Randomized Zones

Dregos

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Not talking about picking one map out of X number of maps for a zone, I'm talking about randomly generated zone that's unique per load. Think about it.

- much more replayability
- more exploration and less "rushing" through zones someone knows it
- reduces farming as that boss or pack of whatever is not always at the same place

Only problem I see is map layout. Maybe have the entrances/extis still at the same places but the paths, hills, etc. in the map are randomized. Either that or make zoning done by portals so they can be placed anywhere, but that won't present a very fluid world.

Winterclaw

Winterclaw

Wark!!!

Join Date: May 2005

Florida

W/

Too much work unless you are playing a game like dungeon hack. :| Pathfinding, monsters, and item placement could be a problem.

Evan The Cursed

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winterclaw
Pathfinding, monsters, and item placement could be a problem.
They already are.


I like this suggestion.

kalaris

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Warrior Nation [WN]

W/N

Also an unforseen side effect:

Suicide Rate goes up as people try and capture elites...

Its already hard enough to capture high end elites, (earth shaker =P)

Even D2 Didn't have purely random maps, it had a set number of pre-generated ones,

for GW To do this to all explorable areas would cause unessicary strain on their budget, servers and staff,

To take a line from my last online game:

Working as Intended.

eA-Zaku

eA-Zaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Maybe make one isolated zone that has a random generator? It does add to the Diablo-esque style and it would be cool to have a sort of Twilight Zone that is never the same. Like you go in and find it's a random Maguuma level, then exit and go back in and it looks like the Underworld.

Chev of Hardass

Chev of Hardass

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2005

Under a rock

zP

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by kalaris

Suicide Rate goes up as people try and capture elites...
Good point, no Elites that cannot be captured elsewhere in the game.

Dregos

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by kalaris
Also an unforseen side effect:

Suicide Rate goes up as people try and capture elites...

Its already hard enough to capture high end elites, (earth shaker =P)

Even D2 Didn't have purely random maps, it had a set number of pre-generated ones,

for GW To do this to all explorable areas would cause unessicary strain on their budget, servers and staff,

To take a line from my last online game:

Working as Intended.
Guess it could be done with pre-generated maps there was a large enough number of them to make it seem "random". I would argue that it's probably better to come up with a good map generator that can be used on all zones rather than having to design several maps per zone. Either way the effort would not be trivial I agree.

Dregos

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by eA-Zaku
Maybe make one isolated zone that has a random generator? It does add to the Diablo-esque style and it would be cool to have a sort of Twilight Zone that is never the same. Like you go in and find it's a random Maguuma level, then exit and go back in and it looks like the Underworld.
A zone or just a few select zones would be cool. Used to play on a MUD that had a randomly generated dungeon.

eA-Zaku

eA-Zaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

MUD is too hard. Especially when my character automatically raped/pillaged. I was like wtf I wanted to stay a virgin :/

ElevenBravo

ElevenBravo

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dregos
Not talking about picking one map out of X number of maps for a zone, I'm talking about randomly generated zone that's unique per load. Think about it.

- much more replayability
- more exploration and less "rushing" through zones someone knows it
- reduces farming as that boss or pack of whatever is not always at the same place

Only problem I see is map layout. Maybe have the entrances/extis still at the same places but the paths, hills, etc. in the map are randomized. Either that or make zoning done by portals so they can be placed anywhere, but that won't present a very fluid world.
no random zones. I already played a simular game like that called Star Wars Galaxies and their stupid random terrian. To much work the devs have to do. Static zones mean better artwork and graphics and design.

Imp

Imp

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2005

Novum Igneus [NI]

Rt/

I wouldn't mind a UW/fissure like place to be randomly generated, but the whole map.. no.