Encouraging Mixed/Different Levels Multiplay
rb2001
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Hi all,
This is just something that has been on my mind of late, while browsing the forums and playing the game.
There is a lot of talk about "end game", and what to do once you are at the end.
Something I have long thought missing, and even discouraged by ESO's mechanics, is allowing players of different levels to play together feasibly and meaningfully.
One of the great things about MUDs (text-based online game worlds) was that "highbies" and "lowbies" generally intermix, high-level players get to help lower-level players and run dungeons with them and what not. Usually a single high level player can grab up some newbies, go take them all over the map gaining gear and what not.
It was a cool thing to be able to do.
In ESO, it seems discouraged because of the level-matching xp restrictions and what not, and instancing.
To keep this from going longer, as I tend to do, my point is that I wish ESO would make changes going forward that support this kind of interplay, as I feel it would give more meaning to higher level players, more options and things for them to do, and bring the new players more into the world (as right now, it seems that new players feel this massive disconnect like they can never catch up and be with the vets and high CP players).
Thanks for reading, and please discuss.
This is just something that has been on my mind of late, while browsing the forums and playing the game.
There is a lot of talk about "end game", and what to do once you are at the end.
Something I have long thought missing, and even discouraged by ESO's mechanics, is allowing players of different levels to play together feasibly and meaningfully.
One of the great things about MUDs (text-based online game worlds) was that "highbies" and "lowbies" generally intermix, high-level players get to help lower-level players and run dungeons with them and what not. Usually a single high level player can grab up some newbies, go take them all over the map gaining gear and what not.
It was a cool thing to be able to do.
In ESO, it seems discouraged because of the level-matching xp restrictions and what not, and instancing.
To keep this from going longer, as I tend to do, my point is that I wish ESO would make changes going forward that support this kind of interplay, as I feel it would give more meaning to higher level players, more options and things for them to do, and bring the new players more into the world (as right now, it seems that new players feel this massive disconnect like they can never catch up and be with the vets and high CP players).
Thanks for reading, and please discuss.
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Yggdrasil_Gof✭✭✭Great idea. I wouldn't care either way, but maybe you could add just a small bit of compensation for the lead player. Perhaps 50-100 for every player 5 levels or more below your level, not enough to grind, but enough to give a nudge to some players in the direction of giving it a try.
It may be enough to encourage some to give it a go, but not too much that it would destroy the economy with people repeatedly doing it for the pay off.
Those happy to enjoy bringing the newbies and experienced players together will either ignore there's a reward, or if drawn by the reward will find the reward isn't the most satisfying aspect, but that you are sharing your time an experience with lower level players.0 -
rb2001✭✭✭✭Yggdrasil_Gof wrote: »Great idea. I wouldn't care either way, but maybe you could add just a small bit of compensation for the lead player. Perhaps 50-100 for every player 5 levels or more below your level, not enough to grind, but enough to give a nudge to some players in the direction of giving it a try.
It may be enough to encourage some to give it a go, but not too much that it would destroy the economy with people repeatedly doing it for the pay off.
Those happy to enjoy bringing the newbies and experienced players together will either ignore there's a reward, or if drawn by the reward will find the reward isn't the most satisfying aspect, but that you are sharing your time an experience with lower level players.
Sounds reasonable. It rubbed me the wrong way that you get no xp outside of each other's level, instead of just treating it character vs. enemies' level (i.e. if I am VR14 killing a level 15 enemy, I should get low XP simply compared to how much XP I need to level).
Something cool happens when new players or low level alts can "look up to" high level players, and they can take on a leadership role. It is something available to all players once they level up in a MUD, for instance, and I just don't see that aspect being utilized in ESO.1 -
LordSemaj✭✭✭✭✭Many games have bridged the gap between the lows and highs.
City of Heroes
- Offered a sidekicking system that raised the level of the lower level player to 1 lower than his mentor. So a level 10 can adventure with a level 50 as though he were level 49. Players had the ability to team up regardless of level though the lower level would still be lacking a lot of powers and enhancements. Still he would gain XP as a player of his own level, receive loot the same way, and be able to join for high level content if a bit disadvantaged due to not having all his skills unlocked.
Final Fantasy XIV
- Created a daily quest and Group Finder that favored low levels needing dungeon completions and placed the high levels queued up into their teams level synced to the level range for that particular dungeon, which also locks out any abilities gained after that level and normalizes gear to be appropriate for the level range. High levels had incentive to assist low level players without trivializing content with their power because they were effectively the same level as the dungeon.
