Treasure hunting is coming. HELP!!!

As mentioned in a livestream @Chris /Atos is starting to plan for treasure hunting to come into the game. This has always been something fun to think about for many players. So here is what ideas I heard him mention:

Different difficulties of mobs depending on map difficulty

Maps will be found in pieces to collect from loot- For example 9 piece map and you must find all the pieces to do the map

Once you have all pieces you can open up a map scene and fight for the treasure. As mentioned difficulty of mobs depending on map difficulty

Chris mentioned scenes will be smaller and just for the map. Some will need parties to kill the difficult mobs to get the treasure.
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Otherwise in my opinion some information is a little vague but he is starting to think about it. My idea is lets help him with feedback. There have been fantastic ideas put out on the forums about treasure hunting but as with so many they are lost in the archives.

So lets talk about what we hear in these ideas Chris/Atos mentioned. Pros/Cons? Any other ideas?

Here is some of thoughts and My feedback: I think a lot of what he said sounds fine if implemented with details.

Cons: My concern is that treasure hunting will be another grind fest missing details to make it interesting and special. Everyone will get and see the same old same old thing which is hard to avoid but map difficulty will encourage skill building.

Ideas: Such as maps being given as rewards for doing a favor to an NPC. Like find his fathers pocket watch (Quest). Maps not being just to grind for. Add some interest as well.

Maps or map pieces found in message in a bottles which we don't have spawn at all. Message in a bottles could be clues to finding something like a map or give a quest.

Once you have the pieces instead of opening up a scene. Use your survey tool to find the X on the map.

Details: X shows on the map some how, you must use a shovel to dig and see a digging animation, then a scene could open or creatures could just spawn right there.

Killing all the creatures could then show the spot to dig at or a chest could appear then. Having chest difficulties is another thought since we don't have lock picking that would allow for better skills to do different maps.

Ok so some first thoughts I had. I may add more later. Now your turn. Give @Chris some ideas and also a shout out to @Elgarion





these could spawn in water occasionally and have map or map piece or clue to a quest:

 

Looking forward to great treasure events

Some ideas:

Let's find maps in different places.

I would recommend especially those scenes without quests, so we have another good reason to go there for parts of maps.

Let the maps change randomly at the locations.

Example: Map piece 1 of 9.
Part 1 can sometimes be in a box, in a bottle, with an encounter (also vendor) ...

What I would like to point out:
Not part 1 of the map always in the same spot (e.g. abandoned shack in shuttered eye).

Scraps of maps spread all over Novia, some maybe even over Novia and Hidden Vale.

Map pieces that lead us to a fake treasure would also be nice, unless you have the right puzzle piece that leads to the real treasure.


TREASURE:

Let it be different each time in most cases.

So, even if I find the same map again, let the loot be something different (like yellow or blue suppley bundles).

So most times, I won't know what the treasure provides.

Last time, I received the special sword, but next time its 50 Crowns, and another time 50 gold ingots.

May be different map colors show the worth of treasure, like supply bundles (unfortunately this would take alot of excitement).

Another kind of treasure maps:
1 piece from a message in a bottle (fishing), 1 piece from lumber, hidden in a tree hole or from mining in a crevice, 2 pieces as loot from attackers, 2 pieces that can be bought (from special traders somewhere ...), 2 pieces that in turn are part of another treasure.
And 1, which can be obtained for a quest or completed by visiting a special map reader (NPC or player with a special skill to restore maps?) ...

There are so many nice - random - possibilities that can make the treasure hunt a super interesting feature.

Oh yes: please give us a bag to offer a complete map for sale at a vendor

And of course: we need a pirate story with a kind of huge treasure (may be only be possible to receive once for each player).

Don't forget (seller of) fake maps

 

Don't make them just for high-levels. It seems that lately most new content has focused on tier 10+ things, but if we want to pull in new players, they need stuff too.

Maps should cover the full range of tiers, with the lowest tiers spawning somewhat rarely in the outskirts and the other 2 or 3 tier 3 zones - just one or two piece maps.

