Why no one plays Foundry missions

cazak69

When i heard about this game the biggest attraction for me was the foundry missions.
Nearly all mmo's when they are released all suffer from the same problem, lack of content.
The foundry in Neverwinter solved this problem, players will always be writing new content and we will never run out of something new to do.

This was until Cryptic killed ALL foundry content.
Most people are level 60 and all the want to do is T2 dungeons for the epic loot, they don't even want to do T1 dungeons any more. No one wants to run foundry missions because the loot is not worth the effort. You run the foundry quest and sell the loot without even looking at it.


So we now have a game with 100's if not 1,000's of quests and dungeons to do and no one want to play them and before you say "i play them all the time", i'm talking about the general population as a whole not the select few who play foundry all the time.


Cryptic please fix the loot on foundry missions before the greatest asset in the game becomes the greatest failure in the game.

lolsorhand

Thing is... It's hard to make it unexploitable. People will exploit everything they can. (Far from everyone!)

But that's the problem, doubt cryptic has the manpower to keep a whole division set to dig out those exploiters.

zahinder

Foundry missions are only ever going to appeal to a fraction of the player base. That's fine.

What I think is a big problem is the lack of accessibility and good functional UI to GET AT missions. Search is part of it -- if I like an author, I can't reliably do an author search. Subscribe... doesn't work for many authors. And that's basic stuff, not even search for terms like '#puzzle' or whatnot to find interesting stuff I might want.

raphaeldisanto

If loot's the only reason to play, then no, Foundry missions are not for you.

maerwin

This is MMO. The main goal of MMO for most of population is to get bigger numbers. Foundry quests don't give you bigger numbers. If they did, nobody would run dungeons for a change

badbotlimit

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

lolsorhand

badbotlimit wrote: »

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

That does sound awesome , time and time again you've proven to care for the minority of the foundry creators. Thumbs up.

izatar

badbotlimit wrote: »

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

The smartest loot reward in this game is the enchants, since you farm small ones to make large ones. I think it would be great if everything worked that way. Then, foundry missions can reward shards of T3 gear for completion.

Now, to avoid 'exploiting' the key is to require both mobs killed and real-time play. That is, rewards are given for how long you play, not like it is now where you are rewarded by the daily for how long other people play because this is exploitable.

Will some people make ogres in a box? Sure, but they will still have to be in the mission for the required amount of time, and if knocking ogres off a cliff and then standing around for half an hour is how they like to play, why not?

lonnehart

Shards of T2/3 equipment? Maybe to get those you should play Foundry quests of a certain length (maybe over 60 minutes?). If the time is too short it will be exploited to no end. Or better yet, completing a campaign of a certain length will net you some high end gear.

Just throwing my two Fools gold platinum pieces out there...

sh4dowrunn3r

badbotlimit wrote: »

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

Just give tokens as reward for every quest that meets daily requirements. New vendor(special foundry gear :P) with items you can buy with tokens or existing tokens/vendors. This would allow foundry players to slowly gather tokens and get their epic gear eventually.

wuhsin

badbotlimit wrote: »

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

I'm happy to finally hear something about this.

krisrmurray

I think the other posters are coming to the same conclusion and I agree with it. Another idea is to drop a number of "Foundry Seals" based on play time, kills, etc. These Foundry Seals could then be used to buy T1 gear and upgrade it.

Edit: Or if the game can track xp per minute that might help limit exploiters.

delthanin

sh4dowrunn3r wrote: »

Just give tokens as reward for every quest that meets daily requirements. New vendor(special foundry gear :P) with items you can buy with tokens or existing tokens/vendors. This would allow foundry players to slowly gather tokens and get their epic gear eventually.

Foundry specific vendor is a pretty cool idea. Sort of like how SWTOR had dark/light side, social rating vendors.

oortexplorer

Have to admit, the Foundry Seals idea is one of the best I've heard yet.

badbotlimit

Seals or some other token has been discussed. I am happy to see that you guys are also interested in that as a possible reward. I'll admit, the discussion shouldn't stop there. It's great to see the feedback!

dzogen

badbotlimit wrote: »

Seals or some other token has been discussed. I am happy to see that you guys are also interested in that as a possible reward. I'll admit, the discussion shouldn't stop there. It's great to see the feedback!

