Where does it go next?

[Aamer Khan]

We were all asked recently what we like, dislike, and what we would change in Horizons.

Once the AROP is in, and working, what comes next? What do YOU want to see?

Because of the complexities of some of the problems facing Horizons, and in view of how nobody can seem to agree on what would be the BEST way to fix them...

I can tell you what I would like to see, and would like to know what you would like.

Forget all about balancing classes/races/crafting. NO talk about the economy please. Just relate what you would find fun, and interesting. What will keep YOU here and playing for a long time.

For me, a new shard wide even would be best. But, since that takes time and is not a simple thing to do, how about introducing some of the structures that we see the models for ingame already? Maybe just increasing the drop rate on comp drops. Or perhaps put in some fluff quests where we can get rewards like a shoulder buddy or tie-dyed undies.

The resource changes to the walls and flooring and trees may have had that in mind, to keep us occupied with plot improvements to give them time to finish the AROP, but because of the lag they produce, many don't want to build them anyway.

So... What would YOU like to see?

[Levity]

I would like to see lot fluff -- furniture, shrubberies, ponds. I'd love to tile the lot with grass, not dirt. Outdoor lighting. Smaller things to put on lots (or, to reduce lag, large things that look like a bunch of small things, e.g., a row of small rocks to border a path). If we can't have furniture yet, can player vaults, connies, pawns be modified to include a counter for the NPC?

Yes, a new event, with huge construction projects and lots of adventurer defense needed. Tier 6 stuff -- my group has started construction on a T6 tavern and we are dreading transmuting all the resources, even assuming we can get all the master forms.

I'd love quests for shoulder buddies or other fun fluff. New clothing styles (*drools over wearing Vielo outfits*). The current clothing styles in different color choices.

And you know, players can make things happen as well. For example, way back in the dawn of time, I organized a caravan to Morning Light. We met in Aug, and towed disks full of materials to apply to the town center. It was for RP, since there were easier ways to do it, but we had a couple of free-ranging guards in case of aggro, we had folks who hadn't attuned to ML yet, and we had a blast. And, of course, there were the Gnaked Gnome Races, full of rampant silliness.

Mostly I would like regular reports on what the current high priority tasks are. Getting a feeling that something nifty and new is coming soon keeps me checking the boards and coming to the game.

-Levity Merrel, Crai Aisling, Sans AoP is sans fluff by Aiya's pad
100 Blacksmith/70 Fitter/45 Mason/45 Carpenter/91 Reaver

[Cadfael]

Mostly I would like regular reports on what the current high priority tasks are.

+ donjons
+ adventurer only loot (eg : cristals)
+ balance the monk/disciple

[Enoeth]

I would like to see real roleplay implemented, whatever way they think might enhance that ....


Also, dynamic WA would help a lot. I think should really feel like we're fighting and if winning --> we're pushing back the WA feeling , not spawns 10 m to our left .... Or at least if that happens we should see the WA weaker since we defeated first wave allready ...

*skeletrons and zombies , usually undead* rising from the ground would be awesome .... like seeing real animations of skeletrons pushing their hand out of dirt as you pass a place ,,,, that would make the game more interesting I think ...

*when pressing F10 I'd like to see a thingie in OPTIONS we can click and thus we have the distance to monsters shown all the time to the left of the arrow .... so we don't need to hover it while in combat ..

[cauri_order]

Fun quests. Tho they all typically boil down to kill x or delivery y, it can be dressed up as something fun.

Introduce the waiting mobs (assuming they have the models and animations all done, they are done right :P)

Furniture would be nice, tho from what I recall from a dev, it's going to be a bit of work to get it to work properly (not loading until you step in the house and such).

More fluff decorations. More hedge styles, tree styles, different colored walkways. I'd like to see sandstone versions of the walkways we have now.

Events, yes I miss events, would really wake the shards back up.

In reference to drop rates, Manga hinted that they would be upped a bit. When this will happen, I have no clue, but a little hope for everybody :)

I could go on and on, but most of the stuff I'd like to see needs a fixed client/engine :\

[Kulamata]

For quick and easy to implement, put back several of the things that have been ingame and since removed.

Increase comp drop rates, so the game is more as it was at release.
Put back in the broken items.

Put the crystals back in.

Put the dryad event items back in.

Anchors aweigh!

Put the anvils back in the smelters, etc.

Most of these things became routine after time, and so most were not really missed when removed. But by putting them all back in, it would give the game more complexity and flavor, and the players more choices.

edit: my answer and I think others' too assumes that lifting the level cap(s) is being worked on already, so I did not mention it. But that is very important, and will constitute a lot of added content to keep us trudging along.

[Elren]

I want to see community buildings that need to be built. Pre merge when I got bored of fighting I'd work on and artifact of magic, lampost, lighthouse etc.....
I miss that being in a guild plot. Don't know why guildplots shouldn't have some of those just like a settlement does.

[Ferah]

Dungeons are very long overdue and would be very welcome.

So called 'fluf' would be very welcome.

But mostly, pets and shape changing.

