To be frank (insert joke here), Belaric, aren't EOCer's a bit disillusioned with the lather, rinse, repeat as it is? I sure know I would be. An FS II could be a wonderful idea; doesn't mean FS has to khack.
DP
Speaking personally - No. I like levelling, always have, like my stats going up, like having a huge cushion of skill points to spend as I please, like seeing my XP and my guild XP going up. Sitting at one level with over 1000+ levels of shiny unexplored content above me seems madness, to be honest, but that style of play does seem to float other player's boats - the great thing about FS is it accommodates all styles. And if anyone is disillusioned by lather rinse repeat it would be of a different order to the level of disillusionment that would strike if say the game were suddenly reset, and all the work done to get to EOC was washed away. Getting to EOC is an achievement and it does confer advantages - you can always get the newest highest level gear/titans/SE/legendary/spine mobs, your stamina is freed to do anything in the game in addition to levelling when new content comes out, you are a boss GXP generator for your guild. You have the highest level buffs... which at the moment is true for anyone within 575 levels of EOC, but hey ho - the principle was there.
I wonder if your (DP's) perspective is that the game would be better if the game were reset and the advantages the EOC segment of the community enjoy were erased. That is the sense I get, I could be wrong, and you can correct my misapprehension. In my case if such an action were taken my motivation to start again with no advantage conferred from my previous hard work would be very limited, for I would feel aggrieved that what I had worked for had been taken unfairly from me by such a reset. (Not that I see any inclination on HCS's part to entertain such an idea - thankfully). This is separate from the idea of ascending characters, which again - I do not think would work very well in this game system, or at least no reasonable interesting alternative to the status quo of open ended content has yet to be suggested. I'm cool with open content.
IF a FS2 started up and we all started from scratch there, fair enough. I think that would be a good idea, especially if on a fully mobile platform. With all the ideas for content and features already in existence in FS, the mobile version would have loads of content fast, and 'updates' that are just imports of existing ideas from the original game. HCS could look like rockstars to players of a mobile FS2. Just sayin'. But do they have the resources for such an endeavour?? I think the original game probably would wither as a result, but it could be argued it might get more traffic from peopled drawn in by the mobile version. We have not seen an Eldevin bump. Or have we??? LOL!
I think Undjuvion earlier referenced the fact that levelling is now a bit like headbanging as there is much less incentive to do so.
All HCS has to do to incentivise the high level crowd is introduce some level 2000 buffs, and promise the next set at 2400. Voila! Instant motivation to level from 1600 to 2000, and from 2000 up. We have shown we can go huge gaps between buff releases, lets take advantage but still produce a realistic goal. Even go 2000 for one set and 2500 for the next. Any form of carrot will do. The buff names and presumably ideas for their mechanics have been around for a long time - you can look them up in the AH under the grants buff tab. All HCS has to do is introduce some of them at 2000, and promise more at 2500. Keep some buffs spare for potion only and for composing only (as incentives for those areas of the game), but new buffs for high level players will motivate many, I think. Coding buffs must be a PITA by now, which I assume is why it has not been done. Interesting and non-game breaking buff ideas are still being made on the buff thread - give them a try!
So: in open letter to the cows style.
1) Introduce new high level buffs ASAP - it would invigorate the entire game. You know this. This is not a roadmap issue - this is a core game function issue and so can supersede roadmap priorities in my opinion.
2) Really think about removing the Players Online Graphs, or the registered vs playing info on your home page - you are just advertising your lack of numbers, which surely can't be smart - unless you think the bait and switch effect of not having the numbers there and letting players join and start playing only to find small communities online is worse. Your call, your company, your business strategy. And maybe it is a statutory requirement to have registered and active numbers up there somewhere, I don't know.
Edited by Belaric, 10 August 2014 - 16:02.