Raiding without guild proposal - your input needed!

[Ydiss]

Hi all.

First off, we love that the players are taking the initiative to try and get more real players together and we've recently noticed a lot of feedback from you in ooc and here around that. We appreciate that the way things are now does present a few too many roadblocks to raiding with others and just having fun and we're listening.

We want to trial something that we've talked about internally and if it works it'll remove the need for you to guild up to enjoy raiding together, whilst still retaining the existing process for guild progression for those who can manage it. It's something we could theoretically roll out relatively quickly across all tiers if it's popular enough.

In order to trial this, I think it'd be sensible to pick one raid instance to try first so can you please post and give us any ideas as to which raid instance (that's currently guild locked) you'd most want to raid with others outside of your guild if you could? You'll still be limited to one run per 24 hours and it'll lock you out of your guild instance (if you're in a guild already) until that timer expires. It's going to cost platinum as well, but we'll keep the cost minimal, at least for the trial.

If we can agree on one zone, I will get to adding this new process within a day or so so you can try it out and give feedback.

I've not created a poll just yet. I want discussion about this first. If we can't agree then we can look at a poll potentially.

[dubya26]

As someone who has never loaded a second account simultaneously I would love the ability to do raids by raid instance like VT. With my sporadic play time progressing past HoH (was given a Khasva Token) was a nightmare since Nadox and DSK3 are guild only. I don't have the ability to help someone struggling with a lower tier boss because outside of PoFire there is not a lot I can join someone asking for help in ooc. This would also allow people to stay in their guild with boxes to use it as a bank that's easier to sift through than multiple character banks. I don't box, but from my perspective I think this would make people more willing to participate in raids that are mostly comprised of individual players, since at worst, they just beat it with their boxes later.
I think DSK would be the best option

[Able]

I like this idea. I suggest DSK for the zone to test this in.

[opmklp]

this is my opinion and very little idea

1. "open raid zone" version

- all tier of raid zones are open zone. T1 ~ T9 ( you need flag )

- "any" thf players can play together for get flag , farming, fun , anything etc

- this open zone is also 24hours limit

- all of open zone porters at thf or vale

2. "guild raid zone" version.

- this is for only guildy or your own guild (guildy together or solo)

if you kill boss at open zone, you still can kill boss at guild raid zone too.

i mean , both version of zone has other limit time.

- so if you want to help/fun with non guild player or other guild player . use open zone

- if you want to play with guildiy or only your own guild , use guild zone

- all of guild zone tier porters at guildhall .


= two version of zones and use theses two version of zones depends on together or solo or guildy only


thank you!

[Ydiss]

Thanks for the suggestion, opmklp.

We're pretty happy with the way we're going to implement this (it's similar to what you say). Right now we're really just looking to see which zone you'd like to trial first.

When you guys say DSK, do you mean 1 or 3, (T7 or T9)?

[xadien]

DSK3. This is still progression for most folks.

[Ydiss]

I thought as much and yes that makes sense.

OK, DSK 3 it is.

This initial trial will be a basic bolt on, likely just a placeholder npc added to THV for now. We may add more to it as a fuller feature later on.

It'll work something like this:

1. Raid leader sets up the instance by buying an item and handing it to an npc and choosing the text option "create" and is assigned to that instance. The instance will have a 24 hour expiry and cannot be deleted (we will add a deletion option if you made a mistake here, so long as you don't enter the instance and no one else is assigned to it).

2. Upon the instance creation, a key to that instance will be generated (it'll be a sequence of numbers) and the leader can share the key with whoever they wish to include in the raid.

3. The other players buy and hand in the same item and choose the option "join" instead. At this point they'll be asked to confirm four digits of the key via quest links. This will assign them to the instance.

4. The npc will then offer the option to zone to the raid zone. When the first player does this, the instance is locked in and cannot be deleted.

5. Once a player is assigned to DSK 3 via this npc, they will not be able to zone to DSK 3 via the method that takes them to their guild version. They'll be locked out for the full 24 hours (or until the open instance closes). So it's up to every player to manage their options and make sure they're able to commit to the raid instance.


We're using this approach rather than the raid instance approach used for VT for a couple reasons.

1. It's so players that log on after a raid instance has started (or were accidentally left out) can still join later on without needing to exit and raid up again (just tell them the key, they then buy an item, hand in and confirm the key).

2. We felt the only fair way to manage payment for an instance is for every player to buy an item, so the cost is equally shared (don't worry, the trial cost will be minimal and the final cost will be reasonable but a good plat sink nonetheless)

We feel this approach is the most flexible. I'll try to get this trial set up next week.

[xadien]

Can we manage the amount of toons in an instance? for example maybe limit to 36?

[Ydiss]

There's definitely going to be a limit. We'll probably limit it to lower than that and might use different lower limits for some zones.

I may leave it unlimited in the trial though. Might be a good chance to stress it.

[xadien]

By extension every zone could work like this. It would give a place to dump cash. Back in the day (dont know if it's still like this) but the EZ server, you had a crystal you clicked for guild instance, and group instance. each spawn took some cash, but effectively you zoned into a open zone, clicked your crystal, and hailed the dude, and he ported you to the instanced version of that zone.