As a general guide, the number of pieces to the map should reflect the tier level of the map. And of course the maps should drop from "things" a character of a level appropriate to the map can handle and the zone for the map has similar-level mobs. An Etceter Crag Mines skeleton would tend to drop 3-5 piece maps. The liches would of course have high-tier maps and therefore more pieces. And, speaking of Etceter Crag Mines, the bandits could also have map pieces; crates as well.

 

1. Acquiring map pieces

Individual spawn of Treasure Mobs
Any mob in any zone in the game has a small chance to spawn as a treasure mob
So while you're adventuring in BlackBlade hills for example, instead of the next scorpion, human or lava golem, you might come across a rare Pirate Messenger spawn.
These mobs drop decent loot and a map piece or in extremely rare instances, an entire map or quest chain start.

World Map Patrols
Running across the world map, instead of Bandit, you might see a rare Treasure Mob
Transports you to a small themed scene with a mob or chest containing a map piece

During Most activities in the game
Small chance to appear in loot whether you're
Fighting/Looting, Harvesting, Fishing, Salvaging etc

In-Game Quests
One-time quests, Random spawn Npc quests, etc etc

Game Events
Catnip events or Hand out to people who want to use them as a reward for their event

Random Treasure Zones/Quests
Similar to the Aerie quest, while adventuring you get a message across your screen

In a mining zone, this message might look like
"You have disturbed a pile of rubble revealing XX"
The wall glows, you click and enter a secret room with treasure

Avoid being able to farm map pieces.
Should be designed as "Wow Cool" moments


2. Map pieces themselves

Alphabetical arrangement and maybe different font color for each map set in inventory

Apple
Arabella's Lost Map part 1/5
Arabella's Lost Map part 4/5
Captain Bootlegs Map part 2/7
Captain Bootlegs Map part 3/7
Corn
Corpse Wax

Map pieces should be good loot in of themselves - With a decent sell to npc vendor value - 5000~ gold
Identical map pieces stack
0 weight
Some kind of story / lore description on the map piece

Character glow when u loot a piece and/or assemble a map - Similar to level up



3. Assembling the map

Right Click to combine pieces
Maybe some puzzle or specific means of assembling for rarer maps


4. Minor maps - Values are probably off this was just quickly thrown together

Main idea is that - No junk gem fragments, reagents, rusty spoons etc as loot

Crowns of Obsidians, Chunks of Game Gold, Rare Recipes, Rare Equipment Sets, XP scrolls worth an hour + of attunement,
Home Deco's, Titles, Emotes and other things that make people say Wow and not Wtf when they assemble a map and find the treasure

1 or 2 pc maps lead you to a chest somewhere (20 - 50k value in loot)

3 to 4 pc maps lead you to a minor scene / scripted encounter (50 - 100k~ value in loot / small chance of unique items)

5 to 9 pc maps lead you to a major zone / encounter with excellent loot overall and at least 1 major item


5. Major World Bosses / Events
Can be triggered in a variety of ways
Assembling the rarest of treasure maps
A tracking meter that increases by players doing xx treasure related in game, purchases made on the crown store, etc

When the world boss spawns every player logged on gets a message across their screen
You have 15 minutes to get to the zone before the World Boss becomes attackable

The boss drops incredible loot
Lot Deed, Crowns, Cash, Emotes, etc etc
Everyone who participates gets Xp attunement, a nice chunk of cash and a roll on the Bosses loot.

 

It would be nice if treasure hunting can both be a group activity and a solo activity.

I picture it like this: a group can treasure hunt by mere force. So for a group, no special skills are needed to dig up a treasure, but there will be heavy spawn while digging for it. For a group, it would be nice if each group member can take a grab into the treasure chest once and receive some nice goodies. That way what each group member receives does not depend on group size.

On the other hand, a solo character with Treasure Hunting skill (to be placed in the Subterfuge tree, not too deep) should be able to dig up a treasure by themselves. The higher the Treasure Hunting skill, the lower the spawn and the easier it is to dig up a treasure. Higher skill is needed to dig up treasure in higher tier zones.
There should be a way to train Treasure Hunting, otherwise it's going to be little use if map pieces are rare But lets put the random drop Maps and Tour Guides to a good use and allow a treasure hunter to study them to gain skill.

