• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

Improvement Suggestions

Pinco

UOEC Modder
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Basically after the latest changes, Tokuno, Ilshenar and ML areas have greatly lost their importance. Here is some suggestions on how revamp them

- ML QUESTS
Those quests are useless almost since the beginning except the ones to obtain runic kits and recipes. Then the recipes suddenly became easy to find in treasures and runic kit for bowcraft and carpentry are almost useless (except for crafting fishing rods) due to the introduction of imbuing.

To revamp this system few easy thing are necessary

1) change the treasure bag and strongbox items.

BOTH change the items with the new shame loot item system in order to give a sense to these quests. Treasure bags should have lesser items, strongbox up to legendary artifacts (the quest for strongbox usually are pretty hard).

treasure bags: this bags should have (other than lesse items), some gems and rarely a special reagent like a greater gem or essence.

strongbox: this box are pretty hard to get and the greater part of the quest can be done only once per character, so should contain something valuable. The basic idea other than randomly get a legendary artifact, is to get the special resources of imbuing (like daemon claw, faery dust, etc...) 1 to 5 of 1 kind and rarely ML resources like taint, corruption, blight, etc...

2) Runic Kits

Bowcraft, Tailoring and Carpentry should have a new kit like Dragon Scales Sewing kit (tailoring) and Frostwood tool (bowcraft and carpentry), rare as the valorite hammer and with the same intensities, so the crafters have the chance to get something nice again.

Also would be nice to get through heartwood tinkering quests a set of tinker runic kit with the same type and intensity of the blacksmith ones, this just to allow players to craft jewels with special properties.

Another important change would be to add inscriptions questsbod system to get some special inscription tools:

slightly enchanted pen: grants 1 additional properties to the exceptionally crafted spellbooks (low intensity - 50 uses)

strongly enchanted pen: grants 1-2 additional properties to the exceptionally crafted spellbooks (medium intensity - 30 uses)

ancient scribe's pen: grants 1-3 additional properties to the exceptionally crafted spellbooks (high intensity - 15 uses)

The inscription quests should be based on the player magery and inscription in order to get top quests (for top rewards) only to the scribes with 120 magery and 100 inscription.
The item requires should be:

- EASY QUESTS - worst reward
50 scrolls (random type)
10 spellbook (random type)
10 runebook
10 bod book

- MEDIUM QUESTS - nice reward
100 scrolls (random type)
1 full spellbook (random type)
50 runebooks
50 bod book

- HARD QUESTS - top rewards
500 scrolls (random type)
20 full spellbooks (random type)
5 scrapper's compendium
a spellbook with 1 specific property

3) Return stolen goods quests reward with honesty virtue gains.


- TOKUNO

This land is abandoned, unless they don't do more Tokuno 50 we're screwed again! and this will mean that the tokuno creatures are all kleptomaniac, or they can just take a new way

Add something like paragon in tokuno and then give a little chance to drop a random clean lessergreater artifact and a random chance to drop paragon chests.
There are also many deco items that would be nice to have around that can be drop by those creatures...


- ILSHENAR

Paragon artifacts became obsolete so the system I suggested for tokuno should work well to replace the old artifacts with random clean lessergreater artifact. Here we should have different deco items from Tokuno in order to keep the facet rewards different.


- Puzzles

there are many puzzle around and the rewards are too few to gather the people attention.

Abyss Puzzles nice puzzles, but should have more rewards and should be doable more often than once per day. Since there are no more sots as reward, 1 hour of cooldown should be enough...

Khaldun since this area was born to be a great puzzle, should be improved in order to be more labyrinthic.

Basically this area need blocked corridors that can be opened only by solving puzzles that becames more complex while reaching the middle.
Failing to solve the puzzle should summon a monster always harder every failure that disappears when the player has been killed. The puzzle should be blocked until the monster has not been defeated.

In the middle of the labyrinth you should find a big contraption that must be rebuild an then you can solve the final puzzle that gives you a random reward and teleport you out. The final reward should be a cool deco item like a 2 story talking statue, wall carving, etc... or rare resources in big stack like 100 taint (obviously this should be a rare reward).

