19 replies to this topic

[actionjack]

One thing I feel, as a way to prolong game player, the game should further encourage player to make new characters.  And one way I see it done is to make it still link to other character, so player feel as extend of their main character.  Simply put, make new character unlock account wide rewards.

So one way I see is have unlockable profession and racial skills.  You unlock/ power increase by hitting some of the marks of character progress.  Once unlock, you can use it through out all you characters as slot skills.  

For example, say you play a new Engineer character.

As you hit level 20, you unlock level 1 of a skill call Resourcefulness.
as you hit lv 40, you unlock that skill to level 2, and so on till you hit level 80.

Similarly, you unlock another skill call Packing a Big Monkey Wrench level 1 when you finish the first chapter of your story mission (and full level 4 when you finish the story mission).

And another skill call Bleeping Mines, unlock level 1 when you  done the first dungeon (and full level when you done all of the dungeon).




It act similar to achievements, but have more functionality, as well as give player more freedom in customizing their character.

Can also unlock special hat/helm when you done all 3 achievements/skills, or even unlock certain emots.

[Jentari]

So are what you saying is that as I level 1 character it will unlock things for another class/race?  Not sure I like this idea if this is what you are discribing.  For me this would not be an incentive to create another character, even if that character was to get a bonus from my previous character or not.  plus for me when creating additional characters I do it while I am leveling up a main so I would basically miss out on the bonuses.

[actionjack]

Jentari, on 09 November 2012 - 06:27 AM, said:

So are what you saying is that as I level 1 character it will unlock things for another class/race?  Not sure I like this idea if this is what you are discribing.  For me this would not be an incentive to create another character, even if that character was to get a bonus from my previous character or not.  plus for me when creating additional characters I do it while I am leveling up a main so I would basically miss out on the bonuses.

Its mainly to add to the end game, in which encourage player who already max out their main character to create side character.

As you level a new character, it slowly unlock account wide skills (base on that that character's profession and race).  So your other character would feel the gain of it (not really a bonus, more of a wider skill selection).  It is account wide, so any character you have (new or old) will gain/share those skill option too.

[Aetou]

So basically SWTOR's legacy system?

The issue with that is that either (1) the perks are so pointless that they may as well not exist or (2) the perks make you have to grind multiple characters to 80 which goes against the whole 'freedom' philosophy.

[Lol Lol Lol Guy]

Aetou, on 09 November 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

(2) the perks make you have to grind multiple characters to 80 which goes against the whole 'freedom' philosophy.

Are you assuming there is no grind in the game already

[Aetou]

Lol Lol Lol Guy, on 09 November 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

Are you assuming there is no grind in the game already

There is no grind to be able to compete on a level playing field, you can get full exotic gear in a couple of days (assuming you haven't already run enough dungeons prior to hitting 80 to be able to get everything except trinkets immediately.)  The only grind is for cosmetics (and I guess the Commander tome, which is intended to be a group objective.)  Making it so that if you have an Asuran 80 all your characters get +2% crit chance, on the other hand, is giving a real competitive edge to those who have done the grind.

[Jentari]

actionjack, on 09 November 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

Its mainly to add to the end game, in which encourage player who already max out their main character to create side character.

As you level a new character, it slowly unlock account wide skills (base on that that character's profession and race).  So your other character would feel the gain of it (not really a bonus, more of a wider skill selection).  It is account wide, so any character you have (new or old) will gain/share those skill option too.

You are also going with the belief that the skills being unlocked for a particular profession/race is a profession/race I wish to play.

Plus as others pointed out sounds like SWTOR legacy system.

So again I am not in favor of this idea.

[Pipples]

actionjack, on 09 November 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

Its mainly to add to the end game, in which encourage player who already max out their main character to create side character

Here's a thought: stop treating GW2 like a job. Roll alts because you want to experience the mechanics and playstyle of another character, or the story, and stop asking for incentives. If you don't want an alt, don't make one. It's really that simple. There is no monthly fee so if you get tired of GW2, play another game or live life and come back later.

This 'gimme gimme' society we live in now is really annoying. I really think we need to be invaded by another country.

[Critus]

Pipples, on 09 November 2012 - 05:04 PM, said:

Here's a thought: stop treating GW2 like a job. Roll alts because you want to experience the mechanics and playstyle of another character, or the story, and stop asking for incentives. If you don't want an alt, don't make one. It's really that simple. There is no monthly fee so if you get tired of GW2, play another game or live life and come back later.

