New PVM content (can't change the title of another thread.. details inside)

[Xaun]

<Note this idea would require 12 players to complete ie two teams with enough variation in "actions" to need almost every profession represented for a particular duty but dynamic enough to not require any exact team template and allow for every profession to be able to be important by making it easier one way vs another because a certain profession is present for a particular part like an example would be if a crat is around it can charm a particular creature that would normally be an obstacle, fixers can hack the defense nodes to disable turrets, etc. The key elements here are that there would be effectively at least 4 different variable key strategies employed to successfully take down this type instance which would be utilizing a mixture of all of the professions in AO. An example of this suggestion is that each profession would have a "item" that only their profession could interact with that gave the teams a key advantage in how it is approached making EVERYONE feel important and useful for every raid. NO PROFESSIONS LEFT BEHIND!>

Coordinated item usage + normal kill/heal type game play. Let it include Mechs & turrets and be a like an alien hive infestation on Rubika.The aliens have setup turrets and stuff around a great mothership that has landed..

-The players must, using Mechs, take out the turrets while non-Meched people kill the waves of defenders that come from the mothership.. (the group could not employ Turrets at this point because stopping to turret would be bad due to aerial bombardments that does dmg to "technology" aka "mechs/turrets")

-Then after conquering that part they move on to the next stage which requires 3 locations to be hacked.. During this time the defenders would setup Turrets (both types because some of the aliens would be using new "siege technology" aka "mecha") around each node to bring down part of the defense grid which will open the final stage of the instance (inside the ship).

The trick is to make it so that you cannot complete the instance without using all 4 types of gameplay "Mech/Anti-Mech turret/Anti-Personnel Turret/Normal Non-shape shifted.

-Miniboss fight occurs with a "New Alien" at the point that the ship is hacked and afterward becomes boardable. (I have some sick crazy ideas about how it would look.. damn I wish I could draw it out.. would take so long to do a 3D sketch of it but might have to try >.<)

-Ship is boarded and is nothing like either Alien ship instance used so far. It would be designed more akin to the BS in layout but not in texture/object detail in that respect it would be either something new or a mix of the existing styles of Alien designs. While inside there will be several paths that can be taken. If you have a NT, you can dissolve a shield bubble that grants a short cut. If you have a Trader you can steal a special power that makes the boss fight easier and turns a trader into a mega DD class for that fight alone, if you have a Shade they can sneak past a certain group of sentries that and open a back door, if you have a fixer they can hack a particular node, etc.

-Final boss THE ALIEN QUEEN CLASS (I imagine this thing being two stories tall and would make every example of a creature or boss in the game seem small and in perspective for such a huge fight) Battle takes place on two levels dividing the players into two groups, One group will have fought their way to a control room and the other to the boss room. The group in the control room would have to protect an operator while they open doors and unblock obstacles that the second team would be encountering while facing the boss directly. What this does is forces both teams to work together to accomplish the instance and makes it a challenge that cannot just be easily farmed.

Anyway, I know you all want interesting and challenging PVM and so do I! So this is my suggestion. There would be random dropped loot but also at the completion every member of both teams would get a "token" which would be used in the new vendors with new PVM loot in it.

[Xaun]

An example of the type of new stuff to come from this mega elite instance would be:

* The armor would be differently "webbed" / "rigged" it would still be basically ranging from "Light to Heavy" armoring in various "styles" but then give the purpose true meaning. Anytime you add more raw Armor you lose some of the space to put extra things like critical systems, hacking, life regen, etc. So I proposed a socketing system that would in effect work like this:


Style template A-10001
Name: Ghost
Purpose: Espionage
QL:300
Effects: +stat (socketable 1500pts)
+stat (Socketable 1250pts)
+stat (socketable 1250pts)
Base AC: (Socketable 1000pts)
Weakness: (Socketable -1000pts)
Bonus Effect: +conceal
+Perception

vs

Style Template B-10001
Name: Cougar
Purpose: Close Quarters Combat
QL:300
Effects: +stat (socketable 1000pts)
+stat (Socketable 500pts)
+stat (socketable 500pts)
Base AC: (Socketable 3000pts)
Weakness: (Socketable -1000pts)
Bonus Effect: Proc effect on hit to snare nearby enemies based on MM skill vs NR check


----------------------------


Style template A-10000
Name: Ghost
Purpose: Espionage
QL:220
Effects: +stat (socketable 1000pts)
+stat (Socketable 1000pts)
+stat (socketable 1000pts)
Base AC: (Socketable 1000pts)
Weakness: (Socketable -750pts)
Bonus Effect: +conceal
+Perception

vs

Style Template B-10000
Name: Cougar
Purpose: Close Quarters Combat
QL:220
Effects: +stat (socketable 800pts)
+stat (Socketable 350pts)
+stat (socketable 350pts)
Base AC: (Socketable 2500pts)
Weakness: (Socketable -750pts)
Bonus Effect: Proc effect on hit to snare nearby enemies based on MM skill vs NR check

If this was handled the same way Implants are handled now you would have an ultimate winner! Think of it as a pick your appearance and then add extras on top. I added the bonus effect if you keep it somewhat profession oriented albeit not profession locked. This could mean that a keeper could wear +conceal/percep armor at the expense of the extra AC spending points and the proc effect. Mind you I could come up with 5000000 examples of this armor system but will try to sum it up below:

Each socket is worth a value in points; Each socketable upgrade has an equivalent number of points; Some armor will allow for a higher quality single socketed item or others a more balanced even socket strength at the expense per slot being lowered in comparison to anothers single max stat. In my example the two 300 sets come with a innate socketable value of 5000 total with a -1000 Weakness attribute, while the 220 sets come with a 4000 total with a -750 weakness value. How the player decides to use those points is up to them. If there is a type 1 type 2 and type 3 socket *bright/shiny/faded* it will prevent someone socketing something like say.. Evades 3 times.. in one item.. This will make all armor equal and balanced for its strengths and weaknesses instead of just this is better than that period. If this was added to a meaningful tradeskilling system then you would kill two birds with one stone.

[Jenshiye]

*bump incase Xaun still can't*