Let's begin with some of the following assumptions before we begin:
One, Army champ spawns are not going to be "easy" to find. Players will need to use scouts in RPCSS, collect rumors, and physically hunt for them in game. Its a really big ass map and finding a handful of Mobs on it isn't going to be easy -- tracking will likely be useful.
Two, It is not our intention for these champ spawns to be defeatedly easily or by a few players. We will continue to make them more and more challenging as the player base gets closer and closer to max skills and equipment. How much effort and how many players is part of this discussion.
Three, We recognize that there is always a bell curve on players game mech skills and we can't solve that just by making the mobs harder, other creative ideas to try and level the playing field is going to be necessary.
The Discussion
I have a list of tentative ideas on how to let leaders know if one of their armies has been attacked by players, and some other ideas on how to keep players from continually throwing themselves at a champ until it's defeated.
I would like other ideas. Just brainstorm off the top of your head, don't worry if they are "dumb" or not, they might spawn a better idea. You are welcome to expand on someone else idea, but don't criticize or complain, stay in your own lane, I just need ideas right now, not decisions. But please don't propose ideas you yourself wouldn't like, LOL.
Mith and I will make a decision after we get a feel for what you guys are thinking.
Lara's Brainstorm
Runners/Messengers try to break off an attacked army champ spawn and "run off screen". If they get off screen they teleport themselves to the guild stone to give news of an attack.
A defeated army champ spawn send direct message to the leader via the post.
An attacked or defeated army is added to the Town Criers rumor list but the information is incomplete.
By design, a defeated army champ spawn is considered routed and moves some random hex away. The location is updated in RPCSS but the champ spawn isn't respawned until after end of turn. So you can route it, but you can't route it again and again.
Armies set to support and defend should help other army champ spawns in some way.
Players can only take so many game mech deaths before they can't go back and fight the champ spawn again. I'd like to encourage making plans for attacking army champ spawns to increase rp.
Use the wound system in a limited way to force RP healing up for 24 hours?
Only allow players to resurrect those who have died fighting champ spawns and limit that res to once a day per player, so groups need to seriously plan to bring along enough healers to Rez?
Champ spawns only "drop RPCSS gold bars" to discourage them being farmed for gold and magic items.
One, Army champ spawns are not going to be "easy" to find. Players will need to use scouts in RPCSS, collect rumors, and physically hunt for them in game. Its a really big ass map and finding a handful of Mobs on it isn't going to be easy -- tracking will likely be useful.
Two, It is not our intention for these champ spawns to be defeatedly easily or by a few players. We will continue to make them more and more challenging as the player base gets closer and closer to max skills and equipment. How much effort and how many players is part of this discussion.
Three, We recognize that there is always a bell curve on players game mech skills and we can't solve that just by making the mobs harder, other creative ideas to try and level the playing field is going to be necessary.
The Discussion
I have a list of tentative ideas on how to let leaders know if one of their armies has been attacked by players, and some other ideas on how to keep players from continually throwing themselves at a champ until it's defeated.
I would like other ideas. Just brainstorm off the top of your head, don't worry if they are "dumb" or not, they might spawn a better idea. You are welcome to expand on someone else idea, but don't criticize or complain, stay in your own lane, I just need ideas right now, not decisions. But please don't propose ideas you yourself wouldn't like, LOL.
Mith and I will make a decision after we get a feel for what you guys are thinking.
Lara's Brainstorm
Runners/Messengers try to break off an attacked army champ spawn and "run off screen". If they get off screen they teleport themselves to the guild stone to give news of an attack.
A defeated army champ spawn send direct message to the leader via the post.
An attacked or defeated army is added to the Town Criers rumor list but the information is incomplete.
By design, a defeated army champ spawn is considered routed and moves some random hex away. The location is updated in RPCSS but the champ spawn isn't respawned until after end of turn. So you can route it, but you can't route it again and again.
Armies set to support and defend should help other army champ spawns in some way.
Players can only take so many game mech deaths before they can't go back and fight the champ spawn again. I'd like to encourage making plans for attacking army champ spawns to increase rp.
Use the wound system in a limited way to force RP healing up for 24 hours?
Only allow players to resurrect those who have died fighting champ spawns and limit that res to once a day per player, so groups need to seriously plan to bring along enough healers to Rez?
Champ spawns only "drop RPCSS gold bars" to discourage them being farmed for gold and magic items.