[Suggestion]: Unused Areas & Multiple Roads Leading To Rome

[Vovolov]

Unused/Explorable Areas

 

As the game stands, there is often a lot of map to explore that you don't actually go to, because the objective of the mission doesn't take you there.

 

Wouldn't it be great, though, if the unused areas, when explored thoroughly, perhaps brought up a side 'quest' for the mission? Or maybe the unused area has a 'hidden' mission - one Lotus nor the game would notify you about, but doing the mission could reward you with affinity, a mod or maybe some extra credits.

 

Imagine you're exploring one of these areas you'd normally not go to, when you suddenly stumble upon a hackable console, or a reactor core that you can destroy, or maybe some sort of mini-boss (a basic type of mob with extra health/shield/damage) that you can take out. When you complete the side objective, the Lotus could even thank you, just to let you know you've done something that'll help the Tenno campaign.

 

Multiple ways to get to your objective

 

Furthermore, I think it'd be great if there were multiple ways of getting to your objective. This would add even more incentive to explore more of the beautiful maps that we get.

 

- Perhaps one route will uncover a secret secondary mission, when the alternative just has a faster way in to the primary objective.

 

 - Maybe one route is more heavily guarded than the other, in which case the Lotus could notify you about this - if you're solo'ing and want to 'stealth' your way through, you could choose to avoid that route and take the alternative (which then has you wall-running and puzzling your way through the room, or something similar).

 

 - Maybe you choose to take what seems like the shortest route to the objective, to then stumble upon a door that gets permanently locked. Now with your back to the wall, you have to fight your way through waves of enemies, back-tracking your path to find an alternative route.

 

Anyway, just a couple of suggestions that I think would add some more to the game's flavour, and would give us a great incentive to explore more of the map!

 

Edit: Typo's. And my apologies, I should probably have posted this in the Map & Level Feedback subforum.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Vovolov

[Yamir]

I think this is a fantastic idea. It gives a lot more depth to the game beyond complete part A, proceed to B, group at c.

 

Reward spending time in the game rather than blowing up the end game.

[Aure7]

always thought about this, but you made a nice, clean post about it. I support

[Lane]

Great ideas you've got there! SUPPORT

[_Rue_]

I would love this but the current mod pick up system limits it. Say you have several options to reach point b, you'll still go together unless you want to miss some mods. It's the same problem with spy missions, you really can't split up unless you do not care about the mods.

[Vovolov]

The idea is to go together as a Team anyway, but that's just my opinion of course. Yes, if you split up you will have trouble picking up all the mods, unless you'd fully explore both paths, naturally.

 

But yeah, maybe picking up mods needs an overhaul too?

[LunarWind]

Here's the thing about exploration, we're on a mission.

 

The Tenno are not Tomb Raiders, we aren't adventurers going into Uncharted zones to find treasures.

We're on a mission. A specific and, I assume, important mission.

 

We are here to get the job done and leave, that's it. Anything in our way gets converted into gore and loot, but our purpose is the objective.

 

I don't think it fits the current game design of speed/agility to be exploring.

Further more, it completely goes against the lore to have us wandering about exploring ships for "side quests".

 

We infiltrated this ship for a specific reason, not to pilfer their pantries.

I don't want to collect wolf paws, I don't want to kill 25 centaurs, and I don't want to suddenly find some loot-laden mini boss who was hiding in a closet on the other side of the ship, nowhere near the objective.

 

But Lunar, surely you want loot?!

Yes, but I don't want to feel like I missed loot every time I don't search for this "side quest/mini boss" thing.

 

So, could it be interesting? Yes, but not in standard missions.

Maybe set it for endless defense, so you have to decide if it's worth it to send some of your group away from the Cryopod to get the bonus objective.

But not in standard missions, not as long as the Tenno are elite operatives with specific goals in mind.

 

 

 

I guess there could theoretically be some sort of 'exploration' mode added later in.

One massive procedural map with no objective and no timer, where you just wander about killing random things and looting lockers.

Personally though, it sounds a bit boring to me.

[Vovolov]

Oh, I agree that it might not make much 'sense' in the way that we've got a speficic goal ahead of us and all we should focus on as Tenno is reaching that goal and getting out again. Absolutely. And it is a good point to make against having side missions and 'exploration'.

 

However I still believe having multiple routes towards an objective would add a lot for the game. I think to implement it in it's best way, however, we'd need to be able to open up a map and plot out our own routes. That would add depth and some sort of 'planning' to the gameplay, and as a party you could agree to split up or stay together, etc etc.

 

Perhaps presenting the side missions in another way would make them fit the setting better however. Simply having the Lotus contact you about a side objective that you then have to go complete would be one way, and I believe the game already has something similar.

[Aure7]

Here's the thing about exploration, we're on a mission.

 

The Tenno are not Tomb Raiders, we aren't adventurers going into Uncharted zones to find treasures.

We're on a mission. A specific and, I assume, important mission.

 

We are here to get the job done and leave, that's it. Anything in our way gets converted into gore and loot, but our purpose is the objective.

 

I don't think it fits the current game design of speed/agility to be exploring.

Further more, it completely goes against the lore to have us wandering about exploring ships for "side quests".

 

We infiltrated this ship for a specific reason, not to pilfer their pantries.

I don't want to collect wolf paws, I don't want to kill 25 centaurs, and I don't want to suddenly find some loot-laden mini boss who was hiding in a closet on the other side of the ship, nowhere near the objective.

 

But Lunar, surely you want loot?!

Yes, but I don't want to feel like I missed loot every time I don't search for this "side quest/mini boss" thing.

 

So, could it be interesting? Yes, but not in standard missions.

Maybe set it for endless defense, so you have to decide if it's worth it to send some of your group away from the Cryopod to get the bonus objective.

But not in standard missions, not as long as the Tenno are elite operatives with specific goals in mind.

 

 

 

I guess there could theoretically be some sort of 'exploration' mode added later in.

One massive procedural map with no objective and no timer, where you just wander about killing random things and looting lockers.

Personally though, it sounds a bit boring to me.

that's a great point you made there, though multiple routes with different enemies (or maybe parkour-only segments to avoid gunfights) are needed for sure