[1st, you can skip these text paragraphs, unless you want to know a bit about how I came up with these ideas. If you skip, please don't skip the numbered ideas listed at the bottom of this post.]
Ok,
There is a long story behind how I came up with these ideas, but I'll just say I was always interested in the LDoN add-on, but never played it. I am also interested in making my own Custom database EQ server. I decided I wanted to do something like Winter's Roar with the zones being connected differently than in EQ LIVE. I realized that WR has that concept pretty much covered, so what could I do to make a custom world that is different than others. I was sitting and Undermountain came to mind. I'd love to make a huge underground labyrinth below Qeynos perhaps and have dozens of dungeon zones inter-twinding and leading to the depths of the earth. Then it hit me. I could take these ideas and add a bunch of my own to get my own server. So, I've been writing down a bunch of concepts and ideas to implement. Tonight I also began trying out the free test version of Guildwars (
www.guildwars.com), not GW EQ. That strengthened my thoughts that my concept for a EQ server might be a lot of fun to build and play.
Anyhow, my idea was a town or city that is walled in and has portals or links to dozens of dungeons scattered in a magical dimension. Instead of a town that has dozens of levels below its surface, I thought about having it so a player can enter a dungeon and that dungeon isn't necessarily below the city, but somewhere in the void of space, a pocket dimension. I kept writing down ideas and then thought it would be cool if there was a Dungeon Master (Not GM), more like DM from the old 80's D&D cartoon. A DM per dungeon that sent you on quests specific to that dungeon. Therefore there would be plenty of quests per dungeon for a player to enjoy. Of course there would be beginner, med, high and extreme dungeons, each more difficult than the last, but upon completing the quests at a current dungeon, you would end up with a reward that would help you further in the next more difficult dungeon.
So, as I was sitting here the following ideas krept into my head and I wasn't sure if this can be done, but realized it would be necessary if the game I was envisioning was to work right. I'm going to list a few features that I'd like to know if they are currently possible via scripting or the server code already has any of these features, or if someone reading this might think some of these are good ideas to implement eventually. I'll list my ideas below. BTW, I know I said this could be a long story, and sadly it has proven to be. Sorry for the long blabbering here.
[Feature/Ideas I'd like to share]
1. The possibility to simulate pocket dimensions like LDoN does. Again, I don't know exactly how LDoN works, but my thoughts for the custom game server I'd liek to run would be that a player or party could enter Dungeon 1 which may be Sol A (for example). Five minutes later a second party or player not related to the previous group, attempts to enter the dungeon. The server would open a seperate instance of that dungeon so the two are mirrored, but seperate instances of that same dungeon in play. My custom server idea is for a central city or hub that players buy/sell and interact with other players, then moving ot one of many many dungeons to explore and do battle in. (BTW, I have many ideas for running a really custom server unlike any other. I'm not going to give away all the plans as it would ruin the game.
)
2. The ability to have auto adjusting spawners. Here is what I pictured. A player enters a specific dungeon. The program checks and sees that the payer is only one person, so it spawns the dungeon based on a single player spawn table. (Basically, less mobs). Now the program or code would check each time a group enters a zone that is inactive and check the # of players coming in. There would be a seperate spawn table for each possibility. Single, 2 player, 3 ,4 ,5 and 6 (full party). Now this would probably be possible only if the first idea #1 was implemented otherwise it might be impossible if players could pop in at any time. Unless the program only checks and spawns from the appropriate table when the zone is asleep and the first player or party enters the dungeon. Then no matter how many more enter, the spawners would not adjust any further until the zone was empty and asleep again.
3. The possibility to have the DM (NPC) for a dungeon check and make sure the player or party meet the level requirements for the dungeon. Ex: A lv 3 warrior wants to solo a dungeon that is really for level 15-25 players. Upon speaking to the DM for that dungeon to gain access, the DM (NPC) would check and tell the player that they are not skilled enough the challenge the dangers found within this labyrinth. The DM would tell the player to come back later when they are more experienced. Same would happen if the dungeon is for level 1-6 players and a level 15 player tried to gain access. The DM would tell him that the dungeon is beneath his/her abilities and is nothing more than a waste of time. Thus not allowing the higher level player into the dungeon.
3a. Ok, this is based on #3, but probably much more difficult to do. Lets say a dungeon is for level 15-25 characters. The DM (NPC) would not let a Lv 5 Warrior enter the dungeon, but if there is a 3 person party consisting of a Lv 6 Warrior, a Lv 8 Cleric and a Lv 5 Enchanter, then the DM would allow the party to enter because the total Lv of Exp between the three players in the party is 19. I know this is probably too difficult, but I thought I'd mention it.
NOTE: I also have the feeling that this might be possible with just making a complex PERL quest type script. Not sure if that can handle it or if it would be a feature that would require coding to the server program itself.
4. I think LDoN can do the following, but I'll mention it. Auto adjusting difficulty in a dungeon. Ex: A dungeon is level 15-30 in difficulty. A party of level 15 or 16 players enter. The program would spawn the dungeon with monsters of similar levels at the appropriate numbers vs the ammount of plaeyrs in the group. Hmmm. This idea as I write it seems to ring a bell. I think LDoN does do this. Correct me if I'm worng. Either way, would be interesting to implement into the server.
Well, I guess thats enough for now. Sorry for the long long post. I was just working on ideas for a custom server that I'd like to run and these thoughts entered my head. I figured it doesn't hurt to share them with others here in case any of the ideas are interesting.
Finally, I also know that the devs are working hard on this project and are very busy. I'm not expecting these ideas to be implemented any time soon, I'm more curious to hear what other members of the community think and if any of these features are implemented already, planned to be implemented or ideas that the devs think are interesting enough to possibly add to the server code later on down the road.
Thanks for reading this.
John
Some weird, but interesting future feature requests.
Linear Mode
