Ideas to make levelling harder going forward.
Some of these have been suggested before.
1) Individual Monsters have new enhancements that can negate specific buffs - smashing hammer, KE, etc. This alone could provide plenty of challenge if the mobs are placed in a challenging order, and with stats to take advantage of the weakness they create by nerfing SH etc. (nerf SH on a mob with big HP or armour, nerf KE on a mob with high def etc.)
2) Individual Monsters have an anti-magic shell/ability that drops the power of ALL buffs used against them/in their vicinity by 100-200 etc. with 175 as the lowest it can reduce the power of buffs. This might be easier for HCS to create, and is a simple counter to the presence of overpowered buffs.
3) New category of realm that does either or both of the above. Like a dark realm, but these Shadow infused areas negatively effect the power of buffs used in them.
4) New category of realm that renders legendary sets inert, another trap by the Shadow Lord to make it harder for the heroes of the realms to reach him. This will force players to use SE, Elite, Champ sets etc. This combined with mobs that can nerf some of the stronger hunting buffs could provide a stern challenge.
5) New category of realm that negates forging and/or crafting and associated buff bonuses while the player is there. Another way to reduce the statistical advantage the players hold.
6) Go the whole hog and have a common items only realm - BUT - HCS would then need to ensure that there are common items available that would work. At EOC and many levels behind there is not a complete set of common items for players to wear. And there isn't much skill in putting that common set together, as the stats are what they are.
7) Realms that nerf relic bonuses to stats.
8) Combinations of above realms and mobs to make it extremely hard to fight through. These kinds of areas - not small - 25 thick, would make sense as a final sequence towards an end game of actually defeating the Shadow Lord, if such a move were ever contemplated.
If you want it to be harder to level, these ideas will help I think.
I do not think they can be retroactive, however, only going forward with new content.
You could have an event during which the anti-magi/buff reducing power is activated over all monsters in the realms, but in return they yield more XP - they will be tougher to kill so the players gain more reward. that might be an interesting variant on 2x XP events...
We are left with the first 2875 levels of content. Retrospective changes to make those levels harder is difficult to justify,as it is very difficult not to see it as highly unfair on those players who are not already at EOC. But that would be HCS's call.
My few cents.
Edited by Belaric, 01 February 2016 - 20:17.