This 'gimme gimme' society we live in now is really annoying. I really think we need to be invaded by another country.

I completely agree with you

[adra12]

This suggestion goes entirely against ArenaNet's vision for this game. They are attempting to avoid incentivising you to do things that you don't want to do just to get better or more. While they have no mastered it will all the current content adding more incentives for things not all players would be interested, especially incentives that effect core game play, is the wrong direction.

[Velicia]

Pipples, on 09 November 2012 - 05:04 PM, said:

Here's a thought: stop treating GW2 like a job. Roll alts because you want to experience the mechanics and playstyle of another character, or the story, and stop asking for incentives. If you don't want an alt, don't make one. It's really that simple. There is no monthly fee so if you get tired of GW2, play another game or live life and come back later.

This 'gimme gimme' society we live in now is really annoying. I really think we need to be invaded by another country.

Ditto this.

[Desild]

So the fact that not only you can earn Exotic armor sets for your alt before you even roll it, the fact that achievements are accountbound, that daily and monthly achievements give more benefits to leveling characters than those that are capped, the fact that you can PvP at level 1, and the fact that for most part you can experience different personal stories with every race, isn't incentive enough to roll characters?

Most of my acquaitances complain they have too many alts. So I'm not really seeing where you're getting at actionjack.

Edited by Desild, 09 November 2012 - 05:29 PM.

[actionjack]

Yes, the idea does come from SWTOR's legacy system.

Why encourage alt you say?  Well, I see making alt as part of the end-game.  More so, if the goal is to retain player, as well as creating a healthy market (since need a outflow for the items in the markets), alt is a good mean to that end.

However, as I started my alt, the more I played, the more I feel less drive to play it.  A. I do like my main more, and my main can just gain more "returns per time played".  B. The content (beside the draggy story) are pretty much a repeat.  So not really seeing anything new.  C. Each profession can do pretty much most of the role, so not as much of need to roll a new char just cause I need a "tanker" now.

The goal is not to make it so that you need to grind more character to make you play efficient, but just opening up more choices.  So would be entirely optional, but adding a synergy between your character, so that a progress on one can be felt on another.

[Jentari]

If the game in general would offer more by either better rewards/drops instead of making people feel bored with running the same areas/hearts/vistas/pois/des and with the still in game bugs like Arah then I think more people would be more inclined to roll alts.

[VanderBeltLegacy]

bad idea, if the hints achievement/other achievements(kill 1000# enemies/kills with each weapon type) are not incentive enough for you, it was for me, i have a character of each race/proffession and love redoing the areas, im starting to know them really well, and soon will be a walking PvE wiki, lol, my mesmer=level 80/100% world completion+AC/CM/TA 4/4 paths and have done all story dungeons on her...and to say the Personal Story is the same=you keeps choosing same race+characteristics(friends/captured sister etc) and choose the same "Order" each time(Vigil/Lightbringer/priory)

Edited by VanderBeltLegacy, 11 November 2012 - 02:28 PM.

[actionjack]

VanderBeltLegacy, on 11 November 2012 - 02:23 PM, said:

bad idea, if the hints achievement/other achievements(kill 1000# enemies/kills with each weapon type) are not incentive enough for you, it was for me, i have a character of each race/proffession and love redoing the areas, im starting to know them really well, and soon will be a walking PvE wiki, lol, my mesmer=level 80/100% world completion+AC/CM/TA 4/4 paths and have done all story dungeons on her...and to say the Personal Story is the same=you keeps choosing same race+characteristics(friends/captured sister etc) and choose the same "Order" each time(Vigil/Lightbringer/priory)

So the question is, would you start a new char?  If so, won't you like some of the progression you done on this new character be shared with the main you work so hard on?  (since in short run, the reward/return gain from playing a lower lv char are not going to match your main).  And your work on your main will already help unlock some additional skills for your new char too.    In all, the question is would that make you/player want to play the game more, or make them leave faster?

[Valkaire]

actionjack, on 11 November 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

So the question is, would you start a new char?  If so, won't you like some of the progression you done on this new character be shared with the main you work so hard on?  (since in short run, the reward/return gain from playing a lower lv char are not going to match your main).  And your work on your main will already help unlock some additional skills for your new char too. In all, the question is would that make you/player want to play the game more, or make them leave faster?

