[Megathread] Wildstar - Now F2P

[Arlee]

My personal preference is idc how big a raid is, but please don't stuff it with pointless trash

[SirRobin]

I want the choices of zones to be like WoW's 1-60. That to me is the pinnacle of zone choice in MMO's. Each race has their OWN starting zone. You can go anywhere you please, it's entirely open world(only phasing), there's different leveling paths, and the quests are actually kind of good.

WOTLK did a nice job as well on zone choices. BC did an ok job.
Cata(besides vashj'ir) and MOP are completely linear zone wise, you have only 1 leveling path. 1.

Yeah, I loved the progression zone options in vanilla WoW. No MMO has managed that anywhere near as well since, in my opinion. I suspect that WildStar won't either but time will tell and all that jazz.

[Redblade]

My personal preference is idc how big a raid is, but please don't stuff it with pointless trash

We have to have trash though, or you get a raid like ToC. =/

[Boramir]

I don't think they are making paths come with "must have" perks baked into them, as from what I understand, paths are primarily part of the soloing experience.

In my experience with raiding, I prefer a more linear style of progression. I am stubborn by nature so that is probably why I enjoy numerous attempts at killing a boss before I am allowed to progress. However, I also enjoyed the raiding experience in Naxx (wrath version) and Ulduar where you were able to choose how you went about it. The one thing that I do not like about being able to pick and choose the bosses is if a particular piece of gear you need is stuck in the loot table of said boss (that your group cannot down), then you are doomed to wait until they decide to go back and attempt to kill said boss again. But that's just me.

[zito]

I don't think they are making paths come with "must have" perks baked into them, as from what I understand, paths are primarily part of the soloing experience.

Path's come with path specific skills you use. Each path skills are very... variant, so for min maxers they will take whatever path has the best skill for their role.

Which isn't bad becuase mix/maxers will always do that but people like to follow the train.

[unholytestament]

We have to have trash though, or you get a raid like ToC. =/

I feel the trash should be there to make the place feel alive but not be an obstacle to progress.

ToC is an obvious bad example, but I like to use ICC as well. The entrance felt alive with conflict, and after the second boss there's both factions fighting which was great. But after Saurfang we see only a handful of Argent guys and then Fordring has made it to the summit alone? What? Huh?

The first half of ICC was amazing and then it just dropped off. The mobs were just milling about without a care in the world that the citadel was under siege.

[Redblade]

I feel the trash should be there to make the place feel alive but not be an obstacle to progress.

ToC is an obvious bad example, but I like to use ICC as well. The entrance felt alive with conflict, and after the second boss there's both factions fighting which was great. But after Saurfang we see only a handful of Argent guys and then Fordring has made it to the summit alone? What? Huh?

The first half of ICC was amazing and then it just dropped off. The mobs were just milling about without a care in the world that the citadel was under siege.

Yeah I agree that there is good ways to add trash and also really bad ways, at the end of the day thrash is needed though to help make the place feel alive.

[Boramir]

Path's come with path specific skills you use. Each path skills are very... variant, so for min maxers they will take whatever path has the best skill for their role.

Which isn't bad becuase mix/maxers will always do that but people like to follow the train.

But will those abilities be available to the min/maxers when they are raiding or are those abilities only available when they are doing activities related to their respective paths?

[Deleted]

IMO The Secret World have a very nice dungeon structure where there are maybe 2-4 trash packs and then a boss, 2-4 trash packs and then a boss. It makes the dungeons feel more "alive" and "dungeony" but without taking forever and getting people annoyed because there is so much trash. I would prefer something like that in Wildstar, but maybe with a little more tactic involved. Put a few trash packs(3 maybe) between each boss and let these serve almost as "mini bosses" where you need tactics to take them down. CC the right one(s), kill them in the right order, instant kill stuff etc. Another option is for them to be randomly generated, so that you never fight the same trash pack over and over and over again. I believe that would make the trash feel a little less boring and repetative and hopefully keep your eyes open 'til the boss.

Or you could just add cool loot to trash packs, furniture, gear, buff items etc. To give people more reason to kill them.

[zito]

But will those abilities be available to the min/maxers when they are raiding or are those abilities only available when they are doing activities related to their respective paths?

Far as we know so far they can be used anywhere.

[Valeron]

IMO The Secret World have a very nice dungeon structure where there are maybe 2-4 trash packs and then a boss, 2-4 trash packs and then a boss. It makes the dungeons feel more "alive" and "dungeony" but without taking forever and getting people annoyed because there is so much trash. I would prefer something like that in Wildstar, but maybe with a little more tactic involved. Put a few trash packs(3 maybe) between each boss and let these serve almost as "mini bosses" where you need tactics to take them down. CC the right one(s), kill them in the right order, instant kill stuff etc. Another option is for them to be randomly generated, so that you never fight the same trash pack over and over and over again. I believe that would make the trash feel a little less boring and repetative and hopefully keep your eyes open 'til the boss.

Or you could just add cool loot to trash packs, furniture, gear, buff items etc. To give people more reason to kill them.

Funcom in general has great dungeon and encounter design.

[Fencers]

My personal preference is idc how big a raid is, but please don't stuff it with pointless trash

I actually don't really like the "trash-less" or raids with very little trash.

I feel like if that is what you are going to do just make a room with a boss and cut the pretense.

Gameplay above all things.

[Boramir]

I thought the devs said that they did not want you to feel like you had to reroll because of a path choice? As such, I would not expect any of the skills/abilities you get through your path to be an advantage elsewhere in game. I could very well be wrong, that's just my interpretation.

[athlonmax]

"All settlers activate your speed boost and go quickly to kill that next wave of adds that coming from east side of the room" well an example from paths can be really useful for raids and such.

[Edge-]

I actually don't really like the "trash-less" or raids with very little trash.

I feel like if that is what you are going to do just make a room with a boss and cut the pretense.

Gameplay above all things.

But immersion!

[Boramir]

"All settlers activate your speed boost and go quickly to kill that next wave of adds that coming from east side of the room" well an example from paths can be really useful for raids and such.

That would definitely be useful. I must have been mistaken.

Now I need to know more about the skills granted by each path before I pick one.

[Kelimbror]

"All settlers activate your speed boost and go quickly to kill that next wave of adds that coming from east side of the room" well an example from paths can be really useful for raids and such.

This is just a.... guess .... but all Path perks like that probably apply to your group and not just you. Just saying. Probably an overreaction to think it will be min maxed like people are afraid of.

[zito]

This is just a.... guess .... but all Path perks like that probably apply to your group and not just you. Just saying.

*cough*

They all are not

*cough*

You didn't hear it from me.

*cough*

[Kelimbror]

You didn't hear it from me.

I specifically italicized the like that for a reason. Being able to..let's say...shoot a bomb at an enemy isn't very important as say, a speed boost, or hero. Additionally, these things may or may not be done being passed over. Probably not done.

Also, I think me coughing about the issue has more impact. *cough*

[Arlee]

We have to have trash though, or you get a raid like ToC. =/

I actually really liked ToC. I like going in a just killing boss after boss and I liked the arena feel of it.

ToC is an obvious bad example, but I like to use ICC as well. The entrance felt alive with conflict, and after the second boss there's both factions fighting which was great. But after Saurfang we see only a handful of Argent guys and then Fordring has made it to the summit alone? What? Huh?

The trash in ICC didn't bother me, so if trash is done like that then sure fine. My thing is I like to raid to fight difficult bosses. I don't really care about raids feeling alive or making sense. I just want to be challenged and spend a little time on pointless mobs as possible.