PlanetSide 2
- The game is a shooter with levels that unlock more skill points and gear options, but it's almost all sidegrades and versatility of options. Any direct power upgrades can be acquired quickly by even a new player if they choose to focus in that area. All veteran players are for the most part just as easy to kill as a newbie, albeit more experienced in the ways of the game and able to field more types of vehicles or weapons.
Guild Wars 2
- Similar to FFXIV, it level syncs the player to the content and allows high level players to aid low levels in content without diminishing the risk and challenge severely. This example is the weakest because high level players are more likely to have legendary gear sets completed even though they are theoretically available to low level players as well.
Plus all the sandboxy skill-based games like Darkfall, Ultima, or EVE where levels don't exist and all that really matters is how you raised your skills.
ESO can easily do many of these. The simplest I feel would be to eradicate the stat differences in levels so everyone is effectively always Battle-leveled to the same rank. Then the only difference between high levels and low levels would be the number of skill points and/or Champion Points they have. But of course no one would ever go for this option as it would "invalidate" all their hard work and make the game a "pointless" killing simulator.
No, RPG fans need their numbers to tell them how big their EGO currently is. Which is what the Defiance MMO calls levels, your total EGO.0 -
rb2001✭✭✭✭Many games have bridged the gap between the lows and highs.
City of Heroes
- Offered a sidekicking system that raised the level of the lower level player to 1 lower than his mentor. So a level 10 can adventure with a level 50 as though he were level 49. Players had the ability to team up regardless of level though the lower level would still be lacking a lot of powers and enhancements. Still he would gain XP as a player of his own level, receive loot the same way, and be able to join for high level content if a bit disadvantaged due to not having all his skills unlocked.
Final Fantasy XIV
- Created a daily quest and Group Finder that favored low levels needing dungeon completions and placed the high levels queued up into their teams level synced to the level range for that particular dungeon, which also locks out any abilities gained after that level and normalizes gear to be appropriate for the level range. High levels had incentive to assist low level players without trivializing content with their power because they were effectively the same level as the dungeon.
PlanetSide 2
- The game is a shooter with levels that unlock more skill points and gear options, but it's almost all sidegrades and versatility of options. Any direct power upgrades can be acquired quickly by even a new player if they choose to focus in that area. All veteran players are for the most part just as easy to kill as a newbie, albeit more experienced in the ways of the game and able to field more types of vehicles or weapons.
Guild Wars 2
- Similar to FFXIV, it level syncs the player to the content and allows high level players to aid low levels in content without diminishing the risk and challenge severely. This example is the weakest because high level players are more likely to have legendary gear sets completed even though they are theoretically available to low level players as well.
Plus all the sandboxy skill-based games like Darkfall, Ultima, or EVE where levels don't exist and all that really matters is how you raised your skills.
ESO can easily do many of these. The simplest I feel would be to eradicate the stat differences in levels so everyone is effectively always Battle-leveled to the same rank. Then the only difference between high levels and low levels would be the number of skill points and/or Champion Points they have. But of course no one would ever go for this option as it would "invalidate" all their hard work and make the game a "pointless" killing simulator.
No, RPG fans need their numbers to tell them how big their EGO currently is. Which is what the Defiance MMO calls levels, your total EGO.
I really don't like your suggestion, as it sort of defeats the entire idea of my original post, which was to allow mixed power level players to play together, fully acknowledging and maintaining their differences in power level. Else.. what even is a level? It's nothing.
The idea is that veterans and "newbies" can play together in meaningful and fun ways, and the fact that the veterans and higher-levels are stronger than the newbies creates dynamic scenarios rather that just making everyone the same, which would put as back at square 1 (i.e. people only play with others of their same power bracket).0 -
LordSemaj✭✭✭✭✭Vets helping newbies has always been more of a personal choice thing. There is little to gain from aiding low levels because high level rewards are so much better. Less XP, less gold, useless equipment, that's what's to be gained by aiding someone.
If you're looking to turn that around, you need to provide incentives that high level players actually WANT. The only time I've seen this in a progression game has been in games like FFXIV with the level-synced group finder or in some Korean games where low level players can obtain drops that you cannot due to outleveling the monsters that drop them.
Sandbox games, though, have done this LOADS of times. Games like Runescape allow high levels to assist low level players and still reap a reward out of it they actually want. Typically some rare crafting ingredient or some special item they want redundancies of in case of death (there's item loss). But those games can do that because low level equipment or materials are still useful to high level players. Not so in a game like ESO.
You'll have to reinvent the wheel and come up with a way to do it no one's thought of.0