Area Expansion
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 5:00 am
Everyone can agree that the Red Leaf Hills caves is the best grinding spot for several reasons, namely its size, openness, and the number of spawners around. Granted it is mazelike, but once you figured out where to go, it's just a matter of muscle memory.
Now, this has been done before with the campsite and Marty's lawn, and again to a small extent with the gas station area, but several players, myself included, feel more should be done. I think it's safe to say that most of the game's areas would benefit greatly from area expansion. The way I put it, if 400 people are required for a new server, then the current game's maps aren't fit for a group of 200 people as of now. While others vouch for it just for more grinding spots, I personally see a wider world of benefits than just grinding spots.
See, while coin and loot drops are tailored towards the gameplay experience of an individual, this is an MMO, which is typically designed with groups of people in mind. The size of this game's areas is what determines how well they work with groups of people. With size comes monster distribution.
I had brought up distribution before when wanting monster variety in earlier areas to be widened even by a smidge. Trust me, it's every RPG gamer's right to not have to see only one type of monster per area ad-nauseum. Widening monster variety by, well, a countable few species in older areas (probs one, two at most per gameplay sector including the recently-added ice caves) in general would help liven up the environments of the game as I said before (and no, CV, a noob isn't going to skip Rafflesias or Logons unless they look at a walkthrough or went searching for advice). Main reason for my (at the time overzealous) preaching is the element of discovery, which is an important part of the exploration aspect necessary in an MMORPG. And what would help with the aspect of exploration is wider areas with more grinding spots (Area 4 being the best example of this) and maybe even new monsters to discover (Area 10 is the best example of this with the Ice Blocks).
Of course existing monsters will also benefit from expanded areas. A while back, I pried at Robby for an extra sewer area for Dumtilians and Dire Rats so people can grind 'em. Trust me, Dumtilians will need it, as there is literally only one area with them: a narrow passage in the sewers with around 8 Dumtilian spawners (or was it 10?). Razor Ice, P-Sicles, Waffle Cones, Agents, and Ooze will also benefit from wider areas since they hardly really exist in the game. Dunno about Scorpees despite their first area being one of the most necessary places for area expansion, though.
I also think sightseeing will be made better if areas are expanded, so long as there is something cool about an area that would be there. Like, for Area 32, I wanted the entire area to be expanded further to the east so players can see the river flowing from Area 7 to Area 33. What's a river without constant flow? There were also out-of-bounds areas that I think should've been turned into easter egg areas instead of being blocked off... And how the heck do these complete imbeciles not have a back yard?!: https://prnt.sc/P0BvdCy8bGG_
Honestly, I can go on and on about area expansion, but at this point, I got tired of typing this hack, so I'll let you guys do the rest of the writing for me. Whatever.
Now, this has been done before with the campsite and Marty's lawn, and again to a small extent with the gas station area, but several players, myself included, feel more should be done. I think it's safe to say that most of the game's areas would benefit greatly from area expansion. The way I put it, if 400 people are required for a new server, then the current game's maps aren't fit for a group of 200 people as of now. While others vouch for it just for more grinding spots, I personally see a wider world of benefits than just grinding spots.
See, while coin and loot drops are tailored towards the gameplay experience of an individual, this is an MMO, which is typically designed with groups of people in mind. The size of this game's areas is what determines how well they work with groups of people. With size comes monster distribution.
I had brought up distribution before when wanting monster variety in earlier areas to be widened even by a smidge. Trust me, it's every RPG gamer's right to not have to see only one type of monster per area ad-nauseum. Widening monster variety by, well, a countable few species in older areas (probs one, two at most per gameplay sector including the recently-added ice caves) in general would help liven up the environments of the game as I said before (and no, CV, a noob isn't going to skip Rafflesias or Logons unless they look at a walkthrough or went searching for advice). Main reason for my (at the time overzealous) preaching is the element of discovery, which is an important part of the exploration aspect necessary in an MMORPG. And what would help with the aspect of exploration is wider areas with more grinding spots (Area 4 being the best example of this) and maybe even new monsters to discover (Area 10 is the best example of this with the Ice Blocks).
Of course existing monsters will also benefit from expanded areas. A while back, I pried at Robby for an extra sewer area for Dumtilians and Dire Rats so people can grind 'em. Trust me, Dumtilians will need it, as there is literally only one area with them: a narrow passage in the sewers with around 8 Dumtilian spawners (or was it 10?). Razor Ice, P-Sicles, Waffle Cones, Agents, and Ooze will also benefit from wider areas since they hardly really exist in the game. Dunno about Scorpees despite their first area being one of the most necessary places for area expansion, though.
I also think sightseeing will be made better if areas are expanded, so long as there is something cool about an area that would be there. Like, for Area 32, I wanted the entire area to be expanded further to the east so players can see the river flowing from Area 7 to Area 33. What's a river without constant flow? There were also out-of-bounds areas that I think should've been turned into easter egg areas instead of being blocked off... And how the heck do these complete imbeciles not have a back yard?!: https://prnt.sc/P0BvdCy8bGG_
Honestly, I can go on and on about area expansion, but at this point, I got tired of typing this hack, so I'll let you guys do the rest of the writing for me. Whatever.