curse

Ken Dei · Apr 21, 2006, 05:17 AM // 05:17

Barring what we might see in Factions, I've noticed that a lot of the Missions are repeatative, and of generally the same style:

-Spend 15-45 minutes to get a team.
-Go from Point A to Point B, with an occassional Point C.
-Kill just about everything in your way.
-Occasionally have to light beacons of some sort.
-Rinse, repeat

The most unique Missions we have right now, in no particular order, are:

-Thunderhead Keep: Point A to B, but then hold control of a Fortress, and protect the King.

-Dunes of Dispair: Same as above, ith the option of going outside the walls for the bonus.

-Thirsty River: A to B, but with increasing stages of difficulty, mini-arena style.

-Dragon's Lair: A to B, but longer, many different areas/enemy types. Requires more balence in the team.

Even the more non-standard missions you have this same, repeatative A to B.

Therefore, I've decided to put some different ideas out there. Note please, these Missions are for a Main Campaign, not "Competitive Missions," I am fully aware of the unique nature of the Competitive Missions.

-Multi-Track Mission:

This Mission would provide the team with 2 or more ways of completing the mission, not all of which involve killing everything in sight.

For instance, the enemy is holed up in its camp, guarding a special objective that needs to be recovered. In addition to the standard defensive forces, there are special Sentries patroling the area, more explaination following.

Prior to the camp the team, upon choosing the right path, will encounter a supply train that was heading to the camp. Killing the guards here, grants 2 enemy uniforms to your team mates (dropped on the ground as free items, so the team can decide who will use them.)

If the team takes the path on the left, it's longer, with lethal monsters, but brings you in back of the camp where all you need worry about are patrols, but there are more sentries in that part of the camp.

While inside the camp you can also plan your escape. It is possible to eliminate the guards at the Side (right path), and Rear (Left path) Gates, and subsequently place explosive kegs at the gates.

Your team can do the following:
-Do things the old fashion way and try to kick down the "door", frontal assault on the camp and escape with the objective.

-Take the right path, kill the supply train guards, send two members to try and infiltrate the camp without being spotted by the special "sentries."

-Take the path on the left and cull through the various patrols in the rear of the camp, work your way forward and then after a short skirmish, run with the objective.

Upon capturing the objective, depending on your planning you now have some options:

-Whatever Gates you placed Kegs at will be demolished by the long delay fuses that were on the kegs, and since you eliminated the guards there, they are an easier exit, if a longer escape route, being chased all the way.

-If you made no provisions to escape another route, you must now fight your way out through the front gate. Though harder, once clear you won't be chased, and it's a shorter path to your escape point. Seperate escape points for each route.

The idea is for the team to explore their options and make choices as need be instead of "Go here, do this, kill this, rinse, repeat."

-Divide and Conquer:

How about a mission where everyone is vital, yes everyone, you don't have any "left over" players who are just "there."

Imagine your team is moving through a canyon, but the canyon is blocked off at various locations by large magic barriers. The only way to deactivate the barrier perminantly is to activate, 4 different switchs within 15 seconds of each other. The idea is that each switch is at the end of a side passage of the canyon, and thus requires two players to fight their way through a passage to the other end.

Each side passage has different creatures which are better fought by different classes. The only way to enter a side passage is by a teleporter designated for that passage, that deactivates after two people go through. This is to prevent the, clear one passage as a team, go back, clear the next, etc, then split up when the ways are clear, abuse.

Obviously, the monsters in the passage won't be to hard, but will be challenging for only two people. Once the group joins back together as on team, the monster groups are harder again, till the next split up.

Having a Mission like this will give those who prefer to work alone or in small groups a chance to shine, and also forces flexibility in build styles. No one build rules all.

-Traveling Warfare:

I first have to give credit to BahamutKaiser since I'm borrowing from his "Guild Wars at Sea" thread for this.

Indeed, imagine your team is on a ship, armed with four ballistas, one front, rear, and either side. Your ship(s) is/are on a guided path and will encounter other warships of the same layout, maybe not same design though.

While on a ship your team can fire at the approching enemy ship(s), attempting to kill some of the crew or "sink" the enemy vessel. If you fail to sink an enemy ship before it comes alongside, your ship will be boarded and you must fight off the boarding party. The size of the boarding party consists of a how many above deck you didn't kill and number generated based on how badly damaged the enemy ship is.

The enemy ships can also fire at your ship to kill your team, disable your ballistas and sink your ship.

You can however, have team members who are not on the ballistas to run around and repair the ship with repair kits that are generated every so often.

Repair Kits:
+15% health to Ballistas, +5% health to the ship.
As you ship falls deeper into disrepair the kits will slow in generation then stop alltogether.

