VDZ wrote:jorb wrote:ZoddAlmighty wrote:2. No real end game.
Can someone point to a game with a good end game?
In Kingdom of Loathing, after finishing the final quest, you get the option to 'ascend' and reincarnate as a new character, resetting all of your stats and temporarily making you lose all of your items, but granting all of your future incarnations a permanent buff. For the first 1000 turns of this new run, you cannot trade with other players and can only access a limited number of your old items. ('Hardcore' challenge runs don't allow you to trade or access old items at all until you finish the final quest again.) With each ascension you make certain choices which provide extra challenge (with extra rewards at the end) or unlock content that can only be accessed on specific runs. This way, they leverage the early game content by making 'starting over' a core part of the game loop.
I have thought about this a lot, and I have to agree.
Jorb and Loftar can learn a LOT from KOL. It's even older than Haven, has obviously way less focus on art, combat and therefore interactions like OCO, and instead goes all in on
lore and content.
The feeling of increasing your account in endless loops is incredibly satisfying. Signing in during Christmas to play whatever crazy Christmas content they came up with each year is very fun, there are yearly events, random events, holiday events and more that drop limited time content that include permanent trophies, tattoos, outfits and lots of aesthetic ways to say "I was there". Just like in Haven, your KOL character is not permanent. While you may gain temporary bonuses, items and skills that aid your character, there is an overarching progression that is linked to your account and every character you make and ascend with is just another ledger on your permanent ACCOUNT.
While I don't think that any ascension mechanic would mesh well with Haven and Hearth, I think the idea of adding permanence to an account and having the limited time worlds and characters serve as conduits for improving the ACCOUNT would be amazing.
Give us a fear of missing out, give us temporary content, achievements, and a place on our account, linked to an online page where we can show off achievements.
Number of kills, number of carrots harvested, number of ladybugs studied, let every player use their characters as conduits for growing an ever-evolving, personal, unique autistic trophy cabinet.