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Potential System Concept - Faction Based Quests/Vendors
Layenem
✭✭✭✭
You know how us gamers do... we talk. A LOT. Especially about the potential for a game we love and/or systems we think could provide even more depth in the game itself. Sometimes they are pretty far fetched, other times they are pretty honest systems that may be complex but will definitely add another layer of the game for the core and hard core crowd to enjoy.
I want to begin by saying that I know that any system will provide more ground for the core and hard core players to separate from the casual gamers. This is expected in the MMO world, even in the single player world this happens but it's hidden by the fact that you can't see the progression of another player within your own game space. I'm aware of the potential for this system to separate the two groups of players but would like to point out that every game that has attempted to negate that separation over the past decade (and then some) has failed; so developers should never attempt to force it.
On to the system:
Most of us know this system well, especially those of us who played and loved the EQ series. Faction based systems in those two games added an insane amount of game time as well as some pretty fun and unique opportunities to both meet other players and improve our own characters. I don't expect, or even propose, a system nearly as complex as how EQ did it (faction gains and losses at different values for both per mob kill/quest completion; sometimes multiple faction losses while gaining one faction per kill/quest completion.) I would love to see a system that opens up game areas and items (via solo instanced dungeons and vendor items related to that faction) though as that is a part of the reward system itself.
A few things that ZOS would have to be aware of as they create the system would be:
1) Factions, gains and losses from each source, sources of faction gains and losses.
- With the current game system, you could set up 1 faction per major zone (i.e., Rift, Eastmarch, Stonefalls) and then a second faction for the entire alliance (Ebonheart Pact) with a separate merchant. Each zone would accrue their own individual faction and sell items at their own unique vendors while each quest provided a smaller portion of overall alliance faction that held its own merchant with different items for sale.
- This particular item is the front side portion of the whole system. This will help players determine how they want to go about earning (or potentially losing) reputation with certain faction(s).
2) Time required to max out a single faction and the method of allowing players to accrue faction.
- This one is very important as it will both provide longevity to a system just as easily as it could deteriorate the system. Too fast and no one cares, it's value is too easily achieved. Too slow and people feel like they aren't earning enough value for their time invested.
- This particular part of the system is what will separate the casual gamers who spend only an hour or two within the game each week and those who spend 10+ hours within the game per week. Most MMO developers try to keep this gap from closing by implementing a "1 quest per 24 hours/within a 24 hour period" type of system that merely causes frustration to players who want access to that content without having to be locked out of it. Again I stress, attempting to keep the gap between casuals and core gamers as small as possible will only create more frustration from those who spend a large amount of time within the game and eventually push them away. (Without core gamers casual gamers have no one to play with when they log in. This needs to be something developers start to consider.)
3) Rewards and penalties for reaching each each level of reputation (amiable, dubious, favorable, etc...) with each faction and the NPCs contained within.
- Rewards should cost a specific faction based (alliance based) currency required to purchase an item from the merchant within that alliance.
- Rewards could start out as simple 1 effect potions or green gear for the level of that zone and expand all the way to purple level gear with unique set bonuses (1 set item or specific slot(s) sold from each of the 5 major zones in an alliance). Potions could wind up containing the same effects as a max level alchemist but lose total effectiveness by 2% or something. (You want to provide players a reason to repeat the content without making the difference so notable that they can't raid/group with other players over it all without negating the value of the crafting system.)
- Alliance specific vendors would hold unique recopies for food and potions that cannot be traded but have amazing effects as well as sell upgrade materials or even gold value items of similar set bonuses provided in the individual zones of that alliance.
- The cost for these items should be sufficient enough that it takes time to obtain the currency without making it feel like it takes far too long.
I know, a daydream. I've submitted the in game feedback on this system and I've talked about a system like this a few times with guild mates and friends who enjoy the game. The newer MMO types don't really care either way, they've never seen a faction system obviously, so they don't really know what they are missing out on. This much I can say; if ZOS can pull a system like this off then it could add more things for players to do without making it a "must do to be competitive" system.
