Good game design for happier players

This is said with constructive optimism in mind, it's supposed to sound like "here's what I wish..." not "this is bad bad bad." That said...

I was reading the New Yorker as I usually do, and came across a Psychology of Inequality article that related so much to EQ2 players, that it made me come here and mention how I wish this game were designed. Feldon's talked about game design being not quite right, but I'm not sure I'm thinking the same he is. So here's how I wish PoP had happened. I'm limiting what I talk about to PoP because that's where we are at endgame.

Here's the alternate universe and what it looks like... in my ideal alternate universe...

1. You go pick up your free gear and equip it.
--------------> and you get free Resolve 15 equipment for your merc too, which is plate regardless of what you wear, plus accolades (does it ruin the game? no, you can craft better, you can get better with quests and faction... etc)

2. You finish a faction and later finish the signature quest. If you are playing a main, then you finish all three factions. During this process both you and your merc get upgrades.

3. You still need some upgrades either MC crafted or dropped. The Duo's actually work for a 20 minute run (each, not total) with two people while you're wearing quested gear. You upgrade to some duo, and some solo gear from dungeons. You seek out the two or three (not more) sources of adornments and buffs. You do not need to be an insider into the secret hiding places of good buffs and gear. Not that hidden upgrades don't exist, just that for the main part, the only benefit is a slightly higher parse. It will still be fun to know about, just not required.

4. *** at this point you are fully functional, not undergeared, for Heroics *** This is what's missing. Tanks too, if they get this far, then they do NOT lose aggro against anyone but a careless raider. Without this tank logic/mechanic, it is pointless to have the trinity strategy system (ie. tank, heals, dps). This point in play means you've "done your job/homework" and are ready to help. This also assumes you've done at least a minimal amount of infusing, and if you're wearing MC armor, then it's refined (and refined is relevant), plus you've done a bit of experimenting.

This also assumes that you can judge if you're ready by some basic indicators like health, resolve, and potency. Although right now it looks like potency is irrelevant unless it's low, and fervor is the new potency. Maybe that's an artifact of being an old game. I'm not criticizing the math, just the difficulty of knowing if you're "cooked yet" or still raw.

5. Next, you gear up in heroics.

6. Once all but a couple items are swapped in Heroics, you are ready for Events/Challenge. Not in a marginal way, but fully functioning.

7. Rinse and repeat for tier 1 raids, if you choose to do that.

Not having this progression is what's destroying the social game. If you have no confidence you stay home, if you are overconfident, people get mad at you. Why? Because, we're forever playing "am I good enough?" catch-up, and don't have good indicators of being "ready" for new levels of play. In fact there are mini games (PGs) solely for the purpose of playing this catching up game.

Casual players, if you quiz them, would miss several questions regarding Combat Mit, Fervor, Resolve, potency, etc.. But not because they don't care. It's because the game has changed so much and it's hard to keep all that in mind. So they go to the forums and ask questions and are greeted with the inevitable troll or three that's ready to tell them "you've badly geared..." or "if you don't bother to do X, why should we care?" etc. Those players didn't ask to have their worth evaluated, they asked a question. They didn't intentionally gear badly, they don't know how. It's not like there's a manual that's updated every expansion with how to gear up. Well there is on my server, you just have to go to the broker because people write books but not an official one.

Come to think of it, there really should be a gearing guide to every expac and I'm surprised that until eq2library did it, I didn't see one before. However, it wouldn't help much because many people see it and they wait until the next expac to test the waters again. Are disappointed again... and repeat...

I have this idea that maybe the developers think they need to make the game "harder" so that people are motivated to group. But it's having the opposite effect. The ante has become too high.

 

I couldn't agree with this more. The disparity between the hardcore min/maxers and the casual player is larger than ever. Add in the games steadily declining population and lack of regular pugs' and pur's and the casual player is pretty much out of the game as far as realistic end game advancement.

Most casual players, myself included, don't have endless hours to mindlessly grind proving grounds or dungeons to get adorns etc. Nor do most casual players, myself included, want to spend lots of $$$ upgrading ascended spells that otherwise take eons to research and components of which rarely drop in game.

Do I expect to be on the same level stat wise as those $$$ spenders, mindless grinders, and raiders? No, of course not. Then again, should a casual player have to do all of the aforementioned things to at least be ready to participate in end game? I don't think so and I remember that not long ago, as a casual player, you didn't have the same hurdles that currently exist as a precursor to reaching end game.

If there are players that are content with the current state of the game, including paying full price for half of an expansion and the limited and often poor communication from the EQ2 team, then all I can say is god bless them and good luck. I have been playing this game since launch and I have spent more money supporting it than I care to remember. I have always been passionate about it and made it my go to game, but I have personally reached my tolerance limit and that makes me sad. I would ten times rather be talking about how great the game is or how much I feel appreciated by the EQ2 team. Sadly, that isn't the case.

 

Imagine trying to balance a dungeon in this expansion!

 

Silly logic will have no effect on Dev powers. Puny human.