What are you wanting to do at 50 that's not in the game?

[Dawginole]

So EvoEmpire posted a 15 reasons the game is going down post that was deleted, but one of his points brings up a valuable question for discussion for level 50's, and I'm curious to the thoughts on this.

 

EvoEmpire stated that:

 

NOTHING to do at level 50 but wait for a raid to start and hang out in the fleets, or work the market...

 

Most of my MMO time has come in 7 years in FFXI. And by the end of my time there you had a ton of choices for things to do in end game (minus PvP because it didn't really exist. We had Ballista, but...anyway). But really when the game was only about a year old there were five main things to do:

 

1) Level: Unless you were at cap, you could also lose levels if you died without raises which would require you to level even at end game, but merit points for increasing stats past level cap stats had not been introduced, so once you capped, leveling was strictly if you died and needed a buffer, or if you were playing a new job while waiting for something else to do.

 

2) "Gods": Not quite raiding, but similar. Items needed to be harvested from mid-upper tier mobs in order to pop higher tier bosses. Those four gods dropped rare/bound end game gear and also each dropped a pop item. One pop item from each god formed a set that popped one of the highest level bosses which had some of the best loot in the game. This required 18+ people.

 

3) Dynamis: An instanced event that players could only enter every three days which required players to work through an instanced version of one of the four main cities at the time killing mobs to gain items and currency for the most exclusive weapons in the game. Getting a weapon through all five stages to completion literally took a year minimum attending Dynamis every three days. This probably most closely resembles an Operation in SWTOR.

 

4) Story Missions: Essentially the same as class story in SWTOR, but required 6-18 players to cooperatively complete, and because it could not be soloed and required grouping took some time into the players career after cap.

 

5) Camp Timed Mobs: One could go to an area where a specific mob would pop anywhere from every 1hr to every 36hrs. This guys dropped very rare items that were highly sought after and competed for.

 

A players week might look like this...

Day 1: Log in for a guild event to gather pop items for an end of the week top tier god run. Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 2: Log in for a Dynamis run. Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 3: Join a party shouting for a story mission. Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 4: Guild event. Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 5: Log in for a Dynamis run. Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 6: Whatever...maybe...camp a timed mob or level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

Day 7: 4 hour guild run on "gods". Level a sub class or get a buffer on your main job for the rest of the night.

 

So obviously there are some major differences in SWTOR, many for the better. But from where I've come from there are many things handed to you in this game, and I wouldn't mind more complex or drawn out missions or group events that were not necessarily instanced. Locating the mats and schems for +41 magenta color crystals is a good example of this. While they aren't in high demand as a useful craft to make money on, the "mini-quest" type journey to acquire and make these crystals is a good example of what should be included in the future of this game. Additionally, maybe things you even had to fight the other factions to get. Can you imagine for instance timed mobs in PvP areas where both factions were showing up. And not only did they have to compete to grab the timed mob, but compete with the other faction to hold the camp? Sounds epic.

 

On the other hand, assuming servers are full which should get better after transfers are available, waiting for specific immediately available things should subside. Theoretically PvP queues should speed up, and finding parties for Flashpoints and Operations should be less difficult. So in comparison, while there was a lot to do in my previous MMO. SWTOR also seems to have an abundance of things to do.

 

We have PvP, Flashpoints, Operations, Datacrons to find, crafting mats to search out, dailies, things to grind on, things that don't require a grind, new classes to level (though cross server guild communication would be nice here so that one could be leveling an alt on either faction and still see if something crops up to do with your buddies on your main class) but it surely seems like a good amount to keep any player busy.

 

So when one says, "There is nothing to do in this game at 50," I have to wonder what exactly are you wanting or is missing that you can't do that you would like to be doing?

 

Is it something you enjoyed from a different game that isn't here, or when you say this is the thing you are wanting already exists in the game but you'd like it to be somehow different or improved?

 

Personally, I love what's in the game. But if push came to shove, I certainly would want something like the "gods" from FFXI where guilds had to kill multiple high level mobs out in the field or even in an instanced area that dropped items that when combined would pop the highest level champ available that would drop very exclusive gear that could be obtained in no other fashion.

 

But I'd like to hear from some of you, especially those that are claiming there is nothing to do. Thoughts?

[ConradLionhart]

I like the idea of more heroic areas which can be completed by any combination of 4 players (or maybe even a companion or 2), as an alternative route to gear.

