NDD Invasions

[conavar]

Before I start just like to say this isnt a whinge or a moan and if NDD invasions stay the same then im more than happy

 

Just a couple of simple ideas to keep them fresh

 

Map change:

 

change the mass invasion map once in a while from Bethel, make the players have to think up new tricks and tactics depending on which map is used.

I would suggest keeping it away from busy maps ie: EVTR but there are plenty of others. Kusamura,Melinis, Zirakinbar and Sedicolis

 

Objectives:

 

Having certain optional objectives that could be completed to get bonuses could add an extra strategy element to invasions

 

EG: Zirakinbar map (few examples)

 

1) Players to be asked to clear the city to get a foot hold in the map and open up the underground ( for supplies, players)

 

2) blacksmiths, Smithy, Docks etc etc could need to be taken

 

3) Rescue/Escort

 

4) Locate and kill

 

on completion of objective a bonus could be award

 

Rescue/Escort

 

I will use the term mod but it could quite easily be a player if they were willing to follow the spirit of the scenario ( ie: not cheating )

 

A mod/s is trapped somewhere on the map and need to be found and rescued to a designated map exit ( not the closest )

To be rescued they must be tagged ( traded with ) by a player, they will then follow the player that tagged them.

If the players wanders out of sight/dies then the mod will stop and needs to be re-tagged by any player.

The mod can be attacked by monsters and death = failure ( no respawn or 2nd chances)

Other players can act as guards/protection but the mod will only follow the player who tagged him.

If the map hasnt got any safe areas the mod might need to be in god mode until tagged and then revert to normal mode.

Mod not allowed to teleport or go Invisible:

 

What do the players do ?

 

Do they go for broke and try a rescue as soon as they find out or do they wait ?

Do they go it alone or as a group ?

Do high level fighters act as guards while low levels as escorts (taggers) ?

Do the low level fighters sacrafice themselves for the cause (attacking a monsters so mod can escape) ?

Do the players try to do the mission in one trip or move the mod from safe point to safe point ?

 

Escort would be the same but in reverse, players have to escort a mod from map entrance to random point on the map or from point A to point B

 

Molime watched in horror as her rescuers died valiantly around her, soon they would be overwhelmed and it would be her turn. Movement caught her eye as a dragon loomed large in the night sky, its tongue licking over its sabre like teeth as it advanced towards her.

Suddenly she was dragged backwards into darkness, arms flailing as she hit the hard ground " The cave is to small for them to enter, so settle yourself we might be in for a long wait ". Smiled her savour

 

Locate and Kill

 

One player volunteers to play the "leader" of the invasion and is made pkable ( If the pkable status can be turned on and off at will ) and hides on the map

The Leader is not allowed to move ( so cannot refill he's, srs etc . so if the char is strong they can be slowly warn down )

Players must find and kill/force to diss tele the leader to claim the bonus

 

 

Capture

 

Players are asked to capture a certain point/s on the map ( depending on the map these could be anything from smithy,docks to city itself)

Capture is only achieved when monsters do not enter the area for a period of time 5-10 minutes

 

And with places like Sedicolis capturing the city also opens up the exit point from the portals room

 

 

 

Bonuses:(examples)

 

10 - 30 minute extension to the kill time limit

 

5-10 giants or 1-2 dragons are removed from the map

 

Aluwen summons help

 

Rescued mod acting as a teleport device from the underworld to map entrance/captured safe zone inside (this might be totally unworkable and cause to much work for the mod)

 

Ent reveals the location of a hidden hyper bag of supplies ( nothing economy breaking ie: 3k he's, 2k de's and 500 srs )

 

note : if you want to suggest anything yourselves lets try and keep it to simple things that dont need programming etc

Im not a big fan of the invasion automatically ending as a bonus. If the players get lucky or smart it could all be over in 30 mins . IMO best option is to help out buy reducing monster numbers etc

 

Maps and Mages

 

Scouted out the maps I listed and apart from Kusamura all have safe spots for mages to cast harm/poison from.