[PJ]

To me Horizons lacks purpose. I don't mean my purpose to play the game, that's to have fun as always. Rather I mean my characters purpose in this world is lacking.

I can build. But to what ends? My plot or a friends plot, doesn't matter. Its storage for items, or shops to craft at.

I can craft. But what for? Further accumulation of my level collection (really what i'm doing)? Wealth? To make items to further my crafting or adventuring?

I can hunt. But why? I can farm for forms/techs to further the crafting of myself and others. I can farm/hunt comps to make some more gear to better hunt and craft. I can level more classes to fill in some of the remaining gaps. I can continuely kill mobs on the Satyr Island that respawn in the same spots over and over again in some vain RP attempt to wipe out the undead.

I can help others along the same treadmills that I've been traversing for so long.

I have no shortage of things to do really. Even after all the time I've spent here. B But in the context of being a character in Istaria, I lack a purpose for doing them, I lack motivation. I'm not sure I can keep running along doing all these so very treadmill like things without some sort of greater purpose.

Maybe its easier on those of you who came here to RP with your friends, or to craft. Despite my rather extensive crafting, I'm at heart an adventurer....no rather a soldier. I came to Istaria to fight the war against the WA only to find there's no war, and the WA might as well be a myth or legend. I've collected all these levels and stats and skills and abilities and items but they're pointless. I'm not implying there are no challenges for me, there are plenty. Its not too easy, there's just no point to it. I'm the perfect tool with no use whatsoever.

To quote mself from the What I want from/In Horizons thread awhile back
(http://community.istaria.com/Web/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=47471)

I want the WA to raid us
I want the WA to siege us
I want the WA to sieze our resources
I want the WA to sieze our homes
I want the WA to sieze our land
I want the WA to sieze our cities
I want the WA to try and obliterate us from the face of Istaria
I want to raid the WA
I want to siege the WA
I want to capture their resources and us them against the WA
I want to destroy their lairs
I want to reclaim the land that was lost
I want toretake and rebuild our lost cities
I want to try to obliterate the WA
I want them to attack with horrible gruesome beasts
I want to counter with powerful and epic spells and abilities
I want to take the point against the most powerful Undead Champoins
I want to crush their lesser minions like the sheep they are.
I want to venture into the deepest depths of the Blight to destroy their leaders.
I want a sense of Adventure
I want a sense of Purpose

I want my war...

[Phillip]

i want the sort of adventuring contents that will increase the player base.

[LaughingOtter]

Fun and interesting, and able to keep us busy while ARoP is rolled out...

Server events that primarily use existing assets and which re-introduce previous event items might be a great deal of fun. For example:

Withered Scale begin attacking Dralk & Chiconis, intent on disrupting RoP/ARoP activities as much as possible. These Withered Scale drop hoard items, Regal weapon parts, and the 'lost' dragon techs. Defenses need to be created (community construction projects) to shield Dralk & Chiconis from the attacks. These defenses can take the form of the 'floating chained crystals', and require dragons to use Ingenuity to craft 'crystal seeds' from gems and apply them to the defenses. For added spice, raids lead by the dryad event mobs may pop up from time to time.

This is just an example, of course.... [:D]

[Pharcellus]

I want bugs and other broken crap fixed (that includes implementing policies and procedures to ensure a serious decline in future bugs and broken crap being introduced to live).
I want incomplete stuff completed (sorry, but that includes balance issues).
I want new stuff.

...in that order.

[Aquarius]

If i where to decide wich im not [;)]

1: A working world model so the world can have doors, dungeon and castles..

2: Interessting (different from crafted items) and useful loot.

3: More things to build on plots, furniture, wallpapers, paint for houses, paintings and other decorations etc.

4: Mob AI and dynamic blight.

[Varangaard]

Well, there's lots of things I'd like to see HZ heading towards after ARoP is done with.

I will not say bug fixes. I shall take them for granted, and conveniently lump under it things like finishing up certain classes and making some others worth playing.

Instead, if I had to pick one thing, I would say quests. Big quests, small quests, long quests, short quests, high-level quests, newbie quests, class-specific quests, hard quests, soloable quests, funny quests, lore-related quests... quests, quests, quests.

Or, if I were to give a less specific, more vague reply, I'd say: content.

[Bulgrim StoneCleaver]

What would I like next for Horizons...

1. Events - this game suffers so much right now because events have been TOTALLY put on hold for far too long. I'm not talking about festivals or some town attack - I'm talking an epic event (Satyrs & Dryads as examples).

2. Quests - doesn't have to be tons of them at first - a good place to start would be Epics and Racial Quests. Concentrating here would add alot to classes that lack compared to others.

3. New Plot Enhancements - racial buildings and fluff stuff (furniture, lamps, grass, flower beds etc).

4. WA that hurts....invasions of npc-towns, towns and settlements (including guild) - buildings don't have to be destroyed or damaged but if all silos/vaults/shops/storage/npc's ceased to function until the invasion force is cleared, I bet people would be much more anxious about protecting things. You already have the map divided into regional squares....make it so if WA gets a foothold on one player town - then all the others in the square will be attacked as well shortly. Communities banding together because they are physically close to each other just makes sense.

