Concept of a fun, engaging "endgame" quest/event

Echelon

Echelon

PSOBB plastic surgeon
Gender
Male
Posting here because suggestions are closed, this is just fan-fiction for fun anyway.

Xtreme Stages 1: Natural Pollution

Client: Alicia Baz
"The overpopulation of native animals have created a bad air condition on the surface of Ragol. Clear the path for us so we can resume our researches. You will be rewarded accordingly."

  • It should be a daily quest (or every 12hours at least) so it's not game breaking for the economy, while giving a little something to do everyday. Ultimate only.
  • 1 - 4 players (4 players recommended). Episode 1 because the mobs are more predictables than ep2 & 4, less RNG death.
  • There's a total of 8 zones (Forest 1, Forest 2, Cave 2, Cave 3, Mines 1, Mines 2, Ruins 2, Ruins 3).
  • 4 Pools of rewards, you get 1 random reward every two zones. You can decide to stop after each zone, but you need at least two zones to get a reward.
  • Experience should be deactivated imo, this is debatable for a daily but if it's "endgame" stuff we shouldn't worry about exp. This would also allow for almost endless waves of mobs.
  • Drops would also be deactivated. The real objective is the quest rewards, also this is a sort of survival mode so no drops = more challenging. Planning accordingly will be important.
  • Each zones would be subject to poisonous hasard and have a 5 minutes timer. While your HPs are continuously drained, you can heal a small amount of your health each time you kill mobs. So you'll have to actively slash mobs for 5 minutes in order to survive the poison and the mobs. This will require players coordination as everybody should be able to kill mobs to heal themselves. I think this is kinda engaging (afk/not actively playing= death).
  • At the end of the timer of each zones, ennemies stop spawning, but the poison remains so you'll have to quicly decide if you want to take the risk of going for the next zone or go to Pioneer II to end the quest and get the rewards. You can't go back if you go to Pioneer II.
  • If you die you are teleported back to Pioneer II and don't get any reward, but you can replay the quest (so it's punishing but not too much). It doesn't stops others progression, they will have to decide if they can go on without you or stop at the next zone. Scape Dolls does not work.
  • Other hasards like confusion or freeze may happens in later zones.
  • If you finish all 8 zones, you have a choice: if you are fine with your 4 random rewards you can take them and leave, you will have to wait the next day to play the quest again. If you are not satisfied tho, you can hand down your rewards and replay the quest instantly. I think this would give more longevity to the quest and more player choices. You are not guaranteed to get better items anyway. Your time your choice
My only concern with this concept is the use of resta, as a fo spamming resta would virtually annhilate any sense of challenge (unless we can drain TPs too).

Example of possible rewards (totally arbitrary, just to show the sense of progression):
Pool A:
Common : Monomate,
Uncommon: Dimate, Trimate, Moon Atomizer
Rare: Add/slot, Photon Drop, random hit Diska of Bravemen, grinders, materials

Pool B:
Common : Dimate, Trimate, Moon Atomizer
Uncommon: Sol Atomizer, Star Atomizer, grinders, materials
Rare: Add/slot, photon drop, photon crystal, random hit Slicer of Assassin, mesetas,

Pool C:
Common: Sol Atomizer, Star Atomizer
Uncommon: Add/slot, item ticket, mesetas, materials, grinders
Rare: photon drop, photon crystal, random hit weapon, cosmetic item, scape doll


Pool D:
Common: Sol Atomizer, Star Atomizer
Uncommon: Add/slot, photon drop, item ticket, mesetas, grinders, cosmetic item, random hit weapon, scape doll
Rare: photon crystal, photon booster, …
 
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It would be nice to have a quest that only happens during certain parts of the day. I like the idea of having an end game quest but it would imo also neat to have the availability to all players. Although without any exp gained it would also be a necessity for weaker players to be in a party since it would be a lot more difficult with just one or two players. This would be cool either way and maybe it would encourage more people to play multiplayer.
 
