A Bunch of Ideas
Here are a number of ideas for Horizons: Empires of Istaria which could enhance game play and might help bring in some new blood for the game.
Dragon Adventure Ideas:
Dragons cap out much too quick and stagnate thereafter. I’ve had my main dragon at 100 Adv, 100 Dragon Craft and 100 Lair for over 5 years.
Dragon Adventure Specialists:
Once a dragon hits 100 Adventure and is ancient, the dragon can choose one of a number of specialties.
Dragon Battlemaster:
The dragon Battlemaster focuses on melee skills. They get a moderate increase in Tooth and Claw every level. Stat increases are as follows per level: +5 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +3 Power, +2 Focus, +3 T&C, +1 Primal, +1 Breath, +15 HP
Dragon Elementalist:
The dragon Elementalist gains access to new spells and new spell spheres. They get Energy, Flame, Ice, Stone, and Nature damaging spells. Stat increases are as follows per level: +5 Power, +4 Focus, +3 Dexterity, +2 Strength, +5 Ice Magic, Fire Magic, Nature Magic, Energy Magic, +1 Primal, +1 Breath, +1 T&C
Dragon Defender:
The dragon Defender gains access to new defensive and healing spells and spheres. They get Life healing spells and the Gifts list. Stat increases are as follows: +5 Power, +4 Focus, +3 Dexterity, +2 Strength, +5 Life Magic, +2 Primal, +1 Breath, +1 T&C
Dragon Fury:
The dragon Fury becomes a master of his breath weapons. They gain a number of new breath weapon types. Stat increases are as follows: +5 Power, +4 Dexterity, +3 Strength, +2 Focus, +3 Breath , +1 Primal, +1 T&C
New Breath Weapon Types:
Spitfire 1-5: Ranged Single Target Breath weapon attack utilized for pulling.
Noxious Breath 1-5: Breath weapon that does poison damage over time and reduces stats
Exploding Breath 1-5: Ranged Breath weapon that explodes on impact with target
Elemental Manipulation: Changes the element all breath weapons used while a set Elemental Manipulation buff is up (Primal, Fire, Lightning, Ice, Poison, Life).
Healing Breath 1-5: A breath that heals the target and everyone close to the target for hp = 10%-50% the dragon’s breath weapon skill.
Dragon Advancement:
Once a dragon reaches 100 in their specialty class, they can become a Dragon Ascendant (Another RoP quest line that grants the following increases: Land Speed +10, Velocity +25, All Stats +100, All Adv Skills +100, All Craft Skills +100,) Each step of the quest formula that allows the creation of a T6 armor piece that can hold 4 techniques. Dragon will need to craft a complete set including weapon claws with specific techs demanded by the RoP quest giver in order to complete the quest. In the final stage of the quest, the player takes all the pieces and crafts into a Dragon Statue which he will then activate and have to fight (Opponent has all the same abilities and statistics as the player while wearing the T6 armor) If player dies, he will have to re-craft all the pieces and try again.
Lair and Plot Ideas:
Plot Resource works: It would be nice to be allowed to build resource spots on plots. They could be T1-T6 just like other resource locations, could also be small, medium, or large. They would re-spawn resources at a set rate. This would never really replace the need to go farm elsewhere, because it would be relatively limited in the number of resources harvestable per time period.
Lair Resource Rooms: Same as the Plot Resource Works, the lair resource rooms would provide resources from T1 through T6. Each would be the same relative size as the same Tier workshop. Each room would have but 1 entrances on opposing sides for each level (with rotation, could attach to any location) The Mine and Quarries would be a hole in ground with rotating ramp to the bottom. The Essence Chamber could have a misty effect with moisture laden walls.
Plot Ramparts: Ramparts are like walls, but are wider. This allows a ramp up the side to have players walk on the ramparts.
Plot Signposts: Signposts are like Banners, but when you click on the signpost, it gives a customizable message (Allows guild members to be informed what goes into which silo)
Defensive Turrets: There would be a number of different types of Defensive Turrets higher tiers have greater range.
Ballista Turret (Small Wall segment that holds 1 slot in it. Inside are stored Ballista Bolts (T1-6 up to the Tier of the Ballista Turret. The turret fires on any enemy npc’s in range) Higher tier ammo does more damage.
Catapault Turret (Small Wall segment that holds 1 slot in it. Inside are stored Catapaul Stones (T1-6 up to the Tier of the Ballista Turret. The turret fires on any enemy npc’s in range) Higher tier ammo does more damage. Higher tier ammo does more damage.
Spell Turret (Small Wall Segments that hold 2 slots in them. Slot 1 holds a crafted attack spell formula. Slot 2 holds a Stack of Spell Crystals. The Defensive Turret casts the spell on any enemies that come within range as long as there are Spell Crystals in the Turret to power the spells. Turrets hold the same amount of storage as a warehouse, but can only hold the spell crystals in the stackable slot. The spell formula is only removable by the owner of the plot._
Buffing Towers: Small Towers that hold 2 slots in them. Slot 1 holds a crafted buffing spell formula. Slot 2 holds a Stack of Spell Crystals. Also there is a button on it that activates the Tower, casting that Buff formula on the person who clicks on the button. The spell formula is only removable by the owner of the plot.
Spell Plaque: Like the Buffing Tower, a Spell Plaque takes the same space in a lair as a mural. Everything else is the same as a Buffing Tower.
