I don't know why the Devs don't look at the best AE Arcs that will fit within CoH Canon and make them real arcs, assigned to real contacts, and requiring travel. They already take the time to look thru them for the best (ie. Dev's Choice), so it sure seems like a grand way to get more content in the game.
IMO, AoE should have had that option from the Beginning. When making an arc, you could choose to assign real contacts to be the the givers of missions, requiring travel to them and around the City/Isles (Mish door intrances could be assigned at random once you picked the zones). It could still be thought of as a simulation, very similiar to how Ouro Flashbacks work (you're traveling around the 'real' world, but also 'in the past'). Even better is they could also easily be seen as 'real missions'... and would be doubly easy for Devs to make 'official' if they thought them good enough.
/signed
Because as it is the way AE is set up doesn't actually bring the best arcs to the surface. It's a self-reinforcing popularity contest, where the only way to get more than a few plays is to already have dozens, and the only way to get 5 and dozens is to have so many plays the needless griefing won't bring it down. There's a reason all but a tiny handful of arcs in the Hall of Fame were released barely after launch.
Also, given the amount of, let's be frank, crap in AE, it's not really fair to expect developers to have to do the drudgework of lokign for worthy arcs. I once decided that for every reputable arc I played in AE, I'd pick a random unrated arc and play it. That lasted two days before I would have quit the game rather than keep going.
If this were to happen, I imagine the best way to do it would be like the Dr. Aeon contests that used to run. They had a better guarantee of quality, and more importantly, because they were run to a set theme, the content it generates could actually be directed to where the developers want it most.
I think the biggest problem here would just be issues with formalising player-generated content into developer work. Player-generated content in general is looked down upon by developers in games and often outright mocked. AE is actually leagues beyond any other MMORPG in this regard. There's a lot of professional dislike to get over for things like this to happen. If it could happen anywhere it'd be here, but I just don't think it'll happen.
I really like this idea, very much so. I have a dedicated AE only character and in her journey levelling up, I've seen arcs that put many of the dev-created ones to shame with their richness and quality storytelling. I would absolutely love to see some of the best arcs become part of the game so they're lifted out of the quagmire of failed farm maps. However...
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I think this is precisely the reason it will never be instituted. Not only does it raise questions about the developers' role (writer? programmer? reviewer?) the lines of ownership are kinda blurry. Technically, we don't 'own' anything in the game but it would seem to be a bit of a legal minefield when it came to using player generated content as part of the official content by putting it on the same playing field. I reckon that is why AE exists as a building: so that the player generated content can be all safely stored in there with no question over what bits the developers were responsible for. |
Originally Posted by uberschveinen
I think the biggest problem here would just be issues with formalising player-generated content into developer work.
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That said, if they could iron out the legalities, I would love, love, love to see something like this come in.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
The legalities are, for the most part, fine. NCsoft has full control over the story that you put in the game as it exists in the game, as defined by the EULA. While some parts of the EULA are a bit fruity, this element is, at least, enforceable in the jurisdictions I've checked where the game is playable.
The problem isn't so much a legal one as it is one of lines. The developer/player distinction has always been very hard for commercial MMORPGs, and the attitude on both sides is generally a vague dislike of the concept of removing it. There's no specific or definable reason why the 'rules' should be this way save that too many peopel find the concept vaguely discomfiting.
It's like men wearing skirts outside of the UK. It's not a legal problem. There's no definable reason why you can't do it. But nobody really likes the idea.
They definitely need more Tip and Morality missions, and this would be a good way to get them.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
How about setting up a submission system wherein once every six months or so arcs are put up for Devs, GMs, and Moderators to play and rate in their own spare time. Once a general consensus has been gathered, rating the stories on content, depth, writing quality, difficulty, alignment, and other facets, any number of arcs may or may not be selected for permanent game additions.
That would give the Devs the freedom to choose any they like or dislike without locking them into a "Promise" of putting them into the game. By making it a six-month testing phase with, perhaps, a 3 day window for entry, it also gives them plenty of time to play through the content without needing to open up a new position at Paragon Studios just to dig through the content.
Just have a special publishing option added to the User Interface to publish the story arc to the Developer archives and apply a limit of one arc per account published. Then have it active only during the submission event.
-Rachel-
Edit: apparently, this is an AE-centric thread. Post redacted.
As we all know, AE has the potential to deliver all sorts of new content. But there's no denying that there's a lot of stigma attached to it. I've heard many complaints such as it being only for farmers/diehard RPers, having less immersion than standard arcs, and that finding a worthwhile arc is like finding a needle in a haystack. It's hard to want to create something worthwhile with all of that negativity attached to the system.
Put simply, I propose that there be either weekly or monthly story arc contests where the winning arcs immortalized in the game itself. Having new contacts pop up around the "real" zones is a great way to bring attention to those creators that deserve it, while bringing new, handpicked quality content to the players. Not to mention using contests like these to increase content would take a load off of the devs' shoulders, allowing them to work more on their pet projects while still appeasing the cry for more content.
It's inescapable, a lot of players are prejudiced against AE. It sounds crazy, but the best way to realize AE's potential is to be able to transcend it.
(tl;dr, see bold font)