Here some ideas to make the harvesting more interesting... I mentioned in the german forum, but somehow it seems to be... well lets say the forum is stagnating.
1. Harvesting OP-mats (Greslin, Rubbarn etc.)
Whilst harvesting materials in a region you ought to have the minute chance of finding a source of op-mats within your harvest spot.
If you use prospecting you should have a 0.1% (or less) chance of finding a source with the op-material of the region you are in. The source will have only one material in it and is of the quality of that region.
Sooo... Either you keep harvesting as usual until you by chance click on a source with OP mat or you check every source you just have prospected to make sure you do not miss the op mat source if there is any.
Restriction: you can't use a specific prospect search tool for it, as there won't be any! :-)
The op mat will be kara or kami... depending on faction of the harvester or on the faction tool used, or even both?
2. Moving spots
Harvest spots could move, similar to the mobs during seasons and this can be logically connected.
Mobs are moving according to food sources, same as in RL, therefore a Bolobi could eat amber and so amber wouldn't be far away from where you would find Bolobies.
Thus resources wouldn't always be in the same location and yet finding them would not be a nerve wrecking task.
I admit that this may cause increased time investment in harvesting, depending on mat/spot, as due to movement some "now" difficult spots can become temporarly easier to access, others more difficult.
3. Moving mats (similar to point 2)
As some mats are difficult to harvest as they are guarded by aggro mobs, spots should move.
This can be done within a mat group.
Example: Zoo amber is noe year here, the next it is where Soo used to be and Soo is now where Beng is etc.
I think this would especially keep surface harvester happy and evens out the disadvantage to the PR. In the PR you have at least 2-3 spots of the same mat at exe and sup quality, whereas you are stuck with exe only on the surface and if the damn aggros live on that spot you have lost, hence harvesting surface is less attractive.
4. sup mats in exe spots and the "lucky skill"
4.1. lucky skill
The lucky skill is a one time skill at level 150 and requires a lot of counterbalance (similar to a high knowledge whilst prospecting or safer/faster extracting).
Therefore you have to consider carefully whether or not to have it build in in your skill, as it reduces tha amount of mats you harvest or even source stability.
The lucky skill could be used for several things: e.g. higher quality, more mats etc.
As it is a lucky skill there shall be a chance ratio to it, such as 1:30 or else, depending what will be boosted.
Example: "more mats": A homin includes "lucky skill" into extracting and whilst extracting all of a sudden the amount of harvested mats doubles. This could happen at the beginning of the extraction process (1 doubles to 2 (unlucky lucky)) or at the end of the extracting process (18 doubles to 36 (fortunate lucky)).
4.2. sup in exe
Also the lucky skill could eventually lead to the extraction of one sup material whilst extracting an exe source.
A message could highlight this in the sys info or you would find the mat in your bag.
Personally I think it would make harvesting on the surface mach more attractive.
5. usage of mission mats in a different way
Mission mats are totally neglected in Ryzom and therefore alternative usage would be great.
Some mission mats could have additional properties, nothing outstanding, just a little bit enhanced.
E.g. honey could provide the colour gold for armor, perls could increase the protection of jewelery by 0.1, pigment could alter the colour of a campfire and much more....
1. Harvesting OP-mats (Greslin, Rubbarn etc.)
Whilst harvesting materials in a region you ought to have the minute chance of finding a source of op-mats within your harvest spot.
If you use prospecting you should have a 0.1% (or less) chance of finding a source with the op-material of the region you are in. The source will have only one material in it and is of the quality of that region.
Sooo... Either you keep harvesting as usual until you by chance click on a source with OP mat or you check every source you just have prospected to make sure you do not miss the op mat source if there is any.
Restriction: you can't use a specific prospect search tool for it, as there won't be any! :-)
The op mat will be kara or kami... depending on faction of the harvester or on the faction tool used, or even both?
2. Moving spots
Harvest spots could move, similar to the mobs during seasons and this can be logically connected.
Mobs are moving according to food sources, same as in RL, therefore a Bolobi could eat amber and so amber wouldn't be far away from where you would find Bolobies.
Thus resources wouldn't always be in the same location and yet finding them would not be a nerve wrecking task.
I admit that this may cause increased time investment in harvesting, depending on mat/spot, as due to movement some "now" difficult spots can become temporarly easier to access, others more difficult.
3. Moving mats (similar to point 2)
As some mats are difficult to harvest as they are guarded by aggro mobs, spots should move.
This can be done within a mat group.
Example: Zoo amber is noe year here, the next it is where Soo used to be and Soo is now where Beng is etc.
I think this would especially keep surface harvester happy and evens out the disadvantage to the PR. In the PR you have at least 2-3 spots of the same mat at exe and sup quality, whereas you are stuck with exe only on the surface and if the damn aggros live on that spot you have lost, hence harvesting surface is less attractive.
4. sup mats in exe spots and the "lucky skill"
4.1. lucky skill
The lucky skill is a one time skill at level 150 and requires a lot of counterbalance (similar to a high knowledge whilst prospecting or safer/faster extracting).
Therefore you have to consider carefully whether or not to have it build in in your skill, as it reduces tha amount of mats you harvest or even source stability.
The lucky skill could be used for several things: e.g. higher quality, more mats etc.
As it is a lucky skill there shall be a chance ratio to it, such as 1:30 or else, depending what will be boosted.
Example: "more mats": A homin includes "lucky skill" into extracting and whilst extracting all of a sudden the amount of harvested mats doubles. This could happen at the beginning of the extraction process (1 doubles to 2 (unlucky lucky)) or at the end of the extracting process (18 doubles to 36 (fortunate lucky)).
4.2. sup in exe
Also the lucky skill could eventually lead to the extraction of one sup material whilst extracting an exe source.
A message could highlight this in the sys info or you would find the mat in your bag.
Personally I think it would make harvesting on the surface mach more attractive.
5. usage of mission mats in a different way
Mission mats are totally neglected in Ryzom and therefore alternative usage would be great.
Some mission mats could have additional properties, nothing outstanding, just a little bit enhanced.
E.g. honey could provide the colour gold for armor, perls could increase the protection of jewelery by 0.1, pigment could alter the colour of a campfire and much more....