how would you have done World of Warcraft?

The quest areas can be recycled with new content. Procedural generation is the way. I've made dungeon algorithms in the past. Adding random creep camps that provide some specified level of challenge, and adding random loot drops that are appropriate for that level of dungeon.

It's a little reminiscent of how MUD dungeons are procedurally generated. These were the forerunners of multiplayer RPGs, back in the 1970s. They were very popular in their day, and a proportion of older MMO players do see the MMO genre as an evolution of MUDs.

I don't know if today's youth would like it, as the game world would be a little less permanent, and experience gain would be more challenge oriented than WoW is (there's no grinding). You say they won't. I don't know really.

But from a technical point of view at least, it is quite possible to get the computer to construct it's own quests and quest areas.

One person quests could still be possible, just that you don't get any allies when accepting these quests. But yes, the focus would be on multi-player, which is the whole point of MMO anyway, imo, -- to play with others, rather than having others doing their own thing in the background.

Explain how my design deters casual players.

 

the point with quest algorithms is that they end up being

though i could be wrong, not a proffesional programmer.





oh well, your idea's were better then redlazer, who wants the game never to improve on things.

 

I think I'd favour quests more like

"Kill the boss in <dungeon 6937>, collect X and return to Y for Z reward. Here is the quest key."

"Open all of the sluice gates in <dungeon 8472> and return to X for Y reward. Here is the quest key."

"Cleanse <dungeon 1457> of all poisonous slimes and return to X for Y reward. Here is the quest key."

"Stealthily place dynamite into the seven support pillars in <dungeon 841> and blow the mine as you leave to trap the Ogre who lives there. Beware of the Ogre. Also prepare to meet hostility from groups of kobolds who live in the mine. Return to X for Y reward. Here is the quest key."


Don't those sound more exciting than "Gather 8 Tough Wolf Meats from the back of Northshire Abbey and return to Eagan Peltskinner for Soft Fur-lined Boots or Wolfskin Bracers."?

 

actually, i dont think that sounds more exiting.


also, quests have improved a lot in WotLK, and those improvements will be used in Cataclysm

 

Well, I do agree with RedLazer on the honor farming thing. Its really annoying. I usually report an average of 2-3 afk'ers per BG, and I don't see anyone doing anything about it.
5man instances as they are right now are very simple. Specially when you start gearing yourself with ilvl226+ .. it gets to the point where its easier than easymode.
Literally Cyanigosa hits me for 800 damage per hit for example, IF she ever gets to hit me with my 30% Dodge, 25% parry, and 20% block. And I have 40k hp with BoK and PW:F. So I could just stand still, take all the damage, know nothing about the fight and still defeat her very confortably. Hell, I could do it without a healer.
My point being.. Heroic dungeons are too easy. Blizzard is trying to make this up by adding new, harder 5man instances (like Trial of the Champion, where the normal difficulty equals a heroic dungeon and the heroic version equials something like Naxx25).
With the next content patch, we'll have a 5man dungeon that drops ilvl232 items If I recall correctly. So we could assume It will be a very difficult instance.

I'm happy that 40man dungeons were removed though.

Hopefully Cataclysm will address many of these issues.

P.S: Quests have certainly improved in WotLK. I understand what Jasmine says, and its true. Unfortunately, for you to experience the ''cool'' quests and all the uber dungeons, you need to get to level 80...

 

Unless they bring some of those down to starting zones in Cata

 

and they said they are gonna do that.

and i hope the starting zone(1-6) will be an overview of history since WC3, that would be so epic

for forsaken it would be tricking the horde into letting them join by teaming with Grimtotem, first scourge attack, development of the blight, battle at the wrathgate and battle of undercity.

half of those are in place already and only need level changes. the First scourge attack is already scripted for the attacking side. teaming with Grimtotem will need to be written entirely though


Also, for people who whine the major chars dont do enough, the next patch will have 1 dungeon and 1 raid and will future Jaina Proudmoore and Sylvanas in teh dungeon and Saurfang, tirion Fordring+varian wrynn.

not to mention the fact that you will fight aboard an airship

WITH ANOTHER AIRSHIP OF THE OPPOSITE FACTION.

that will be so wicked

 

Are the undead still on the Horde side? How?

 

well, we can hardly have all the players leave the horde, rite?

but actually, they are closer now, any evidence that points towards the forsaken developing the new plague to wipe out all life can be blamed on Varimathras(hell, even us players aren't sure how much Sylvie knows, sure, she developed the blight, but that wasnt nearly as dangerous as the new plague).

 

That's how I wanted thhe game to be when I started playing it (WoTLK, I was late ^^)
why did they remove that? that's Awesome...

 

they didnt remove it, they just improved the battlegrounds system and suddenly everyone though:

"hey, why the hell am i killing stuff when there is no reward"


and then they went to play battleground for the sweet items

i never really got into PvP though

 

so why remove the revards outside bgs? ><

 

they never removed the rewards outside bg's, there just never were any.

hell, there actually is a reward for killing all the opposite faction leaders now, a warbear mount. So in a way world PvP is more rewarding then it has ever been

 

...
but why are there no cityraids etc.?

 

THat's about half the quests in endgame right now.
Every quest this guy offers is that. I'm bored of grinding some dragon's head.

Often you have to do stuff like that just to get to a boss

I'm not getting how this is ANY different than "Kill X of Y" quests.

This is exactly what every single Burning Crusade quest is. Like, almost to the letter.




As far as what I would do? I would have certain classes changed to more suit their namesakes. Mages would have major and minor spells. Major would be your bread and butter for killing things, minor would be more utility style. They'd have spells to like open locks, light dark areas, conjure really basic items that expire. These cantrips would not acvtivate the GCD.

Hunters would be more stealthy, perhaps gaining a passive camouflage when standing still, akin to a low level of stealth.

Death Knights would be a completely neutral faction, or possibly having a choice of joining either faction.

Warlocks and Paladins would have the ability to summon a flying mount after a brutal quest line. It would still be 280%, but it would be suitably badass.

I'd make the classes more pronounced, by having more <Class> only quests.



But that's just me.

 

what is up with paladins summoning mounts anyways? warlocks i get, they have a lore reason, but the horses the pally's summon arent exactly divine

 

They had to get one because they're the polar opposite of Warlocks. Light based melee char as opposed to Fel based caster.