5. Revist loot drops, tech drops, ingredient drops - people should be able to make what they want and find more "drop-only" stuff. On this subject as well - lets get more tricking in the game - for shields, armor and weapons.

6. Communication - I want an officialnews letter or 'state of game' which is monthly. I've supported this game for 14 months with two accts and high participation in my guild/community - this was thru some scary stuff and a lot of mystery/rumor thrown in - but I stuck it out. I have a 3rd acct that I would consider re-activating if I knew what was coming and being worked on and felt SECURE with the management of the company. I have no plans for leaving, but the only thing keeping me here are the people PLAYING the game, not the GAME I'm playing - THAT is the major problem with Horizons IMHO.
6b. I'm tired of hearing about things from people because someone else told them in a chat/irc. I shouldn't be out of the loop because I can't structure my day around when the developers feel like talking to the player-base (actually its just a small percentage of it).

Just my two coppers,

Bulgrim StoneCleaver

[Guaran]

I'd like new stuff.

Stronger, new undead dragons ( not more ghost ones) that drop hoardloot. Use gold rage and silver strike. Up to level 120. No "Multistrike", cleave, ethereal paroxysm type attacks though ( like what Esh, Shadow dragon, pale hatchlings use) Just our normal attacks we got now. (Irk's me when a pale uses Cleave. wtf? wheres the sword)

Flying undead dragons that search actively for prey.

The skeleton mobs climbing out of the ground sounds like a very cool way for them to spawn. Zombies and mummies too. Even if it's only in graveyards or blighted areas.

Cleric or healer mobs that can rez fallen WA. Not sure this fits into the story really, since we are "gifted" and can be ressurected, they are not gifted. Maybe from a story standpoint this is not a good idea. Seems like it would be fun though.

Spell animations for spells that have had placeholder animations since beta.

Release more of the Epic spells.

Release more of the unused structures. Or maybe utilize them at least. Place a few here and there around istaria.

Craftable crystals.

Events. Nazerdon, End of world, Satyr freeing, Dryad freeing, Withered Scales. Those were some fun events of the past. More like those.

New islands and environments to explore. Put interesting things there.

Dragon crafting "shack" if you will. Something craftable, even on existing plots.

Expand on existing storylines.Darkstaff, Alyssa, Nymphs, Lich King. All names mentioned in various places, parts of various stories.

Add the existing emotes into the definition files. Sameeffect as installing the emote pack.Those should already have been added to the normal game, should not have to install a pack every patch. Add some dance emotes/animations. Perhaps allow some"player customizations" to become integrated into the game by Tulga. Allowing creative players to build some animations, then to be uploaded and submitted to Tulga for possible inclusion into the game would be great. Similiar to the create-a-quest contest. More create-a-quest contests too. An in-game reward, like a blighted weapon with all +'s of decent values, weapon type chosen by winner.

Tier 5and 6 versions of tempered scales quests.

Guaran

[Weston]

1) Locksmithing Skill, including 'picking'.
2) Locks on chests.
3) Working Doors with Working Locks.
4) Dungeons to put chests and doors in.
5) Original design of Storage Chests in Houses, rather than 'Click on the porch to see contents'
6) 'Hooks' in the house to display trophies and 'fluff' items. Torches....
7) Ability to see how far a mob is from me when it's 'selected'.
8) I like the new 'select-a-quest' windows, but how 'bout fix the dang Trainer Epic Quests?!?
I've been waiting for the dang Reaver Trainer to either stop offering me an Adventure -OR-
quit telling me I need a bit more experience. The dork has been telling me that for the
last FORTY levels!!!
9) Lampposts, etc., added to my PLOT listing. I should be able to put a couple those on my plot.

There's more, of course, but we don't have forever. If some of these, and the dynamic WA issues aren't implemented soon, WoW is going to have a serious influx of players. We may be 'diehard' Horizons fans, and we may be Addicted, but we ain't braindead. Sooner or later....

Weston

[Bulgrim StoneCleaver]

Oh I did forget one other thing - Mob AI.

Why can't a mob hold its special attacks until I'm at 30% (when it has an outright chance of killing me).

Why can't a mob root me, run away and come back with help?

It would make things much more difficult but challenging as well.

[Dragonboy]

Lag reduction is what I want.

[Goibhnie]

Basically what PJ wrote.

Also it would be great if lore was added to all of the non-WA mobs. Like the Skulks and their purpose in Istaria, will we get to play them some time will they always be "evil" This could be done through fluff events/quests.
It would be nice to see another free X race event. They are rather long and drawn out, involve lots of crafting and adventuring, fun for all!
It wouldn't be a bad thing to bring back the bits and pieces of the broken weapon loot. As well as crystals to all loot tables.
The invasion/sieging/pillaging/sacking of player towns.
The invasion/sieging/pillaging/sacking of new WA portal "towns"
Allow armor/tool tricking and more selection of weapon tricking and dyeing of anything that we can equip.
Allow dye tubs. So if you want you can redye anything and anyone can do it.
Remove Nadia at least.

I'm sure there are more, but for now there it is.