[dev1034] Campaign

[Edyth]

Campaign has major issues.

Problem: Campaign Data Map has always been out-of-date bull****.
We need up-to-date campagin data. The Campaign map claims there's a campaign battle in Examplezone [S]. You go there. It was already over before you got there. You look at the campaign map. The sword icon is still displaying over Examplezone [S]. You trek to the Campaign NPC, who teleports you to your nation. You look at the map again. The sword icon is still displaying over Examplezone [S]. You run to the campaign arbiter for your nation, and look at the map to wait for new battles. By the way, the sword icon is still displaying over Examplezone [S]. Until like 5 minutes later.
Best Solution: I assume that totally revamping the campaign map to make it not suck would be difficult. Therefore, I propose NPCs for campaign who function like Horst's option to check Bastion status. These NPCs would display the list of campaign zones. You check the zone you're curious about, to see if the campaign map is bullshitting you again. The NPC tells you TWO things: whether there is even a campaign battle going on, and how long it has been going on. For example, "a battle has been raging in Grauberg [S] for 3 minutes (Earth time)."

Problem: Campaign Battles end prematurely.
We have no idea how long a battle has been raging, so any campaign veteran, perhaps even new recruits, knows how it feels to repeatedly show up to campaign battles that end before reaching the NPC.
Possible Solutions: Partially remedied by the NPC I proposed above. Knowing the elapsed time for battles would be useful for estimating whether we should even bother. Another possibility? Stop making the NPCs retreat when we're devastating the enemies, and stop making the enemies declare victory when they're losing horribly.

Problem: No skill gain in campaign, so might as well leech in Abyssea
Self-explanatory.
Solution: Let us skill up in campaign and watch the resurgence.

Problem: Northlands are ignored.
They were so fun when people did them.
Possible solutions: Make the Greater Amphiptere that camps the Xarcabard outpost get the **** out. Make the Greater Amphiptere that camps the Xarcabard fortress get the **** out. Stop the "10 Gargouilles will nuke with Dark Orb every 5 seconds" ridiculousness in Beaucedine.

Problem: Staleness.
Old zones, all the time.
Suggestions: probably less than 5% of players have campaigned in La Vaule, Oztroja, Beadeaux, Baileys, and Keep. Let us warp there. It'll feel almost like 5 entirely new areas to many players. Also, how about somehow implementing campaign battles into Ghoyu's Reverie, Everbloom Hollow, and Ruhotz Silvermines? Maybe make the battles work kind of like WoE in this ONE way: battles start when players zone in, and anyone joins at any time during the battle. Make it a Campaign Op if you want to lower congestion, but keep it an authentic campaign battle. And there'd always be NPCs that don't play hooky and enemies that don't stop to smell the daisies every 5 steps. Players want new areas, and giving us easier access to these zones would be fun. Ghoyu's Reverie is my personal favorite zone for atmosphere.

[blowfin]

Despite the fact that next to nobody cares about Campaign anymore and it's not likely to receive much attention, the idea with the NPC's providing the battle status is a good idea. However, I always found the best plan if you find yourself idle was to watch the battle logs you'll see in the cities for upcoming battles. Then go to the zone, go get a sandwich or take a dump (or both at the same time), ???, profit. Once you get rolling and into a flow there's not really much need for further information as it's easy enough to just bounce between battles.

Northlands was always a sore point with me, for the week or two that our server actually had access SL battle, I was about two ranks off being able to participate, and then away on a trip. Once I maxed out my rank, the server never again had access. In short, really badly designed content. Ending a mission, quest line or something similar should have enabled access to that BC, much like Apocalypse Nigh or Divine Might. Instead the BC has been out of reach to THE ENTIRE PLAYERBASE for 99% of it's lifespan.

Regarding campaign in Reverie, Everbloom and Ruhotz: it's not ever likely to happen as these zones are tied to MMM, WoTG missions, and Sandworm. Besides, those zones don't even have traditional entry and exit points.

[Economizer]

Problem: No skill gain in campaign, so might as well leech in Abyssea
Self-explanatory.
Solution: Let us skill up in campaign and watch the resurgence.

This and WoE too but at least WoE is more profitable. Not risking experience points loss as the reason to limit skill ups is a joke - I can skill up pretty risk free in Abyssea and even if I do get K.O. I can make back the experience in a minute or two. If the concern is AFK skill ups then just make it so campaign mobs like those notorious fortifications don't grant skill ups if you have over 200TP.

[Alhanelem]

The campaign map used to be up-to-the-minute, but it caused problems with the servers. so they changed it so it only uptates every several minutes.

However, the campaign messages about armies coming and going ARE accurate. If you see that the beastmen are dispatching enemies to an area, you can be sure a campaign battle is/will be starting there.

[hiko]

If the concern is AFK skill ups then just make it so campaign mobs like those notorious fortifications don't grant skill ups if you have over 200TP.

easy to by pass with windower (script that equip/unequip ranged item)
and can't go over lvl80(85?) skill on fortalice

The campaign map used to be up-to-the-minute, but it caused problems with the servers. so they changed it so it only uptates every several minutes.

However, the campaign messages about armies coming and going ARE accurate. If you see that the beastmen are dispatching enemies to an area, you can be sure a campaign battle is/will be starting there.

remove the auto update and add an event update (campaign start/end=>update map)

[Tamoa]

I started doing campaign again for one reason: AN for voiddust. I expect others do this aswell, since it is the most effective way of obtaining voiddust apart from buying them.

Therefore, I propose NPCs for campaign who function like Horst's option to check Bastion status. These NPCs would display the list of campaign zones. You check the zone you're curious about, to see if the campaign map is bullshitting you again. The NPC tells you TWO things: whether there is even a campaign battle going on, and how long it has been going on. For example, "a battle has been raging in Grauberg [S] for 3 minutes (Earth time)."

This would be a welcome addition. Whereas I usually do wait for the campaign message to say enemies have been dispatched, sometimes the wait can be long when I warp back into town from finishing a battle. Then I have no way of knowing how long the battles showing on the map have been going on, and it can take quite some time before I see the message of enemies being dispatched to a new area.

Problem: No skill gain in campaign, so might as well leech in Abyssea
Self-explanatory.
Solution: Let us skill up in campaign and watch the resurgence.

This, please SE. And in WoE too. I'm certain it would greatly help encouraging people to do both.

[Vold]

Despite the fact that next to nobody cares about Campaign anymore and it's not likely to receive much attention

Currently on my server, 18 zones are controlled by nations and 8 controlled by beastmen. You underestimate the population of CB and the direct and indirect rewards for doing it but I guess it's nothing new to see people say something is dead or dying if it doesn't have the same population numbers as when it launched.

Or it really is THAT dead on your server.

[blowfin]

Currently on my server, 18 zones are controlled by nations and 8 controlled by beastmen. You underestimate the population of CB and the direct and indirect rewards for doing it but I guess it's nothing new to see people say something is dead or dying if it doesn't have the same population numbers as when it launched.

Or it really is THAT dead on your server.

I haven't checked much recently to be perfectly honest, but I certainly didn't see numbers like that on Shiva when I was doing campaign right after the EXP boost. IMHO there are more important things for them to be addressing. It's certainly not something I'd like them to focus on if it impacts us getting brand new content, for example.

[Sparthos]

When Campaign is readjusted for level99 players and it becomes something more than beating on lvl60 mobs for points then perhaps SE will get around to making tweaks.

[Coldbrand]

Skill-ups.