1. There is no compunction for anyone to reach EOC - and those that have achieved that, have, as you point out, slogged it for more than a few years. Why should new players "fast-track" to EOC so they too have to wait for content ?
2. Non Donators can always donate, if they wish to make faster progress in game
I get where you're coming from to an extent, but I don't think the game is all about reaching the end - it's the journey you take to GET there ..
There are plenty of folk who have never donated who have made it to End of Content and have been very successful in the game...
yes..but they have been playing for years and years, mostly from at or near the beginning of the game....i think what the op might be getting at, is that when a new player now join fs..and is 2000 levels behind..and after playing for 50-100 levels, they realize they are never ever going to come close to catching up, even with donating....discouraging for most..we need newer players to stay..not get frustrated by the fact they will never see the end of the game or even close to it..i have another idea as to how to help this..MAKE A DOUBLE XP POT...BOUND, OF COURSE.., and they are found like chests, but more of them, and many more need to be placed at the lower levels, and then slowly decrease the amount of them, the higher the area level is the fewer pots to be found....they are given a level = to level of area found and only a player that level or below gets to use them, or even pick them up- so higher level players cant hunt them or sell them....this would help get the newer players further into the game,at a faster pace..allowing them to see the other parts of the game they might not make it too..help get them hooked on the game and stay..otherwise, i think more double xp events need to happen or what the op is trying to say about xp gain.....way to big a gap between new players and eoc to help keep players..something needs to be done..
I'm all in favour of player retention, but giving players a fast-track to EOC is not the right way to go about it IMO.
If you're having a 100 lap race and some contestants are on the final straight, I think it'd be a lil unfair for someone to get a "free 99 lap" card to catch up quickly ...
As I said before, it's not about getting to the end of the game (which, currently, HAS no end), it's about the journey in getting there ...
This isn't fast tracking to EOC, I'm not asking for any tweaks to anything aside from XP gain, which at higher levels is absurdly small compared to lower down anyhow.... This is hardly anywhere close to what you are saying Pardoux...
I usually find myself agreeing with you, but you are horribly exaggerating and making totally disproportionate examples to make your point.
Let me resummarize what I suggest,
1) Remove the rerfing of xp gain for those under level 500. This literally effects EOC in now manner whatsoever, merely the first <25% of leveling content.
2) Increasing the amount of XP Gain Epics and gear with xp gain by a factor of 10 or 25. Who really uses Epics for xp gain.... make a choice of using that one epic for a reason other than stam gain after level 300, plus most people who get epics are those with plenty of FSP (usually donators).
3) Increase the XP Gain upgrade by ~50% per upgrade, (Helping donators or those playing the game well with FSP on hand.... hmm not a win button, helps donors, many are saying for people to donate.... hmmmm maybe increase amount it can be upgraded to as a FSP sink...)
4) Increase base XP gain per hour by 500-1000 (does this really give a win button to EOC??? lolno)
5) Next epic quests XP gain instead of stam gain.... (Another perk for engaging in questing that everyone gets something from other than stam gain as the key reward. :/)
now the complaint is too much content, coming out too fast LOL
Where did I ever complain about content coming out too fast? LOL
Please don't insult my intelligence, of course I realise how far away EOC is for new players - I can see that between 1 and 2000 there are a lot of numbers - two thousand individual ones in fact ...
That is actually a BONUS tho, not a NEGATIVE .. When I started, I think EOC was around level 200 or so (could be wrong there) so, if I'd have put the pedal to the metal, I'd have been there within 12 months (as, pretty much, a player who started around the same time as I did WAS). From that point forth, he was dependent upon new content being released on a regular (or irregular) basis.
For new players now, there are over 2000 levels of content to play. That's a GREAT thing - it means that, even if the cows stop adding new content tomorrow, there are years of play for a new player to enjoy.
There are already XP events that the cows bring out twice a year (sometimes more, in the past) - and the game is SO MUCH simpler now than it was when I was first starting off. Back then, you actually had to calculate creature stats for yourself and change gear multiple times (sometimes) during a hunt just to stay alive. Now, with all the new (overpowered) gear and buffs, it's pretty much a case of put on a hunt outfit, buff up and just mash 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-R ad infinitum.
Player retention would better be served, IMO, by making the game challenging again, making people THINK, rather than just making levelling even easier and even faster..
