Crazy idea that just might work, single player dungeons/raids

[satella]

TLDR;
1. Optional queue system for legacy content that is scaled in difficulty such that one player + AI bodyguards (2+) can handle.
2. Increased drop rate on vanity items, with hard modes (triggered inside instance) further increasing drop rate.
3. Current gear doesn’t work, starting set provided, special gear drops that has no item level but has abilities on it. Allowing you to synergize all kinds of abilities to get stronger. Can equip bodyguards with same gear.
4. You can choose to go with only your AI bodyguards, and play as them, switching between when you want. Eliminates class imbalances.
5. Your character level doesn’t matter, so you’re able to level through every instance you’ve cleared on your main.
6. Separate talent and skill systems for bodyguards and can customize bodyguard race/gender/look and transmogs.
7. For a truly social experience, invite friends to play as your bodyguards, just a slight increase in rewards, since it's easier.

Think about all the dungeons and raids that people like to go to that are now practically obsolete, stuff that you can solo with ease.
You literally plough through countless monsters and bosses without even thinking about it, all in the pursuit of vanity items.

It is now possible to join a group that is level adjusted, in order to tackle the raids/dungeons together at an appropriate difficulty, but if you’re only after the vanity items, it’s not the best use of your time.

What if you could enter that same instance, but modified to be difficult for a solo player? That difficulty could translate into increased drop rates on vanity items. In addition to this, having a completely separate progression system for these types of instances would be a good idea. Your normal gear would be disabled inside these instances, and you would only be able to use this special gear. At first you would be given a full set of starting gear, in order to make things a little smoother in the beginning. This special gear could be structured in a completely different way, with all kinds of imbalanced buffs and effects, because it wouldn’t be usable in the outside world. No threat of misuse on other players. Instead of just increasing the power of your items, you would mix and match gear based on the perks/buffs/special abilities it would give you. With each item, your roster of powerful moves to defeat bosses would be increased, and enabling you to dynamically think about each encounter, not just the numbers involved.

I know what you’re thinking, but what about healers and tanks? Well, just like the awesome Proving Grounds, your role would determine how you would tackle these instances. With healers actually having to heal, tanks having to tank, and dps having to dps.

Instead of having 4 difficulty levels, the increase in difficulty would only come from your choices inside the instances. Hard modes that are triggered by a specific set of steps you have to take, that also reward the same vanity items you’re after, with each progressive difficulty level increasing the drop rate.

The hard modes would have different triggers, depending on your specified role (Tank, Healer, Damage).

No hard mode - Drops gear that can only be used inside these instances and increased drop chance on vanity items.
Hard mode type 1 - Drops everything from the previous tier, with an even greater increase in drop rates.
Hard mode type 2 - Drops everything from the previous tier, with an even greater increase in drop rates etc.

There could be a debate on how many tiers are necessary, but personally, I think 3 are more than enough, and 2 could also be a possibility.

Joining groups and adjusting level to content is a step in the right direction, but this would give those that like to have something to do solo a respite from group activities while at the same time giving vanity hunters a better way of grinding those juicy mounts, toys and transmogs.

Instead of mindlessly repeating the same dungeons/raids over and over in the hopes of drops, you are now also progressing through a separate system, while getting increased drop rates on vanity items. The increased drop rates on vanity items would have to be significant in order to justify the time investment, but in the end, people will feel like they have accomplished more, rather than just a mindless grind.

This would be a massive undertaking, but ultimately worth it, just because of the massive number of players Blizzard would entice to join again. Some people just don’t have the time to join raids at a set time each night, but they still like a challenge.

Edit: For those interested in this, having a pool of AI bodyguards to choose from, with DPS/Healer/Tank roles, that you can also equip with items, would help smooth out the imbalances in class differences. How many bodyguards? Well, that all depends on how complicated this system could be. I would think at least 2, such then you could always have a healer a dps and a tank in your group.
Edit 2: To clarify, this would be optional, a separate queue system.
If you’re new, going in normally would yield more vanity items per hour, but if you spend enough time in the system and gather enough special items, you’ll be able to increase your yield such that it is more efficient than just going in normally. That yield increase would have to be tempered, but it would still be there for the dedicated.
Edit 3: There is also another way to structure this, an even crazier way. Instead of controlling your character, you can select to step into the shoes of one of your bodyguards. This would completely eliminate class imbalances. Being able to customize these bodyguards to your liking, appearance, separate talent system, separate skill system etc. Would be your own little army, and you can personally control each and every one. Being able to switch to another bodyguard mid fight would be cool as well.
Separate skill and talent system for bodyguards would be implemented, along with being able to cuztomize their race/gender/look and transmogs.
Edit 4: To be able to level with this system, your level inside would not be a factor, and you could essentially level in all instances cleared on your main, even as a level 15. Experience would be scaled accordingly, and rewards such as gold and AP would also be scaled accordingly.
Edit 5: For those truly social butterflies out there, a possibility to invite your friends to step into the shoes of your other bodyguards would be possible. You could essentially roleplay as forgotten heroes, clearing Molten Core.