Plot Portals: Each Portal can be bound once it’s created and will take the user to a set portal pad. It holds 1 stackable slot for Spell Crystals which powers it. T1 portals can go to a Starting Towns. T2 Portals can go to a main racial cities and your guild’s plot areas. T3-T6 Portals can go to the different tiered locations. The owner can only set portals to pads he’s attuned to.
Lair Portals: These are the same as plot portals, but take the same slot as a mural.
Summoning Pads: This is a plot location that holds 1 stackable slot. You can store trophies up to the Tier level of the Summoning pad. The pad summons a friendly version of the mob that the trophy stored in it dropped from. This mob will attack nearby npc enemies until it is destroyed. At that time, it will summon another one as long as there is trophies to use.
Healing Towers: Like a buffing tower, except it only holds healing spells. The tower also automatically casts that spell on anyone nearby who’s hit points have dropped below half.
Crafting Hall: This T1-T6 room, just a little larger than a lair’s normal hall, Holds1 of each of the crafting machines but no storage. T1 and T2 would be 3x3x1; and T4 would be 4x4x2; T5 would be 4x4x3; T6 would be 4x4x4. They room would take double the resources of a normal hall to build.
Placeables: Placeables are crafted items that could be placed anywhere within your plot/lair. The placeable object could be a statue (for looks), a chest (additional storage), Furniture (for looks/storage), Weapons/Armor Racks (holds weapons/armor), Bookshelves (spell/formula/tech/scroll storage) Only owner can place/move, but plot rules give accessibility to open.
Vertical Shaft: This lair room can be 3,4,5,6,7,8 layers deep (T1-T6). The tunnel would have an opening for each level on the side and a winding ramp that makes 1 revolution every level.
Casino and Casino Hall: The Casino (biped) and Casino Hall (dragon) is a building/room that has a number of gaming machines. In here they player can open up a number of different short games and play them. Winning at the game can give random buffs to the player. Losing at the game can give random debuffs and/or even polymorph the player into different mobs (like the costumes, but not removable)
New Crafting Ideas
Crystal Crafting 1-5: Crystal Crafting would open up a whole new line of crafting. Crystal Crafting would take Essence Orbs, Processed Gems, and Unfocused Azulyte Crystals. These would be craftable by a Tinker or a Dragon. The Crystal can hold a single Tech but increases the effectiveness of the tech by 20-30-70% The tech, however requires 2x as many components as normal. Each Crystal Type (Weapon, Tool, Armor, Jewelry) would take a different formula.
Specialty Arrows 1-5: These arrows give a bonus damage to bow damage. It has to be in the base inventory to be used and each shot uses 1 arrow. Arrows are crafted by Weaponsmiths and can have 1 weapon tech attached. The weapon tech has 3x the activating % chance. 1 crafting makes 100 arrows. Each arrow weighs 1 bulk.
Capacity Techs 1-5: It would be nice to have techs installable on Disks, Packs, Bags, and any other container type item. Capacity Techs could be of two different types. Stack Capacity and Bulk Capacity. Stack Capacity would increase number of stackable items (not usable on single stack disks) by 20-100% Bulk Capacity would increase the Bulk of items by 10-50%
Saddle Tech: This tech can only go on Dragon Scale Packs. This tech allows a biped to be able to ride on a dragon’s back as he flies. The biped would set himself on auto-follow on the dragon, the dragon would start flying, and the biped would automatically join in flight. If the biped breaks from the auto-follow, they will fall immediately.
Battle Techs: These weapon techs focus on a specific type of battle. Each would defend against an element and deal its opposite in damage. Ex: Fire Battle Tech: Gives bonus to Fire Ward and Resistance, Converts to Ice damage. Would come in Fire(ice), Ice(fire), Nature(blight), Blight(nature)
Extraction: This is a step up from salvaging. Successful extraction could remove existing effects on an item and create a tech kit out of them for placing on a different item. This can only be done by tinkers
Water-breathing Tech: This tech only goes on Head piece and allows the user to breathe under water.
Spell Crystals: Utilized by spell casting turrets/plaques and portals. Requires Essence Orbs and Focused Azulyte Crystals. Stackable
Ballista Bolts: Utilized by Ballista Turrets. Requires Wood Planks and Metal Bars. Stackable
Catapault Stones: Utilized by Catapault Turrets. Requires Stone Brick and Processed Cloth. Stackable
Explosive Catapault Stones: Rare Formula, Utilized by Catapault Turrets. Requires Stone Bricks, Processed Cloth, and Tainted Esssence Orbs. When shot by Catapault, does AoE damage.
New Combat Ideas
Aerial Combat: It would be awesome to include aerial combat, and aerial spellcasting into the game. I’t would add another element into the game if the mobs could also fly. Then of course, you would also need a few grounding spells (snare/root effects to prevent flight)
Swimming: It would require a bit of new animation, but swimming would allow “flight” in the water for bipeds
Waterbreathing: New spell to allow underwater action. This would open up a lot of new fighting space with underwater monsters/creatures to fight.
Other Ideas
Another good idea is lair expansion. There could be a total of five quests. The first quest requires Lairshaping and Dragon Crafting of 100. It would cost 2 gold and would increase the depth of the lair by 1 level. The rest of the quests would require progressively harder mob drops and increase in gold cost by 2 gold per tier until the fifth quest would require killing the toughest mob in the game and would cost 10 gold. All told, the lair would be extended another 5 levels deep.
