Here's what I would suggest this game could do to prevent its endgame community to be reduced into oblivion with upcoming expansions.
End the story. Before you pick up your pitchforks, I don't mean that the game should stop being focused around a main story, just that this current storyline we've been through should end by next expansion. Everything from ARR to whatever next expansion will be could be seen as 1 saga, so instead of ending with a cliffhanger, next expansion should then end with a conclusive and satisfying ending to the saga. Expansion after that we start with a whole new saga and a new storyline.
With "new" I mean really new (story wise, not progression). All new characters and new story, maybe just a few references to the old one here and there but nothing significant. It should be completely standing on its own legs and not require previous story elements to be enjoyed fully. The only thing that should be carried from the old story is the fact that you're a very experienced veteran warrior of light. Offer free level boost to whatever level the next expansion goes or the new saga starts (with purchase of expansion/game).
This way any newcomers who want to can experience the old saga from the beginning, or decide to start latest expansion with the new saga. I'm sure many mmo fans will prefer to start with the most relevant saga and not go through hundreds of hours of graphic novel to reach it. What's great is that you can also do both with newgame+. Start from the new saga with level boost and go progress through the old one sometimes whenever you feel like it with newgame+.
I doubt older content will be be able to stay as relevant for long with just the roulettes, which is frustrating in this game because many of those instances are mandatory for MSQ progression. To remedy this I suggest they add a nerfed solo option for all mandatory MSQ instances. Should be really easy to do by just messing with the numbers.
The way I see it, they have to either go this way or release a whole new MMO soon (either way they will probably release new MMO in foreseeable future), unless you either disagree or have another idea (let me know). The more MSQ keeps stacking up with each expansion, the less new player friendly this game is becoming and I think this will become a problem, if it isn't already.
edit: With new characters I meant story characters (like alphinaud etc.), not your own character. Your character would remain the same and keep all progression of course.
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edit2:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamRF
The endgame community will get less and less newcomers if things go forward the same way. The MSQ is stacking with each expansion, it already takes hundreds of hours to reach endgame. Players at endgame will stop playing for variety of reasons (bored, switching game, dying irl) while there will be less and less new players coming into the endgame because they're stuck in ever increasing MSQ. I'm sure many players don't make it past the MSQ and stop playing (long) before reaching endgame, a few 100 hours is a lot of dedication.
To give an example, I can't imagine the average WoW player who is used to fast combat having the patience to go through those hundreds of hours of MSQ to get the point when combat will start getting faster and more interesting. Hell, they might not even have the patience to reach lvl 50 with how incredibly slow combat is in this game in lower levels. If they use a story boost right now, they won't enjoy or understand latest expansion because they didn't experience past story and character development. This is why I suggest starting a new saga so there's a point you could safely level boost your character to while still being able to enjoy and understand given story.
edit3:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamRF
I'd say have 2 or maybe 3 expansions for 1 saga. Give free level boost to the start of each saga. E.g. current saga ends at 6.0 --> 2nd saga starts 6.0 and will end 8.0 --> only give free boost to start of 6.0, even when current expac is 7.0.
Boost to the start of latest saga, not the latest expansion.
Continue reading...
End the story. Before you pick up your pitchforks, I don't mean that the game should stop being focused around a main story, just that this current storyline we've been through should end by next expansion. Everything from ARR to whatever next expansion will be could be seen as 1 saga, so instead of ending with a cliffhanger, next expansion should then end with a conclusive and satisfying ending to the saga. Expansion after that we start with a whole new saga and a new storyline.
With "new" I mean really new (story wise, not progression). All new characters and new story, maybe just a few references to the old one here and there but nothing significant. It should be completely standing on its own legs and not require previous story elements to be enjoyed fully. The only thing that should be carried from the old story is the fact that you're a very experienced veteran warrior of light. Offer free level boost to whatever level the next expansion goes or the new saga starts (with purchase of expansion/game).
This way any newcomers who want to can experience the old saga from the beginning, or decide to start latest expansion with the new saga. I'm sure many mmo fans will prefer to start with the most relevant saga and not go through hundreds of hours of graphic novel to reach it. What's great is that you can also do both with newgame+. Start from the new saga with level boost and go progress through the old one sometimes whenever you feel like it with newgame+.
I doubt older content will be be able to stay as relevant for long with just the roulettes, which is frustrating in this game because many of those instances are mandatory for MSQ progression. To remedy this I suggest they add a nerfed solo option for all mandatory MSQ instances. Should be really easy to do by just messing with the numbers.
The way I see it, they have to either go this way or release a whole new MMO soon (either way they will probably release new MMO in foreseeable future), unless you either disagree or have another idea (let me know). The more MSQ keeps stacking up with each expansion, the less new player friendly this game is becoming and I think this will become a problem, if it isn't already.
edit: With new characters I meant story characters (like alphinaud etc.), not your own character. Your character would remain the same and keep all progression of course.
-------------
edit2:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamRF
The endgame community will get less and less newcomers if things go forward the same way. The MSQ is stacking with each expansion, it already takes hundreds of hours to reach endgame. Players at endgame will stop playing for variety of reasons (bored, switching game, dying irl) while there will be less and less new players coming into the endgame because they're stuck in ever increasing MSQ. I'm sure many players don't make it past the MSQ and stop playing (long) before reaching endgame, a few 100 hours is a lot of dedication.
To give an example, I can't imagine the average WoW player who is used to fast combat having the patience to go through those hundreds of hours of MSQ to get the point when combat will start getting faster and more interesting. Hell, they might not even have the patience to reach lvl 50 with how incredibly slow combat is in this game in lower levels. If they use a story boost right now, they won't enjoy or understand latest expansion because they didn't experience past story and character development. This is why I suggest starting a new saga so there's a point you could safely level boost your character to while still being able to enjoy and understand given story.
edit3:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamRF
I'd say have 2 or maybe 3 expansions for 1 saga. Give free level boost to the start of each saga. E.g. current saga ends at 6.0 --> 2nd saga starts 6.0 and will end 8.0 --> only give free boost to start of 6.0, even when current expac is 7.0.
Boost to the start of latest saga, not the latest expansion.
Continue reading...