Seals -> yes
Foundry has miniscule chance to drop weird, crazy awesome mounts, etc (only avail thru foundry) -> yes
Let authors craft uniquely named gears that can persist in the world -> yes

MMO players will go where the incentive is. Should make it on even playing field as other options (even if you can't get t2 gears). Use the gambling mentality that worked so well with the keys and lockboxes.

Foundry is infinite evegreen endgame content, and as you said, nothing is so awesome as a failure. Put the right incentives and safeguards to make Foundry an awesome success.

My 2 coppers.

glantorx

sh4dowrunn3r wrote: »

Just give tokens as reward for every quest that meets daily requirements. New vendor(special foundry gear :P) with items you can buy with tokens or existing tokens/vendors. This would allow foundry players to slowly gather tokens and get their epic gear eventually.

This is by far the best solution along with a minimum run time.
Save up your tokens and spend them in a special shop NPC for various rewards.

memorythought

Not to put too fine a point on it but a lot of the problems with Foundry missions are the missions themselves. Uninspired, badly written and needlessly convoluted.

Anyway, I find myself running Foundry missions because it seems to be the only reliable source of income at 60 for gold as well as greater ID scrolls.

And yes, to get folks out there and doing the missions seals would be a great idea. As is I'd like to see an "upgrade" option for seals implemented. 100 lion = 10 manticore = 1 unicorn.

And sorry if I sound all negative. The Foundry is a great system and I'm having fun, just when you run into some missions it's just boring.

apocrs1980

You could also have known and proven authors who do not exploit have their account flagged to add in a node or so, or even have the devs adjust their loot table at the end, or even featured quests to hand out better then average gear and cosmetic gear .
Tokens are a great idea, I think it would need to be a combination of time spent and number of kills with in a foundry mission for a greater chance of tokens the longer you play and the more your killing, then add a limit of 5 foundry missions a day.
This should take care of most exploits.
I would love to continue building 5 man or even raid style dungeons and have the loots dropped from boss encounters worth while for the folks running it.

lolsorhand

dzogen wrote: »

Seals -> yes
Foundry has miniscule chance to drop weird, crazy awesome mounts, etc (only avail thru foundry) -> yes
Let authors craft uniquely named gears that can persist in the world -> yes

MMO players will go where the incentive is. Should make it on even playing field as other options (even if you can't get t2 gears). Use the gambling mentality that worked so well with the keys and lockboxes.

Foundry is infinite evegreen endgame content, and as you said, nothing is so awesome as a failure. Put the right incentives and safeguards to make Foundry an awesome success.

My 2 coppers.

This this this this lol And apoc's post!

wuhsin

I want my quest to give wizards an Orb of Imaginary Horror. :rolleyes:

trixsterjl

badbotlimit wrote: »

On deck for the Foundry team, we are tackling a new search that will have a ton of features that make it easy to find just what you are looking for. Part of this update to search is going to be tagging and support for advanced searches. We have also been talking about how we can get a decent suggestion system as well.

Authors continue to make fantastic quests and have crafted some of the best experiences I have had in Neverwinter. It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure. Rewards are a tricky thing. I don't think we can start handing out T2 loot for Foundry quests but we are constantly looking at the rewards and rewarding for Foundry content. There is a balance that we need to hit where there is a reward for players and authors that doesn't harm the game. It is likely that new models will need to be investigated for the Foundry that strike a good middle ground for rewards.

You really need to clear out quest sitting in the reviews queue after a week if they don't get updated(republished) or played, maybe as fast as 48 hours. There are so many useless quests in review that it make it impossible for anyone that would be willing to review a few genuine quests a day to do that. heck just make a check box in the editor for private quest for people making RP zones for them and friends would kill 1/4 of the quests clogging that up. Mainly though, clear out quests that don't move out of review at some intervals or put them to the end of the search list so they will never show without a name search.

zahinder

There's a lot of comfortable room to move between existing reward and, say, t2 stuff.

Foundry currently gives regular kill loot/xp, and one green item in a chest. A regular mission gives the kill loot/xp, plus 2-3 chests and, oh, 4 or 5 nodes worth of enchants/random stuff, plus actual mission reward.