I agree with your last point in fact, however, rather than these 1-2 times a year things, most big mmos have constant xp events thoroughout the year. 10-25% is the norm, sometimes increased gold/money or drop rate.
I think These can be done to give people an incentive for being on during the full year rather than May/June and December and hopping on only during a few global events.
FS' format kind of makes it so you are dealing with a 1-8 spamfest. Maybe having bi-weekly events with invisble creatures that are realm level elites that have stats that require a group that give 5x the xp? This could be something to implement that can also be useful AND give new gear to the game at earlier levels, possibly making old gear now not that good, a usefulness for pve/pvping with again.
I am NOT saying oh, lets make 1000 players surge to EOC.... what I'm saying is lets give them a boost to get to MIDGAME a bit more. Maybe have a nerf at 941 (you past 970 know why) Like there is for under 500, maybe nerf xp gain by 25% at 941 onwards after adding these changes.... but like some cited. XP Gain is minimal to later on anyhow. The amount it gives in comparison to the xp required per level is increasingly small at higher levels anyhow. All this does is give a bit of a bump to earlier content.
As to people saying "well I didn't get it so why should they?" type arguments is exactly why people leave MMOs, let the early game stagnate/etc. Also, I've clawed my way to 1500+ from 160 in about 18 months, while buffing about 30k times, so I don't need to hear about people donating/etc.
This comes down to enabling someone not to have to take about 2 years to get to sniffing distance of what is not MIDGAME CONTENT. Why should it take 4-5 years to get even somewhat close to EOC? If you're fine with that, sure okay.... but I'm not.
If we were talking about FS' content layout and how to get through said content 4-5 years ago, the current system for leveling would work fine. But the way it is now, litterally deters new players from bothering given the scale of content and how long it takes to even get to 1/4, regardless of donations.
My suggestions don't even make a DENT in this question....
Maybe I should make some that do?
How about these things...
1) All creatures from level 1-941 give 250% the base x they currently give (Excluding realms from levels 400-421)
2a) There is a new Level class in addition to Actual Level and Virtual Level called PEAK LEVEL. This will be a player's highest level ever obtained.
2b)Potions will be able to be puchased from the Loyalty section of a substantially higer level than tokens would normally dictate. WITH A MAX LEVEL to them pegged to one's PEAK LEVEL
Examples: LF 1550 Max Peak Level 400 100 tokens. DBL 1550 Max Peak Level 400 100 tokens AM 450 Max Peak Level 1000 tokens 500.
With these buffs active however you will be unable to kill titans, this can be coded by having each of these buffs negate titan killing by having a "if buff x is level x" then "can kill titan = no" clause for each of these buffs and the three tiers they would get to via distill as well. This can be coded to be as if player's guild is on cooldown, meaning to negate said buff to then titan kill as they are unique to their buff as to what level they would didctate from any others.
3) Alternative to #1 but while including #2a
Players with a PEAK Level below say 941 or any level have an increased XP gain rate, and/or xp gained per creature (like a coded in AL) get x% more xp per kill.
4) Super Elites give 3x XP and LEs under level 500 give Twice the XP.
5) Relating Killstreak to something aside from Death Dealer and the rankings. A Peak Level potion only buff, that gives a boost to XP gained related to one's killstreak with an additional bonus for those killing creatures without SSI active. (Meaning giving a reward to those smartly using their setups while still being successful.) Rewarding newplayers not carelessly killing creatures in a hunt and not relying on SSI, and thus encouraging players to seek the best setups and for seeking to 1-hit kill.
6) Increased amount of XP events.... however only of a 10% and on typically low activity days Monday-Wednesday and 2-3 times a month, randomly and on a whim chosen by HCS, no pattern to them whatsoever, thus encouraging activty. This gives bonuses to ALL Players. They have the abilty to run 200% XP events, HCS could run random 100-125% ones in between to keep things interesting.
7) Randomly scattered gold bonus events 10-25% boosts, simlar, HCS randomly on a whim. Again to mix things up and not require cleaning up event creatures from every map.
I could go on, but you all get my points
EDIT: Again... I reiterate, contrary to what people are exclaiming about.... this is accellerating to MIDGAME, not even to 50% into game content.
Edited by Gutie, 23 April 2014 - 14:35.