Big +1 for me.
I am not much of a PvPer (as anyone who has seen my gear can testify), but I do like "reasons" to interact with the community. One of the greatest "features" in Ryzom in my opinion is the politics. I know many do not like it because it can gety dramatic, but I look at that drama as part of game play. The ever shifting alliances and animosities, the odd offer for help and the occasional backstab...these are the things that make this game different than anything else out there to me...and what I consider the "end game" content of Ryzom.
In fact, sometimes the player driven drama is greater than anything the event team could have come up with...and when this happens, I publicly decry the "bad or dishonorable" act(s) committed, but usually, internally, I am thanking them for the chance to think up a creative revenge or a way to take advantage of the situation for my guild and/or faction.
Any content, PvP or otherwise, that will give me more opportunity to interact with others (especially other guilds as a whole) in a political, merchantile, or RP way is a huge plus for me. This content is perfect for a feudal system to emerge, which would be great fun to play within.
So, a big evil PvP guild owns a region I want to move into...well, I try to make peace...or when that fails I "buy" peace...who amoung the evil can resist a good bribe? And if they will not be bought, they obviously have a strong philosophical/moral leaning it might be in your best interest to explore and take advantage of. Or...in the worst case (or best how ever you look at it) you need to buy the help or merc and destroy that guilds holdings repeatedly until they let you live in peace. There are just so many opportunities here.
This also gives players a reason to grind up guild fame. Say if teleporters could only be "bought" with guild fame over 50 for example.
I would expand this further to suggest several large expansive areas, perhaps one per region (Or even several interlinked per region if there is a size restriction). The RP of that of course is the expansion of the civilizations into uncivilized lands. If these buildings cost resources to build and upkeep, and provide some type of reward...it is natural that pockets of alliances would form in each region. These alliance would be required for the same reasons cities because natural for humans, mutual protection and shared utilization of areas that provide reward and have predators removed. Erizons suggestion that migratory patterns should shift to avoid areas of high hunting would do this (especially if they are all 200+ or 250+ regions).
I have also seen arguments that mats should not be available in PvP regions...I think this is a bad idea and inconsistant with the nature of Atys and the lore of the game...unless you tinted everything purple and suggested a vein of goo runs beneath. But, if you just make the same mats available as are available elsewhere, you are not excuding anyone from any content because they can always get them in the "civilized lands".
Another concern that I am sure we will hear is that if the regions are large, it will space out an already sparse community...I welcome the opportunity to take my guild and go find some out of the way corner of Atys and strike out on our own.
Oh...and maybe the civ governments issue "permits" for expansion into "their zones"...finally giving a huge benefit to racially alignment. While we neutral just have to expand into the neutral roots.
I know for a fact my guild would be moving to make an alliance in a region of our choosing and we probably would rarely enter the "civilized" lands again except to come help our faction with OP battles, events, treks, and other community content.
The UI need not even be changed. The fact that your region in not on the main UI map, fits well with it being "new uncivilized" lands that have not yet been mapped. You have to learn to find your way about by landmarks only. Giveing "explorers" their added content too...with a radar mobs and homin alike become PvE obstacles to avoid (although the players out to "get you" are hopefully a bit smarter than their AI counterparts).
Yeah, I cannot give enough support to this, but admit it is probably too much content to reealistically ask for...even though it is primarily only the creation of new lands (no new missions or "homin" content need to be added). I would even welcome these lands without the buildable/destructable buildings, or the shifting migratory patterns...although that would leave out a lot of the promise these lands could have.
And just to clarify, returning to the original suggestion, I am not sure it would be necessary to use any type of "land ownership" or region control...you own your buildings...others (and mobs) can destroy your building. If you do not constantly hunt a region to keep the new migratory patterns away from your "base" they will eventually return and eventually destroy your buildings...making them disappear. Perhaps there should be a manner to "gain control" of an existing building...but perhaps this could only be done through a trade (and I do think you should be able to TP to "your TP" if something is threatening your build(s) PvE or PvP). Oh, and you should not be able to "buy" mounts at stables you build (unless of course a player is selling them...once again making trade feasable) only store ones Meks there.
Some may think these buildings would be a huge amount of development...but the mechanics are already there...with campfires (with modification of course).
Now we have added more opportunity for trading, caravans, mercenaries, alliances...as well as added content for explorers, merchants, diggers, PvPers, and those Civ aligned...where are the drawback?