Here is my design for the labyrinth mechanic:



The green arrow mark the entrance, and the star the final puzzle to solve in order to get the reward.

The red lines marks the door.

If you enter and you are in party all the party member will be asked if they want to come with you.

The entrance room have an easy puzzle that you must solve in 10 minutes or you will be kicked off.

Noone can enter until there is someone at the entrace.

There can be only 1 party per room, so if 1 possible room around you have someone inside, that path is locked. If all the paths around you are locked you must wait until the others have moved forward.

You can't log out inside the labyrinth, if you log out and you don't back in game within 2 minutes, you will be kicked off.

Once you entered the exit the exit is blocked and the only way to get out is completing the final puzzle or by typing the phrase I Surrender.
In any case if you get out you can't enter for at least 1 hour.

In any room you can find ancient corpses that uses to have "ancient gold coins". Those coins can be obtained by completing puzzles in the various rooms.

You can ask for "Help" in any room, then a "Greedy Ghost" will arrive. To get a tip you must pay 500 ancient gold coins, to be resurrected you must pay 5k ancient gold coins. The only ancient gold coins counted are the one in your backpack (or in your corpse).

If you die there is no way to be resurrected (except asking for help), so the point is to survive and have a strong party to support you.

Everytime you enter a room all the doors will automatically lock around you, and you have to solve a random puzzle to get a random door open.

The door you unlock not necessarily lead you near the final puzzle. The door is simply a random one, the rest is a matter of real luck D

Everytime you fail to solve the room puzzle a monster will spawn, and became stronger at every failure. The Guardian strenght will not reset at each room so it can became REALLY strong lately in the game.

The Guardian skills starts at 30 skills and with 100 hp and 15 all res, then will grow by 100 hp, +10 skill and +2 all res per level (every failure). It can be discorded.
The skill can't go over 200 and the res can't go over 100.
There could be 4 skill set Mage, Necromancer, Warrior, Bard. At higher level 2 new set will unlock sampire and mystic mage.
The Guardian provides ancient gold coins based on the level: 30 per level

The room puzzles

- Numeric contraption
you see a console in the middle of the room. Using the console will open a gump that ask you to enter some values.
To know this values you have only few elements the result and the operation between each value.
The numbers must be chosen between 20-30 provided by the mini game.
In short you must complete the equation to get the provided result.
High intelligence allows you to receive some tips.

- Riddle puzzle
a statue in the middle of the room ask you to solve a riddle.
The riddle can be one of many, and the difficulty stays in the fact that the text can be provided in a non-english language.
For example can be written in the gargoyle or orc language, so it requires to be decoded first, and the answer must be provided in the same language.
Having evaluating intelligence allows you to recognize the language and a higher level automatically translate the text

- Repair the contraption
a box in the middle of the room contain 20-40 pieces, you must use the pieces in the right order in a pedestal in order to assemble the contraption that will open the way.
Having tinkering allows you to receive some tips while using the pieces.

- Memory contraption
several tiles flashing around you, and you must repeat the colors in the exact sequence in a console placed in the middle of the room.
The mini game starts with 1 colors and ends at 20.
Having lockpicking allows to automatically complete the 10 to 50% of the sequence (based on skill level).

- Alchemy game
the door is already open, but a big pool of acid water blocks your path. A box of reagents is placed near you and you must use the special mortar to prepare the right mixture to let you walk in the water without being killed.
The mixture can be
* Acid: increase the acidity in the water and you will need to prepare double dose of the right mixture to fix it.
* Explosive: if you use it, it will explode in your face.
* Toxic: using it will create poisonous gas for 10 seconds in the room.
* Pure: this will fix the water
Using taste id on each ingredient will give you some tips.
Having an high alchemy skill will reveal the effect of the mixture.

- Crumbled room
the room has all the doors blocked by rubbles. If you have more than 100 strength you will be able to double click the rubble and move them to open the way. If you don't have enough strength, you must use a pickaxe (found on the ground) to open a path through the rubbles. The mining skill reduces the digging time.
This room is the only one that allows you to open a door at your choice.

