Simple Class Skill Improvements to Save AQ3D

There have been several threads that have advocated a change in terms of character building and the combat system. Most recently, these include:
Point Less Isle
What do you dislike most about grinding?

This thread is to discuss and determine potential, low-cost, high-impact changes that might be adopted by AE in a bid to make the game play more entertaining and not so dull.


A. The Problem

There are 2 main problems.

First: currently, everyone can play every class, which is not necessarily a bad thing on its own. However, paired with the fact that end-gear is virtually the same (stat-wise), means that players have no control over how their character is built. With little effort/skill/etc., everyone ends up being the same in terms of power ... boring. In fact, most of the "character customisation" in AQ3D focuses on aesthetics (i.e., character costumes).

Second: While most trash mob combat may remain simple, boss fights should be an exception. However, apart from 4 bosses, every other boss in AQ3D is extreme basic and involves simply: "SPANK" ... no tanking ... no healing ... no real combat strategy. The 4 exceptions are:

• Akriloth - this requires players to dodge super heavy attacks, and the potential for wipes exist.
• Knightmare - this requires players to change positions (moving to elemental circles to increase DPS, typically the only way to sustain enough DPS to clear this challenge).
• Wall of Pain - this requires players to sustain enough DPS on both the Healer Eye and Wall of Pain. Although more simple as comparied to the above, it at least means that not sustaining enough DPS ensures a wipe. Unfortunately, the DPS requirement simply requires more team members - typically 3 using healing potions is usually enough to ensure victory. Still too basic, but still an improvement.
• Dreadfool - this boss flees from combat; however it does not heal; meaning that it only requires you to chase it and ensure that at least 1 player stay alive during the combat sequence at all times. Again, too simple, but it is at least different.

So the main problem here is that zero thought has to be placed on:

• Skill Rotation - You can just spam, as per usual, even in the case of the 4 exceptions listed above.
• Party Composition - You don't have to care what parties you build. Typically, anything goes.

This means that battles are almost deterministic in nature, and that for the most part, no skill is necessary. Ok, maybe a little skill is required for the 4 cases above, but not much.

So players will get bored since all content is just there to be cleared. In fact, the only challenge in AQ3D at the moment is fighting boredom as you mindlessly farm for mostly cosmetic equipment.


B. Potential Solutions

The solutions I have stem from games by Blizzard; the best in the business when it comes to MMOs (imo).

Introduce more equipment choices and with many many many different levels of power. Diablo II was a great game. However, its boss fights, especially those in normal and nightmare modes are similar to those in AQ3D essentially. You didn't really have to worry about party composition/strategy, as you were typically able to out DPS most of them. That said, Diablo II did 2 things that AQ3D doesn't:

• Character builds via skill trees
• Equipment variation that spanned from the mundane to the godly

How can these be establilshed in AQ3D? There are several possible solutions:

1. Introduce small skill trees for each class and allow players to customise which they use. Essentially, this would be done in the same way as the customisable misc. item slots, you allow players to choose which skills they "equip". And the skills would be available through some "purchase" system (based on level, etc.).
2. Utilise skill combinations. As with the proposed ninja class, different combinations of skills would enable players to essentially use different skills (effectively). Creating more skill combinations for each class would mean that play becomes more skill driven; your choice of which skills to use in combination would have different effects in the game. Imagine if different skill combinations resulted in a guardian either playing as a tank as opposed to a healer. Essentially, you can play a different build based on the skills you chose to wield.
3. Since all players can play all classes, why not have a common set of skills, and players could choose which they wanted to use (instead of those given by class). Then, you could have infinitely many skill combos to utilise. This would achieve character builds!
4. For the love of god, please introduce more equipment variety. Vastly different stats, at vastly different levels. At least make the grinding more rewarding in terms of character power, and not merely character wardrobe.

Another direction is to introduce more interesting boss encounters. This is what WoW does (but they also introduce class build diversity and multiple item tiers for gear differentiation). AQ3D can do the same.

1. On the brightside, AQ3D has done this in some respects with the 4 bosses listed above. However, 4 bosses ... is just not enough. How often do you expect players to kill the same boss before they fully "learn" how to kill it. With with Akriloth, it didn't take long. AE must work on more bosses with complicated battles. And soon ...
2. Introduce the WoW's berserk timer. Require players to achieve certain DPS or else wipe. This will force them to optimise.

C. Feedback

I have listed what I feel are the main problems with AQ3D, as well as some potential solutions. However, these are just the thoughts of one person.

Do you have any ideas? Please list them here. Let's try to make suggestions to make AQ3D more fun and entertaining!

 

Here is another good example of what you'd probably want your game to be like? maybe?