A dozen or two enchants or so would help bridge this gap while still giving missions a necessary edge.

docsc00ter

sh4dowrunn3r wrote: »

Just give tokens as reward for every quest that meets daily requirements. New vendor(special foundry gear :P) with items you can buy with tokens or existing tokens/vendors. This would allow foundry players to slowly gather tokens and get their epic gear eventually.

I'd take this one step further. Allow those tokens to accumulate and buy items that do not affect game play, and thus reduce the likelihood of exploiting and throwing off game balance.

For example, what if the Foundry Tokens buy cosmetic items -- costume pieces, items that can be used (perhaps with the expense of Astral Diamonds) to alter the appearance of current gear, various dyes and such, glowing auras for items, maybe even a token that adds a new skin to a Companion... stuff like that. Or, on the "big ticket" end of things, maybe even the opportunity to change a character's physical features, or race (!), or gender (!), or name (!) -- though there's the danger of creating a competition for the purchase of Zen.

apocrs1980

docsc00ter wrote: »

I'd take this one step further. Allow those tokens to accumulate and buy items that do not affect game play, and thus reduce the likelihood of exploiting and throwing off game balance.

For example, what if the Foundry Tokens buy cosmetic items -- costume pieces, items that can be used (perhaps with the expense of Astral Diamonds) to alter the appearance of current gear, various dyes and such, maybe even a token that adds a new skin to a Companion... stuff like that.

YUP! +1
/10 char

krisrmurray

Going off topic of end-game rewards. Giving out reviewer seals when reviewing other people's adventures that can be used to buy special encounters, music, and other features in your foundry adventure might be a good idea. And then after you publish your adventure it goes into a queue that people will be assigned randomly (but probably want to keep code system so I can still share it with my friends for them to play it). That way there would be a lot less "I'll review your adventure if you review mine" posts in this forum.

diogene0

What would make me play more the foundry? Definitely not a foundry set. But some good gold rewards and some enchants. Chests mostly drop HAMSTER currently.

destinyknight

Im liking the token idea. Put in some cosmetic stuff as well.

Also liking the reworked searching function and review tab.

neverhof

It's hard to think of anything so awesome as a failure.

I would hardly call it a failure, there's a few gremlins about still but there is so much potential in the foundry system. I love this aspect of the game. I havent published anything yet, but I've spent alot of time making a room or cavern with some nice details and seeing how everything works. Hopefully before too long Ill come up with a story good enough to put into my quests.

As for the suggestion system, the stickied thread in this forum has some great ideas, I dont think you need much more than that other than someway to put your suggestion in without having to log on to the forum.

And the loot issue, I wouldnt expect Tier 2 to drop in any Foundry quests, that would just stop people going to regular dungeons imo. You could add alot of vanity items though, companions, mounts, clothes for town, a stack of potions both heal and buff, a visual effect you can add to your char as a gimmick and vanity pets which seem to be missing from this mmo, little non combat pets that follow you around. None of those things would harm any gameplay afaik?

Some of these things would be great when fitting in a bonus quest within your quest.

yliana1

Yes,the idea of such rewards/incentitives to play foundry missions that are longer then 15min or 0min for fast xp farm *cough cough*
would most likely help getting people to play them more.

However,we all are aware that unless restrictions apply,that system would get abused to hell by people.

ambisinisterr

badbotlimit wrote: »

Seals or some other token has been discussed. I am happy to see that you guys are also interested in that as a possible reward. I'll admit, the discussion shouldn't stop there. It's great to see the feedback!

Seals would be great. What some other people have suggested in other threads were unique rewards to The Foundry. Mounts, Unique armor sets, companions.

Another thing which might be nice is some "Uncommon" Profession Resource packs such as the ones that are available from the graveyard quest.

Just some occasional rare rewards would go a long way to encouraging Foundry Quests without truly breaking anything. Even if it was only once every 25 Foundry Quests or so to get something like an Uncommon Profession Resource Pack I would truly feel rewarded.
Honestly the problem is that Green Items are worthless. The mobs within dungeons give far better rewards. It doesn't have to be much. It doesn't have to be frequent. But better rewards have to happen some time.