Stupid easy way to add content before 2.0: Make unused gates a (H)NM hunting ground

[Riposte]

I recently worked like crazy to get the "Been there, done that" achievement and in the process I naturally saw all the unused areas of the game and their unfriendly residents (Black Shroud, ugh). It should go without saying that not having these areas be used for anything is a waste, especially since they probably won't exist much longer as they are now. So what's the cheapest, easiest way for SE to squeeze some content out of them (which this game still needs)?

Assign one big difficult NM to the dozen or so aetherial gates (Coerthas comes to mind) which are just useless right now and very inaccessible because of level50+ monsters(or 80+ lol). Simply lower the level of monsters in that area by 10-40 and have this NM move through the entire surrounding area, as a roaming NM. For extra easiness on the dev team just have this monster be a super big version of normal monsters or reuse unique models from other end-game events. Make them tough battles (though seeing how there a few useless mid-level gates, could always add easier ones) to distract high level players. You could go as far as adding a system/lore theme over it (another set of leves? Goblin NPCs which allow you to fight by trading beastcoins? Sponsored by the three factions? etc). Have these NMs drop good gear or crafting materials for unique gear, that's very, very important.

I have to imagine content like this would be very easy to implement.

Obviously gates which have found other uses, like Hollowed Ground, wouldn't be changed.

[Masamune1004]

The content there is dodging high level monsters, which I find very fun, so no thanks.

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

I wouldn't really call designing endgame boss encounters "stupid easy".

[Riposte]

The content there is dodging high level monsters, which I find very fun, so no thanks.

Really? There are no real mechanics or level design at work (which you can clearly see with Gridania being several times harder than any other zone out of sheer happenstance). It is mostly luck based when you get to narrow areas with both sound+sight monsters (especially when you have to pass several of them back to back, meaning any chance of survival is based on several monsters randomly roaming to the right spots at the same time). I don't see it. (I admit I had some fun through the sheer tension of it, but some spots were clearly designed not to be trespassed at all.)

I wouldn't really call designing endgame boss encounters "stupid easy".

Perhaps. It would be very cheap though. I don't think boss fights need to be as clever as the one in raids. Just make them tough (require tank, healer, and can take a beating) and give them one little gimmick ("one of its AoE special attacks silences instead of usual"). I would also give them a rage timer if they are not tied to some kind of timer otherwise and maybe a universal "draw-in".

[Masamune1004]

I think they could do a lot to improve it (I don't think they even planned for this to be content honestly), but I find monster dodging to be loads of fun. More fun than primals really. It involves thinking on your feet and precise movement, and I love the intense moments when a mob is chasing after you and you have to dodge other mobs while still running so the mob chasing you doesn't catch up and kill you. I wouldn't mind having more boss fights, just dont get rid of the high level mobs, please SE.