- Flaming room
when you enter the whole perimeter will goes on fire and hidden in the area there are several flame traps. You must find the path to the only unlocked door without being killed by the flames. Detecting hidden allows you to see the traps location, the chance to reveal a trap is equal to the skill level, so 100 skill = all the traps around you are visible.

- Mystery room
in this room you find a mysterious corpse in the middle and 4 statues on the middle of each room's wall. In the corpse you'll find a journal with the introduction story and 4 questions listed.
All this should be a story of an ancient murder and the statues represents the suspects.
You can ask 2 of the 4 question to the 4 statues, if you think the statues is lying, you can say: "LIE" and if you are right you get another answer that can be the truth or another lie... If you are not right and the statue was saying the truth, you cannot ask anymore questions to it.
Based on the answer you receive, you must accuse one of the 4 statues of murder, and if is really guilty the door will unlock.
If you fail the mini game will reset.
Forensics will automatically identify if the statue is lying or not, the higher the skill, the higher is the chance of identify lies. 100 skill = 70% chance.

- Dark room
in this room you night sight spell and potions doesn't works and it's totally dark. You can find a lantern on the ground and it's the only thing working.
In this darkness you must find 5 objects:
- Lantern (a must to start the game)
- 3 levers (in the right order)
- unlocked door (unlocked after using the levers) to get into the next room.
All the objects have no name and should not be visible with ctrl+shift.
Failing here could generate a really hard fight against the guardian.
Camping increase the light range of the lantern.
0 camping: you can see only the tile in the direction you are faced.
100 camping: you can see 4 tiles in the direction you are faced and 1 tiles all around you.

- Final Contraption

The area should be a giant blood lake with 4 little islands and 1 big island for the final game.
To reach the final game you must solve 4 mini games in order to open 4 bridge to pass through 4 small island.
The blood around all the islands are not safe at all, sometimes the harrower tentacles may spawn and attacks you.
The 4 mini games are the following:

- Perfect time: a series of trap opens and close quckly. You must pass through without die. At the other side of the traps there is a lever to open the bridge.
Using Remove Traps on one of those traps, gives you a chance to block it. 100 skill = 50%.

- Shadows Path: a lot of tiles separates you from the next lever. Step on the wrong tile will greatly damage you (like the solen acid). Only the darker tiles are safe (hard to see).
Having stealth allows you to see better the right tiles.

- Cursed: 10 cursed people roaming this island, and one of them has removed the lever. Kill all 10 the cursed to recover the lever and open the bridge. These cursed have a chance to morph into ancient lich on death.

- Kill the ghost: since you reach the last bridge before the treasure, the Greedy Ghost became jealous and wants to kill you. On the ground you'll find a special mace that must be used to crush all the bones in the island.
To kill the ghost you must destroy all the bones that belongs to his body. You can't harm the ghost, but he can harm you and also is able to summon an harrower tentacle.

After killing the ghost you finally open the last bridge and reach the final game.
Here the "Help" command do not works anymore and if you die you (and your corpse) will be kicked off.

To start the final game you must take all the tiles from a box and place in the right position in order to complete an image (15 x 15 tiles).
After completing the image, the Guardian (a level stronger of the last you face) appears and attacks you. When you defeat him, you can gather a key from his corpse and open the chest with your prize.
The prize should be 1-2 deco items (the coolest ones available, also in deed). If you drop your ancient gold coins into the chest, they became a random gems and greater gems.

After collecting your reward you can say "I Won" to be brought out of the dungeon.



For now that's all :D
Obviously there still a lot of space for improvements :p
 

Gorbs

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I think you have some good suggestions here. As for the cooldown on puzzles, I don't understand why instead of a 24 hour timer it doesn't just reset at server down. I'd be fine with reducing the timer as well though for some puzzles.
 

Mervyn

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
How about making the game less complicated instead of alienating new players more and more, which these suggestions would be, just more straws to break the new player's pack horses back.
 
