Connecting Waterworks and Steam Tunnels: A New Wilderness Experience

[Jhozam]

My proposal is to create a single wilderness area, complete with Rare Encounters (perhaps updated with new Named Items) and Exploration Points, that would merge the entire sewer area of Harbor and Market. A well-designed wilderness that connects "The Waterworks" with "The Steam Tunnels" so players can travel and complete all the quests in a single chain, such as "The Lost Seekers" and "The Seal of Shan-To-Kor." And why not, I would also include all the low-level quests we do in the sewers, like "Missing in Action," "The Sunken Sewer," and so on.

 

[santacentaX]

Good idea, could help new players to find low level quests into a single area and help to travel from harbor and marketplace

 

[Visik]

My proposal is to create a single wilderness area, complete with Rare Encounters (perhaps updated with new Named Items) and Exploration Points, that would merge the entire sewer area of Harbor and Market. A well-designed wilderness that connects "The Waterworks" with "The Steam Tunnels" so players can travel and complete all the quests in a single chain, such as "The Lost Seekers" and "The Seal of Shan-To-Kor." And why not, I would also include all the low-level quests we do in the sewers, like "Missing in Action," "The Sunken Sewer," and so on.

Have you ever just explored the L10 quest Hiding in Plain Sight?

It doesn't contain other quest entrances, because it's not a wilderness, but if you go on a flower-sniffing tour of that quest, you'll find various portions recognizable. I haven't done it in quite a while, so I no longer recall the details, but imo it's worth doing once, just for the story. Ofc, if you've paid no attention to the Harbor storyline in years (or never), you might get less out of it.

 

[Jhozam]

Have you ever just explored the L10 quest Hiding in Plain Sight?

It doesn't contain other quest entrances, because it's not a wilderness, but if you go on a flower-sniffing tour of that quest, you'll find various portions recognizable. I haven't done it in quite a while, so I no longer recall the details, but imo it's worth doing once, just for the story. Ofc, if you've paid no attention to the Harbor storyline in years (or never), you might get less out of it.

Sure! Once (I’m old, I know), "Hiding in Plain Sight" used to be done frequently because it was a prerequisite for the raid "The Twilight Forge," so I did it a lot. However, I have to admit that, since it's now an outdated area, I haven’t done those quests in quite a while.

 

[Visik]

Sure! Once (I’m old, I know), "Hiding in Plain Sight" used to be done frequently because it was a prerequisite for the raid "The Twilight Forge," so I did it a lot. However, I have to admit that, since it's now an outdated area, I haven’t done those quests in quite a while.

My point, which I'm not sure you got, is that it connects a bunch of the L2 Harbor quests together, both in terms of map and storyline. Very few people seem to have noticed. It's far too common to just run the direct path to finish the quest.

 

[Jhozam]

My point, which I'm not sure you got, is that it connects a bunch of the L2 Harbor quests together, both in terms of map and storyline. Very few people seem to have noticed. It's far too common to just run the direct path to finish the quest.

I understand what you mean, but my point, which I'm not sure you got, is to create a wilderness area that connects the Harbor to the Market to be able to run to the quests in a new way during the exp at lower levels.
Hiding is a level 10 quest, the connection with the storyline is undeniable, but it doesn't do what I'm proposing in terms of gameplay.

 

[Valerianus]

+1, really good idea.

 

[Visik]

I understand what you mean, but my point, which I'm not sure you got, is to create a wilderness area that connects the Harbor to the Market to be able to run to the quests in a new way during the exp at lower levels.
Hiding is a level 10 quest, the connection with the storyline is undeniable, but it doesn't do what I'm proposing in terms of gameplay.

OK, but what's the value in return for the development time and effort it would require? If anything, it will make joining a PUG that's in progress through those questlines take longer, best I can tell.

 

[saekee]

/signed, and use the guards at the beginning of waterworks as wayfinders.

Then add, at the end of all of them, an extra entrance to Invaders ?

 

[dur]

WW and Steam tunnels are in diff locations.. I'm not finding a need for heroic content until I'm 18

 

[Jhozam]

OK, but what's the value in return for the development time and effort it would require? If anything, it will make joining a PUG that's in progress through those questlines take longer, best I can tell.

