Missions & Soullight [Draft]

[Neallys]

Hi!


I'm submitting once again to the brainport for ideas regarding Mission and Soullight. I do realize topics were created regarding these (or maybe not, I didn't check the whole forum sub itself). Bear in my mind some of the things I want to change would need a few PvE tweaks:


So I'll do this quick (I always do - that's what she said - OK.):


MISSIONS

• Make a new mission list where the player is able to choose directly which mission is desired
• Scale missions accordingly for their rewards regarding SL points (1 point per easy mission, 5 per very hard. This system can be tweaked to certain missions, I believe getting SL points for Ress mission isn't desirable, but getting them for killing mobs or a more "Involving" type of missions)
• Slightly reduce the advantages from TL150 ress mission to get cash via macroing (the xp should remain unchanged)
• Change rewards from the Hard & Very Hard mob "Kill x.." missions (money-wise/more xp?)

Thoughts behind these ideas are.. Well, doing missions in Neocron is a repetitive royal pain in the ass process. I get the whole RP concept behind having to "get a job", but gameplay-wise, it's probably boring every Neocron player since NC1.


SOULLIGHT


I hear ya. This has been talked to death and there is or was apparently something in motion to change it by the dev team. But I have seen the latest patches and heard about what's going to happen and Soullight wasn't part of it anymore, and that's too bad because I feel like the Soullight system is not right, at all, for the moment, and driving people away from the game so here goes (trying to include ideas I heard with new ones).

• OZ-8 Jailbreak now becomes a "SL leveling area", which means that if you actually do stick around it, you gain SL automatically (People won't be able to go afk and will get the risk of getting killed by people chasing them, thus making it easy as well for bounty hunters)
• Supressing the 3 missions required below -30 SL to actually get Soullight back

These are the main ideas in the top of my head.
Would love to hear if you disagree or think of alternatives.
This is a Draft! I'll also add more ideas myself.

[zooch]

totally agreed, I do play Neocron for pvp and I pvp pretty much everyday.

I can definitely tell there is a problem with the soul light system, I mean seriously, my typical day goes like this :

- I log on

-I fight for 10 minutes, kill 2 characters.

- I go do recycling missions for 2 hours.


This is not normal , people don't wanna log on and play a game in which they will have fun during 10 minutes and will have to repeat a boring task over and over for 2 hours to fix it.

I think Neallys' suggestions are interesting, that would still make people have to do missions to fix their soul light, which is role playing wise respecting the faction system but it would make it a bit faster so they don't deal 10 minutes of fun for 2 hours or boredom !

[Divide]

I agree this system needs a revamp and these are great ideas.

Something that I think any game dev needs to ask themselves in their design process is "is this fun?"
Yes, you want to satisfy the needs of action/consequence. No you don't want the consequence to be so bad that someone doesn't take the action in the first place.

There are a handful of scenarios in NC where people obviously didn't ask "is this fun." The soul light system is one. Research and construction are another. Most of the citycom functionality (especially missions) also qualify. I'm getting myself off topic. Great post OP.

[Torg]

theres really no problem with the soullight system. all you need to do is stop killing F6-friendly chars in non-warzones. but as we all know, most PvP addicts are too lazy to find an OP fight and rather choose to hang out at plaza zone line near you. the game-mechanic-solution would be to add a cellar or stoare area on warzone settings, accessible from plaza, so all lazy PvP players would be able to zone-lame (PvP) from plaza one. i shall add a brainport item on this subject.

[Manuel Moonez]

theres really no problem with the soullight system. all you need to do is stop killing F6-friendly chars in non-warzones. but as we all know, most PvP addicts are too lazy to find an OP fight and rather choose to hang out at plaza zone line near you. the game-mechanic-solution would be to add a cellar or stoare area on warzone settings, accessible from plaza, so all lazy PvP players would be able to zone-lame (PvP) from plaza one. i shall add a brainport item on this subject.

Torg, thank you very much for your wise words. If you cant even check F6 then you deserve to run those recycling missions.
That´s the price to pay. Or at least be honest about your PKing and just leave the SL.

Torg, while i agree with you on almost all aspects, PvP isn´t all bad and i greatly enjoy wasteland skirmishes and outpost fights where sync laming is not an option :P

[Neallys]

I think you are mistaken beteen my posts and the recent actions that has been going on in Neocron. You clearly imply my ideas are close to a "Don't lose SL by killing allies" which isn't the case. Of course if you PK an ally there ought to be dire ramifications, I'm not blaming that, I'm blaming the way/system and time to do it.


1) You do lose SL in some wastelands zones
2) "Street" or Pepper-park PvP isn't a bad thing. Some people like to fight in the wastelands, some don't.
3) How is sync laming not an option in the wastelands? I do PvP in the wastelands on a regular basis, it happens as equally there as in the Pepper-park and Plaza zones.



I would also like to remind you that you can get attacked by a friendly runner, chose to defend yourself and lose Soullight.


Torg: this is a very horrible idea, promoting PvP across the whole Neocron zones and wastelands would actually imply the world is dangerous and you have to handle yourself. Your idea is basically to lure all PvPers into one zone to be left in peace. This isn't what the game intends.

