(From Sub's thread that I hijacked):
Instead of a once-off that devs or CSRs or whoever has to manually initiate every so often, how about something slightly different. What about an actual end-game activity of battling the Kitin?
Open a new zone only available via speaking with NPCs in capital cities. In this new zone, the Kitin have been building up forces to prepare for an attack. Part of the story could include a surprise counter-assault by the Homins against the Kitin that secures a foothold in the region and closing the gap between there and our current lands.
Part of their preparation was to build, well, grow structures to support them. Structures that players could capture, by defeating guard forces and holding the area for a set time ("King of the hill" kind of game). Any other structure might need to be destroyed to prevent spawning Kitin, or acting in the transportation of Kitin directly into the "base". Defensive fortifications might need to be constructed to help against retaliations. (There would be activities for combat and crafting alike)
Maybe even have new Kitin: Siege Kitin. Huge, powerful, slow-moving beings that could, say, launch spores or a glob of acid or whatever toward a base and damage any fortifications, to weaken it for a Kitin foot-solder attack. If you managed to get caught by the slow-moving attacks of a siege Kitin, it would be a one-shot kill. Maybe devoted followers (Fame 100) of the Kami and Karavan could purchase a one-use siege vehicle using faction points to help assault Kitin bases. Participating in the capture of a base and killing Kitin could reward faction points. Completing missions given by various NPCs in the various camps and bases could also reward faction points.
The Kitin should also play a little smarter. Have the occasional patrols that aren't targeting any specific objective, but also have focused squads that are intended to target specific groups of players. This leads into the possibility of ambush and counter-ambush on both sides.
This is where the "spires" idea could come into play: they're Kitin structures, not Homin structures. Part of the backstory could include Matis research into manipulating the wildlife that allows control over the Kitin spires to benefit players. Capture a base, and after controlling it for a period of time, ALL players in above-ground zones (not in PR zones) begin to benefit from its effects: exp gain increase, crafting success buff, hp/sap/stam/focus max/regen buff, etc. When the base is lost, the buff is gone.
Maybe have a PR zone as well, that only becomes accessible when the entire above-ground zone has been captured. Significantly increased difficulty, and any buffs would apply to players in PR zones and be additional to the above-ground buffs for above-ground zones. Population levels that we have now would mean we don't see the PR zone under assault. Grow the game, see the new region.
Right now, we have nothing to do with all the grinding and grinding that we do. I feel that the cat nerf was sort of a knee-jerk reaction in an attempt to slow down the leveling process to keep people playing longer. Instead, would people play longer if they had something like the Kitin Invasion to fight constantly or whenever they wanted?
Instead of a once-off that devs or CSRs or whoever has to manually initiate every so often, how about something slightly different. What about an actual end-game activity of battling the Kitin?
Open a new zone only available via speaking with NPCs in capital cities. In this new zone, the Kitin have been building up forces to prepare for an attack. Part of the story could include a surprise counter-assault by the Homins against the Kitin that secures a foothold in the region and closing the gap between there and our current lands.
Part of their preparation was to build, well, grow structures to support them. Structures that players could capture, by defeating guard forces and holding the area for a set time ("King of the hill" kind of game). Any other structure might need to be destroyed to prevent spawning Kitin, or acting in the transportation of Kitin directly into the "base". Defensive fortifications might need to be constructed to help against retaliations. (There would be activities for combat and crafting alike)
Maybe even have new Kitin: Siege Kitin. Huge, powerful, slow-moving beings that could, say, launch spores or a glob of acid or whatever toward a base and damage any fortifications, to weaken it for a Kitin foot-solder attack. If you managed to get caught by the slow-moving attacks of a siege Kitin, it would be a one-shot kill. Maybe devoted followers (Fame 100) of the Kami and Karavan could purchase a one-use siege vehicle using faction points to help assault Kitin bases. Participating in the capture of a base and killing Kitin could reward faction points. Completing missions given by various NPCs in the various camps and bases could also reward faction points.
The Kitin should also play a little smarter. Have the occasional patrols that aren't targeting any specific objective, but also have focused squads that are intended to target specific groups of players. This leads into the possibility of ambush and counter-ambush on both sides.
This is where the "spires" idea could come into play: they're Kitin structures, not Homin structures. Part of the backstory could include Matis research into manipulating the wildlife that allows control over the Kitin spires to benefit players. Capture a base, and after controlling it for a period of time, ALL players in above-ground zones (not in PR zones) begin to benefit from its effects: exp gain increase, crafting success buff, hp/sap/stam/focus max/regen buff, etc. When the base is lost, the buff is gone.
Maybe have a PR zone as well, that only becomes accessible when the entire above-ground zone has been captured. Significantly increased difficulty, and any buffs would apply to players in PR zones and be additional to the above-ground buffs for above-ground zones. Population levels that we have now would mean we don't see the PR zone under assault. Grow the game, see the new region.
Right now, we have nothing to do with all the grinding and grinding that we do. I feel that the cat nerf was sort of a knee-jerk reaction in an attempt to slow down the leveling process to keep people playing longer. Instead, would people play longer if they had something like the Kitin Invasion to fight constantly or whenever they wanted?