 

So heroic areas will be a cross between solo missions and hardmode flashpoints in terms of difficulty.

 

From easiest to most difficult

Solo missions -> Normal flashpoints -> Heroic areas -> Hardmode flashpoints

[Toweleeeie]

Quick and easy: NM Flashpoints that drops 1 black hole comm per run.

Make story mode Ops reset once a day.

Use legacy xp to insta level an alt to 50.

Insta travel to daily zones from ship.

 

In the long run: Turn Ilum into a true RvR with bases, landing platforms, gun immplacements, and what have you to catpure. Each type that you capture gives your faction a buff/ advantage. If your faction holds the majority of Ilum it could unlock a zerg instance where lots of credits and unique items drop, maybe even the newly designed armor we have be asking for.

 

I like the idea of a gear grind that takes a year or more. Also camping mob spawns is a good idea to, bc right now emotes are almost pointless with this instant gratification we have right now.

 

Tldr: the game needs more ways to progress and longer grinds.

[SajmanPeetee]

I miss the optional grinds at 50, the keyword being optional.

 

I miss the days of Everquest when you could sit at a mob spawn, kill the placeholder, go run errands for 20 minutes and comeback, rebuff, and kill the placeholder again. The feeling from doing this was great because it felt like I was accomplishing something in both the game and in the real world, and with today's MMOs usually it's a sacrifice of one for the other.

 

Obviously this style of play should not be in the main story progression, but for an optional item like a vanity pet or piece of armor, title, crafting mats, or even credits I'd love to see it added to the game.

 

I also miss the World of Warcraft, small percentage to drop, vanity items, I remember running my Tol Borad dailies for weeks and after every run, I'd stop and clear the area of the Baradin Foxs (3 minutes) to see if I could get the pet, it took 1.5 months doing it this way, but when the pet was finally obtained it was this great rush.

 

Basically, I guess I just miss having something to do solo when I have time to kill. I'm not always in the mood to PvP or group, and once your dailies are done you're kind of at a loss for what to do if you still have an extra 30 minutes to kill or so.

Edited May 2, 2012 by SajmanPeetee

[pairadox]

I miss lake PvP.

Going into a zone, having upwards of fifty people splitting off into groups to take objectives. Massing on the keep. Breaking through the doors... It was a rush, and one everyone could enjoy because quite simply, you didnt HAVE to have anything to go pvp. Just show up. Do your job, and have a good time.

 

Im kind of tired of the esports. Im tired of the sterile little contained "war" aspect of having factions. Its pointless, if they arent actually at odds with each other.

 

I liked not having resilience or expertise on gear.

 

I miss crowded servers. Lately it just feels like no ones on. Trying to find a group or a role for a group is getting to be an hour long chore.

 

I miss dynamic content. (Like in TR) where bases would flip to npc factions.

I miss non human looking races.

I miss decent looking gear, that doesnt look like the entire art staff smoked some serious chronic before their meetings.

 

It would be nice if bioware could add those things in, because I miss the friends I made online too.

[Razot]

I miss FUN.....

[Darth_Moonshadow]

Roleplay.

 

Course I do that from level 1-50 anyway.

 

Roleplaying is always fun.

[Urdnaxela]

i am wanting to knowing basic grammaring...

 

i am mean, i know, but... c'mon

 

on the topic: only one thing (or two, depends on the first thing):

 

a) 1. Cross server LFG tool

b) 1. Single server LFG tool + 2. Server merges / transfers

Edited May 2, 2012 by Urdnaxela

[Kabaal]

World PvP. When i think Star Wars i think of the War part between the two sides and currently this game has zero aspect of that. Warzones where more often than not you fight your own side and an open world are that does no more to inspire friction between the sides than a planet such as Alderaan does.

[Korghal]

Character Server Transfer, would be awesome.

 

Server im on is not dead in a sence, tho its low pop which makes progression raiding and recruitment alot harder.

[CrymzenSith]

i would like to be able to take part in swoop racing mini games..like the swoop races from kotor *nods* compete against friends times etc.. Edited May 2, 2012 by CrymzenSith

[LongGui]

Find green armour I like the look of and use my crafting mojo to turn it into orange schematics

[Goretzu]

1. RvR
   
2. 3D Space Combat (and maybe exploration/mining)
   
3. Housing
   

Edited May 2, 2012 by Goretzu

[Koendewit]

- Real Open World PVP that is fun, challenging and rewarding. Like stated in an earlier post, add Lake pvp, even on PvE servers. Just give people the ability to pvp whenever they want, on any planet. Complete openworld pvp should be restricted to the pvp servers.