Weigh in. Tell me what you think.
I want to begin by saying that I know that any system will provide more ground for the core and hard core players to separate from the casual gamers. This is expected in the MMO world, even in the single player world this happens but it's hidden by the fact that you can't see the progression of another player within your own game space. I'm aware of the potential for this system to separate the two groups of players but would like to point out that every game that has attempted to negate that separation over the past decade (and then some) has failed; so developers should never attempt to force it.
On to the system:
Most of us know this system well, especially those of us who played and loved the EQ series. Faction based systems in those two games added an insane amount of game time as well as some pretty fun and unique opportunities to both meet other players and improve our own characters. I don't expect, or even propose, a system nearly as complex as how EQ did it (faction gains and losses at different values for both per mob kill/quest completion; sometimes multiple faction losses while gaining one faction per kill/quest completion.) I would love to see a system that opens up game areas and items (via solo instanced dungeons and vendor items related to that faction) though as that is a part of the reward system itself.
A few things that ZOS would have to be aware of as they create the system would be:
1) Factions, gains and losses from each source, sources of faction gains and losses.
- With the current game system, you could set up 1 faction per major zone (i.e., Rift, Eastmarch, Stonefalls) and then a second faction for the entire alliance (Ebonheart Pact) with a separate merchant. Each zone would accrue their own individual faction and sell items at their own unique vendors while each quest provided a smaller portion of overall alliance faction that held its own merchant with different items for sale.
- This particular item is the front side portion of the whole system. This will help players determine how they want to go about earning (or potentially losing) reputation with certain faction(s).
2) Time required to max out a single faction and the method of allowing players to accrue faction.
- This one is very important as it will both provide longevity to a system just as easily as it could deteriorate the system. Too fast and no one cares, it's value is too easily achieved. Too slow and people feel like they aren't earning enough value for their time invested.
- This particular part of the system is what will separate the casual gamers who spend only an hour or two within the game each week and those who spend 10+ hours within the game per week. Most MMO developers try to keep this gap from closing by implementing a "1 quest per 24 hours/within a 24 hour period" type of system that merely causes frustration to players who want access to that content without having to be locked out of it. Again I stress, attempting to keep the gap between casuals and core gamers as small as possible will only create more frustration from those who spend a large amount of time within the game and eventually push them away. (Without core gamers casual gamers have no one to play with when they log in. This needs to be something developers start to consider.)
3) Rewards and penalties for reaching each each level of reputation (amiable, dubious, favorable, etc...) with each faction and the NPCs contained within.
- Rewards should cost a specific faction based (alliance based) currency required to purchase an item from the merchant within that alliance.
- Rewards could start out as simple 1 effect potions or green gear for the level of that zone and expand all the way to purple level gear with unique set bonuses (1 set item or specific slot(s) sold from each of the 5 major zones in an alliance). Potions could wind up containing the same effects as a max level alchemist but lose total effectiveness by 2% or something. (You want to provide players a reason to repeat the content without making the difference so notable that they can't raid/group with other players over it all without negating the value of the crafting system.)
- Alliance specific vendors would hold unique recopies for food and potions that cannot be traded but have amazing effects as well as sell upgrade materials or even gold value items of similar set bonuses provided in the individual zones of that alliance.
- The cost for these items should be sufficient enough that it takes time to obtain the currency without making it feel like it takes far too long.
I know, a daydream. I've submitted the in game feedback on this system and I've talked about a system like this a few times with guild mates and friends who enjoy the game. The newer MMO types don't really care either way, they've never seen a faction system obviously, so they don't really know what they are missing out on. This much I can say; if ZOS can pull a system like this off then it could add more things for players to do without making it a "must do to be competitive" system.
Weigh in. Tell me what you think.
4
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Ahdora✭✭✭✭✭Yes, please! Immensely enjoyed faction systems in other games and would love to see something similar in ESO.
