Ok here is my second list of suggestions. Again, to the best of my knowledge, some of these are new and have not been suggested yet, however again, several have also been requested numerous times in the past. Therefore, I wish lend them my voice and support. While I am thinking big on some items this time around, it still remains small and simple on others. However, playing it safe our whole lives doesnt always yield the best results. I am not certain how feisable some of these are on a technical level; just putting them out there and gauging the consensus. They are:
15. The ‘Black Marshlands’ (Bog) Biome:
Lets once again start with the most contentious one first. I couldnt settle on a name, only a concept. Yes I know that we already have a ‘swamp’ in the Jungle biome. However the thing is that it just isnt what I personally envision when picturing a swamp. It is green, it is vibrant, it is light (when its not raining) it is full of exotic life, and it is bright and colourful. The ‘Black Marshlands’ is what I visualise when I picture a ‘swamp’. It is brown and muddy, it is grey, it is boggy, it is stagnant, miserable and very dank, and filled with slimy wretched lifeforms. Something more along the lines of the pictures below.
I am aware that the north-eastern corner of the map is for dungeons. Understood. However, I noticed that there is also still a respectably sized empty swathe of the map in the south-eastern corner, to the east of Sandswet Ruins in the Desert biome and south of Dragons Claw and The Silkwood in the Jungle biome. Funcom has the power to make and unmake the landscape there as they see fit. Moreover, the proposed location of The ‘Black Marshlands’ biome would make good geographical sense, bordering against the coast and the Jungle. I know some would say the location is small, however when we look at the size of the Highlands, Tundra and even Savanna biomes, it is quite reasonable. This biome could even introduce a new building recipe/material with it. The building options have been becoming fairly top heavy lately. Perhaps something else simple and abundant for the new players. [Clay nodes for mudbrick bulding, a new T1 recipe] Something which even the simplest savage could figure out.
16. Weapon & Armour Additions:
The cornerstone of barbarian life. After all a conquerer can never have too many weapons surely. In addition to the previously mentioned Crossbows, I for one would like to see the following make an appearance:
Schimitar- One which Im surprised hasnt made an appearance already, and feels right at home in the Conan world.
Scythe- Not to be confused with a sickle, a two-handed weapon/agricultural tool often used in revolutions. Great for eviscerations.
Morning Star- This would be very impressive to behold.
…and maaaybe (Im half-hearted on this one) a Whip. Although I am not sure if the physics of the latter two would render them improbable. Also armour wise, some Jester Armour or clothing would be nice.
17. A Smoke Orb:
As simple as it sounds. These would have great practical benefits for online players who are raiding. A simple, temporary cloud of smoke which would obstruct or otherwise muffle the players field of vision. Has both offensive and defensive usefulness. Who knows, it may even present a use for those Sandbeast bile glands, which currently do not have one.
18. New Bosses and Dungeons:
The concepts and designs are best left to the creative minds at Funcom. But a small handful of new bosses would be great. It doesnt even matter that they dont have Keystone artifacts, but some new recipes, like the Abyssmal Remnants, Kinscourges or Barrow Kings would be welcomed. Frankly, I have always wanted to test my metal against a Giant-King, but of course it couldnt be Warmaker Klael. Perhaps a new dungeon or cave where another Giantking has survived in seclusion, become twisted and malevolent and ploting vengence against the humans. I do know we have some new dungeons on the way already. Keep them new dungeons and bosses coming Funcom, theyre always welcomed additions.
19. Stone Nodes in Unnamed City Yield Corrupted Stone:
As raised in the ‘make the map room functional’ thread, the Unnamed City biome feels so big, but under-used. There should be much more to do and discover, and it should encourage us to further explore it and keep coming back for different reasons. After all, most biomes have certain resources which make us return to them on a regular basis. Whereas the Unnamed City offers no unique resources, except perhaps some dragonbone occasionally, to warrant us returning. I propose that stone nodes within the Unnamed City should have a random chance to yield Corrupted Stone when harvested; just as regular one do with ironstone and crystal. Given the dark magic and corruption which taint the place, it would make perfect sense.
20. More Uses for Gold and Silver:
We acumulate so much wealth over the course of the game, yet we are so limited in the number of ways we can show off our hard earned gains around our fortresses. I was disheartened when I discovered that we cant even stack our gold/silver bars as placeables. Some gold and silver plates, goblets, small ornamental sculptures like the jade cat or Setite snake idol would be nice. It would also be welcomed if we could fashion gold/silver circlets, earings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets, which would fit on their respective armour slots, but offer minimal actual protection. The molds already exist in the admin panel, why not give them new life? After all, we work hard for our ill gotten wealth, so lets display our decadence with pride.
21. Sand-Beasts Randomly Spawn Inside Sandstorms:
A devisive one I know, and honestly I dont even mind if this one is overlooked. So dont stress on it too much. I really enjoy the sandstorm mechanic. Not only do they look cool, but they add a new and interesting layer to both the environment and the survival aspect. However, I feel that once we have crafted a Sandstorm Mask, being stuck in one goes from being stressful, to a mere annoyance. If Sand-Beasts were to spawn inside the sandstorm with players, as they do in the intro, it would really bring back their sense of fear and dread again. For many when we see one bearing down on us, it would make us actually consider running for safety again.
22. A Stats Page:
While boring to some, I personally, would like for us to have a stats page, and where we can look back and reflect upon our endeavours and accomplishments with pride. Things such as total play time, kill counts, resource nodes harvested, thralls broken, distance travelled, locations discovered, time spent in each biome, items crafted, obelisks discovered, number of deaths, etc. Some could offer more practical benefits such as a tally of the number Lemurian Lorestones and Giant-King Obelisks discovered, number of Keystone artifacts discovered. The specfics of what should be covered are best left to Funcom. It honestly doesnt even bother me if it isnt retro-active, lets get counting.
23. Religious Purges:
The theme of corrupt and zealous religions warring with each other and battling it out for dominance, is featured heavily throughout the Conan universe. The games purge and religion systems are two of its most defining and interesting features. I feel it would be great if we had a random chance of the purge at our home bases to be a religious one in place of the regular one. For example, if the player was a Set worshipper, wouldnt it be interesting to fight off a purge horde comprised of Mitra worshippers hell bent of wiping out these heretics? It would make your allegiances feel even stronger, while also providing opportunities to capture Priest thralls. No longer would we be merely choosing a religion and worshipping, we would be fighting to defend and uphold its survival and principles in the Exiled Lands.
24. Fruit Trees:
It would seem that another user has just beat me to this one a few days ago, and it also seems to be becoming quite popular. As straight foward as it sounds, much like berry bushes, it would be nice to have a number of harvestable fruit trees and bushes scattered around the map. We could have a variety according to the biome. Four example, prickly pears in the Desert, coconuts or bannanas in the Jungle. A step further? Maybe something cool and unusual in the Volcano, and perhaps even something downright dark and tainted in the Unnamed City (again a reason to go back there), and so on. Sometimes its the simple things which give the most satisfaction.
In the meantime, as with the previous set of suggestions, please let me know what you all think. I value all of your feedback.
