Steal My Idea 1

Note: Going to try something out here where I do a bit of speculative game design called "Steal my Idea."

Steal my Idea

I intend for this to be a semi-regular addition to the blog where I outline a specific mechanic or game feature that could be implemented to serve a specific purpose.

Note that if you *actually* steal my idea, comment or shoot me an e-mail at kuoyen on gmail.com.

Pair Bonding / Team Training
An quest line to reward or facilitate player interactions with each other
Intended game: Casual MMOs that encourage player community.

Form: Daily Quest Chain
Original Inspiration: Ether Saga Online

Main Idea: The more quests the pair complete together, the greater the reward for each portion of the quest. Either player may decide to break their chain at any time by turning in their quest reward. In this case, both players are rewarded for how many pair quests they have completed and can restart again at Quest 1 after a day.

Quest Start: Give players tokens that they can get daily. The token given can be based on a variety of factors depending on the desired effect. Class can be an option or self-described gender or even random.

Restrictions: Some minimum level after tutorial levels.

Quest 1: Collect a token of a different type from someone. Give your token to that same person.

Restrictions: Similar level ranges are encouraged.
Alternative: Wildly differing level ranges can also be encouraged to promote old players helping new players.

After this quest, the two players are given a quest specific item that marks the two of them. Thereafter, the two, if partied, gain the option to participate in a number of bonus quests that require the two to interact

Possible Pair Quests: Parallel dungeons

A dungeon instance where the two players are isolated in two different paths. Each must manipulate switches and levers to get the other player across to the final area.

Pair Quest: Follow the leader.

A complex dungeon filled with paths and numerous doors and things to interact with. In alternating sections one player is designated as leader and is able to 'see' the correct path using a buff. The other player must follow the first player through the dungeon without being able to see which paths are safe or not. Things like ropes, platforms that you have to jump or ladders.

Pair Quest: Arena - Monster Mash

A simple kill quest where the amount of monsters are too much for one player to handle to encourage teamwork.

Pair Quest: Arena - Single Boss

Possibly at the end of the arena, where instead of dealing with a group of monsters; the player learns to face an individual threat in a pair. The boss selection should probably be based on the player's classes to strain their individual abilities.

Possible Rewards:

- An appropriate amount of in-game currency for that level.
- An appropriate amount of experience for that level.
- Pair Points that denote that you are an effective teammate!

Spinoff Idea: You can scale this up to a group of 4 or 5 but at that point groups are rather hard to form and quickly untenable for players to take full advantage of.