What is the value? Easy. More fun and a nice setting that ties together all the underground sewers.

WW and Steam tunnels are in diff locations.. I'm not finding a need for heroic content until I'm 18

Sorry, but I don't understand your argument. ?‍

 

[Gobs]

+1, /signed, the whole shebang. Lovely idea.

 

[Indyanna]

So because you’re boxing through, the rest of the player base don’t matter?

WW and Steam tunnels are in diff locations.. I'm not finding a need for heroic content until I'm 18

 

[dur]

So because you’re boxing through, the rest of the player base don’t matter?

Where did you read that? I thought there was a discussion going on here..

To continue: I'd rather they FIX BUGS before generating even more new ones now that MD has gone live.

 

[Solarpower]

And finally connect it all with the Subterrane. So the low level players might suddenly get caught by a couple of high level monsters and die. ?

 

[Leesun]

WW and Steam tunnels are in diff locations.. I'm not finding a need for heroic content until I'm 18

Both are a part of Stormreach's subterranean utility network that contains both steam pipes and sewage routs. The end of the WW chain has a note referencing the Shan-to-Kor, one of the last quests even has a hobgoblin emissary. The Shan-to-Kor chain it is discovered that the goblins wanted to use it to bargain with the giants. The two are connected lore wise, and just as the over-city is divided into different zones, it could be possible that the WW and ST are updated to also be connected in such a manner.

This said I would rather them fix bugs, work on server stability and do visual updates on older content before making such changes.

 

[Visik]

Both are a part of Stormreach's subterranean utility network that contains both steam pipes and sewage routs. The end of the WW chain has a note referencing the Shan-to-Kor, one of the last quests even has a hobgoblin emissary. The Shan-to-Kor chain it is discovered that the goblins wanted to use it to bargain with the giants. The two are connected lore wise, and just as the over-city is divided into different zones, it could be possible that the WW and ST are updated to also be connected in such a manner.

This said I would rather them fix bugs, work on server stability and do visual updates on older content before making such changes.

OMG! @@ Someone who pays attention to the backstory! Those are rare as hen's teeth these days.

But, while what you've said is accurate, it's only a fraction of the picture. Pretty much all the quests prior to about 10 years ago were part of one overarching storyline that led right from Korthos through to Gianthold and beyond. I find that underwhelming as a reason to link some of them together into a wilderness in this fashion.

In fact, while I can't think of a strong reason not to do it, I also can't think of any reason why they should: what value it would provide in return for the development time. Which is why I oppose the idea. There are far better things on which they can spend that time and effort, imo.

 

[Leesun]

But, while what you've said is accurate, it's only a fraction of the picture. Pretty much all the quests prior to about 10 years ago were part of one overarching storyline that led right from Korthos through to Gianthold and beyond. I find that underwhelming as a reason to link some of them together into a wilderness in this fashion.

A thread that might be of interest to you back from þe elde tymes

https://forums-old.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/470827

 

[Solarpower]

Both are a part of Stormreach's subterranean utility network that contains both steam pipes and sewage routs.

Both ? Cities usually don't have 10 different sewers for 10 different areas. If we were to combine them, we'd need to make a huge wilderness zone that would cover the entire city !
But is it worth it ?
Especially since we have a game here and the division is done on purpose, because of the different levels of monsters/quests in different parts of the city.

 

[Leesun]

Both ? Cities usually don't have 10 different sewers for 10 different areas. If we were to combine them, we'd need to make a huge wilderness zone that would cover the entire city !
But is it worth it ?
Especially since we have a game here and the division is done on purpose, because of the different levels of monsters/quests in different parts of the city.

I apologize for the confusion my wording caused. I had meant that just as stormreach is divided into individual sections, marketplace, house j, house d to name a few, so too could the waterworks and steam tunnels be connected - with possibly one or two public zones.
quest progression would go harbor -> ww -> st / shan-to-kor (would mean making this very old and cheap pack free in a manner akin to how they did with older premium classes) -> marketplace, from which newer players could be given, by an npc near the ST exit, some hints about other packs that somewhat continue the overarching storyline.