If you find your ship out of kits and about to sink you can do the desperate thing and attempt to capture an enemy ship.

To do this you must defeat any boarding party on your ship, and then board the other ship and fight off the spawning enemies for a certain amount of time based on how damaged that ship is. Once captured you will continue the mission in your new ship and your old ship will sink.

If your ship sinks before you capture or are in the process of capturing another ship. You lose.

If your whole team dies while capturing an enemy ship. You Lose.

If all your team dies while on your ship, you'll be revived quickly.

Mission Styles may consist of standard Point A to B
or
Kill a certain number of enemy ships to be victorious, i.e. hold a naval line at some large sea battle.

That's all I have for now, mull over them for a bit. Enjoy.

Dougal Kronik · Apr 21, 2006, 05:45 AM // 05:45

Multi-Track Mission

I really like.

Divide and Conquer

Not sure how the party would get reintegrated after the switchs are made. If the 2 man teleporters are shut down after the first 2 characters go through.
What happens if the 2 characters that go through perish before they make their switch?
What happens with the drops that may be assigned to someone other than the 2 men that are going towards the switch?

Travelling Warfare

Really interesting premise. The only problem I see is with the ballistas moving (on the deck of the ship) how would you be able to know where the impact area would be? Would the ballista automatically adjust, like a Ranger with a bow, or would it be a fixed distance and bearing on the orientation of the ship?

Conclusion

Overall, it would greatly enhance the PvE mission experience with a bit more thought required than just what your character/party build should be.

Maria The Princess · Apr 21, 2006, 06:39 AM // 06:39

/signed!!!!

your idea is probably the best one in this whole forum.... im also kinda fed-up with the "normal missions". technicly most of them are just the same thing in diffrent decorations...

all of your 3 ideas will bring a great new experience and spice into the game. it would also influence on PUGs team strategy respect and overall performance.

the only problem i see is the Divide and conquer... if EVRY player is important, imagine if 1 player leaves (or gets boted out by connection?) evrybody have to go back to start point unless they have a SUPER soloer

actionjack · Apr 21, 2006, 06:40 AM // 06:40

Good stuff Ken Dei... good stuff

yeah.. we need more varity of missions...
the only one I can think of is a Chase - Where you try to Chase Down some guy (thief or Assassin) as he/she/it try to run away.

alternatively, A Run Away type of mission would be good too... where you are chase down by a large army or huge Monster... you much get away and survie... and lead them to a trap...

or how about Laying a Seige? You will be the one (along with a group of NPC army) trying to breach the walls, while the Defender rain down arrows and rocks at you.

an Escape might be interesting.. where all your stuff (equipment/skills, etc) are taken away for time being, and you must find some way to retreave and get it back.

Rampage Destraction, something like you are task to destory a village or certain object.. and have to run around doing so....

Time Limited Missions, something like you need to stop a rez or summon in time.. might be challneging too...

A Betryal Mission? It would be really evil to play.. where half way throught the game.. you group is split (randomly), and is force to fight each other...

Or even make a 1 or 2 person type of Missions, for bit more personalize touch.

hmm.. interested to hear what other creative kind of mission can be done...

bilateralrope · Apr 21, 2006, 07:06 AM // 07:06

I like multitrack. For the divide and conquer I suggest instead that people can teleport into each track, but can't teleport back out. That way if they want to send 3 down one way, one down another, they can.

Dj Tano · Apr 21, 2006, 04:50 PM // 16:50

What if someone goes afk or leaves? How would you do such a mission with henchmen?

Adamant · Apr 21, 2006, 04:56 PM // 16:56

wow, some great ideas here, you too actionjack
/signed
I especially like the seige idea

Ken Dei · Apr 21, 2006, 05:46 PM // 17:46

Yes, I pondered about the "what if" situations with the Divide and Conquer. it was late, so I didn't have time to really put down many counter measures.

My thoughts on this matter now:

Divide and Conquer Teleporters:

The teleporters to enter each side passage would deactivate after two people enter, as stated.

Let's assume that now both people in a passage have quit/both died. At the end of each passage, in addition to the special switch there are "reset" buttons.

When pressed, the button revives all dead allies in the any of the passages. Therefore only ONE team need make it to the end of the passage to keep the whole team alive. With the extra DP it'll be tough, and slower, but most likely accompishable.

AS for griefers, there's no real protection in this mission, just make sure your group is clean of them.

Traveling Warfare Ballistas:

The Ballista strike zones will be shown on the mini-map, however, they are dumbfire, so you will have to time your shots.

Of Actionjack's ideas the ones I REALLY LIKE are:
-Laying Siege.
-Rampage Distraction.
-Time Limited.