When I start an alt I want to start a new character. Not one that has an increased ability via skills or whatever. And if it's not better than my profession skills than why would I use it? It'd be like mistfire wolf. Just for show to say "hey, look at me I bought the digital deluxe or CE!" but crappier than racials/profession skills and really only useful if you don't have 10 skill points at level 30, which you should.

I have two level 80s, two characters in the level 40-50 range, and 4 characters in the 10-20 range and I'm not bored. I enjoy playing them, even doing zones I've done a million times before (BWE events, wooooh). I make sure to choose different storylines with my alts because I want to experience it because I've never done it before, it's something fresh and it makes me enjoy playing different characters even more.

The incentive to create alts is already there; new storyline and new profession experience. I wouldn't care or use a crappy skill while I was leveling, and I'm pretty dang sure they wouldn't implement it because if they did it would just be a waste of space, something more to balance and the biggest thing, getting pretty dang close to tiered progression systems like other MMOs which they're avoiding.

Sure you'll get bored if you're the type that wants to see huge gold rewards with whatever you do, that's fine. It's perfectly fine to stick to your main, but adding a new, lackluster skill to your bar isn't going to fix that need of getting more "returns per time played." It's just going to be a new skill, among many new skills, with your new profession character.

[Chuppa]

It's not going to happen but, what would be great is if the heart quests were class specific instead of cookie cutter for every race/class in the game.  They could have used the same heart locations just have different objectives per class or race.  I have done 2 alts and dread running thru the same zones doing the same hearts over again when I decide to make another.  I'm sure not many people make 2 of the same class characters so it would make the game more enjoyable to play other classes if they didn't have to do the exact same things they just did.

[actionjack]

Valkaire, on 11 November 2012 - 05:37 PM, said:

When I start an alt I want to start a new character. Not one that has an increased ability via skills or whatever. And if it's not better than my profession skills than why would I use it? It'd be like mistfire wolf. Just for show to say "hey, look at me I bought the digital deluxe or CE!" but crappier than racials/profession skills and really only useful if you don't have 10 skill points at level 30, which you should.

I have two level 80s, two characters in the level 40-50 range, and 4 characters in the 10-20 range and I'm not bored. I enjoy playing them, even doing zones I've done a million times before (BWE events, wooooh). I make sure to choose different storylines with my alts because I want to experience it because I've never done it before, it's something fresh and it makes me enjoy playing different characters even more.

The incentive to create alts is already there; new storyline and new profession experience. I wouldn't care or use a crappy skill while I was leveling, and I'm pretty dang sure they wouldn't implement it because if they did it would just be a waste of space, something more to balance and the biggest thing, getting pretty dang close to tiered progression systems like other MMOs which they're avoiding.

Sure you'll get bored if you're the type that wants to see huge gold rewards with whatever you do, that's fine. It's perfectly fine to stick to your main, but adding a new, lackluster skill to your bar isn't going to fix that need of getting more "returns per time played." It's just going to be a new skill, among many new skills, with your new profession character.

True... but are you the majority?  (of course, the audience here would likely be the type that still player GW2, and not the one that is on-and-off or move on)

And it is to create further incentive for new alts, not saying the reward you get personally is not enough (and that is all subjective, as some could see that the incentive in the OP not worth anything too)

The strength of those skill are going to be tricky.  In one hand, they shouldn't be overpower, and should act as another skill-option.   On other hand, they still need to be functional. I see their main attractiveness is that it could help add to the player combo, thus making 1+1 = 2.5 effect.  However, they also can be too good of synergy with other, else player would feel forced to play.

Edited by actionjack, 11 November 2012 - 05:53 PM.

[VanderBeltLegacy]

actionjack, on 11 November 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

So the question is, would you start a new char?  If so, won't you like some of the progression you done on this new character be shared with the main you work so hard on?  (since in short run, the reward/return gain from playing a lower lv char are not going to match your main).  And your work on your main will already help unlock some additional skills for your new char too. In all, the question is would that make you/player want to play the game more, or make them leave faster?

yes, i have quite a few new characters already .
personally i'm half/half on that question, why somethings like Karma i'd like to be account wide, i would love to max a craft on 1 character and have another character be max in that craft aswell, as for unlocking skills, i like each character to earn that for themselves.

but thats the thing, every1 likes/wants different things in a game