[RemasteredClassic]

This alone would make retail my main game again and classic just for when I feel nostalgic. With current retail, if things don't change to what your awesome suggestion and similar suggestions made by others, then retail will not stand a chance against classic.

People LOVED legion's solo challenges, despite them being super challenging, even if all they were after was vanity items.

I would also add that it would be great if you could bring along one or two alts controlled by AI to be able to loot items not equipable by your class. This would really make me like the whole bodyguard/follower system that everyone hates. It would make me feel attached to this other toon that is tagging along, and it will not feel as lonely, even though they are both my toons, but psychologically it feels like you are winning by playing more of your own toons. It would really be fun if AI could make your alt say fun things and interact with you intelligently. This system already exists in single player wow fan made project, so I know it's possible.

[satella]

This alone would make retail my main game again and classic just for when I feel nostalgic. With current retail, if things don't change to what your awesome suggestion and similar suggestions made by others, then retail will not stand a chance against classic.

People LOVED legion's solo challenges, despite them being super challenging, even if all they were after was vanity items.

I would also add that it would be great if you could bring along one or two alts controlled by AI to be able to loot items not equipable by your class. This would really make me like the whole bodyguard/follower system that everyone hates. It would make me feels attached to this other toon that is tagging along, and it will not feel as lonely, even though they are both my toons, but psychologically it feels like you are winning by playing more of your own toons. It would really be fun if AI could make your alt say fun things and interact with you intelligently. This system already exists in single player wow fan made project, so I know it's possible.

Yes, that is a really good idea. Would also help balance the classes, since everyone would have the same pool of AI bodyguards to choose from.

In fact, having items that drop that you can equip your bodyguards with, to make them better, or play in a different way, would extend the lifetime playability of this many times over.

[shade3891]

Cool idea indeed !

Would it not be cooler if those items also scale to give you an item of your current ilvl ?
(* random ilvl between your lowest equipped and highest equipped item +5).

Then have a "Nostalgia/Hardmode" Key that increases level with each boss kill, making the instance more difficult. (weekly reset)

Just a thought

[satella]

Cool idea indeed !

Would it not be cooler if those items also scale to give you an item of your current ilvl ?
(* random ilvl between your lowest equipped and highest equipped item +5).

Then have a "Nostalgia/Hardmode" Key that increases level with each boss kill, making the instance more difficult. (weekly reset)

Just a thought

The items wouldn't need to have item levels, they would all be unique, such that they give you lots of different abilities that can be utilized inside the instances to make them easier. Item level would essentially not be an issue. There would be no disparity in their power levels, just in the way they intermingle. With enough items, you could equip them in such a way that they synergize, giving you more power.

Having an endless treadmill of item levels would eventually become redundant. Having to change your gameplay, having to actually change the way you play in order to get better, has more longevity.

[iosdeveloper]

I spent very high quality time leveling in dungeons as Prot Warrior in Legion running up to the dungeon myself.
Most dungeons were solo-able by prots of the same level (full heirlooms and crusader ofc), took a little skill in later dungeons
So i ran the same dungeon over and over until i get a new one in LFG -> i go there

I'd like such experience to be possible on every class.

[Elias01]

Imagine playing mmorpg and asking for solo dungeon content. At this point ruin retail as you want. True mmorpg players finaly have palce to play in so enjoy.

[Fred Skinner]

I ask for solo player dungeons and raids all the time. But as blizzard ignores me, and you too, op, we will never get it.

[A Chozo]

Sounds awesome. Some people think that mmo-rpg = cooperative multiplayer by default. Luckly Blizzard doesn't listen to those otherwise we would never have challenges like the Mage Tower.

Singleplayer with the option of multiplayer is the best.

[schwarzkopf]

Would be almost impossible to balance - just like the mage towers.Some classes can self heal and others cannot, some can do a lot of dps and still be in tank mode. Some are squishy some are not.

Pretty much any instance hard enough for a DH to find challenging would be impossible for a mage.

The proving grounds were unbalanced as well , my fresh hunter walked through them - took an almost raid geared mage to struggle through the same one..

[Monkey]

This reminds me of Diablo 3. With the Set and Unique items changing how you use skills.

There is too much Diablo 3 in World of Warcraft as it is.

