Oleg
Mutated
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2006
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- Leeds, UK
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- Oleg Oleg McMullery
(Or how to implement massive shared mobs without screwing up the economy and alienating 90% of the players)
Following yet another period over the last few weeks when there has been a stream of HoFs on shared loot mobs with massive amounts of HP, I’ve been thinking more about the problems this causes, the reasons why a substantial number of players don’t like these events, and how the events could be improved and these issues overcome.
As I see it, the primary problems with the way things are usually done at present are:
I know I am not alone. Most of the people I’ve spoken to about this don’t like the current system for one or more of the reasons I’ve given. I know that there are always quite a few people at the shared mobs during peak times, but these are a small minority of the players online. Recent CLD income has dropped slightly during weeks when the focus was on the large shared mobs.
It seems to me that these problems are caused not by the existence of shared loot mobs, or even of the massive HP mobs, but by the way in which they are spawned. The key is that there shouldn’t be a constant stream of massive mobs for hours, days or even weeks. It shouldn’t be possible for someone to keep pumping ammo into high HP shared mobs for hours on end without a pause.
The solution is clear - spawn fewer big mobs.
Of course we can’t just have one mob spawning every 30 minutes and then nothing happening for a while – that would be extremely boring. So how best to slow down the spawn while maintaining an enjoyable and coherent event?
We already have two possible solutions provided by features that already exist in game:
Using either of these methods would alleviate all of the problems I identified above, and additionally would make for more immersive and interesting gameplay as well as providing storyline coherence.
Another advantage is that both methods are easily scalable. It is clear how changing any of the numbers in my examples above would make a shorter or longer cycle, and spawn the boss mobs more or less frequently. There is also plenty of scope for flexibility in mob choice for more variety (and the more mob variety, the more loot variety, dispersing the impact on the market).
I would be far more interested in shared loot events if they were done in either of the ways I have suggested, and I’m sure many others would be too.
Comments welcomed, especially from Calypso staff of course
Following yet another period over the last few weeks when there has been a stream of HoFs on shared loot mobs with massive amounts of HP, I’ve been thinking more about the problems this causes, the reasons why a substantial number of players don’t like these events, and how the events could be improved and these issues overcome.
As I see it, the primary problems with the way things are usually done at present are:
- disproportionate amounts of certain stackables and (L) items entering the market, creating a short to medium term imbalance and damaging the overall economy;
- rare items dropping mainly from shared loot mobs leads to a perception that skills and high-end equipment are worthless, which (whether or not the perception is accurate) leads in turn to an actual devaluation of skills and equipment;
- the HoF list is dominated by large shared loot mobs, leading to a perception that other mobs are no longer worth hunting.
I know I am not alone. Most of the people I’ve spoken to about this don’t like the current system for one or more of the reasons I’ve given. I know that there are always quite a few people at the shared mobs during peak times, but these are a small minority of the players online. Recent CLD income has dropped slightly during weeks when the focus was on the large shared mobs.
It seems to me that these problems are caused not by the existence of shared loot mobs, or even of the massive HP mobs, but by the way in which they are spawned. The key is that there shouldn’t be a constant stream of massive mobs for hours, days or even weeks. It shouldn’t be possible for someone to keep pumping ammo into high HP shared mobs for hours on end without a pause.
The solution is clear - spawn fewer big mobs.
Of course we can’t just have one mob spawning every 30 minutes and then nothing happening for a while – that would be extremely boring. So how best to slow down the spawn while maintaining an enjoyable and coherent event?
We already have two possible solutions provided by features that already exist in game:
Method 1: Use the boss spawn system
“Boss spawn system” may not be the right term but I’m not sure how else to describe it. I’m talking about the feature where killing a certain number of mobs results in the spawning of a special mob, which is already in place in a number of regular spawn locations.
So instead of spawning Feffox Broodmothers and Queens every few seconds, we could have a spawn of normal-maturity shared loot Feffox. When, say, 100 Feffox are killed, a Feffox Broodmother spawns. When 10 Feffox Broodmother have been killed, a Feffox Queen spawns. Repeat ad nauseum.
Method 2: Use the wave event system
Most of you will be familiar with wave events already, and it should be obvious to those of you who have done the Rextelum or Traeskeron waves, for example, how this could work.
Instead of constantly spawning Vanguard and Vortex, we could have, say, a 5 round wave of gradually tougher robots (50 Drones, 50 Droka, 50 Warriors, 50 Legionaires, 50 Warlocks, all shared loot), followed by 3 Vanguards in wave 6 and finally a Vortex or two in wave 7. When the Vortex is killed, Wave 1 can start again immediately or with a short break. Individual waves could have time limits as in the current system, or could be limitless (or, if this is not possible in the current system, perhaps a time limit of 24 hours in order to make it effectively limitless).
The wave approach would make this similar to the original Hydra events which were a precursor to the shared loot system, and which would have been much improved with shared loot in place.
“Boss spawn system” may not be the right term but I’m not sure how else to describe it. I’m talking about the feature where killing a certain number of mobs results in the spawning of a special mob, which is already in place in a number of regular spawn locations.
So instead of spawning Feffox Broodmothers and Queens every few seconds, we could have a spawn of normal-maturity shared loot Feffox. When, say, 100 Feffox are killed, a Feffox Broodmother spawns. When 10 Feffox Broodmother have been killed, a Feffox Queen spawns. Repeat ad nauseum.
Method 2: Use the wave event system
Most of you will be familiar with wave events already, and it should be obvious to those of you who have done the Rextelum or Traeskeron waves, for example, how this could work.
Instead of constantly spawning Vanguard and Vortex, we could have, say, a 5 round wave of gradually tougher robots (50 Drones, 50 Droka, 50 Warriors, 50 Legionaires, 50 Warlocks, all shared loot), followed by 3 Vanguards in wave 6 and finally a Vortex or two in wave 7. When the Vortex is killed, Wave 1 can start again immediately or with a short break. Individual waves could have time limits as in the current system, or could be limitless (or, if this is not possible in the current system, perhaps a time limit of 24 hours in order to make it effectively limitless).
The wave approach would make this similar to the original Hydra events which were a precursor to the shared loot system, and which would have been much improved with shared loot in place.
Using either of these methods would alleviate all of the problems I identified above, and additionally would make for more immersive and interesting gameplay as well as providing storyline coherence.
Another advantage is that both methods are easily scalable. It is clear how changing any of the numbers in my examples above would make a shorter or longer cycle, and spawn the boss mobs more or less frequently. There is also plenty of scope for flexibility in mob choice for more variety (and the more mob variety, the more loot variety, dispersing the impact on the market).
I would be far more interested in shared loot events if they were done in either of the ways I have suggested, and I’m sure many others would be too.
Comments welcomed, especially from Calypso staff of course
