Instanced dungeons

[Dread]

If there is one thing I've always envied when looking at other servers, I'd have to say it's systems that force players to undertake a quest and enter a particular area, cut off and isolated from the rest of the server, to do that quest. Too often I find myself and others wanting to go to a particular dungeon that we enjoy and finding that the spawn is either too low to be worth our attention. Moreover, while it's not necessarily wrong to ninjaloot (hell, I do it all the time), I feel that if you have a limited amount of time and want to just enjoy a quick foray into a crypt, you sometimes can't go anywhere else or can't wait for the area to reform itself.

To this end, I suggest that we make a few instanced dungeons (instanced in the sense that every trip down into the dungeon is isolated from the server on the whole and once the quest is done, it is immediately replenished and others can run the quest and do the dungeon). No, I'm not suggesting we make all dungeons instanced, that ship has more or less sailed by now, and I don't want the developers to be overburdened. I am, however, suggesting that certain dungeons be tied to quests, and these quests have upper and lower limits as to what level you can be to do them, along with how many players can participate. That way, parties are guaranteed a good time if they go out traveling; if the normal places seem to be cleared out, they can participate in one of these quest dungeons and they don't have to feel as though they'll go home empty-handed.

If this seems too bitter a pill to swallow, then I would at least suggest putting upper level limits on who can go where. If you're level 12, there's no damn reason why you should be in the ML Crypts trying to get skeleton knuckles... and yet I still see it happen, which is kind of absurd.

[Silverfox]

While I like the spirit of the idea, let's not make this EFU. It's a colossal headache trying to rally a party as it is without having to worry about who is in the level range or has finished the quest this reset etc.

[Dread]

While I like the spirit of the idea, let's not make this EFU. It's a colossal headache trying to rally a party as it is without having to worry about who is in the level range or has finished the quest this reset etc.

I never suggested making this EfU. EfU seems driven in part by a rat race for loot and XP, and I don't want that for us, since we already have enough of a rat race, as is. I'm merely suggesting a few dungeons be tied to quests, not all of them. The server as a whole would probably still be based mostly on spawns.

[Honoun]

I actually like this idea, though it may be tricky to pull off, then again maybe not.... If it is at all possibe though I say go for it! 

[Badelaire]

The advantage that CoA and EfU had were the sending systems which made gathering people for those quests a cinch and allowed you to mingle a lot more with like minded characters. Hard to fathom how you would do that on PotM. Arcane only CB radio with a limited range?  

I do however like the idea of dungeons tied to a quest rather than being entered for the sake of them, loot and xp. Something that gives a group motivation to go into somewhere full of vicious, blood crazed monsters in the first place.

[Telkar]

Valid concerns. I really don't like the amount of time needed to find a properly challenging adventure with a party.

However, static quests on a persistent world I find degrades its verisimilitude. If they could be made dynamic, in place of, for example, the instance of the quest being an item to be retrieved from a certain dungeon, that it wouldn't always be exactly the same every time for that dungeon. On a server I used to play on, everyone was familiar with the farmer who lost his wind chimes to the kobolds in the hills. Then folks start to RP that like it's normal for him to be loosing his wind chimes to kobolds all the time, even though it doesn't really make sense. It's something I noticed in particular in PotM. They don't use the quest system and I thought it made sense.

Aside from that, I think the Mist camp could be further utilized for some sort of a quest system. For example in the conversation with the caravan master, there could be an option in the conversation that only appears in certain conditions, maybe when there are at least N number of people in the vicinity. The option could always be the same if the conditions are met, and be nonspecific, like: "Let the mists decide." ...or something that doesn't indicate a specific location. Then when the people are inside the caravan, and the bell is rung, their average level is calculated, and based on that number, the location they are taken to is decided.

That location could be unique and inaccessible to others whilst the party is in it, and always have the same spawn. Then some quest could be tied into that area, perhaps a dynamic one. Actually, if the amount of these special kinds of 'adventure areas' would grow over time, and we'd have a lot of them at some point, a pseudodynamism can be achieved, in the case where for a single party, an area from a set of areas could be randomly picked each time they travel to one.

[APorg]

How about this for an idea for instance dungeons: mist travel encounters.

Maybe it could be an option from the Vistani caravan menu. Instead of paying 100gp, you can offer to pay for travel with your services by defending the caravan from whatever Mist horrors attack it...

[Juice]

Instances...... I never want to see these in play on ravenloft. this isnt world of warcraft and this game is not that type of MMO.

[Apocrypha]

How about this for an idea for instance dungeons: mist travel encounters.

Maybe it could be an option from the Vistani caravan menu. Instead of paying 100gp, you can offer to pay for travel with your services by defending the caravan from whatever Mist horrors attack it...

Mist travel encounters are so wonderful for the setting, gives exposure to Ezrite roleplay, but takes so much DM work.  In a roleplay context, any automated instance would be nice even if it was a standard sort of thing.  Having the assurance of being able to receive a challenge for your level (and not being able to jump right back into one on the same character) has a lot of merit.

[Ercvadasz]

Instances...... I never want to see these in play on ravenloft. this isnt world of warcraft and this game is not that type of MMO.

Nor DDO. Agree.

[Dread]

Like it or not, this server has MMO elements in it already, so I am not entirely sure that argument works. Trying to say you hate instances because they show up in MMOs is silly, because you can turn that right around and bash our system for having a large server population compete over the same resources, like EverQuest if it were on a smaller scale.

[Apocrypha]

Like it or not, this server has MMO elements in it already, so I am not entirely sure that argument works. Trying to say you hate instances because they show up in MMOs is silly, because you can turn that right around and bash our system for having a large server population compete over the same resources, like EverQuest if it were on a smaller scale.

No factions! Those are like Guilds! Take out deliveries & bounties, those are like Quests!  Take away the internet connection, that's just like WOW!

[Ercvadasz]

Like it or not, this server has MMO elements in it already, so I am not entirely sure that argument works. Trying to say you hate instances because they show up in MMOs is silly, because you can turn that right around and bash our system for having a large server population compete over the same resources, like EverQuest if it were on a smaller scale.

The two things are not the same, and i am fairly sure you have an understanding why we are opposed against it.

The rat mentality you have been talking about.
Basicly this instanced dungeoneering will make these dungeoneerings into raids. We allready have a few places where folks basicly go as a RAID group, and many a times they put aside IC differences to OOCly finish those places.
With this implemented you will actually only enlarge or strengthen this attitude.
A dungeon that can be farmed indefinitely. Continuesly. I am sorry to say, but this is something that may truely lead to the ruining of POTM.

[Apocrypha]

I don't think Apro Vengeful was suggesting it could be farmed over and over by the same PC, and I said the same thing. Reading, nahh. <--- LOL!

[Lucadia]

Like this idea, occasional random encounter while traveling thats fitted to the level of the party

While you might think you have a valid concern it would turn into "raid" like types, your only only notice the population that does do dungeons and those that dont more clearer, as they wont be about. Arent those type of pcs you dont want run into anyways?

Also gives opportunity to those that got a group together and then made it to a dungeon just find out it was cleared, wasting their hours or days of work getting it together have something for their effort even if it was just a quick quest.

[Little Lotte]

I personally would like to see more random encounters on the roads or in the cities. Something that could surprise the people who know how to dodge all the spawns on the road, something to make the night even just a bit scarier!

[monsinyana]

I personally would like to see more random encounters on the roads or in the cities. Something that could surprise the people who know how to dodge all the spawns on the road, something to make the night even just a bit scarier!

this has been happening to me lately- i have been running into all manner of new and unusual things

love it!

+1

more please!