There's a game called Path of Exile (great game, go play it) that has an endgame involving collectibles called maps. I would like to see something like that for PSO endgame.

Maps were basically random areas that contained special bosses and mods. PSO could easily have something like this, but introduce scenarios like no healing or something.
 
Some of the rewards sound a little broken, but this is a really cool concept!
 
Hey guys, i'm sorry to see this thread has gone this way.
To clarify, this really is just for fun (not a suggestion in disguise, but i would have posted it in suggestions anyway if i could), it's just how i imagine it theorically if we could make anything we want. Theory crafting if you will.
I can be very wrong on the concept tho, i have no problem with criticism and i invite anyone to share how they imagine themselves a fun, engaging and not broken endgame quest.
I'm not asking to implement this on the server, instead of a suggestion i would like to have a conversation. If the mods feel they have to move this thread then be it, no problem.

Edit: About the resta part, i don't think resta should be disabled, but maybe if the TPs were drained too, Fos would have to manage their TPs/kills ratio, i.e no nuking/resta spam, more tactical use of the simple technics? I imagine it kinda like a Challenge Mode +

Lore wise, we know that Alicia breaks free from the laboratory after we help her in Forest of Sorrow and it is assumed that she continues studying Ragol after that, so while no longer restricted i think she wouldn't get anymore military support. It would then make sense for her to hire hunters as escort in her independent researches on Ragol.
 
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Daily Quest: Don't like, different time zones out in the world.
1-4 Players: Not a problem.
4 Pools of rewards: Not a problem.
Experience: No need to put the time and effort into disabling it. Have it be an extra bonus for the non-200's who play this quest for some odd reason.
Drops Deactivated: So like a beefed up challenge mode where we can't refill our monomates. Sounds doable.
Poison Hazard and Health: Interesting. Gaining health means it'll be the opposite of C-Mode where Damage Cancel is not an issue to worry about. Spam attack to gain health.
End of Zone: A choice to be made.
Replaying quest with other players still moving: I'm not sure how PSO handles things. Any quest or map I've done required a full party reload to reset the mobs.
More hazards: !
The finishing choice: Sure

The obvious conclusion is this quest won't fit the mold of the normal PSO player. Kinda the point of it though. Really, it's up the the individual player to decide how much punishment they want to go through. Like, if we want to do a lot of walking we could play Today's Rate.
 
Thanks for your input @Minsc

The obvious conclusion is this quest won't fit the mold of the normal PSO player. Kinda the point of it though. Really, it's up the the individual player to decide how much punishment they want to go through. Like, if we want to do a lot of walking we could play Today's Rate.
Click to expand...

My thought exactly.

Daily Quest: Don't like, different time zones out in the world.
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What about daily passes? Each day you could claim a pass for the quest so you can play whenever you want or keep the passes for another time. A bit like Halloween cookies

Replaying quest with other players still moving: I'm not sure how PSO handles things. Any quest or map I've done required a full party reload to reset the mobs.
Click to expand...
It would be like halloween cookie quest too, when you die you and only you are kicked out of the party, but your pass would not be consumed so you can make another room.
 
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I like the idea of rare quests being rewarded at random, and this seems like a good concept for that.

If this were my idea to implement, I would keep the base structure how you mentioned, HP & TP Drain, increased monster spawns, no drops.

The only difference I would make is a single player and multi player quest option.

Single player would still award experience, and grant a set amount of points per amount of enemies killed before death. Points would be spent in a randomized shop only available in the quest, that cannot be rolled without getting the item to start the quest again.

Multi would take 2 of the ticket to start the quest, award no experience and 1/3 of the points. Shop would provide a couple of better rewards than the single player would.

I’d want to see it have all episode zones during, if possible, or be Episode 2 only.

All in all this is a cool concept to ponder on ^_^ Thanks for the food for thought!
 
@Ade

I totally get the frustration of no drops, there are probably other way to emulate a survival feeling but i just can't think of anything else challenging right now.

The way i see it tho; you would normaly have your hunts with the traditional quests, and then you would run the endgame quest to help you quickly get pds/%s/grinders for your new toy, plus have a chance at rewards that would normally not drop on those areas.

