Revamp the Hazard Zones?

1. Can we get all of the Hazard Zones (maybe except for the Shard) made into co-op (or at least neutral (phase-teched)) zones?

This would give redside up to 7 additional 'new' maps/zones without having to create any from scratch. Just additional access/transfer points for redside entry.


2. Make the Hazard Zones the catalyst(s) for Zone events (ie. in order for one of the established multi-zone events to start, something done in the Hazard Zones have to initiate it)

This would give the Hazard Zones more purpose.


3. Delve on the backstory of each Hazard Zone; giving them each (or expanding upon) their own zone events.

This would give additional purpose to each of the zones


4. Give each Hazard Zone its own zone-based (need to be on the map) Trial.

With the above bullet points, each Hazard Zone should have enough content to increase the population and activity within (almost without having to add mission trees; which would still be an option)


5. Give Boomtown bosses in their spawns. (and any other Hazard zone that may be lacking them)


[Add: 6. Have current zone events spill into the Hazard Zones (if they don't already)].

1. Uh. No, thanks. Ones that make sense? Shard. Striga. Crey's. And co-op is VERY easy to scew up - I'd rather see villains get Striga and Crey's copies with villain specific content than "co-op" like we've had.

2. eh. Only where it fits the story.

3. Dig into the story, give them arcs, give them - basically turn them into story zones a la faultline, the hollows, etc. yes.

4. See 3.

5. Huh?

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They're working on it, just slowly. A number of the suggestions at the Pummit were hazard zones. And the Devs have even gone on record saying I22 was originally revamping Dark Astoria -and- Perez Park but they realized they only had the manpower and resources for 1, so the Incarnate Zone got it. The plans may of course be shelved permanently, but the thought was there at least.

Can I just ask why "(maybe except for the Shard)?"

Seems to me that the Shadow Shard would be an ideal set of zones to take co-op/neutral faction.

They're expansive (for better or worse), visually stunning zones that are virtually bereft of any content outside a series of truly tedious task forces.

All they need is for story arcs to be made for them, and a better way of navigating (improved the gravity geysers, or just flat out replace them with portals).

@Oathbound & @Oathbound Too

Most of the hazard zones would be pretty easy to justify making co-op, there's only a few I'd be hesitant to switch.

Perez Park - This being one of them. it still just feels right as the lowbie hazard zone, though that spot is taken by the Hollows too and the Atlas Park arcs skip you right through really fast too. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing this get a story arc. Not co-op though, unless the revamp adds some major elements I see no reason villains would want to go. But then I could also see dropping meteors on the place and really tearing it up. Then you could have a reason (LOOT) and maybe up the level range.

Striga Isle - Easy. Council vs 5th column heating up. Both sides have an interest in that. The arcs are sorta fine? But let's clean up some of them, take out that weird random element a couple contacts have.

Boomtown - See Striga.

Eden - I'd love to see the Devouring Earth presence spreading so it's much more 'corrupted' (or purified, however you wanna look at it) Wouldn't be hard to make a co-op zone, the heroes want to stop the DE, the villains want to gain advantage from them (or even raiding the Crey facilities in the zone) Ideally I'd make the Hive co-op too but that leaves a question of what to do with The Abyss.

Crey's Folly - There's a lot of ways a zone revamp could be handled with this. Maybe the Rikti manage to break down the war wall and have a heavier presence. Maybe the Freakshow scrap it and remodel it into a cyberpunk utiopia. maybe the Devouring Earth have begun reclaiming it. Maybe Crey has actually started to clean it up. Maybe -all- of these things happening. Any one of which could fit villains in in some way.

The Shadow Shard - It's honestly silly villains -don't- have access to this already. Anyway, the Devs seem hesitant to tackle this and it's understandable why, revamping all of it would be pretty intensive and probably require multi-issue updates, even tearing out a zone or two. Wortht he effort? I dunno. it's a sorta pretty zone, but even so a total pain. Honestly I've run up 3 characters into the 50s and only just this week brought one of them into it. Tedium is not enough to describe it (Which the Task Forces go above and beyond the call of duty in stretching that word. 'Obscene' doesn't even cover it). Really, if it were -me- doing it? I would probably rework a lot of the zone geometry, mash a lot of the islands together to form some bigger land masses. I like the whole floating island thing but so many of them are just... useless. Pretty is fine and dandy but, eh. And something better than the friggin geysers. oi.

Terra Volta - I'd like to see it revamped, but probably not as co-op. Maybe Villains have an event to try to shut it down? I dunno. But it honestly feels like too much wasted space, it's got some okay design (even if it is a pain, the architecture is still impressive) but... it's 100% ignored, except 'The place where the super annoying respec trial takes place'. Oh and the 1 plaque for the Freedom Phalanx Reserve member accolade. It could do with a facelift.

As for some of the other ideas. phased tech? Eh, seems pointless. Just include contacts for each side, they don't all have to have a single track co-op story. A zone can be co-op in the sense villains and heroes can be in it together and not fight, that's fine with me.

As for Zone events? Hm, some more would be nice but I don't think you need -every- zone to have one or trigger others. I do like the idea though, like how the Synapse TF summons Babbage or the Lady grey Task Force brings in a Rikti invasion event. They can be kind of fun if they're not -too- easy to trigger. I'd be happy with an inzone event, something simple like how the Summon Adamastor event runs now (though not a carbon copy).

Zone arcs = Yes. Though i don't think they need to delve into the backstory so much. They can! Sure! but a number of them already have their backstories fleshed out. Wrecked in the Rikti War, the first site of the Devouring Earth devastation, etc. I'd prefer seeing the zone stories moving -forward-, they've been sitting stagnant since their inception, we can add stuff. Like the Hellion/Skulls war, or fleshing out the Hyrda in perez, or giving the Primal Clockwork some love in Boomtown, while highlighting the Council/5th Column war in Striga, etc. There's plenty of room for development in each zone.