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.

 

[fiwabar]

I am in favour of this idea. I've thought about it myself more than once that why not combine it since the story subplot is shared. One common underground with two exits. I'd even go a step further - you want to enter the Marketplace learn the WW or WW+STK storyline and by completing it you will exit in the Marketplace. And if you don't want to then talk to the relevant NPC and you can come back to it later. A bit like going from Korthos to Harbor. You want to follow the storyline do the quests, you don't want to go ahead, way to go. As far as I remember after doing STK they also improve the prices at vendors. Other things related to this - named items, refresh quests etc would also complement this

As for the arguments of others I think the issue is more complex. Yes, there are more important things to do in the game. But the grim truth is that it doesn't at all mean that these other things will be taken care of. Many times they have fixed minor bugs, like /dance2 at female orc not working as it should, or Stone Giant with a hopping gait in GH, and the more serious ones remain untouched. Looking at the more serious argument realistically, the question is what would they get out of it? Because apart from the work put in, probably not much, because it's mainly profit for the players. And on the other hand they finally refreshed "Medusa Chain" in Lordsmach. There it was a somewhat similar situation - the first 3 quests free, the next ones in the paid Attack on Stormreach pack, just like here - free WW and paid STK. Similar situation in terms of buying packs, but obviously not in terms of a new or combined dungeon. For players interested in the storyline or who want to do it all at once and get it over with, this solution will be interesting. Perhaps those who only did WW or STK because they didn't want to do two will also be interested. I like WW a lot myself and I'm not so keen on STK, because for this level there is a lot of running around and they are quite long quests. It doesn't mean I don't do them and I like the idea very much

 

[Leesun]

a WW -> STK -> Market sewer merger could also include a graphics update including some retexturing and model updates.

 

[fiwabar]

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 get the impression that you are contradicting yourself. Firstly - why would we need to merge into one big one? Since, following your example, there are now 10 different ones, this step would make 5 different ones, either way it is a reduction. I think it's worth it. And don't need to make it one big one. Secondly, as you yourself pointed out, the level difference is huge, the storylines are not chronological either.... even at the time of the game's creation - from what I remember subterrane as part of Thirteenth Eclipse came in Module 6 or 7 when the lvl cap was raised to 16, and WW and STK much earlier.

 

[Indyanna]

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.

Oh no no, I am happy to be called out when wrong. My initial thought when you said that was you don’t run heroic til 18 but if I am understanding correctly now , you’re saying there isn’t enough content at 18.

Fair call tbh but I still think I like the idea from the OP.

 

[Sophie The Cat Burglar]

Are we already bored of the brand new expansion that is brand new?

I would not mind a small expansion set in the sewers.
* Consolidates and greatly expands all existing sewer wilderness areas.
* Contains sewer wilderness entrances for all old sewer quests.
* Adds Epic versions of all old sewer quests.
* Adds 10+ new sewer quests comprising a low level saga, telling the tragic story of a dying kobold king, living in a true kobold city deep beneath the earth, and attempts by his greedy, undeserving sons to seize the throne and then make war on the flat faces inhabiting the above world.
* Includes legendary versions of all new sewer quests.

In Part Two, another small expansion, we learn that the kobold king's greedy sons were goaded to attack by the ghosts of drow long dead, living in a vast city below the kobold city. In fact, the kobold city comprises the outer defensive forts of the true city further below.

The drow city is inhabited by the ghosts of ancient escaped slaves. They were working on a arcane weapon of terrible power using information stolen from the dragons and giants. When activated, this weapon was designed to force the souls of all giants in a 2,000 kilometer radius to the Plane of Death, thus freeing Stormreach and all of Xen'drik from their tryannical rule.

A drow agent, working for the giants, saboutaged the device, causing it to slay all drow in the great city. A group of drow liches managed to avoid entrapment in Dolurrh and eventually freed their relatives, transformed into ghosts, using the negative energy of their own weapon. An experimental version of this weapon, long buried, was discovered and accidentally used by dwarves of House Kundarak resulting in the Korromar incident.

For thousands of years, the drow have labored to restore themselves to natural life. Their plan was to drive everyone from Stormreach, then use energy harvested from the Rift Between the Worlds to repower their device and reverse the flow of energy, turning negative energy to positive energy. With the kobolds vanquished, one drow lich is contemplating the horrific, using the weapon to draw positive energy directly from the people of Stormreach, restoring all the drow by killing everyone in the city.