- Do something with the cantinas. Make people want to go there to socialise and or do mini-games. At this moment they are all empty and there is nothing else to do then vendor some random crap.

- Make a huttball spectator-mode with the ability to bet on matches for credits etc.

- The ability to farm rep with certain npc factions within the game.

- Make spacecombat open world and make flying from the cockpitview possible. I just love the idea of bringing friends or guildies to your ship and just go pvp or do pve missions while having fun. Assign certain roles to spacecombat like: Pilot, Turretoperator, engineer etc. Also add a rating/rep system to spacecombat.

- Dynamic events. Id love to just explore a planet and then just get ambushed by an imperial/republic strikeforce or w/e.

- More aspects of exploration aside from datacrons.

- I'd like to see more sandbox aspects added to this game, bc as of now it is to much themepark and ppl will get bored fast. Give the community the freedom to create their own events and stuff.

 

This is what popped up in my mind atm. Mayb more will come later.

[UndeadKing]

...

 

We have PvP

 

No, we do not. Aside from constant class re-balncing and nerfing (that is a normal process in the game), all we have is 4 warzones, no world PvP (and we won't have it, as claimed by Bioware anytime soon), no global PvP events (though, the Plague thing was a nice step towards it).

 

Flashpoints, Operations

 

Yes, we do have them. There is not too many of them, and we have to repeat them again...and again...and again...

Just like the 4 warzones. The funny thing is, as soon as we get full columni, there is not much use of repeating them.

Yes, we (theoretically) can go to operations, but so far there is all but none operation PuGs, because people get bored and ragequit earlier, than they can go for operations.

 

Datacrons to find

 

Finding ALL datacrones (including +10 to all at the fleet) takes 1 (one) day of 8 hours gaming. Maybe two. Not relevant in long term. Other that them, there is no point in exploring outleveled worlds, as they are DEAD.

I, personally, tried to reach locations, that you cannot reach by simple walking (i do this in all games; like jumping on the rocks). Everything is dead and locked, either unreachable, or closed with exhaustion zones.

 

crafting mats to search out

 

What for? To make the items for lowbies? Yes, we do that, but for that we don't need to search for any mats - we can companion-get them. And to craft somethig for ourselves? All we have to craft is something fine-looking to dress up at fleet. Other than that, there is nothing usefull for us in crafting.

 

 

dailies

 

Hello, grinding. Yes, we do that. But again, since being full columni + rakata relics, there is not much point in it. Some still do it, just to spend time, but the key word is "some".

 

 

things to grind on, things that don't require a grind

 

Name them, please. The ones, that were not mentioned yet.

 

new classes to level (though cross server guild communication would be nice here so that one could be leveling an alt on either faction and still see if something crops up to do with your buddies on your main class)

 

Yes, we do that. To see the great story for each class. BUT. We do skip all side quests, as most are annoying and not replayable (that's ok, actually). Also, at certain point a char outlevels the main quest, even if he does only them (because at places like Balmora you HAVE TO kill tonns of mobs). And then these quests become 4 minutes of weak mobs slaying - 2 minutes of cutscene. We do that to view these cutscenes. But this fun ends VERY fast, and other than that leveling an alt is boring boring boring (worlds are dead, interaction is limited and so on and so on).

 

but it surely seems like a good amount to keep any player busy.

 

Well, if you read my answer, you can see, that theoretically everything is fine, but practically the gameplay holes kill everything you've named.

 

What we do (the optimistic part of us) is spend our time somehow with hopes to changes (we don't want to believe, that once one finishes the story he/she should just unsubscribe and that's all).

Pessimistic part ragequits.

Realistic part starts whining on the forums, until they join pessimistic part.

Edited May 2, 2012 by UndeadKing

[JakkFrost]

No, we do not. Aside from constant class re-balncing and nerfing (that is a normal process in the game), all we have is 4 warzones, no world PvP (and we won't have it, as claimed by Bioware anytime soon), no global PvP events (though, the Plague thing was a nice step towards it).

