Nova Knife
Seituoda Taskforce Command
Caldari State
2028
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Posted - 2013.10.31 09:08:00 -
[1] - Quote
So, I was talking with one of the dudes (Tex) in G I A N T about how dust is sorely needing some social gameplay elements. (Chilling with your corpmates, now that the warbarge is pretty much never seen anymore except for people who play PC) One of the things that we agreed on, is that there has to be some kind of objective or something to do relating to this area, or it'll just be pointless fluff... Which CCP learned from Eve that pointless fluff is bad.
So... This got me thinking, and I told him about a system in another game called Warframe, that allows player corps to create a HQ, and then lets them pool loot and resources found during gameplay (Salvage) and player crafted resources made from that salvage in turn to be used in the construction of additional rooms and structures of their choice, allowing players to construct their HQ to be as large as they want and containing as varied things inside as they can imagine. Each of these rooms serves a purpose, be it a room to research new materials and weapons, faster construction for industry projects, sparring pvp rooms, and so on.
This is something that I think was done really well, and that a similar concept would be a very nice thing to have in dust.
Ideally something like this would take place after player crafting (Industry) are implemented, or possibly paired within the same expansion. This post will assume as much, as if the Industry system exists to some extent. This post also assumes that the loot system will change to a salvage/component based system, where instead of droping guns/suits/modules, players find components such as wiring, circuits, plating, etc. Which are then used to create weapons, modules, suits, and vehicles.... Or used in much higher quantities for the crafting of social areas.
(1) Personal Areas : These are small areas, locally hosted by a player and capable of holding a squad or so of people.
- Firing Range: This small, lane-based range can hold up to 6 occupants, which individual targets for each. Contains a supply desk for changing weapons and suits. Possibly mini-game for target practice, with ability to bet isk amongst participants.
- VR Training Room : A more expensive alternative of the firing range. This creates a small virtualized environment (Ideally just a large SI socket with a 'light barrier' obstructing where there would be terrain beyond it) where up to six occupants can engage in risk-free combat with teams arranged however they like (or even free-for-all) This allows players to have small mock battles, test suits and vehicles against one another,
- Lounge : A casual area, where players can simply socialize & chat. Possible mini-games like slay incorporated.
(2) Corporate Areas: These are large, expansive areas capable of hosting a large group of players at one time. A Corporation must first construct a 'HQ'. Corporation construction should be a large undertaking, requiring members to pool resources and create a 'group objective' for the member base. Once the 'HQ' is built, the various 'add-ons' can be constructed with proper support and accessed by any corporate member (Although some may require roles). Certain areas may be public, allowing allies to be invited even if not sharing a corporation. Each HQ will have a CPU/PG limit that can be raised by constructing certain resource nodes to upgrade capacity.
- Corporate Firing Range : A larger version of the firing range, with up to {max player count} lanes for a true 'skills contest' amongst corporations.
- Corporate VR Training Room : A larger version of the VR room, this is capable of simulating entire maps for various game modes, and hosting {max player count} players to create a perfect mockup of a true battle, free of risk to allow a corporation to truly train for the enemies they will face.
- Corporate Bar : Poor men have lounges. The truly classy socialize in style. Minigames-abound to challenge your corpmates and your friends (if invited)
- Corporate Factory : Each factory will have a certain amount of slots, and aid in the construction of certain manufacturing goods. (Possibly limited to other social areas, depending on how raw manufacturing is implemented. Ideally will allow manufacturing of everything dust-related, but nothing eve-related.)
- Corporate Research : (Highly depends on implementation of industry.) If following eve standards, allows corporations research slots to use or rent out to allies for the purpose of dust-related blueprints. Alternatively, allows corporations the ability to research "Branding" their equipment. IE: Allowing a corporation to pick a sidegrade modifier from an applicable list (+50% damage, -75% ROF, and so on) and allow members to create {Corp Name} variants of their own gear, complete with logo. (Same base cost to manufacture as normal gear, with an added customization cost for looking badass)
- Corporate Arena : Small VR room similar to the VR Training room, with one difference - Full death losses and penalties applied to gear. The purpose of this room is to challenge friends and enemies alike to an organized "duel" to compare skills and settle rivalries. These matches will have a stats segment separate from public matches for proper e-peen waving and face-rubbing. (Precursor to full arena mode e-sports features)
- Resource nodes : Power plants and Processors - Self explanatory. Each one increases available resources to allow more construction to take place.
(Continued)
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Nova Knife
Seituoda Taskforce Command
Caldari State
2028
|
Posted - 2013.10.31 09:08:00 -
[2] - Quote
(3) To tie it all together : Using Salvage, and Monetizing.
To hold no illusions, CCP has to make money somehow. Some of the best ways for them to do so are those that don't directly affect battle or give people something they couldn't get otherwise. The best way to accomplish this here, is time-saving microtransactions. Construction in New Eden always takes a considerable amount of time. Players could invest aurum to expedite construction of the various rooms (Either completely or partially, depending on the time determined to make them. (Some exceptions should be made, such as the direct manufacture of gear. This should not be accelerated). CCP can then take it a step further by allowing decorative microtransactions, allowing corps to spend money to import their logo onto banners, adding props and other decorations, etc.
However, "Acceleration and Decoration" should be where the buck stops. All things encompassed by this system should ALWAYS require resources earned via playing the game (or bought from others who have played the game) in order to keep the economy flowing. Nothing tangible should appear out of nowhere simply by pouring real money into the game.
These areas should be a bit of a milestone, and require a fair amount of resources to create. Resources required should scale upwards with membership count, even though extremely large corps will probably want multiple of each area to allow everyone to actually get into them without lagging like hell. (A more graceful way might be to make resources scale for each additional instance of a construction) |