In Part Three, we learn that the drow city lies atop an even more ancient underground ruin, a vast. previously unknown part of the Subterrane. The drow liches plundered most of their secrets from a vault deep below ground. They also drew power from a device in this vault to fuel their revenge weapon.

We now learn that the plundered power has weakened a vast array of energy conduits built long ago by the Coautl. When one of these conduits failed, it allowed the Lord of Dust to breach the containment cell of the Spinner of Shadows and free her. The adventures learn that all of the conduits are now approaching critical failure. Every single one. They must utterly annihilate the terrible monsters of the Subterrane, rebuild an ancient Giant device providing access to the prisons, and then destroy every single demon lord, one at a time, before time runs out.

Yeah. How about that?

 

[dur]

Oh no no, I am happy to be called out when wrong. My initial thought when you said that was you don’t run heroic til 18 but if I am understanding correctly now , you’re saying there isn’t enough content at 18.

Fair call tbh but I still think I like the idea from the OP.

k, but my point about wishing they'd FIX BUGS first, stands? This is one game of many for me -- including real life

 

[Indyanna]

k, but my point about wishing they'd FIX BUGS first, stands? This is one game of many for me -- including real life

We all wish for that to be the case, I do not think anyone is disputing that.

It also doesn't mean we can't have new content or to be more new player friendly, as this has been pointed out as a downfall previously with the Josh Strife review.

 

[dur]

We all wish for that to be the case, I do not think anyone is disputing that.

It also doesn't mean we can't have new content or to be more new player friendly, as this has been pointed out as a downfall previously with the Josh Strife review.

Except it does.. would you work for free? SSG just released Myth Drannor which people are paying up to $130 for..
Who's gonna do the terrain-modeling, potential monster-modeling, code it, etc? IDK game design.

I would very much rather they fix things that are broken. AND FOCUS on things THEY BROKE

(dare I hope for a TUMBLE revisit?)

 

[Indyanna]

Except it does.. would you work for free? SSG just released Myth Drannor which people are paying up to $130 for..
Who's gonna do the terrain-modeling, potential monster-modeling, code it, etc? IDK game design.

I would very much rather they fix things that are broken. AND FOCUS on things THEY BROKE

(dare I hope for a TUMBLE revisit?)

I understand your concerns and they are totally valid but you also cannot expect SSG to only fix bugs that may/may not have financial returns (they can't guarantee more income this way). I am not saying it's right, I am just saying it is a fact of business.

... and im just saying Aussie dollar is a trash, so us Aussies actually paid closer to $200 for the top tier expansion....

 

[Solarpower]

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.

I've understood you perfectly.
The point is that, from the start, it is illogical to have multiple sewer zones, since the city has one common sewer, not 10 separate ones.
Therefore, if the developers take the time to rework these zones, let them combine everything right away. So later they won’t have to redo it again.

 

[kmoustakas]

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.

I've been suggesting the same thing for over 5 years. It would be great (combined with an update of said quests' loot)

 

[Leesun]

I've understood you perfectly.
The point is that, from the start, it is illogical to have multiple sewer zones, since the city has one common sewer, not 10 separate ones.
Therefore, if the developers take the time to rework these zones, let them combine everything right away. So later they won’t have to redo it again.

It is also illogical to have eleven separate city zones, but I assume it is due to the limitations of the game engine and it is for this reason that I thought to have a couple of public sewer zones.

 

[Solarpower]

It is also illogical to have eleven separate city zones

This is actually quite normal.

 

[dur]

I understand your concerns and they are totally valid but you also cannot expect SSG to only fix bugs that may/may not have financial returns (they can't guarantee more income this way). I am not saying it's right, I am just saying it is a fact of business.

... and im just saying Aussie dollar is a trash, so us Aussies actually paid closer to $200 for the top tier expansion....

?

They are releasing content and making USD and still manage to generating more bugs.
EVERY YEAR since they took over from Turbine.
At some point they will kill the game if they just focus on pumping out content.

**I'm not holding my breath, because LoTRO, but they (SSG) need to hire people who know code AND keep them and hopefully start detangling this game, assuming it's spaghetto code.