Suggestion: Quick fixes for Qeynos Zones (and probably Freeport) [Archive]

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illovich

01-13-2008, 01:32 PM

I know in other threads there are discussions about re-itemizing Shattering-era cities and newb zones & quests to bring rewards more in line with the RoK newbie experience, and I think this is a good discussion (and I would like to see it happen). However, as a resident of Qeynos, I can think of a couple things that would make life in that city more bearable, and I would imaging that similar improvements could be made in Freeport as well.Zone connections<ul><li>Remove the 60s tax on traveling to Thundering Steppes and Nektulos Forest from Qeynos Harbor. It's weird that travel to higher level zones is free, but I have to pay 60s to get to TS and NF. This also was a much bigger deal when I actually had to go there a lot. Now that I'm just passing through, 60s isn't nearly as much (but it's still enough to make me think about it). </li><li>Since Gorowyn is really more neutral than evil, allow Good players to carpet from SS to Gorowyn, instead of the extra couple minutes carpeting to BB and then running to the griff. Why would the Mad'jul folks care where a Qeynos resident wants to fly their carpet? (Qeynos only; I realize this may impact PVP servers differently and may need to be PVE servers only). </li><li>Direct boat to Butcher Block from Qeynos Harbor. It's not that big a deal, but it's sort of game breaking to take a magic carpet to the Isle of Ro, just to get there and take another carpet to Butcher Block. I bet the original game design did not envision Shifting Sands as a commuter hub. </li></ul>Tradeskill Instances<ul><li>Add a banker to the Tradeskill Instances (in Gorowyn the bank is convenient to all tradeskill stations and NPCs)</li><li>Put a Tradeskill Trainer/Recipe vendor in the Tradeskill instances, so you don't have to zone out when you "ding" to get your recipes. One of the Writ NPCs could probably double as this (like in the Newbie Isle instance, if I remember correctly)</li></ul>Quests<ul><li>Move the Writ/Faction Loot buyers into groups for one-stop writ/faction shopping:This may be asking a lot, but it would be nice if you didn't have to go to three different zones to collect a writ from each Guild (S Qeynos Mages, N Qynos Fighters & Priests, Elddar Grove Scouts).Ditto on selling the faction items to the "powerful guilds." Couldn't the writ/faction merchants be moved around, with the idea that they are "meeting" about current events? </li><li><strike>This is more involved, but a lot of Qeynos quests (and a lot of quests in general) seem to need you to check back with the Questgiver NPC after every step, which often ends up being a choice between a 10-15 minute detour to update one quest, or deferring turn in for a while, depending on how often you return to the city. Selwyn's errands springs to mind.... couldn't she send you to meet someone in Thundering Steppes who would do the updates, and maybe send you back to her at the end for the last piece?I realize this might be more complicated, and not really feasible. </strike> After some thought, I realized this is a different suggestion, and more complicated and game/design changing than the other suggestions, so I'm removing it. </li></ul>-- edited to remove the last suggestion

feldon30

01-13-2008, 02:00 PM

One more suggestion in the same line as the ones above: Add a button "I Win".

illovich

01-13-2008, 02:16 PM

<cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite><blockquote>One more suggestion in the same line as the ones above: Add a button "I Win".</blockquote>In all seriousness, do you really feel like having to zone to buy a tradeskill book or go to the bank adds challenge or flavor to the game? Do you feel like visiting three zones in order to hand in writs and get new ones sorts the warriors from the file clerks?Do you feel like carpeting to SS and then to BB is a true test of your abilities and intelligence?I don't see how any of the things I suggest makes the game "harder" or "challenging" -- they just make it less convenient, and make it take longer to actually be playing the game (the extra time is not fun or challenging -- it's just boring legwork). I would actually support making it more difficult to access new areas* -- in this specific area of game design, WoW is much more challenging; you have to actually go through an area in order to add the flight point in many cases, whereas with EQ to get to most of the areas there's a boat/carpet from an area that isn't challenging at all once you've played for a week. As the game is now, it's sort of ridiculous that level one characters can easily access tons of content that should be inaccessible to them, or very deadly. If that's the case, I don't see how a few more conveniences would be even remotely related to an "I win" button. In terms of the writ/faction merchants -- I think it's a good idea for them to be activated by visiting each of their areas, because it adds flavor and is good orientation for new players. But by level 20 or 30 it can be tedious to visit all of them, so I don't see why you should have a 3-zone trek every single time for ever. I would like to point out that I am suggesting these mainly because it would make Qeynos/Freeport mirror the new content in terms of convenience, and hopefully encourage players to be in their home cities more (and to stay in them rather than moving out to new cities). * Although I used PoK all the time in EQ1, I felt that it destroyed the vastness of Norrath. I hope that a similar hub is not created in the future in EQ2. Edited because one thing I said was really unclear (mixed subjects up)

