Jason said:Myself I am hoping for a really spooky zone full of graveyards, undead, moonlight, werewolves, howling, cobwebs, crypts and everything else that denotes a creepy, spooky area. It would even be cool if there were vampire bats that if you got bitten by one you had a chance of being inflicted by a curse in which you too would become a bat, vampire or a werewolf during the moonlight hours. This curse would remain permanent until you were cured, if indeed you even wanted to be cured.
This is a great answer Jason. I am SOOO on board with this. I love a nice spooky, creepy, foreboding area full of weird/supernatural stuff. I love the thought of being in a zone like this on a cold and stormy fall evening, fending off the denizens of the night with my trusty companions. What a camp that would make!
To be clear, I mean REALLY spooky. Turn the spook up to 11!
Jason said:Myself I am hoping for a really spooky zone full of graveyards, undead, moonlight, werewolves, howling, cobwebs, crypts and everything else that denotes a creepy, spooky area. It would even be cool if there were vampire bats that if you got bitten by one you had a chance of being inflicted by a curse in which you too would become a bat, vampire or a werewolf during the moonlight hours. This curse would remain permanent until you were cured, if indeed you even wanted to be cured.
Here's a nice creepy playlist to go with your environment @Jason ;) I'm always on the look out for cool instrumental playlists to suit my mood (fantasy, scary, relaxing, etc). Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eegs84CdzTc
An Australian outback style setting; red sand, gum trees (of which you could gather wood and essential oils from), billabongs to camp by, old rocks and mountain ranges, abandoned villages and chapels, venomous creatures, extreme temperatures, relentless cliffs by the sea. Also an area that looks like Lake Karijini Park would add flavour to a predominantly dry biome. You would be able to see the stars at night, beaming down at you which would provide some illumination of the land features. There would be some areas of rich ore deposits and gleaming opals for jewelcrafters. Along the coast would be a shipwreck or few of past explorers whom had succumb to the harsh conditions of the sea, who may even still inhabit the wreckage/s after death. If there were to be a city in this biome it would be an underground collection of dwellings connected by tunnels that enable the denizens to survive the harsh elements.
Undead zones are awesome! Would be extra cool if there were a variety of detection methods split between the NPC's. Some might have really strong vision but weak scent or hearing. Throw in a bunch of different combinations of detection methods and strengths/weaknesses such as skeletons being weak to blunt or ghosts being succeptible to ethereal type damage. Bats that fly far above you, undead that grip at your feet when you walk over their burial grounds ... tons of potential with a really well thought out undead zone. Paladins and clerics would have a blast, no doubt.
If you ever do introduce flying mounts (and imho that should be waaaaay into the future), I would like to see them "discovered" in an "air" type zone/environment. The storyline could have them being brought back and introduced to Terminus. I'm thinking Bespin kind of environment, but not sci-fi.
Tundra.
Halas, Everfrost, Permafrost, and other such zones were always favorites of mine in EQ. As a matter of fact, I personally believe that the Halas/Everfrost of EQOA was superior to the EQ version. Finding the caves of goblins under the ice was a magical experience, as well as the run from Halas to Diren's Hold which eventually lead to Darvar Manor, which was necessary eventually as Darvar Manor was an amazing XP hotspot from level 17-20ish all the way up to the late 20s by heading deep into the gnoll caves.
That was a bit of a nostalgia trip but yeah, I'd love to revisit something comparable to that again.
I'm with Liav on this one, absolutely love snowy indoor/outdoor zones. In reference to the lore I think we shall have our snowy zones! Some of my best EQ memories were from Everfrost/Permafrost (lockpick skill-ups on the boulder just in the entrance!!!)
Outdoor castles with courtyards and multiple entrances/exits. Smaller places that can pack a lot a groups in without the train bottleneck. I loved Castle Mistmoore, but with the one entrance you really had to be ready to jump off the rails when the multiple trains came through.
Similar thread:
https://pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/4459/what-region-or-climate-would-you-choose
Jason said:If you could choose one or two specific types environments or settings that would make it into the world of Terminus, what would they be?
