I am wondering if (and maybe hoping that) the next UO expansion is going to be similar to what World of Warcraft is doing. Blizzard is focusing on a complete overhaul of the old world. As WOW evolved you can really tell the difference between the content the game launched with and what the two expansions added.
In UO this is even more pronounced. We've had 8 expansions. There is literally no reason to hunt in most of the original dungeons. The magic loot is terrible and there are no special drops aside from the 10th anniversary items which are sort of a gimmick. With Stygian Abyss there is a vast array of crafting resources dropping on all creatures. There is going to be a need to hunt all these things essentially forever.
Does anyone remember the Lich? That used to be the monster to hunt for loot. No one hunts liches anymore. Put Blackmoor back on Liches and make it useful. There, now you have a reason to hunt Liches.
There is also the whole quest system added with Mondain's Legacy. The bulk of quests are added to completely new areas. How many quests can you find in UO's largest city of Britain? Five, maybe eight? Go to Heartwood and there are two or three dozen. Quests are something that could bring new life into forgotten cities.
Another new system in Stygian Abyss is the mini-champions. There are a dozen of those spawns in Stygian Abyss and none in the original lands. What if one or two were added to every dungeon. That would certainly help bring traffic back to them.
I think this would be the perfect time to focus on an expansion where as much of the original world is gone over and stuffed full of the new content. Systems such as Boating, Fishing and Treasure Hunting will never get the overhaul they need unless it is expansion based.
In UO this is even more pronounced. We've had 8 expansions. There is literally no reason to hunt in most of the original dungeons. The magic loot is terrible and there are no special drops aside from the 10th anniversary items which are sort of a gimmick. With Stygian Abyss there is a vast array of crafting resources dropping on all creatures. There is going to be a need to hunt all these things essentially forever.
Does anyone remember the Lich? That used to be the monster to hunt for loot. No one hunts liches anymore. Put Blackmoor back on Liches and make it useful. There, now you have a reason to hunt Liches.
There is also the whole quest system added with Mondain's Legacy. The bulk of quests are added to completely new areas. How many quests can you find in UO's largest city of Britain? Five, maybe eight? Go to Heartwood and there are two or three dozen. Quests are something that could bring new life into forgotten cities.
Another new system in Stygian Abyss is the mini-champions. There are a dozen of those spawns in Stygian Abyss and none in the original lands. What if one or two were added to every dungeon. That would certainly help bring traffic back to them.
I think this would be the perfect time to focus on an expansion where as much of the original world is gone over and stuffed full of the new content. Systems such as Boating, Fishing and Treasure Hunting will never get the overhaul they need unless it is expansion based.