On Revitalizing the Shadow Shard

Revitalizing the Shadow Shard

Now, as many of us know, the Shadow Shard is the most dead area within the game. What was essentially the end-game way back years and years ago became just a place of frustration whose only real treatment was abandonment. It's not because it's an entirely bad zone- the place is actually quite pretty and entirely unique from anything else within the game, the enemies are unlike any other faction as well as challenging and there is a potential for really strong story-telling in it. The Task Forces, though some have gained notoriety for one reason or another, take place in some very beautiful scenery (such as the Chantry or the Storm Palace). This zone has a lot of untapped potential that really could be salvaged and expanded upon.

The zone's current problems are simple: transportation is horrendous and nearly all contacts consist of repeatable missions which, while they may be fine the first two or three times you run them, lose their luster quickly and are abandoned for fresher and more densely populated pastures. The geysers are a neat travel system- in theory. The fact that those who are somewhat handicapped in the fragmented zone (those with superspeed or super jump) gain additional steering control in their use is a nice touch, but does little to hamper the nauseating frustration one experiences in falling and being set way back. The most reliable transportation such characters can have lies in the prayer that one of their teammates can teleport them to and fro.

So what I have below is some brainstormed ideas on how the Shadow Shard might be brought back to life and seen for the gem it's meant to be.

On Traveling:

A large portion of the playerbase will not touch any improvements to this zone if they still feel moving around it is more hastle than it's worth. Without doing a total overhaul of the zone in reconnecting landmasses and such, the easiest solution is to offer cheap jet packs via the military presence in Zulu. This only makes sense, given the soldiers need some method of getting around as well.

Or perhaps there has been some form of construction, such as the forming of a bridge network by the military. Taking the uncertainty out of the jump jets, the military presence has created a series of bridges between isles to better transport supplies, troops and refugees. Alternatively, the efforts of heroes in their assaults on both Lanaru and Rularuu could have given Rularuu just the tiny touch of control he needed to begin to reform some larger sections of the Shadow Shard. This also lends the potential for new stories to tell, quite a few of them in fact.

New Missions and Objectives:

New missions are a must if people are to be brought into the zone. There needs to be something to do. As I mentioned before, some partial reconstruction of the zone because Rularuu is slowly poking more holes in his imprisonment opens up huge possibilities for new stories.

But say that route isn't preferable or even plausible. Why not take advantage of all of the aspects of Rularuu we never really see in the way we do Lanaru, Faathim and Ruladak? Go check out the Wiki if you're completely unfamiliar with them. In that rundown I see lots of areas worth exploration such as Chularn's "Factory Cubes" or the Kuularth's "Repository," which he apparently 'nests' in. What about Uuralur's "Garden of Memories"? Then there's Aloore. Reading their descriptions, I see plenty of potential for some kinds of intrigue or conflict. New Task Forces or new story arcs are just waiting for creation.

Not to mention with the introduction of the Midnight Squad to the actual game (not just their place in the lore, but your actual interaction with them), perhaps its time they get more involved in the mess they created-- they are the ones reponsible for locking Rularuu in the Shadow Shard in the first place-- and either try to clean things up or do something for the refugees whose homes and lives they ruined.

Make it Cooperative:

I know people have been harping on this for a long time, that the Shard should be open to villains as well. I am usually one of the last people to cheer when another new zone turns out to be also a co-op zone. Again. Now that we have Going Rogue released I would love to see new hero/villain zones (and Praetorian too of course), but putting all that aside, what's at stake in the Shadow Shard is the stability of the characters' own dimension.

I tend to forgive Cooperative Zones when they offer at least some side-specific content (like Cimerora) and I believe that's what's called for here. The heroic motivation for being in the Shard is also partially a relief effort- rescuing refugees from the Soldiers of Rularuu and the like. The Task Forces deal with the dimensional stakes, which make sense for the villains to participate in, but more than that there could also be missions which center around the idea of exploitation of the area and its natives. I believe this is explored a little bit already in some of the later Villain missions, but I believe more could be done from within the Shard itself.

Or say the Midnighters do take full responsibility for the Shard. Keep the Portal Corp entrance, sure, but also add in a Midnighters' connection (since their base is already co-op) and stage a series of cooperative arcs from there. If the design team is feeling really into the project, balance it out with a villain portal as well from, say, Grandville and a set of villain only arcs/contacts and let the fun commence.

Wrap-Up:

These three things would revitalize the Shard and bring it back into the eye of the playerbase. By improving accessibility, both by making travel in the zone easier and the addition of a Midnighters' link the zone won't seem such a hassle to traverse. By adding new content, you see a reason for the majority of the playerbase to enter it. And by making it cooperative you increase the amount of players and characters who can partake in it as well as adding to your potential for new storytelling.

But!

You might notice that as talk of the Coming Storm has increased throughout the game that so with it has come a number of things tied with the Rularuu, such as the Midnight Squad, the Cathedral of Pain and the like. Should the Coming Storm be directly tied to the Rularuu I suppose that would render this all a bit of a moot point, in which case, I apologize for any time wasted in reading this Suggestion.

Thanks for listening!

BB

I should not have to pay influence to get around in a zone.

I thought there were jetpacks for sale, but couldn't be sure. I do agree however that, though the cost is pretty insignifcant, that traveling in the Shard should cost anything. Maybe, since gravity is different in the Shard, it would be possible to offer packs that only work there.

As for the Co-Op, as I said, I'm not majorly into the idea of every zone being co-op. I think there's merit in the idea of keeping the hero areas for heroes, and then having villain specific and co-op specific areas. But if we're talking time and resources, I would rather see the villains and heroes share the existing zones and each side having their own missions as well as some co-op missions than have no changes whatsoever.

Understood, but at the same time, right now it's a zone for nobody (in practical terms). Furthermore, IMO, there's nothing that says it has to be hero-access only except for accidents of timing and historical inertia; it was added to the game before there were villains.

If you made it open-access tomorrow, I still doubt anyone would bother to go there on either side except to grind out Rularuu weapons or accolades. There's no real reason to keep it closed besides the overall passive neglect the entire zone has gotten since that issue.

(One thing you didn't mention in your first post is that, in addition to being terribly inconvenient to get around in, it's full of enemies with attacks that bypass your usual defenses. One more reason only fools and masochists bother.)

EDIT: Oh yeah, you also might want to check whether Inherent Fitness breaks all the geysers...

/Signed. I'd love to see more done with the place. There are so many utterly wasted zones (yes, wasted) that, Praetoria excused, I'll be incredibly hacked off if I see anymore more new zones until some of the older ones get a much needed revamp. Stuff like the SS is screaming and begging for some actual content and people actually using it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

...and it needs really big floating giant eye.

Is that possible to make map where both sides can go but without pvp or co-op? There could be villain gate somewhere far away from hero gate... and secret way to praetoria.