Eg:

 

Zirak crypt outsides (fenced off)

 

Can be accessed by crypt(pk) or TTR spell, but once the invasion begins it is totally cut of from help . Brings up images of Rourkes drift and the Alamo lol

 

Sedicolis city

 

Walls can be accessed by TTR spell and stairs, but once the invasion starts the steps would need to be protected by fighters until the city area is clear

 

The fighter swung his sword, cleaving the giants head in two, its lifeless body toppled down the stairs causing the advancing hordes to pause, with this moments respite he gazed along the battlements where mage upon mage rained death upon the creatures below.

Reinforcements where on there way, he only hoped they would arrive in time

 

 

There are plenty more safe spots on the maps but not going to say where, dont want to spoil the fun of those who like to scout and make there own strategys

 

Kusamura opens up its own new sets of strategys, mages casting from behind screening fighters etc.

 

note : only problem is Zirak is not multi-combat

Edited November 14, 2007 by conavar

[Acelon]

Actually, EVTR should get the most invasions. It has nearly everything.. so you have to make it a little less appealing

[Entropy]

That's a very good idea, to have more scenarios.

I especially like the rescuing one.

Can you elaborate more on that?

[Guest ohmygod]

I want to see if the tactics used by the fighters in Bethel to gain beachead will work again, plus i think if another map gets used in final wave part there needs to be some consideration of the low lvl players who normally participate casting magic from the cliffs. Will they be able to participate like this in another map?

 

And yes the rescue/side mission sounds good.

 

Maybe a god/mods who once "rescued could beam players back to the fight instead of walking from underworld or something. I was first thinking a bag of supplies but this might be detrimental to the el economy.

[Zamirah]

Could we drop the invasions of achims in Port Anitora ?

The last 2 times have I been killing achims there, more than 100 every time, without seeing any other fight them. Few came from the start, died and I did'nt see them return. Maybe because it's not multi.

At the same time did I hear there were chims and giants on C1. I will go to help on thise maps next time.

 

The achims give good xp, but I think the invasion is about having fun with other players.

 

The big invasions would be best if they were on maps next to Idaloran, it's already a long way to go to Bethel.

[bkc56]

... plus i think if another map gets used in final wave part there needs to be some consideration of the low lvl players who normally participate casting magic from the cliffs. Will they be able to participate like this in another map?

According to a post over in the announcements area ( http://www.eternal-lands.com/forum/index.p...st&p=394458 ) Melinis is suppose to be safe after the update (city gates closed). Depending on just how the walls are placed, it would be possible for people to cast spells from on top of or behind the city walls in much the same way as from the cliffs in Bethel.

 

There are probably other such spots on various maps that could be used in the same way. Although, some of them may not be accessible once the invasion has started, so once the map is named casters and mixers would need to rush supplies to the safe location and be in-place before the invasions starts. Say, with a 30 minute warning.

 

That second case could actually be a lot of fun as people organize the movement of supplies and people to a secure location to be ready. And once the invasion starts, they would be totally cut-off from further help for as long as they could hold out. A city under siege.

Edited November 14, 2007 by bkc56

[Raz]

I had a similar thought...

Change the map - make us have to think.

 

Bethel with 600 giants was a massacre, and took ages to even get a foothold. Once we had that - clearing it is much easier..

 

One idea I did think of was the invasion is controlled by a 'master monster' - something ludicrously easy - like an IMP... all that needs to happen for the invasion to be defeated - is for the master monster to be killed..

This would work wonderfully on a large map - with many monsters spread throughout the map - meaning that low level players could actually help constructively, rather than being mere cannon fodder.

This would add dodging / running a protective screen around players to enable exploration.

 

The good thing about bethel is that it is relatively close to hell.... If a different map were chosen, it would need to be relatively close, or some other mechanism of getting ALL players there would need to be sought.

 

To expand on the rescuing.. a mod announces there position - first to bring them a rose - causes the invasion to be ended..

