Make Your Case (Plummit)
I think it's safe to assume that there already are plans to revamp the Shadow Shard, considering the direction of the SSA.
The overriding question I have is why is coop the only way to share resources between sides? Why can't we revamp a zone and give a hero-view or villain view using either the phase technology or separate map server instances.
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I like this idea. Although I think it should be limited to new entrants. I.e., when you first enter a zone, you see the hero or villain view until you do some basic missions, then you can see all players.
But it would make a nice intro to have the zone change after you enter, with only players on your side until you get a little further into the zone's story.
I wonder if phasing tech could be utilized to let heroes experience a Hero side only version of a zone and for villains a Villains only version of a zone?
I wonder if phasing tech could be utilized to let heroes experience a Hero side only version of a zone and for villains a Villains only version of a zone?
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Essentially, two versions of (for example) a revamped Nerva Archipelago, hero & villain, playing out an near escalation to open war between Longbow and Arachnos. Different arcs, etc. On the hero-side, add safeguard-mission-esque "named" villains going around doing essentially what the villain-side PC's would be doing, and on the villain side, include NPC heroes acting out their part.
You'd have the essential feeling of a "shared" zone with real conflict between heroes and villains without dealing with the unpopularity of zone PvP (or the "why can't I 'arrest' that bad guy, he's right there!" immersion issues).
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You could also have 'duplicate maps' of a zone.
Essentially, two versions of (for example) a revamped Nerva Archipelago, hero & villain, playing out an near escalation to open war between Longbow and Arachnos. Different arcs, etc. On the hero-side, add safeguard-mission-esque "named" villains going around doing essentially what the villain-side PC's would be doing, and on the villain side, include NPC heroes acting out their part. You'd have the essential feeling of a "shared" zone with real conflict between heroes and villains without dealing with the unpopularity of zone PvP (or the "why can't I 'arrest' that bad guy, he's right there!" immersion issues). |
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Doesn't mean there isn't the potential for redside numbers to grow if you give it some attention.
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As for equal zone revamps: it doesn't make much sense.
City of Villains came out well after City of Heroes. Many of the Villainside zones were made with real "lessons learned" from the development of the heroside counterparts.
Could they use improvement? Yes, but there are many more heroside zones that were made much earlier- some very early in the development process before any "lessons learned" can be made. The assets were less defined. The design philosophy was less established. From a design-evolution point of view, if you feel that old CoV zones are stone-age, then much of CoH would be back in the Jurassic.
Some of those zones are out-of-the-way enough that their age isn't that notable to the new players and they can be considered dead for now, but others will necessarily come before the (comparably newer) villain zones. (and made into "shared" zones to give villains some new content)
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Not that anyone asked me, but I personally despise phasing zones. I think it's immersion-breaking when two players can't even agree about what is going on 50ft from each other. Instead of reinforcing the environment, for me it reinforces how everything is an illusion and how alone each player is. Rather than making the world feel more "real" it makes it feel more like everything is just a mirage. Most especially, it makes me feel like I shouldn't ever comment on or talk to other players about what I'm seeing moment to moment.
Duplicate zones I am fine with because they avoid the issue of two people in the same place seeing completely different things (the fact that they are both technically in the same zone but different instances doesn't rub me as quite as "wrong," because story-wise it just means the comic book panels are in different timelines, when they are right next to each other and obviously in the same frame, it bothers me much more). In the past I've actually suggested allowing Heroes into V zones and Villains into H ones, but when they go there, the version of the map used is a PVP instance of the "real" zone. Opposing players can then go to that PVP instance if they want to try to confront the menace, while players with no desire to participate in or see PVP could stay where they are.
A Oroboros revamp would be nice. There's a lot that could be done there (Protect the time stream: Time travailing paper missions.) and some things that really need fixing. A proper place for the god to hang out, A proper portal in and out (glowie sparkles out there in a random spot just don't cut it), and of cores combining hero and villain instances.
Kings Row, for having some of the ugliest textures seen by early level F2Pers. I mean no disrespect, but compared to much of the game, that zone is hard on the eyes.
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I would like to see Eden become a Co-op zone. It is in a level range before DA and the itrials so it would get people into more co-op tasks together.
Maybe they could create a co-op tf or trial that is 8-12 people? I wouldn't want it to be a large trial (12 max imo).
I think Bricks getting a revamp would be awesome as well; especially if the Zig was made to be more useful/interactive.
As far as villain zones go ----- I the only reason I go redside is for badges/patrons
Boomtown is just obvious because it's easily one of the deadest zones. There's literally nothing there but badges, Babbage, and the occasional door mission or hunt.
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If we're seeing Penelope Yin grow up, let's witness the passage of time on our city, too.
I always envisioned Perez Park as the "first mystical zone", giving us our first real fight with the COT, and possibly Hellions. The arc could focus on the hellions being up to something and the COT being revealed as the masterminds behind it. We've had a lotof mystic stuff though, so might not fit.
I agree about Port Oakes and St. Martial, both of these needs revamps: Port Oakes mainly in content (the zone LOOKS fine) more mafia-style infighting, wedding-crashing, and well... that kind of stuff.