liveja

01-13-2008, 02:31 PM

<cite>illovich wrote:</cite><blockquote><ul><li>Remove the 60s tax on traveling to Thundering Steppes and Nektulos Forest from Qeynos Harbor.</li></ul>An excellent idea. I see no more point to paying that. If I'm Good, I'm just going to take the carpet from QH to SS, & then from SS to BBM. If I'm evil, I'll just take the Carpet to SS, fly to Gorowyn, then fly to BBM. Taking the boats to BBM is for those who either don't know what they're doing, or don't have ROK, & sadly, the boats at Nek & TS docks don't have any other reason for existing.Since Gorowyn is really more neutral than evil, allow Good players to carpet from SS to GorowynNo. Good players already get the bone of carpeting from SS to BBM. Evil players get to carpet from SS to Gorowyn to make up for it. In any event, Gorowyn is "evil" the same way the Kelethin is "good"; neither of them is "neutral", they just tolerate the presence of "good" & "evil" characters more than Qeynos & Freeport do.This may be asking a lot, but it would be nice if you didn't have to go to three different zones to collect a writ In the ROK zones, you don't have to: there's a writ giver on the Kylong docks that gives writs for all four city factions. Of course, you need to be high-60s to do them, but they are there.I wouldn't be surprised if, due to this, future live updates do the same for the Qeynos, Freeport, & Kelethin writ-givers.</blockquote>Nice post, I pretty much agree with the points to which I didn't respond.

illovich

01-13-2008, 04:01 PM

<cite>Flaye@Mistmoore wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>illovich wrote:</cite><blockquote>Since Gorowyn is really more neutral than evil, allow Good players to carpet from SS to GorowynNo. Good players already get the bone of carpeting from SS to BBM. Evil players get to carpet from SS to Gorowyn to make up for it. In any event, Gorowyn is "evil" the same way the Kelethin is "good"; neither of them is "neutral", they just tolerate the presence of "good" & "evil" characters more than Qeynos & Freeport do.</blockquote></blockquote>I see your point. I think the reason I mention it is that the only difference between good and evil travel to Gorowyn is an extra zone and a run that takes a couple minutes (and gets real boring after you've done it 20 times), since there are no aggro mobs between the BB docks and the Gorowyn griff. I wouldn't have a problem with the difference if there was a real, actual difference. I just don't like extra, non-challenging travel just because something "should" be harder. If the idea is to make travel to Gorowyn more difficult for good players, the current design pretty much fails. There's not even an access quest (like I could see wanting good players to build faction before you could take the griff, and then later they could build enough faction to take the carpet). I don't think you're wrong, I'm just saying I'd like pointless zoning and running around removed where it doesn't really need to be there. But thanks for your response <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Gobbwin

01-14-2008, 10:09 AM

I absolutely agree with either moving the boats to QH/EFP or adding a second set of boats that run through there. IMHO, it makes little sense to have these fairly large docks that ships never sail from. Also the Faydwer boats leave from TS/NF, which you have to pay 60s to get there quickly, but nothing for the boat ride. Conversely, the Kunark boats run from Antonica and the Commonlands...why? Yea, it is easier to get to and thus more convienient, but most of the people headed to Faydwer are usually lower levels where money can be tight, while most of the people headed to Kunark are higher levels who typically have lots of disposable income. Not that 60s will make or break most upper level people, but still you get my point. If nothing else, route both sets of boats through the SS. Why?<ul><li>Most of the starter cities can easily get there. </li><li>Currently their docks serve no real purpose. </li><li>You could get rid of two boats. Instead of one for each city going to the same place (read 4 total in the current configuration), just have one going from SS to Kunark and another going from SS to Faydwer. </li><li>SS is geographically closer to both continents that most other places from the old world. Admittedly minor, but helps from a lore/immersion perspective.</li><li>You would open the door for people to interact a bit more by guiding them all to the same place, instead of having them travel from four different locations.</li></ul>IMHO it shouldn't be too terribly difficult to do, they already have the boats, they would just need to set their paths in SS. Then add a pair of NPC dockmasters (one per boat so as to guide people to the right continent), have them announce the 'estimated' arrival and departure time of their respective boats (thus further eliminating confusion as to which boat to hop on). Finally, add a gambling gobblin (maybe even a mender and/or merchant if you're feeling really froggy) and you'll be all set!

feldon30

01-14-2008, 11:59 AM

Could there be some improvements in travel? Absolutely. But some of the suggestions seemed to make the game very easy.Kelethin is nice for having everything in one zone, but then getting to and from Butcherblock is a bummer.Now that we know huge zones can be created (maybe not as big as Kunark please!), it would be great if N Qeynos and Elddar Grove could be merged, or S. Qeynos and Nettleville. But it will never happen.

illovich

01-14-2008, 08:35 PM

<cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite><blockquote>Could there be some improvements in travel? Absolutely. But some of the suggestions seemed to make the game very easy.</blockquote><div></div><div>I'm curious which suggestion makes the game easier? I see faster, less running around, less tedious... but none make the game easeier, from my point of view. But I'm definitely willing to hear it, and I'll cross off something else if it actually makes the game "easier."</div><div><cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite><blockquote>Now that we know huge zones can be created (maybe not as big as Kunark please!), it would be great if N Qeynos and Elddar Grove could be merged, or S. Qeynos and Nettleville. But it will never happen.</blockquote><div></div><div>This is the sort of suggestion I was trying to avoid, that's why I crossed out the last one in my list. I agree it's unlikely that we'll see a change this massive to outdated zones, but I think most of the suggestions I made would be relatively painless, and would probably take less time to add than the Frostfel content did, which SOE does for free. </div><div></div><div>I know, it also generates excitement and brings retired players back.... but hey, don't you think an announcement that Qeynos & Freeport got upgraded would bring a few people out of the woodwork?</div></div>