How to make Neocron great again.
LE chips... some players hate them, some players refuse to remove them. LEs were more punishing in NC1; more people took them out. There was a lot more pvp while leveling and a lot more danger. Players looked over their shoulders, traveled through unconventional routes and leveled in the middle of nowhere to escape death. It was a lot more dangerous and players formed more alliances simply out of need for protection. More people joined clans. The player politics were more interesting and the game was more difficult, more risky and more exciting... at least for me.
The Neocron city was designed to protect the people from the Wasteland. This quote is from the beginning of the Neocron 1 trailer:
Quote:
"Global pollution, excessive wars and a perforated atmosphere have turned the planet into an almost lifeless sphere of toxic mud. Radiation is everywhere and most animals have either gone extinct or have mutated into bizarre monstrous creatures. The remnants of mankind seek protection from the desolate, scorched world and gathered behind the protective walls of giant cities."
I remember my first time opening the doors at Neocron's Outzone Station exit. I saw the Wasteland for the first time this way, there was no MC5 back then. I was afraid of what I might encounter out there. By leaving the "protective walls" of Neocron, I was choosing to leave that protection behind.
Can you guess where I'm going with this? Please hear me out, because while these changes are radical, I believe this would improve the experience for all players, including those who don't want to get ganked.
I propose the following:
LE chips no longer function in the Wasteland.
LE chips function normally in Neocron, Outzone, TH, MB, TG Canyon, and all connected dungeons.
LE money and xp malus removed.
LE can be re-implanted at any level. Takes an hour.
Safezones removed.
Outzone, main sewers, storages, side-streets, cellars, every leveling area that is connected to a city gets revamped. LEs keep players safe in all of these zones. More and higher level mobs added, including bosses that drop tech parts (similar to say, Chaos Queen). Farming in the Wastelands would still get you tech parts faster.
This accomplishes the following:
#1 Players will use more of the game's content. Most runners will start leveling up in the city and Outzone. It’ll be risky leveling at Regants, Elfarid, or CRP, so runners will go to Graves, Hazard Worms, DoY Tunnels, Worm Tunnels, Swamp caves, etc. Runners will sneak out of the city through the secret passages or use venture-warp, fearing being spotted by an enemy at the city exit.
#2 Neocron city feels more like a protected place. Leaving the city becomes a more significant choice, with significantly higher risk and reward. The Wasteland becomes a lawless, desolate, and dangerous place; gaining the reputation it deserves. The whole dynamic between the two areas becomes black and white, making both feel more accurately represented.
#3 Players work together more. When you must overcome the dangers of pvp, players join clans (can’t do that with an LE in!), they form alliances, they offer each other protection.
#4 Outzone, the Main Sewer, the side streets, cellars, they all get more and better spawns. Some of the coolest and least explored places in Neocron suddenly have runners exploring them. The deeper you go, the higher level the mobs and dungeons become. There is a lot of content there, and it's a damn shame that people skip it.
#5 Pvp can happen anywhere, including Plaza 1, faction HQs, and bars/clubs. The pvpers will be absolutely thrilled. Tons of people will want to come back and play again.
#6 If you want to put your LE back in go ahead. There will even be a distinct contrast between the LEd citizens and those who take it out. LE players will witness lots more pvp and may gain interest.
I want to reiterate that these changes give all players, including LE players more content. Right now, all the noobs are down at Regants or Elfarid with an LE in, grinding their eyes out, many of them even afk. That is bullshit; they should be playing the game.
If this thread should be in Brainport, please move it. I just figure that since we're such a small community, the discussion might get more people involved here.