St. Martial needs to be prettied up. Move the docks away from the Arachnos Fort (and have ti be more away in the distance) and have you come up directly up main street with all the casions and glitter, with the Golden Giza dominating the frame, then have it move into the Carnival area on one side, and slowly into shanty town/swamp. Basically it needs to be a glitzy front with a seedy backside, and we need to see it that way.
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om ock i gyllne dosor.
Och rosor i ett sprucket krus
�r st�ndigt alltid rosor."
Parez Park. I would like to see phasing tech used there. After we run the Clean up the park mission I want the zone to become a park with families, kids playing with pets, and people throwing Frisbee.
Some plays or bands at the amphitheater, people fishing in the lake, the whole nine yards of a safe zone. I want PP to represent an area where we have actually made a difference as heroes. Let the Kraken still spawn there once in a while to scare the public, but for the most part keep it clean, after we have cleaned it up. You can tie it to the Kill Skulls badge. If you have killed 500 skulls then PP is a clean zone when you go in it. Basically have 2 instances of PP, one that is he current suck, and one that is a nice clean park. If you really feel the need you can have some muggings in those crazy back paths, and still have mission doors there. For the most part though have a family friendly environment where heroes can go, hold their head up high and say "I made this place safe." |
Again, love this idea.
Kings Row, for having some of the ugliest textures seen by early level F2Pers. I mean no disrespect, but compared to much of the game, that zone is hard on the eyes.
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There are so many ways for heroes to zoom from lvl 1-10 without even touching Kings Row now, I'm not sure that this kind of revamp should be a priority. The same can't be said about red side zones which have a one-way journey for villains until lvl 20. This is another reason why I advocate a red side fix. I really do think more folks (heroes, vigilantes, rogues and villains alike) would venture/play there more often if there were more to do. And its anti-cultural to assume there can only be one way to play this game (ie let's not focus on red side because villains are a minority culture...).
If red side revamps can't happen, then at least make Striga/abandoned hazard zones more lowbie/co-op friendly so lowbie villains can also enjoy.
As long as I can film in it, I don't care which zone gets revamped. Eventually I'd like to see them all get new upgrades of awesomeness just because it improves the vids I can make.
I do agree that if we have Phasing Tech, it'd be nice to see it applied more in-game so we can appreciate the results of our work.
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It would be interesting to see phase tech used to revisit a zone twice through your career - one phase instance would be low level (i.e. 6 - 15) and then a second phase at your higher level (30 - 35) when whatever you experienced at those lower levels has grown or magnified in importance.
I could see that being used for a revamp of Port Oakes
To re-post something I said before:
"Brickstown always felt like a 'detour' where the 'real' path lead to Founders.
It's got limited amenities, was harder to get to and never got much in the way of new content.
Also, it never felt right to me to have this big Super Max prison right in the middle of the urban center. Like, who's going to live next door to that and how the hell did the zoning board ever approve it?
Personally, I'd love to redo the whole zone from scratch. Make it a rural area outside of Paragon like Crotoa is, with "Brickstown" being a small town nearby the Zig.
It's called "Brickstown" because they used to have a brick factory there until it closed down and the economy dried up, explaining why they would be desperate enough to allow a prison for walking weapons of mass destruction in their backyard."
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Foolishly, I created a spreadsheet listing out zones, and comparing availability to each side. I'm sure i've made some errors but I thought this comparison might guide our thinking/discussion a little better... (or not). Apologies if I built it wrong or it proves completely useless.
Well I think it's pretty clear that the most important part of any given revamp is not particularly what is being revamped so much as what it becomes in the end. That is, for what purpose is it being revamped.
making it a co-op zone just makes the most sense to create more parity between sides. Blue sides gets something unused turned into something useful and redside gets access to another zone full of content.
That isn't saying though that it has to be 100% co-op like Dark Astoria is of course. I kind of agree that every new zone having a single content arc that everyone can do gets a little tiresome since villains ultimately suffer in the development. Maybe we couldn't make it as long as say, Dark Astoria or First Ward's chain, but maybe splitting it. So instead of like 7 contacts you do 8 but split them up, 4 for villains, 4 for heroes. Do a simultaneous story seen from 2 sides like with the SSAs. Or cheat a bit, maybe make one of the contacts in the chain co-op.
And then level range. Both sides have a fair amount of low level content (I wouldn't mind more, especially now with the Atlas revamp and losing Galaxy. DFB is not a proper substitute). There's tons of 20-30 content, especially now with first ward and all the new contacts added in near that range.
So, I think the biggest gap is still high end. Even with Cimerora and the Rikti Warzone providing a few arcs you'll still burn through all of it pretty easily.
To re-post something I said before:
"Brickstown always felt like a 'detour' where the 'real' path lead to Founders. It's got limited amenities, was harder to get to and never got much in the way of new content. |
It *may* be travel. Founders Falls has more impediments to travel. Traditionally superspeed without leaping ability in the days before inherent fitness meant the waterways were moats, the tall buildings block long-range teleportation, and they become a maze for fliers and superjumpers. Brickstown tends to be a bit more friendly to travel.
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For 50+ Incarnate level content: Co-Op Shadow shard
For graphical and missions update: I think Hero and Villain side need more 30-40 content. So probably Brickstown and St Martial. With new TFs, story arcs and completely revamped graphical upgrade.
Villain side: A new zone completely exclusive. Devs hate villain but they deserve some love too.