The bonus for a group for having a treasure hunter on board is that the group can handle treasure in higher tier areas, because the spawn will be less. But it would be an anticlimax if a large group gets together for a treasure hunt and all that pops out at spawn time is a rabbit - because the treasure hunter's skill is so high. So I guess it will be tricky to balance soloing a treasure and hunting for treasure as a group.

I admit, these ideas depend a lot on the old UO treasure hunting. I'll try some more creative thinking during the day But it really really would be nice to have both the solo and group option!

Ysold.

 

This all sounds pretty awesome. But what will be in the treasure chest? What is incredible loot?

 

Please don't scatter all the map pieces across multiple zones or have them only as boss drops.
If I know I can only get map piece 1 from twin foothills mobs fair enough but if I have to go kill the spider queen for map piece 6 it will be completely useless.

Every map piece should be available in every zone from every mob as a rare drop.
Meaning I have a chance to get a map piece from anywhere so lower levels can still get them from doing outskirts etc Not just the T10+ zones that only the top 5% will take advantage of.

 

You hit the nail on the head! I'm sure treasury hunting and chests will be awesome, but when the items in those are the same items I get off any other monster it will be a real disappointment.
My prediction: It will be another mechanic placed in the game with no reward for the time spent.

 

Well I'm hoping treasure maps aren't just something else to grind for. Think interesting with details. Think survey tools, skill, and finding the X site to dig at.

 

Rusty spoons

 

I like the idea treasure maps for solo and groups.

Maybe solo maps could be the 1 of 1 maps and the groups are in separate part. 5 part map would require the 5 parts and a 5 person group to find the entrance. That way you could have experience the same scenes on your own or group up to get better loot.

 

Oh I like that!

I've also been thinking about treasure hunting that doesn't require a separate skill. Suppose a treasure map points to a zone only. Once in that zone, the person holding the map will see a purple sparkle in the compass bar and have to follow that sparkle until you find a purple cross on the ground. Seems perhaps too easy, but it's harder if you don't have a marker on the zone map as well.

Added: an idea stolen from another game (A Tale in the Desert) I used to play a lot: treasure hunting by sound. The loudness of the sound is an indication how close you are to the X. Different sound intensities for left/right speaker are indication which way you have to go. And to make it even harder: make the sound not continuous but only for a few seconds now and then.

 

Would be nice is we could pickpocket some treasure map pieces from npc's. Probably not going to happen though, since that requires a stealth mechanism that actually works on npc's. (would also help if i could actually see myself when stealthed)

 

I say just have a map that drops. Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary and Epic. Keeping in scale what has always been done. Make each map level appropriate .. ie Common 5+, Uncommon 8+, Rare 10+, Legendary 12-13+ and Epic 18+. Also make different encounters that drop in different areas each being a different type like the world encounters.
Do not combine them as that would not make sense, but having the pieces unless they are dropping often just sounds like a huge timesink and if you do the loot hopefully will be worth it or this whole idea will die out quickly.

 

And a tier 2 version please! Newer players like treasure hunting too!

 

While I am happy for those excited about this new feature, I cannot help but think this will be yet another system that will be introduced and never completed. Why can't we finish what is already in the game and still incomplete?

 

So the map system in game is broke, but they're going to introduce treasure maps?

 

Probably. I just hope that it adds enough fun that it's worthwhile.

 

Yeah or rushed out to be just another opportunity to grind. I agree about maps comment and unfinished systems, and missing basics. These too often get passed over for new. I just wanted to put this out there since Chris mentioned it to say hey lets at least make it a bit different than another dungeon system to grind in. We have plenty of those. So basically this is an idea thread so the community can speak and put their foot down if necessary.

 

Great looking forward to this. Memories of good old UO and strangely the theme music of The Secret of Monkey island, which I till today gives me such fond memories of escaping to a faraway tropical paradise