 

Another scenario would be to have a low level player sit north of a bridge, and summon monsters south of it - the goal being to keep the player alive for X minutes... KJ springs to mind as ideal for this.. Give fighters warning to get in position before the invasion.

 

Hope this helps...

 

Rr

[conavar]

That's a very good idea, to have more scenarios.

I especially like the rescuing one.

Can you elaborate more on that?

 

original posted revised and extended

[peino]

Conavar, I'm loving all these ideas!

 

To Raz's idea of a "master monster" - I like the idea, but not so much the chance that an invasion could be ended early if the master is taken out early. Could the master monster, as Mortos's "general" in any given invaded map, appear near the end of an invasion period? Say, it appears somewhere in the last mob of invaders to spawn, and whoever kills it wins a bonus? So, like, say an imp is the general of Mortos's forces attacking Morcraven -- somewhere in the last spawn of giants and chims, that imp is running around. The one who kills it gets the prize and officially secures Morcraven.

[TheComet]

I love the idea of objective based invasions, especially the idea of city sieges given enough time beforehand for people to get inside and in position.

 

One little idea I'd like to throw out there would be having "Heroes" on the map that can't die but fight normally, but they are restricted to one area. One idea could be a monk holding off monsters in front of his church/monastary, another could be a legion of battlemages taking out monsters trying to rush the stairs of the magic schools, or a few guardsmen near the entrance of the map to keep monsters from killing people off before they even finish loading

 

edit: having a healer hero would be pretty nifty, he/she'd be a bit back from the action but still in the fight and would remote heal people nearby who aren't at max health.

Edited November 14, 2007 by TheComet

[Entropy]

Ok, great, but the problem with the rescues is that they don't work until near the end of the invsion, or on really big maps.

For example, in Bethel, the map is too small for 600 giants, and it is impossible to rescue anyone until the giants number drops to 100 or so (unless if both the one to be rescued and the rescuerer are very, very strong).

 

In fact, we can do it this way:

The player that needs to be rescued is teleported by a mod at the rescuing place, which prefferably should be outside of the map, or in some safe area of the map, if any. Then they should walk together through the map and go to some other exit. Not sure if invisibility spells or potions should be allowed though.

[conavar]

Ok, great, but the problem with the rescues is that they don't work until near the end of the invsion, or on really big maps.

For example, in Bethel, the map is too small for 600 giants, and it is impossible to rescue anyone until the giants number drops to 100 or so (unless if both the one to be rescued and the rescuerer are very, very strong).

 

In fact, we can do it this way:

The player that needs to be rescued is teleported by a mod at the rescuing place, which prefferably should be outside of the map, or in some safe area of the map, if any. Then they should walk together through the map and go to some other exit. Not sure if invisibility spells or potions should be allowed though.

 

Totally agree that a map like Bethel is to packed at the invasions start for any kind of rescue mission, but the way I saw it was depending on the map the players dont need to told of the objective straight away, it could be half way through, near the end etc

 

and maybe with hindsight trying to resue a "killable" player is to hard and maybe it could be a mod in god mod. Who will follow the player who tagged them until there death then the mod will stop and be safe ( RP hiding under a bush ) until somone else tags them .. that way at least they can be moved slowly part at a time towards there goal/exit.

 

IMO anyway/ideas used to implement any objective type scenarios would be good, to keep the invasions fresh and fun and stop us players resting on are laurels ( I might regret ever suggesting this on my 100th walk back from hell o well )

Edited November 15, 2007 by conavar

[Euric]

on raz's thought about the master monster, what if there was a couple of them, like commanders, generals of some sorts that if you kill one the whole invasion mob drops a percent in hp, can that be programmed? just a thought.

[darky]

Will it be possible to get gates for Idaloran cemetary. So Cemetary is separate from all of Ida and player coming out of hell has a safe area as well they can use ring/Tele to range/tele to Portal room from there.

 

This will be great for invasion and there can be monster inside and outside gate. Killing the ones inside cemetary will secure area for player coming out of hell.

-Darky

Edited November 16, 2007 by darky