Request: instanced zones

cornelweezy

cornelweezy

Dalayan Elder
I searched if this had been discussed before in thorough and found nothing. I've been playing SoD less than 18 months, so I'm not sure if this was something already removed or is something impossible by client limitations.

I request that some form of 3-6 player scaling instance be implemented for levels 46+. It seems typical that if I'm not grouping with my guild (which is always a possibility at peak hours), or sneaking my way into a pickup group (people need those dots, don't you know) I'm sitting in Athica LFG, while a half dozen other 65s are LFG. Either the zones we would be hitting up are marked, specifically Elds or Rust, or we aren't '+' enough for the bigger boys; I can see instances as a solution for those of us with little solo viability who don't box.

I would expect the mobs to be slightly less powerful, leading exp to be nice and consistent, albeit rewarding terrible loot. That could be a trade-off for running instances, which could be considered static "mini-events," as opposed to running the meticulously designed content that we know and love and enjoy when we can.

I imagine this is how it would start: a minimum of 3 players or no more than a single full group get together. The group leader, who had to earn access to instanced content by getting a click key or click neck or whatever would then gate the players to the start of the instance where they would be locked until they either a)completed the instance and were zoned back to where they were standing before they zoned in, b) died and were zoned to bind, or c) gated or teleported themselves out. Also, you could limit the amount of unsuccessful instances a person could engage in a time frame, i.e. if Suchandsuch fails to complete instance X, he cannot enter instance Y for 30 minutes or something along those lines. I would consider a failed instance one where less than 3 people occupied the instanced zone in a given time frame.

Anyway, I was just toying with the idea and thought I'd query for opinions. I honestly hate instanced content because of how mechanical it can get, but hardcore players can make ANY content mechanical, so I'm more worried about sitting LFG for two hours not really wanting to play an alt.

Thanks for reading. :toot:
 
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There actually has been a few threads about this in the past. I can guarantee you that instancing wont ever happen on this server. Each and every time it will be shot down by a dev or admin on the boards. So chances are the same will happen with this thread. The big deal is SOD doesn't have thousands of players. If instances happened with the population we have now quite a few places would turn into ghost towns. Also once you or your group is inside the instance there is no interaction from the outside world. As far as everyone else is conserned on SOD you and your party wouldn't exist.

I'm for and against instanced zones. I had quite a lot of fun on live playing LDON into the ground. On SOD though I totally hope it never happens. There just isnt enough people online and it also turns SOD into a chat only type game. Sure you can chat with everyone outside your instanced zone, but thats about all the interaction you or your group will ever have. Expecially if vanishing into an instance becomes common place.

Just my 2 cps worth..
 
This was somewhat discussed here, and to save you a lot of reading, I am going to quote your Wiz reply in there as well:

Wiz said:
A while ago, when tweaking MQ2, I happened to see a newbie who was doing the MQ come upon a group doing a tmap in the Storm Sea. The newbie and the tmap group struck up a conversation about what they were doing, what tmaps is, and then the guy stayed around to watch them get the treasure. Just sort of a "wow that's cool, I want to do that when I level up" moment for a new player.

That is what differentiates tmaps from instances. They take place in the actual game world and they take nothing away from player interaction, unlike instances. Cyrtho Malath isn't even an instance any longer. I don't like instances because they eliminate the feeling of sharing a game world with others and turns it into a bunch of little secluded bubbles hovering around a central lobby. It limits interaction to only what you strictly choose to partake in, almost solely with people on the same level of progress as yourself, and this takes something away from the game.
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Gregor: SoD already seems chat based when I'm sitting LFG in Ath for hours.

Thanks for the reply, though. I imagine there are limitations you can set on instances that make them a poor substitute to non-instance content. Awful loot, awful cash, and poor exp in comparison. But it would give us players with no group something to do besides sitting waiting for openings.
 
I feel your pain about trying to find a group for a while sometimes. In that thread that Nwaij directed you to basically sums up Wiz's distaste for instances. In that thread I was activally trying to get a minor instance implemented. As you can see even if it was very minor and wouldn't last long it was frowned upon by the owner of the server. I can see his point of view as well even if I and others thought it would have been neat.

Just be thankful you have a mage and can solo during down time looking for groups. It would be rough being a rogue or warrior where you depend on others for grouping of any sort.
 
Zaela: You make a good point. We entry level 65s are ultimately neglecting content. However, I've been to Plaguelands, as well as Freeport, and the realization sets in that you NEED a group to be successful. I am but one mage! Rallying 4 or 5 others to make those walks, when we could be picked apart for MielC groups or Rust groups or HH groups is unrealistic as far as I can tell.

Thanks for the reply, though. Perhaps others will be inspired.
 
Gregor: I don't want to derail the potential of this thread to make a case against magician soloing viability other than to tell you it's nearly as ridiculous a notion as that warrior or rogue soloing 60+. I soloed most of 1 to 53ish, but after that, the casual mage (wearing casual player gear) probably won't be able to pull it off in anyway that yields consistent exp.

But you're right, and thanks for the reply. Some classes are far worse off. Like enchanters.
 