As for your specific ideas, I'm particularly keen on the dual zone/alliance faction system. I like the idea of working toward gear/items that you can't get elsewhere, and the fact that you can either grind it or quest for it doesn't force anyone going after the faction items in any particular direction.
It's also a great incentive for people to still complete Cadwell's Silver/Gold post-CS implementation, when it's no longer required to progress.Edited by Ahdora on January 12, 2015 11:41AMHeals With Stick, V11 Argonian Nightblade Healer, NA-EP1 -
DDuke✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭Love these ideas
These are just the kind of RPG elements the game desperately needs.
In fact, all Elder Scrolls games (spin-offs excluded) used to have joinable factions, which awarded you with a special rank after completing enough quests for them.
Atleast until Skyrim, in which the factions & how they were represented was dumbed down simplified a lot.
Sometimes there were other rewards as well (e.g. your own Manor in Morrowind, or the gladiator armour from becoming Grand Champion of the Arena faction in Oblivion).
In Morrowind, there were also consequences for joining certain factions. For instance, if you joined one of the three vampire clans, the other two would be hostile to you, or if you joined one of the three Great Houses, you weren't be able to join the other two, or if you joined the Thieves Guild, then Fighters Guild wouldn't like you as much (you could still join it, though).
This created an interesting dynamic, where you had to make choices that actually affected the game.
Anyhow, enough rambling. Let me tag some people so they know to check your thread
@ZOS_JessicaFolsom
@ZOS_GinaBruno
@ZOS_PaulSage
@ZOS_RichLambertEdited by DDuke on January 12, 2015 1:29PM4 -
Layenem✭✭✭✭Love these ideas
These are just the kind of RPG elements the game desperately needs.
In fact, all Elder Scrolls games (spin-offs excluded) used to have joinable factions, which awarded you with a special rank after completing enough quests for them.
Atleast until Skyrim, in which the factions & how they were represented was dumbed down simplified a lot.
Sometimes there were other rewards as well (e.g. your own Manor in Morrowind, or the gladiator armour from becoming Grand Champion of the Arena faction in Oblivion).
In Morrowind, there were also consequences for joining certain factions. For instance, if you joined one of the three vampire clans, the other two would be hostile to you, or if you joined one of the three Great Houses, you weren't be able to join the other two, or if you joined the Thieves Guild, then Fighters Guild wouldn't like you as much (you could still join it, though).
This created an interesting dynamic, where you had to make choices that actually affected the game.
Anyhow, enough rambling. Let me tag some people so they know to check your thread
@ZOS_JessicaFolsom
@ZOS_GinaBruno
@ZOS_PaulSage
@ZOS_RichLambert
Actually, one of my favorite elements of Morrowind, why I fell in LOVE with the series in the first place, was the faction aspect of it. I know we shouldn't see something as harsh as Morrowind's faction system within the game but something similar to EQ1 would be beyond epic.
The depth of RPG that can be added to ESO off of something that can be taken from the TES series itself and given proper guidance by the development crew will provide countless hours of gameplay PER character.
@Ahdora listed something I hadn't even thought of and that was the potential to provide more use for Caldwell's silver/gold beyond just the exp element (which grinding will give you more of)... I know people will rage at the lost potential for faction gained because a lot of us, myself included, will have already completed the silver/gold but ZOS can't be afraid to introduce new systems because of these.
BECAUSE OF THAT specifically, I think it's more reason why ZOS should stay away from the "1 quest per faction zone per day" method and just allow players to do smaller faction hits on repeatable quests. Maybe even have the quests deteriorate in faction gains to a minimum amount if done consecutively within the 24 hour period. They seem to want to create ways that players can't just blast past other players and I think that could be a highly functional method. Brainstorming crazy ideas now lol...0 -
Layenem✭✭✭✭Going to convert this to a poll. I feel more people will be inspired to at least click "Yes" or "No" even if they don't want to respond in text.0