What would you do to balance the risk/reward of the quest if you had to keep the drops on?
 
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I dunno. I was just sad about possibly seeing a rare enemy and not being able to get a drop. Kinda dumb of a concern I guess if you go into the quest knowing that. Consider it no longer a concern I suppose. Sometimes I'm dumb and I just have to think longer about things.
 
It's all good and it's a legitimate concern.
Don't be sad tho, this will probably never see the light of the day :)
When we think "endgame" everyone knows what they like /dislike, but it's very different from what would work/not work with the game and its economy so i thought it would be interesting to confront our visions.
 
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Reactions: Ade
Spawns need to be randomized so people don't just memorize it and have the 3rd attack or freeze trap spooled up when the next wave comes.


I like the idea of mobs spawning at set intervals. So that if you aren't killing them fast enough you can get overrun. instead of killing all of a wave to spawn the next wave.
 
FuryBull said:
Spawns need to be randomized so people don't just memorize it and have the 3rd attack or freeze trap spooled up when the next wave comes.


I like the idea of mobs spawning at set intervals. So that if you aren't killing them fast enough you can get overrun. instead of killing all of a wave to spawn the next wave.
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Excellent post. It's worth mentioning that randomized spawns take a lot of effort, but IMO, the payoff is worth it since you get an awesome, dynamic experience. The set interval idea's fun too, but if there are too many enemies, it could get taxing on lower-end machines.

Echelon said:
When we think "endgame" everyone knows what they like /dislike, but it's very different from what would work/not work with the game and its economy so i thought it would be interesting to confront our visions.
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Yeah, that's why I suggested taking out stuff that would have a non-trivial effect on the economy and leaving it as just "a really difficult and fun quest". That way, the only debate is over how to make a really difficult and fun quest, and I think more people can give valuable input in that kind of discussion.
 
Okay, what about something like this:

Every two zones, you get a random consumable to help you survive, OR a little something if you are extra lucky...or unlucky.

(% are just placeholders)
Zone 2:
Monomate x1
Dimate x1
Trimate x1
Monofluid x1
Difluid x1
Trifluid x1
Sol Atomizer x1
Joke Item (1% drop chance)
Mono/Di/Tri grinder x1 (10% drop chance)

Zone 4:
Monomate x1
Dimate x1
Trimate x1
Monofluid x1
Difluid x1
Trifluid x1
Sol Atomizer x1
Joke Item (1% drop chance)
Power/Defense/Mind/Evade Material x1 (5% drop chance)

Zone 6:
Monomate x1
Dimate x1
Trimate x1
Monofluid x1
Difluid x1
Trifluid x1
Sol Atomizer x1
Joke Item (1% drop chance)
Photon Drop/Photon Crystal x1 (3% drop chance)

Zone 8:
Daily Pass (100% drop chance)

That way it could still be a bit rewarding at times.
The joke item would be like bad fortune, it's here just to piss you off not getting a trimate :p (but totally optional).
The insentive of getting to the last zone would be to get a new pass immediatly, but if you kept passes from previous days you can choose to ignore this phase and stop at zone 6.
@5 min per zones, 30 minutes of non-stop slashing to get to zone 6 should at least give you a good chance at a photon drop in my opinion.
 
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Ryan said:
Excellent post. It's worth mentioning that randomized spawns take a lot of effort, but IMO, the payoff is worth it since you get an awesome, dynamic experience.
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Assuming it is possible at all. Has there ever been a proof of concept quest showing it in action?
 
Ade said:
I dunno. I was just sad about possibly seeing a rare enemy and not being able to get a drop. Kinda dumb of a concern I guess if you go into the quest knowing that. Consider it no longer a concern I suppose. Sometimes I'm dumb and I just have to think longer about things.
Click to expand...
Maximum Attack S.
 
Let's keep it on topic. I'm going to start handing out warnings for people getting into arguments/derailing threads.

Thanks.
 
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