I've posted my idea for Campaign-style PvE Missions in another thread, but this is a thread to expand upon that idea and incorporate it into my
Open World Thread, and my
Weapon Change threads.
The number 294 was chosen arbitrarily by my 4 year old son (also an Avid DUST 514 Player going by the self-appointed name of The Little Jackal.
Makes me Warm inside, and worried that I play games too often that even my son calls himself Jackal.)
However, on with the show!
As most of us know, there is a vast PvE MMO world out there, with static missions, random events, and so on and so forth. Incorporated into my Open World idea comes this. Phased Instance Missions.
Similar to the 'grid system' used by EVE Online, when a Mission is accepted a Phase is made on the 'District Map' that the agent requires the mission done on. This could be the same District the Agent is in, or one multiple jumps away.
Only the Missioner and his Squad / Team etc. should be allowed in this Phase (though possibly with some Faction warfare-like Zones being open to all.
Onto the grit.
Missions could come as multiple forms, but for starters we'll take the bloodthirsty 'Security' type Missions. Kill this, kill that, destroy this. Etc.
For designation purposes, I'll use the mission 'Level' System from EVE Online to Designate Missions on degrees of difficulty.
Level One Missions - Solo-able. Designed to be relatively easy solo, in basic gear. (Militia / Standard) Rewards are small, SP rewards are small, and loot is generally Standard-level. With occasional Advanced Items.
Level Two Missions - Soloable in Advanced Gear, but doable in lesser gear with a partner. Still relatively straight forward missions.
Level Three Missions - Not solo-able. more complex objectives require at least 2 people to do these missions. Generally Base-level is Advanced gear.
Level Four Missions - not solo-able. More complex objectives and more threatening enemies means at least 2 in Prototype Gear should be required. More people in lesser gear is capable too.
Level Five Missions - Squad-level or higher. Multiple objectives with different requirements to be used simultaneously require high degrees on teamwork and co-operation. Meaning you require a full squad or more to do these missions.
Now onto examples of what I mean.
A Level One a mission could be as simple as 'Clear this {insert enemy} compound.' Could be pirates, Sansha, Hostile navy / Army so on and so forth. There'd be 10-20 enemies in an open compound, you kill them all, go back collect your reward.
A Level Two Mission could follow the same lines. Possibly a few more bad guys, defensive emplacements, in a closed compound that requires you to hack the gate security system to open it.
A Level Three Mission starts to require Teamwork. No longer a fixed number of hostiles, but wave spawns until certain objectives are complete. NPCs spawn out of various points, and various strengths as the mission progresses, meaning you have to cover one another as they perform tasks such as hacking and planting charges. thes missions are Objective-based. Not Kill based.
A Level Four Mission requires high levels of teamwork, with a few key scenarios that require two terminals to be hacked within a minute of each other, or something like that. Meaning that it's practically impossible to do it solo.
A Level Five Mission. Hard, tough, and with multiple simultaneous objectives that need to be done. A pair may need to secure a Gate Control Room, opening the gate for another pair to get in to disable a security system controlling a fair few automated turrets while being covered by a pair of snipers on a ridgeline. Then you have to extract a hostage, while simultaneously planting charges on a reactor, set to detonate as a distraction and to convince hostiles that the extracted target is dead.
The above are only examples, and I look forward to your opinions.