R

RavenWinterHawk

Guest
You put a lot of thought in it. One problem is that your rewards can be purchased via vendors (eventually). Why is that important? A lot of what you suggests are quests and puzzles that get you a prize. Eventualy they rewards saturate the market (typically in weeks). Im personally not intereted doing things to get those things. Its to static and linear for me. I just by the rewards that interest me.

I am looking for something like the maze you created that when I walk in, it is random. The paths change. I cant recall to spots. There are no rinse and repeat tasks. I explore, find, die, enjoy.
 

Xalan Dementia

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
some great ideas! I was also thinking they could spice up the Cities as well, after all the dungeon revamping.

Perhaps good and evil quest givers that ask for your assistance.
Not so much like the current (Kill x return and recieve Y) quests but something perhaps similar to the olden days of UO. Where if ya slip a Npc a few coins they tell you where a magic item or treasure is located? (old days theyd just give a vague direction where it was though)

Good Quest giver example:
You approach the NPC and it starts talking about a lost pet.

You dbl click the NPC and open the quest dialog. It seems the NPC's pet has been stolen! A group of Orcish thugs attacked the NPC and made off with their pet "Sprinkles"

The npc suggests the orcs took the animal to their camp southwest of town. (Each time quest is done, the camp of baddies could spawn in another spot.)

Player would then head out and find the camp, here they could be given the chance to be evil as the head Orc speaks to you, saying if you look the other way on the stolen pet, the orc will give you a reward. (could have fun with it and have the stolen pet be a Reptalon or something aggressive and when you approach the camp the pet is killing the orcs, youd then have some item from the NPC that would "calm" the pet and make it follow you home.)

sorry for the scatterbrain style of my example heh. but basically sayin we could use some RP quests that aren't as cut and dry as the existing quests.
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Perhaps good and evil quest givers that ask for your assistance.
Not so much like the current (Kill x return and recieve Y) quests but something perhaps similar to the olden days of UO. Where if ya slip a Npc a few coins they tell you where a magic item or treasure is located? (old days theyd just give a vague direction where it was though)

Good Quest giver example:
You approach the NPC and it starts talking about a lost pet.

You dbl click the NPC and open the quest dialog. It seems the NPC's pet has been stolen! A group of Orcish thugs attacked the NPC and made off with their pet "Sprinkles"

The npc suggests the orcs took the animal to their camp southwest of town. (Each time quest is done, the camp of baddies could spawn in another spot.)

Player would then head out and find the camp, here they could be given the chance to be evil as the head Orc speaks to you, saying if you look the other way on the stolen pet, the orc will give you a reward. (could have fun with it and have the stolen pet be a Reptalon or something aggressive and when you approach the camp the pet is killing the orcs, youd then have some item from the NPC that would "calm" the pet and make it follow you home.)

sorry for the scatterbrain style of my example heh. but basically sayin we could use some RP quests that aren't as cut and dry as the existing quests.
I like this idea that would add in a quest system that matched more the old style of UO and offers player choice which is always nice.
 

soze

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
would love to see the thief get some love....a new system, new stealables, new places to steal....
 

Warpig Inc

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The BOD reward system, Marty Ilsh and add tuko ones for the turn in), Arty (doom), Abyss should of had 4 or 6 month rotation of a few items from their list.

Don't even have to stretch the mind much. Marty/Arty drop could of been any random piece of gear with a unique name that has 550 - 600 points Imbuing weight. BOD reward runic with one charge that an item can be made and choice of mod based on the runics weight. Different count PoF based on the reward level.


Besides Tink Runic making jewels there is the weapons. Add in Brass Knuckles with mods for the wrestlers. Or even Spiked Leather Gloves.

The dredged items having the Shame style mods.
 

Xalan Dementia

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
warpig makes some good ideas too.
especially the Tiered PoF's and the Dregded items having shame style mods. Maybe they can add the shame mods to dredged and Tmap loot with the next release of revamps?
 

Erigo

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Pinco, I really am glad I never played D&D with you as the Dungeon Master :)
 
Top