The Great End Game Challenge

[Airlift]

We hear quite a bit about the missing "End Game" to Planetside, but I still haven't seen anyone suggest what it is that the game needs for characters who have "done it all". So this is my little thread to challenge all you guys to tell me exactly what your End Game would be.

Everquest is typically the game used as an example of a quality end game. It is encompassed in Raid-level encounters and epic quests, wherein you can get 50 of your EQ friends together and work on getting you a set of drops or components to put together some uber class item. This is the point where EQ truly becomes massively multiplayer.

Before this point, you are more or less working in groups of 6 players to compete with other small groups over a limited number of spawns that may possibly contain a rare creature which might conceivably have an actual rare item.

On the other hand, Planetside (which has no end game) embraces it's massively multiplayer nature from the first battle a newbie takes part in, which to me is vastly preferrable to requiring 50ish levels of grinding on placeholders. But that leaves many of our compatriots wanting for something to indicate that they are at the End Game. Rather than explaining what I think that is, I'm asking you to come here and tell me what it should be.

So come with it, what is the End Game that would be appropriate to make you want to play after you've levelled your character and capped more bases than you care to remember.

[LeonStrike]

Hmmmm...... good post airlift. I think that one you get to BR20, CR5, and do lots of other really godly stuff, they could make a server that only those people could go to. You would upload your character onto it. This way, the best of the best could fight against each other, without having lots of stupid newbies running around getting in their way. That would make people want to be good at the game, and not just some lazy bum who gets in a squad and gets experience off of other squad mates kills. Some other ideas for requirments to get this server would be you have to have killed so many people, MAXs, vehicles, ect. Or, you have to be in a squad or battalion (added after release) who hacks the control console of a base. Or, you revive so many people (gotta make it healer friendly!!!) Well, thats my 2 cents

[Jarlo]

Good post here, just tagging it so I remember to check on it later.

[EODTech]

Maybe a option to retire once you reach a certain level and have smote all you're enemies. Then go on a wall of heros for all to admire. Or they could put up a statue of you on the sancutary.

[Warborn]

The game needs more long-term goals, both for the individual, and for the Outfits.


Outfit Rewards

As Outfits get more Outfit Points, they get Outfit Enhancement Points (name subject to change). Every 250k (again, subject to change) Outfit Points, they get 1 Outfit Enhancement Point. With those points, benefits can be purchased by the Outfit leader to augment those in the Outfit. Examples would include stuff like a very minor, passive health or armor regeneration effect (Exosuit Lifesupport Systems, Nanoplated Exosuits) for a few points that would recover health or armor slowly for all members, at, say, 1 point every 3 - 5 seconds. Or even something like slightly increased inventory capacity (Enhanced Micronization) which would provide on more normal clip sized row to inventory space for a good amount of points.

There would also be a scaling factor added, to make enhancements more and more expensive as the Outfit gets more of them. The benefits would all be designed to be relatively minor perks, but enough that you'd notice, and you and your Outfit would have something to really work toward.


Individual Rewards

Something tied to getting kills. The more kills you get, you get benefits somehow (mostly cosmetic). Medals or chevrons or additional color modifications to designate "veterans", Battle Rank aside. People want more personalization and customization, and maybe more importantly, a little more recognition when they've been kicking a good deal of ass.

[Ubernator]

I have mentioned this on the official forums a couple of times, but only a few really took it to heart...

I basically said make continental lock the main goal for an empire. Once a continent is locked, a message goes out to everyone that "empire" has locked "continent". Additionally, the CR4-Cr5 commanders on that continent could type in a one-line taunt or something that will be displayed globally to the other guys. Hehe, bragging rights. Then, everyone on that continent respawns to the Sanc. After a short timer, the continent will be open for business again, and people will be HART dropping/warping to the continent like mad in a rush to hack as many of those bases as possible. Once the population settles down, things resume as normal.

This might help some empires see some action on the continents that get locked quite often. Additionally, the game speed would probably be jacked up a notch.

[Psyklone]

Hey Warborn, have you mentioned the idea of an outfit point system to the devs?
That has got to be one of the best ideas I've heard in quite some time.

[12shot]

Please dont use EverQuests end game as anything but a stupid waste of time..

The end-game of EQ is just getting flags so you can move from zone to zone farming each one for a long time, its just not fun and a waste, I know cause I spent 4yrs doing it..

You are right though this game does need somethings done to it still, some major things..

I don't know about having a server just for the UBER people, casual players like games also... thats what FPS are for right?

Maybe something like the higher battle rank you get the more weps/suits/vehics you can unlock same for command rank, the changes need to be distinguishable though..

BR1 should be able to kill BR50 but BR50 should have an easier time killing BR1 maybe thats not the way to go about it I dunno..

It's a good idea to spread your idea's though I'm sure some of the dev's read the boards to get some feedback on what people are thinking so yea, keep posting ideas, maybe someone will come up with a good one to use.

[EODTech]

Or maybe once the content is locked it stays locked. And what ever empire takes over the whole map wins the war. Then the server will reset.

[Ouroboros]

Warborn my friend, that is a very good idea. Props.

Suggest it to the devs, I personally think they would like it, too.

[Feign]

I dont think it needs a solid end game, more just a reason to keep fighting.

I would like some better rewards for holding bases and continents, NON EXP related rewards that is. Make it really hard to get onto these locked continents (like need to fly all the way there with a gal or something) and give big rewards to everyone in the faction world wide for holding them. Maybe even make it so that taking a continent will completely lock it from other factions for a couple of hours or something, leaving less room for everyone and bigger battles and more planning. Then people will actually care to defend and attack specific places much more then random base jumping.

There are a thousand different possible rewards they could think of Im sure. Could be implants only available when having certain bases or continents under your factions control or even a Stamina bonus or special command ability or something new. They still just need to boost the rewards for defending a base to keep more of a solid front line (although the lattice did a lot to help this problem).

Some battle details when you log on would also help people feel it is a persistant world more, let people know what continents have fallen or been taken since they logged off and where you are close to gaining and losing a continent to help people choose where to go.

I think those small additions would help people care a lot more about specific places rather then everything seeming so unimportant in the long run.

[Ubernator]

Originally posted by EODTech
Or maybe once the content is locked it stays locked. And what ever empire takes over the whole map wins the war. Then the server will reset.

And how often does that happen?

[Hamma]

lol no kidding, 3 days later.

[EODTech]

True, and it would make for some huge battles that would bring most people systems to a stop.
Oh and when you're empire wins you get a cookie.

[Ouroboros]

Hamma, I think when he says 'map', he means every continent...

And when Unbernator commented on 'how often does that happen', he means that it would never happen...

...

Durrr