Just saying...I think it adds a huge amount of content, something I always welcome. Anyways, this got longer than I intended...just trying to compete with Eri! =P
I am not much of a PvPer (as anyone who has seen my gear can testify), but I do like "reasons" to interact with the community. One of the greatest "features" in Ryzom in my opinion is the politics. I know many do not like it because it can gety dramatic, but I look at that drama as part of game play. The ever shifting alliances and animosities, the odd offer for help and the occasional backstab...these are the things that make this game different than anything else out there to me...and what I consider the "end game" content of Ryzom.
In fact, sometimes the player driven drama is greater than anything the event team could have come up with...and when this happens, I publicly decry the "bad or dishonorable" act(s) committed, but usually, internally, I am thanking them for the chance to think up a creative revenge or a way to take advantage of the situation for my guild and/or faction.
Any content, PvP or otherwise, that will give me more opportunity to interact with others (especially other guilds as a whole) in a political, merchantile, or RP way is a huge plus for me. This content is perfect for a feudal system to emerge, which would be great fun to play within.
So, a big evil PvP guild owns a region I want to move into...well, I try to make peace...or when that fails I "buy" peace...who amoung the evil can resist a good bribe? And if they will not be bought, they obviously have a strong philosophical/moral leaning it might be in your best interest to explore and take advantage of. Or...in the worst case (or best how ever you look at it) you need to buy the help or merc and destroy that guilds holdings repeatedly until they let you live in peace. There are just so many opportunities here.
This also gives players a reason to grind up guild fame. Say if teleporters could only be "bought" with guild fame over 50 for example.
I would expand this further to suggest several large expansive areas, perhaps one per region (Or even several interlinked per region if there is a size restriction). The RP of that of course is the expansion of the civilizations into uncivilized lands. If these buildings cost resources to build and upkeep, and provide some type of reward...it is natural that pockets of alliances would form in each region. These alliance would be required for the same reasons cities because natural for humans, mutual protection and shared utilization of areas that provide reward and have predators removed. Erizons suggestion that migratory patterns should shift to avoid areas of high hunting would do this (especially if they are all 200+ or 250+ regions).
I have also seen arguments that mats should not be available in PvP regions...I think this is a bad idea and inconsistant with the nature of Atys and the lore of the game...unless you tinted everything purple and suggested a vein of goo runs beneath. But, if you just make the same mats available as are available elsewhere, you are not excuding anyone from any content because they can always get them in the "civilized lands".
Another concern that I am sure we will hear is that if the regions are large, it will space out an already sparse community...I welcome the opportunity to take my guild and go find some out of the way corner of Atys and strike out on our own.
Oh...and maybe the civ governments issue "permits" for expansion into "their zones"...finally giving a huge benefit to racially alignment. While we neutral just have to expand into the neutral roots.
I know for a fact my guild would be moving to make an alliance in a region of our choosing and we probably would rarely enter the "civilized" lands again except to come help our faction with OP battles, events, treks, and other community content.
The UI need not even be changed. The fact that your region in not on the main UI map, fits well with it being "new uncivilized" lands that have not yet been mapped. You have to learn to find your way about by landmarks only. Giveing "explorers" their added content too...with a radar mobs and homin alike become PvE obstacles to avoid (although the players out to "get you" are hopefully a bit smarter than their AI counterparts).
Yeah, I cannot give enough support to this, but admit it is probably too much content to reealistically ask for...even though it is primarily only the creation of new lands (no new missions or "homin" content need to be added). I would even welcome these lands without the buildable/destructable buildings, or the shifting migratory patterns...although that would leave out a lot of the promise these lands could have.
And just to clarify, returning to the original suggestion, I am not sure it would be necessary to use any type of "land ownership" or region control...you own your buildings...others (and mobs) can destroy your building. If you do not constantly hunt a region to keep the new migratory patterns away from your "base" they will eventually return and eventually destroy your buildings...making them disappear. Perhaps there should be a manner to "gain control" of an existing building...but perhaps this could only be done through a trade (and I do think you should be able to TP to "your TP" if something is threatening your build(s) PvE or PvP). Oh, and you should not be able to "buy" mounts at stables you build (unless of course a player is selling them...once again making trade feasable) only store ones Meks there.
Some may think these buildings would be a huge amount of development...but the mechanics are already there...with campfires (with modification of course).
Now we have added more opportunity for trading, caravans, mercenaries, alliances...as well as added content for explorers, merchants, diggers, PvPers, and those Civ aligned...where are the drawback?
Just saying...I think it adds a huge amount of content, something I always welcome. Anyways, this got longer than I intended...just trying to compete with Eri! =P