Myself I am hoping for a really spooky zone full of graveyards, undead, moonlight, werewolves, howling, cobwebs, crypts and everything else that denotes a creepy, spooky area. It would even be cool if there were vampire bats that if you got bitten by one you had a chance of being inflicted by a curse in which you too would become a bat, vampire or a werewolf during the moonlight hours. This curse would remain permanent until you were cured, if indeed you even wanted to be cured.
EQ the plane of Fear... type
EQ Dark Elf Zones
Wow Undead cities-Startup
I completely agree, still is one of the most popular zones for undead lovers!!!
I also loved Isle of Dread from EQOA. It was basically a "nightmare" zone in the mind of Cazic Thule. Everything was wicked scary ... not just how they looked, but how they "felt" in the game. You had to be on your toes ... one person out of place could end up training their entire guild or raid and causing a bloodbath. I like the ideas of crypts or tombs that are incredibly deep, but their entrance is pretty obscure. I like the idea of an area where you have to travel under water to get there, but it opens up into an expansive place to explore. Another thing I would really love to see would be existing zones that are basically taken over. It could be a plague or evil necromancer causing all of the chaos, but I'd like to see certain areas that are considered "safe" to become dangerous. This could be a major city that is quite active during the daytime, but at night, everybody locks their doors. Maybe have a community event of sorts where the players can rid the town of the plague or whatever is stirring up all the mischief.
Jungle. Thick, steamy, forboding jungle. The real stuff. While a Marine I spent some time in SE Asia. The best jungles I saw were along the coasts of Thialand and Malaysia. I used to go for daily runs at noon - 115 degrees and 115% humidity. I still have recurring dreams of those runs. If you could combine that with the lighting of Toxx forrest (early EQ) it would be... interesting. Imagine it - too dark to see where your going. Everywhere SOMETHING is moving and making noise doing it - but you can't see what. You can move - but doing so is a crap-shoot because you're going to give away your position. Not all of the vegetation is trying to kill you - some of it is tripping you, some of it sticking to you because of barbs and hooks. Some of it is dripping on you via sap and broken limbs. Is it toxic? By morning you have raised welts all over. You aren't sure where you got them - but there they are. You have insect bites as well - and never felt a thing. There is enough lighting that you can finally get your bearing - and you realize that you have travelled almost 50 yards through the night. You can still see your camp from yesterday.
There is no way of describing the adrenaline rush you get for 12 straight hours when doing something like this. Especially when there is someone else in there hunting you...
Swamplands with a dark dank cave dungeon somewhere within.
And an undead zone that is in a sunny green grassland area, the undead working out of a mostly pristine castle. The court wizard having misinterpreted an ancient scoll granting "unending life" unknowingly having cursed the castles army.
I will say I think the original EQ did a great job with creativity of the dungeons. Mistmoore, Befallen, Unrest, Najena, Guk, etc. I would like zones like that I guess.
My primary wish with the environment is that the zone to zone transversal feels well blended. The game is not seamless, it’s zoned, so I think it’s important to keep in mind the transitions. I hope it feels organic zoning from one area to another and maintain the look at feel, then slowly transition to the new area.
From what I’ve seen this is how they are handling it, so I think I will be happy.
Sunmistress said: A series of interconnected dungeons/areas, similar to the Underdark from Forgotten Realms. Where numerous warring factions are gaining and losing territory in a primordial struggle that existed for ages uncounted. Where dropping your guard for a single moment finds you a feast for displaced beasts, or a slave to mindflayers. An area that has never seen the light of the sun, nor the hope it inspires. When you take the first tentative steps into the black morass of the abyss, you feel true dread. Knowing death potentially awaits you behind every corner, but also great opportunity...
Have you been watching critical role lately? :P
I'm going to go with medieval.
I know, I know. It sounds a little silly.
I prefer a medieval setting with occasional fantastic twists rather than the route many games seem to follow in which they start out along those lines, yet become more and more alien over the course of expansions.