Manuel Moonez: Sync-laming is an option for the defending team of an outpost. People sync or go away when they are about to die, that's only natural. Plus, the F6 table defines your relations with factions, that can't stop you from having enemies in neutral or "friendly" faction, and that is even from a Roleplay point of view. Your world is what you make out of it, and I sincerely don't believe spending 2-3 hours of repetiting missions just for defending yourself is fair. I have fought you and your clan and can say that after time of being there you guys are not capable of offering a real PvP challenge due to the fact you guys never PvP.


The OZ-8 idea would lure the outlaws into a zone where they would have to be to get their soullight back while fighing the bounty hunter. Roleplay-wise it is a perfect idea and gameplay-wise it would make the outlaws in real danger rather than doing safe missions in HQs.

Again, the current system is fine to carebears who are bothered to get killed, but this is Neocron, this isn't Hello Kitty Online. The system is wrong and needs some dire change in terms of time & fun.

[Manuel Moonez]

Neal,
My reply was in regard to what Torg said to Zooch, i didn´t comment on your proposal yet. I do agree with you that the current mission system is borked, and i actually think that your idea of a "leveling zone for SL" where all the criminals go to and have to survive in a hostile "prison" environment to regain their SL is an excellent idea, both from gameplay and roleplay viewpoints. That you have to defend yourself against greens is also a valid point. But you can´t use the argument that all those poor guys who had to defend themselves now suffer bad SL, since it´s usually quite the other way round.

I don´t think that all PKs have to be walled off somewhere to shoot themselves, i just want the system of repercussions to stay the way it is. If you step outside of the law, even in seedy Neocron there are consequences.

I don´t consider going to the UG in an Outpost fight synclaming. It´s supposed to be that the defender has the advantage, and you can stay down there all you like while the attacker just finishes the job outside.

I never said that we are a great PvP clan. We´re mostly new guys or old "new" guys without much PvP experience, myself included. Kudos for sneaking in that little insult tough. Where do you expect all the fresh blood coming from? People have to start somewhere and your cynicism surely won´t bring the game forward.

[Neallys]

Must have misunderstood, sorry for that. I'm not questioning the possibility of your skills actually rising, I'm jut saying I have never seen or fought against a member of 17th in the wastelands or inside Neocron in a non-OP context. I would fairly call you a good PvP clan as you bother trying to do it. I just wish people would go and fight, instead we are stuck in a utterly boring system where the SL system is driving people away.


I also see an argument a lot these days which is "This is Summer, people don't play on Summer." which I find slightly ironic considering everyone is just playing other games.

I wouldn't mind for the SL lost to be even greater actually, but getting it back shouldn't be the way it is. I would also like to say this isn't even "an upcoming idea", I consider this to be of urgent matter and needs to be changed ASAP.

[Trivaldi]

• Supressing the 3 missions required below -30 SL to actually get Soullight back

Can you expand on this? It could be a lack of caffeine but I don't get this bit...

To clear it up, improving the SL/FS system is still on the map.

[Neallys]

Can you expand on this? It could be a lack of caffeine but I don't get this bit...

To clear it up, improving the SL/FS system is still on the map.

When one hits -31 SL, it requires him to do 3 missions, either it is very easy or very hard to get 1 SL point.

Edit: as an example, a -100SL character would have to do approximately 460 missions to get back to 100 SL.

[Manuel Moonez]

Neal,
Don´t worry about it. Getting the clan up to speed is actually our top priority right now. We only have 4 active players with fight ready characters. I try to bring the other members fight ready by helping them level, organize and hand out our rares and do the occasional Anarchy Breed mission to help them get into the CM faction (that´s quite an issue too, but apparently being worked on right now).

What you say about the whole "It´s Summer issue" is spot on in my eyes. But i think everybody has his own reasons for neglecting NC-I don´t think the solo guys or PvE guys mind it that much. When i was soloing NC i just used to stop playing for a year and when the withdrawal got too high i just returned, but now i actually have a reason to stick around.

In the end, you can´t force people to like streetfighting. There is probably a bigger crowd interested in regular opfights than random fights, but that´s my opinion. I take it with a pinch of sportsmanship and never moan about it, because i agree with you that Neocron is a hostile world.

Giving people a window of 30 Minutes or so to visit their tormentors in prison should fix all that tough.

[Trivaldi]

Now it makes sense, thanks.

Regarding the rest of the thread, some good points. We hope to make progress in this area Soon™.

I'd be interested in seeing further feedback from the rest of the community.

[Torg]

Torg: this is a very horrible idea, promoting PvP across the whole Neocron zones and wastelands would actually imply the world is dangerous and you have to handle yourself. Your idea is basically to lure all PvPers into one zone to be left in peace. This isn't what the game intends.

please dont mistake me. i dont think theres a problem with free PvP in warzones and RP-related PvP in other zones. that cellar for kids to play was solely meant to replace the plaza 2 zone-laming, SL-burning inner-city backyard with a place more PvP-friendly. and yes, having to waste the best nights of your youth for regaining SL after one weakly-thought-over kill is just fine.

[hatmankh]

I think our SL system is missing a vitally important element and that's who shot first, without the game being able to know that the system will never be truly fair.

I have a feeling adding that is bound to be either very difficult or impossible without severely messing up other parts of the game, I hope I'm wrong about that.