[Kokolums]

Absolutely not. The video game market is absolutely saturated with solo player games. Its like trying to mine a vein that was gutted 100 years ago. Pickings are slim. Almost no video games cater to extroverted people that want a social experience. That is a rich and fertile spot. Just take for example Diablo 3. It has great graphics, controls are smooth, and it has plenty to offer the solo player. You could run various rifts all day solo. But absolutely no-one plays it because there are 2348729487037812 solo games on the market.

Even if executed perfectly, solo player dungeons are just rifts, and won't be popular.

[satella]

Would be almost impossible to balance - just like the mage towers.Some classes can self heal and others cannot, some can do a lot of dps and still be in tank mode. Some are squishy some are not.

Pretty much any instance hard enough for a DH to find challenging would be impossible for a mage.

The proving grounds were unbalanced as well , my fresh hunter walked through them - took an almost raid geared mage to struggle through the same one..

AI Bodyguards my friend, that you can equip with the special items that drop inside. That would balance out the classes a little, while still making your individual contribution matter in what bodyguards you choose, their items, and the orders you give them.

[fooliuscaesar13]

I like the idea, but I'd modify it a bit to require at least a party of 3. The game needs more group content (imo), and something like this would only push people to further do things by themselves.
Don't get me wrong - I'd still play the shit out of your idea. Grouping up with others just what popped into my head, though.

[satella]

Absolutely not. The video game market is absolutely saturated with solo player games. Its like trying to mine a vein that was gutted 100 years ago. Pickings are slim. Almost no video games cater to extroverted people that want a social experience. That is a rich and fertile spot. Just take for example Diablo 3. It has great graphics, controls are smooth, and it has plenty to offer the solo player. You could run various rifts all day solo. But absolutely no-one plays it because there are 2348729487037812 solo games on the market.

Even if executed perfectly, solo player dungeons are just rifts, and won't be popular.

It won't drop any items that you can use on the outside, except for vanity items. It won't affect the current content at all, this is only for legacy content.

It's a separate progression system, detached from the main game, tailored to those that like solo challenges.

[satella]

I like the idea, but I'd modify it a bit to require at least a party of 3. The game needs more group content (imo), and something like this would only push people to further do things by themselves.
Don't get me wrong - I'd still play the shit out of your idea. Grouping up with others just what popped into my head, though.

Hey, it's always possible to expand on the system. With each extra player character, it would just increase the difficulty to a corresponding level. Each extra player character would also have their own AI bodyguards that they would be able to control.

Solo - 1 player, 2 AI bodyguards.
2 Players - 2 players, 4 AI bodyguards.
3 Players - 3 Players, 6 AI bodyguards.

The number of AI bodyguards is a subject that can be debated of course. Being able to fill a 20 man raid with AI bodyguards would be cool.
Etc.

[Zyrinx]

"That difficulty could translate into increased drop rates on vanity items."

Well, that would be key, because I don't wanna bust my ass for a 1% drop.

I still want a Mage Tower in this expansion, for my playstyle it would literally be the only reason for me to ever look at one of my "other" 11 toons at max level. In Legion it kept many of us playing and gearing till the very end.

[mojamonk123]

I would love it, not having to rely on other people doing their jobs correctly sounds great

[Zyrinx]

Absolutely not. The video game market is absolutely saturated with solo player games. Its like trying to mine a vein that was gutted 100 years ago. Pickings are slim. Almost no video games cater to extroverted people that want a social experience. That is a rich and fertile spot. Just take for example Diablo 3. It has great graphics, controls are smooth, and it has plenty to offer the solo player. You could run various rifts all day solo. But absolutely no-one plays it because there are 2348729487037812 solo games on the market.

Even if executed perfectly, solo player dungeons are just rifts, and won't be popular.

Not sure about that, I feel like the Mage Tower was damn popular, because... shocker!.... Blizz didn't fuck up the rewards for once!

I mean there were a few less desirable skins but in general, people wanted them.

[fooliuscaesar13]

Hey, it's always possible to expand on the system. With each extra player character, it would just increase the difficulty to a corresponding level. Each extra player character would also have their own AI bodyguards that they would be able to control.

Solo - 1 player, 2 AI bodyguards.
2 Players - 2 players, 4 AI bodyguards.
3 Players - 3 Players, 6 AI bodyguards.

The number of AI bodyguards is a subject that can be debated of course. Being able to fill a 20 man raid with AI bodyguards would be cool.
Etc.

This would be a cool idea as well.
I'd be willing to bet that using the Island AI tech, this could be built into the game. You could take a party of 5 players, for example, fill the rest (up to 20 or 30 or 40) with AI units, and you'd have a full raid for the most part to tackle just about any content.
Or you have 1 player, X AI units, and the player can still do the content.

You slide the loot rewards based on number of players, and / or the difficulty tier. I'd love something like this to change up old content farming.