Ranger Archive
Thread: Encouraging Exploration
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Mousekin
Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:09 am
#1
So I'm kind of day dreaming, admiring the scenery while going somewhere on Dantooine, on auto pilot. And it occurs to me that a way to encourage exploration (one of the facets of Ranger, and the game itself about which I feel very strongly) would be to find more easter eggs. You know, those things that really aren't on any map, that possibly only Rangers or at least serious explorers have seen. There are quite a few now, not as many as I would like, but then that appetite is akin to the one for content: insatiable.
We have 'badges' now, which I will admit I'm not keen on, they seem too lame, but that's my opinion, and I know full well it's one of the things other like to sport and obtain. It's a goal, it somewhat encourages exploration overall. And the POIs are quite interesting for the most part, they could use a bit more but that's back to the whole insatiable appetite thing.
So if we already have all of that what do I mean?
This is the idea that came to me while I was running around the landscape: make new POIs. However, these new ones... will opperate a little differently. First, no one knows they're there. We could have who knows how much unexplored content added during one of the patches, either on several worlds on one... it could be made really difficult or rather less so (include new NPCs, or old ones, who will give hints, that sort of thing). Anyway, however it's done, that brings me to my second point: These new POIs can be made to appear on the map after so many people (or Rangers, which is my original thought but maybe that's too class specific and unfair) have visited the POI in question. The first time someone "finds" the location, a global could be possibly triggered that said "So and so has discovered the location of (whatever it is)". After let's say 5 people have "discovered" (visited) the location of (whatever it is), it could become an active POI on the map for any old person to see.
Anyway, I just think it would add an extra dimension to our profession, and the game in general, as well asadd a kind of Exploration quest that I know I personally have really hoped to see instead of the mundane kill 30 X critters. Also likely just as a side note, assuming this was even considered by the Devs, I'd have to assume that the badges thus generated could not be used for Jedi glowy. But it might well be interesting to see an overall title for those who've actually discovered and explored enough of these more dynamic POIs.
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