I really hope this idea is implemented. I've wandered around there a couple times and it really is a nice zone.
I definitely think you are right in that Mr. Jones should tell you about the Job Center upon completion of the starter mission. I also would even say that all of the text currently in the JobCenter NPCs should be rewritten.
The text both has weird things:
- To girl behind the counter: "Hi can you tell me about this place?" Reply: "Check the JobTerms."
- To guy behind the counter: "Can I join you and a group of friends?" (Kinda weird to say to a stranger who is at work. lol)
And incorrect things:
- "The LE reduces skills for certain tools etc"
Having all NPCs types (even the workers in the cubicles) potentially be a part of a mission received there would be nice. No one in there should say the default, "Get lost wanker" I think.
The CA guards may need to be removed so that anti-city players can use the zone without being killed. (It's a safezone anyway, so no need for protection from guards).
Having the missions send players to lesser-used zones I also think is a good idea, like Industrial-A etc.
One final thought:
In some existing missions, such as CST/RES missions, the NPC in the HQ which you need to speak with is decided randomly. Maybe this concept could be applied to these larger missions as well, encompassing existing NPCs that are actually intended for other existing epic missions. For example maybe as a part of these JobCenter missions, it was randomly decided that you needed to deliver something to Thompson in Garriot's in P-2, or Hontoka in Industrial-A, or maybe for the later ones, Matt Tronstett or Susan in Point Red.. something like that. (of course it shouldn't include ALL npcs that are way out in random wasteland sectors)
The point being to re-use existing NPCs to make the world seem maybe a bit more alive.. like, if I ever meet an NPC (like Hontoka in Industrial-A) and he says the generic "go away" message, I already know for a fact that he will only ever speak to me during his epic mission. Having to deliver (or receive) something generic from him during a newbie JobCenter quest, and then visiting him again later during an epic, might be kind of cool for a new player.
I'm not sure if that last thing is possible, but either way I'd like to see the JobCenter be the source of nice (and rewarding) missions, too.