Zaela said:
I can remember hitting 65 in an east plaguelands tunnel group way back when. Why doesn't anyone group there anymore? What about freeport? Hardly anyone went to Mielech C for a long time until the Vah quests came around. Even now, the easiest section is rarely touched any more. People used to do the first few floors of DFS for exp, too. There are lots of lower-end 65 and mid-60s-appropriate content which is rarely touched anymore. Why lower-end 65s rarely band together to go to these places anymore, and instead wait around for hours hoping to snag a spot in a group with a couple big AAs/raid geared people, I don't know.

Edit: at least EW orc fort is still used for this very purpose, though. Why aren't these other places!
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There are places for low 65's that much is true. However many are overlooked simply because of the pain in the ass to get to/very low reward factor. DFS is regularly overlooked, and mostly always has been, generally being consigned to farm duo fodder for higher aa'ed people. Freeport falls into much the same category. These places tend to have very poor reward/time spent honestly. It actually makes more sense to snag a spot in a group than to do many of the lower places. Considering the time spent/rewards. Ew orc fort is also terrible xp/loot as well. Mielc has gotten more popular, as well as DN because of the upping of plat drops/ease of mobs. Lasanth mino's/pool are another viable option low on, but also not that great. Kedge tends to be one of the best early on 65 zones tbh, one particular path being very easy and crazy xp early on. Basically your "good" choices early on for a group tend to be kedge, eldenals, cmal, 1st floor hhk (though also a dangerous option, as your resists tend to blow at that point and mobs fear, always a zonekiller), early EC (though less used than the others because of what I refer to as the "extreme pain in the ass to get to factor").

Many other zones simply are not worth the time or effort due to a combination of terrible loot/$drops, and overcons for crap xp. I can remember groups in all of these zones too. However all of them were poor options, and last choices. Thus it is not surprising they remain as such.

Yacub said:
Gregor: I don't want to derail the potential of this thread to make a case against magician soloing viability other than to tell you it's nearly as ridiculous a notion as that warrior or rogue soloing 60+. I soloed most of 1 to 53ish, but after that, the casual mage (wearing casual player gear) probably won't be able to pull it off in anyway that yields consistent exp.

But you're right, and thanks for the reply. Some classes are far worse off. Like enchanters.
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Correct and incorrect. I won't be doing a derail either but felt this particular point must be addressed. Though mage soloing is still inefficient and terrible at best in comparison to pretty much every other soloing class (druid, wizard, bard, ranger, necro, etc. I can outfarm with most of them at that level with very little problem, even with a superiorly geared mage.This is due to lack of snare + a consistent root + shitty petheal due to long recast).

However you still can. It's just that you have to get clever, and really solo not like your class is intended to do. Really you should pick up a pair of tboots, and grab earthsplit at 61. Forget mostly about your pet if you are using the 63 ones. You will probably end up tanking more efficiently yourself if it's really needed. Then you root/blast, blast, run run run. Pet steals aggro quickly generally so you're best off just using airpet for a stun until you get that root in. The picking up of recall minion will be a tremendous boon to your soloing. As long as you don't solo really how your class should, you'll be fine. Also the gorge is your friend for a soloing mage. I spent a truly ludicrous amount of time there.

Will a casual pull it off? They can if they practice alot. Just optimize your gear/clickies, farm better and droppable gear and you can really pull in alot of money for your time. But you are really better off making a bard, ranger, necro, etc if you're looking at farming a significant amount. You really need to be on top of your game to be able to solo with a mage well, and one mistake and you can kiss your ass goodbye, because your awful root will not save you. Though your pet may allow you to zone provided you pick up a sow or a pair of tboots.
 
Vistachiri: You being the best mage on the server, I would do well to take your advice. Seems the bottom line is that mages need to work smarter, not harder...but you didn't really make a point on instances, the possibility of them ever making it into SoD notwithstanding.
 
Zaela said:
I can remember hitting 65 in an east plaguelands tunnel group way back when. Why doesn't anyone group there anymore? What about freeport? Hardly anyone went to Mielech C for a long time until the Vah quests came around. Even now, the easiest section is rarely touched any more. People used to do the first few floors of DFS for exp, too. There are lots of lower-end 65 and mid-60s-appropriate content which is rarely touched anymore. Why lower-end 65s rarely band together to go to these places anymore, and instead wait around for hours hoping to snag a spot in a group with a couple big AAs/raid geared people, I don't know.

Edit: at least EW orc fort is still used for this very purpose, though. Why aren't these other places!
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That's true! I remember doing my 60s-begining of 65s in Orc Fortress iN EW, MielC, DFS, VE Tmaps, Eldenals... with people like me, totally ungeared. It was really fun!

And Aisling says reward is not worth, but at the moment I was that level it was really good!
 
Dfs is kinda bad to exp in cause of the long repop timer , sure if you can do all the tower then its not bad but 8 hours? respawn is just bleh.
 
Dungeon Restoration Project will visit DFS one of these days, as I think its a wholly awesome zone, and is completely ignored for several reasons. It's a lower tier raid zone, making for the long repop, but the gear dropped for the most part is far below anything else of comparable difficulty, and is all no drop. So when DRP has time, we'll see what can be done with it.

As for instanced zones, the consensus is pretty much we dont want them. Our playerbase won't really support them while keeping the world at large populated as was already stated, and instanced zones remove any sense of community if you seclude yourself in your private zone. The suggestion was made above to implement them, but make them restricted in some way shape or form, and the response is, if we are going to severely limit them, why implement them at all?
 
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