 

Do you equate world-pvp with getting stuff? Because you can still go to Ilum and kill people from the opposite faction in the pvp area, or Outlaws Den on Tatooine and kill anyone not in group with you. You don't need rewards to world-pvp.

 

To the OP, as a longtime FF'er myself, aside from the stuff you mentioned, FF brought in a fair amount of minigames as well, that could be good for killing time and having fun. Some were developed enough to almost be standalone games, like chocobo raising and then racing. There was also moblin maze-mongers, and pankration, which admittedly wasn't so popular, but it could be a fun diversion from time to time.

 

I think we need more things like that, side-games that are fun time-wasters and can still net us useful stuff for endgame content. Like pazaak, which has been mentioned many times, or swoop-racing.

Edited May 2, 2012 by JakkFrost

[UndeadKing]

Do you equate world-pvp with getting stuff? Because you can still go to Ilum and kill people from the opposite faction in the pvp area, or Outlaws Den on Tatooine and kill anyone not in group with you. You don't need rewards to world-pvp.

 

You know, in time of UO i was a very dedicated player killer. My nickname was always, always red.

But i did not get pleasure from simple ganking. In fact, most of us, PKs did not. We were going out for a challenge AND loot. Challange was simple: you kill - you win, you get the loot. You loose - you loose what you've got by your own choice. Yes, we were hated, hunted and restricted by many things in the game, but the fun from challenge compensated it.

 

What do we have here?

You can go on tatooine and gank. Gank. Gank. No competition, no risk, no fun. No reward. Gets boring VERY fast.

You can go to Ilium for no purpose, trying to catch someone of your level there. But there is not much to do there, so most likely you won't catch anyone. And even if you catch, it is simply boring. No fun, no risk, no reward.

 

I can live with "no risk" thing, as fun can go with rewards. But we don't have even that.

 

As i have already stated, even a simple world PvP rank table would be sufficient for some time as a reward.

But the better solution would be resouces, planets, planet's influence level of the faction, that results in cookies for the winning faction and so on.

 

Guild Wars 2 are to have fortresses (usefull) and resources as cookies for the winning world PvP server. They already have two things as reward, why can't we have just ONE?

 

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

 

Aside from PvP, thumbs up for minigames. Also, the races can be player-generated content. Pazaak championships can also be player-generated and so on. Player's self-organizing is a very good thing.

Edited May 2, 2012 by UndeadKing

[NovaNoir]

The thing most players seem to want at later levels is not so much more content, but more substantial content. That is, not the same group of dailies, the same few flashpoints, and recollecting the same datacrons, and rolling a new alt when you get bored of your current character.

 

A greater variety of end-game content would probably help somewhat, as far as I can tell. As it is, you are kind of forced to do the same few Heroics/Flashpoints over and over at later levels, which grows boring and tedious quite quickly.

 

I imagine just giving people more content would probably help with that, as it reduces the tedium of doing the same bits of content over and over, in favour of... doing the same bits of content over, I guess. But hey, you've knocked off an over! That's something, right?

[Dawginole]

Lots of good ideas in here. Hope the devs take notice. Especially like the suggestion of mini-games in the Cantinas and the ability to observe hutball matches to bet on them!

[Dawginole]

What for? To make the items for lowbies? Yes, we do that, but for that we don't need to search for any mats - we can companion-get them. And to craft somethig for ourselves? All we have to craft is something fine-looking to dress up at fleet. Other than that, there is nothing usefull for us in crafting.

 

Negative. Look up the requirements for +41 Magenta Color Crystals. Two of the 5 main mats cannot be obtained by anyone under 35'sih and 1 of those mats cannot be obtained by anyone under 50 unless they of course had high level help. Both of those two mats have mini-quest requirements as well. 3 of the 4 schems (power, end, and crit) drop from Champs and daily mobs in Black Hole and Belsalvis, and the 4th (exp) is only available through lvl 50 pvp crafting boxes for 1000 wz comms as random loot.

 

I realize this is only 4 versions of the same item. But as you can see in my OP, my point was that this is an example of what I would like to see more of. It's stupid that this is the only craft that requires questing. And while it is an extremely rare craft and will remain a rare item you will see players with, outside of those going for the lolz of having pink sabers/guns or female players that actually want pink sabers/guns, these won't be highly sought after.