Wanted to share some thoughts that are related to how open world interactions could work and how territories could be managed within the game. Everything listed below is a compilation of ideas that my friends and I have put together in multiple BSing sessions. These systems would absolutely have to fleshed out but here are the general thoughts.
Open World Dynamic Events
In an effort to bring players back to the open world environment various events could be staged on an hourly and/or daily basis. Nothing listed below is in a particular order of priority.
Alpha Pack
- Roaming pack of wolves with an alpha that leads them. Pack size could consist of 5 wolves at silver elite levels and an alpha as a gold elite (Levels scale to territory). The pack would travel roads and other high resource areas. The alpha in battle can buff its pack and is the main threat. Loot would be normal for minor wolves. Alpha could drop craft mod fangs and some gold.
Starmetal Shower and Golem
- Replace Gleamite meteors with starmetal showers that provide temporary starmetal ore upon landing and on occasion some rare orichalcum would drop as well. Have a Starmetal Golem (Brand new model, brand new animations/attacks) that guards the drop and can drop a legendary pickaxe (Small chance) and large amount of starmetal ore.
Soulwarden NPC
-
Start filling out all the towns with Soulwarden guards on the ramparts and towers. They can fire upon any enemies coming close to the town and would add a level of immersion/lore.
-
Replace a few forts up in the GC and Shattered Mountain with soulwarden forts that are under attack every 30min from corrupted waves. No instance joining but pure open world. No specific loot drop or reward for this but to add to the fact we are struggling (Soulwarden Faction) against the corrupted and are actively fighting. Allows players to roll on by and help out the NPCs and to feel apart of the conflict. Possible reward being if the fort survives three assualts in a row anyone can show up and get a minor gold/azoth reward. Another possible reward being a fast travel shrine exists inside the fort and if the fort is held we can use it.
Varangian Knight Raids
*Bring in the knights and have them raid actual towns. If a raiding party comes too close to the town then the gates close (Add gates) and players have to join in the defense along with the NPC soulwarden guards. If the gates are broken then the town is ransacked and some crafting stations go down in tier. Brings life to the area and an actual annoyance to the local player base. Have a commander per raiding party that drops a new aesthetic we can’t get yet on each weapon type.
Invasion Re-work
-
Keep instanced invasions as they are now.
-
Add in non-instanced invasions such as the Knight Raids mentioned above. Have a rotating mob family type for each week. Withered attacking with hoards of low health enemies, corrupted with a balanced attack, lost with heavy range, and angry earth (Blighted) with large brutes and heavies. It doesn’t have to be the specifics listed but a system that rotates out the threats and lore of the world. Gives the devs an ability to add weekly lore bits in for each faction. If they break the gates then craft tiers go down. Non-instanced players need to feel apart of the world and feel like they are helping the faction.
Soulwarden Faction
- Lean heavy into the Soulwardens. Give us more lore, NPC commanders, counter roaming parties of SW (Soulwarden) troops, more SW quests, and SW forts. Allow us to opt into a SW faction that is primarily PvE based. Keep the harsh CD on changing factions so PvP and PvE players don’t spam the switch. Give us generic rewards for being a SW faction member but give high incentives to the PvP player base so they feel rewarded for not being apart of ours. The lore states that the factions are the reason we can’t band together effectively. Let us roleplay that out in the world. Show who is in it for their faction vs the Soulwardens. Most members of a faction don’t engage openly with PvP so won’t affect who is actually doing it vs who is doing PvE strictly.
Closing Thoughts
-
The roaming packs mentioned before could be for any of the mob family types. Make them not just all the same type but a mix of ranged, bruisers, and frontline troops.
-
Make the world between towns dangerous and fun to engage
-
Consider making portals effect the local area and spread corruption. Possibly buff any roaming troops in the area that add mutators if a major breach is up?
-
Start investing into the lore in the open world. Give us crumbs here and there so we can talk amongst ourselves and piece things together. Let us piece the puzzle slowly as the weeks go by with weekly lore drops and the community can band together.
Thanks to all who read this brick wall of text. Would love to hear your thoughts and any additions to this. Mechanics, systems, or gameplay loops would be awesome to hear. This is PART ONE of our thoughts and if this goes well I’ll share our other ideas.
@Shadow_Fox @Luxendra @AnyDevWilling