Fantastic is great, but when it gets to the point that every nook is fantastic, strange & alien, it's no longer quite as fantastic. I much prefer exploring rolling green hillsides, forests and mountains to some bizarre Mordor constructed of upside down mushroom covered alien innards sprouting blinking eyeballs.
I want to see the forest described earlier, but I want SOL A and B and Mistemoore castle (sp?) to return. (not exact copies, something very close in design tho)
I want NARROW passages with lava or anything deadly on both side of the path.
Sol A had a swinging Axe that would knock people into the lava if you weren't paying attention. And I loved the straight, smooth, polished walls with primative paintings or just blood, all over the place.
Sol B had Kobold royals, spiders, Lava beetles, Imps, Efreeti's etc all in ONE dungeon.
They made pulling a Challenge. The made Running for the zone a Challenge.
The only dungeon I have seen in pantheon so far is the cave looking one that was 20 paces wide and ceiliing were 30 paces over head.
3 groups could walk side by side in the dungeon in the pantheon video.
BIGGER doesn't mean better. Sol A and B are prime examples. Yes, they are very large in scale, but rooms were small and tight, as were the passages TO those rooms. Doors blocked the ways, Hidden passage in Walls, Gates etc. Low ceilings made it feel even tighter.
I would also like to see something like an Egyptian tomb. Writings and scrolls on the walls, mysterious monsters inside etc.
Sorry guys, while I love outdoor zones, my heart is with Dungeons. scary ones. I am back on EQ1 on the Agnar TLP server. I am paid a year in advance and plan to stay there until Pantheon. I am in LOVE with BEFALLEN. I have made alts just to do that zone over and over. (4 times now ;p )
I would love to see a Zone that switches it`s environment and it`s inhabitants. This is of course only wishful thinking here.
Instead of having an Environment be static by nature it would change depending on it`s current inhabitants and how we the players interact in the Environment.
I could see this Zone becoming a hell for us players never knowing what the current state is or what evils lie with in. Would be nice to actually see the effects of change happen while in the Zone.
As an example to catch the visual: Picture a dense green forrest and while running through you notice in the distance the rotting trees and the earth everything being cursed or a sudden fog arises roots growing everywhere with thorns. The earth starts turning to mushy sands pulling you down and making your movement a living hell.
I could even see this Zone as a nice funny twist too. Lets say this Zone is central and has many exits depending on the type of enviroment it is currently in it might lead you to some place else. Making our lives miserable being a central hub zone.
Example:
The hub zone as i will call it consist out of a possible many enviroments determinded by events:
A - green Forrest
B - Swap Forrest
C- Cursed Forrest
D- scorching waste lands
E - frozen barrens
F - Flooded moors
So for each of those environments there are 4 exits now depending on its current state the Zone is in those 4 exits will change. Like a Rift of sorts. So to keep it simple we would have 24 different exits leading to 24 complete "partial" random Zones
Maybe you have to defeat a World Boss to end the shift for a time being that would last either X amount of hours or days giving us some normality for a brief time.
Maybe at occation special Dungeons open up within those Zones giving players unique gear. The Perception System could warm players maybe of rifting events about to happen.
An unexplaind curse that happend when all 9 Races reached Terminus.
Could also be a nice time sink to keep us occupied.
This is obviously just going wild with ideas. Anyway this is my wild idea for Environments and Zones.
I want to see more darkness in general, esp at night and in areas without a light source like an crypts and dungeons. I remember it used to be said dungeons and night would be truly dark and require light sources, but we haven't seen much of this in streams. Of course, I can see for demonstration purposes why that would not be, but I personally hope this isn't compromised on. The darkness factor was a big part of the feel and danger of EQ, and was not merely just an inconvenience as some might suggest.
I would like to see a large desert area with large shifting sand dunes, small oasis scattered about, a roaming caravan, and hidden ancient tombs. And a large ocean zone with and island chain filled with canabils and undead pirates. At the bottom of the ocean zone would be a large kraken roaming around.