How to make Flashpoints fun

Hello this is Masterkiller from MMO-Mechanics and today I’m going to talk about an issue I have with SWTOR and an idea on how to fix it. Before I get started I have two things I’d like to preface. First, I don’t believe in presenting problems without offering a solution or a path to solution and this article will try to cover both. Second, this isn’t a jab at SWTOR or Bioware developers but an attempt to improve an incredible platform. Even the brightest minds and authorities on particular subjects collaborate to get outside ideas. Building on ideas is continual improvement.

Flashpoints need to be fun and have purpose. Two of the many reasons why Diablo 3 has been so much fun for so many players thus far is small group play and chance of loot. Currently there is little purpose to run flashpoints at max level aside from Daily Commendations. I could rant extensively about my thoughts on the token system which has become the staple of World of Warcrafts “do work daily” system. In my opinion, Bioware shouldn’t have taken this page out of Blizzards playbook. Instead they need to pull a page out of Diablo’s playbook and bring back the chance of loot. I have a day job, I have things I must get done every day. You probably do too, or you have instructors assigning busy work for you to complete. The token system is a cheap way to gating gear and it’s no fun.

“Gating” simply means you are preventing progression from moving to quickly. A character that has been max level for 2 days shouldn’t have all the best gear in the game, it should take them a certain range of time to do so. You can still do this with random loot. It is very similar to the argument about which is better, more armor or more avoidance? You can still gate gearing with chance because chance is still about percentages and averages over time.  I won’t deny that RNG has it’s problems as well and creates a lot of griefing on forums. The difference is if I have to run a Flashpoint once a day for 30 days before I see the loot, then that particular run has absolutely no meaning to me other than it’s a task I need to check off for the day. When that Flashpoint run is complete, I go on to find something that actually has meaningful content. This results in me not running the flashpoint at all.

Flashpoints need to be fun and played with other people. One of the best features of Diablo 3 is slaughtering hordes of monsters together with friends. In the end, you are hoping to get a special piece of loot. It’s instantly gratifying and the chance of that epic loot will entice you to rerun that Act over and over. If the chance for the highest tier of loot were to drop from flashpoints, you would see friends and guildmates forming up parties and rerunning flashpoints over and over. I did it back in Vanilla WoW. I do it in Diablo 3. 45 minute Baron run anyone? I raided on a set schedule for over 6 years and completed almost all content in WoW and one of my most epic moments came from a dungeon that I ran over and over.

The gear needs to be top tier or it’s not worth it. If I am already geared from the previous Operation, I don’ t need to run a Flashpoint for a chance to gear up my companions. Flashpoints need to stay relative to the current tier. This fixes two things It gives max level players something to do when they aren’t raiding that still provides a chance at gear progression and it brings players together to do something of actual value.

Don’t get me wrong, I am one of the biggest advocates of non-trivial operations and the importance of placing the highest value on Operations. Successful Operations are what keep PvE guilds together which keep players in game which keep population numbers up. The fastest route to best in slot gearing should absolutely be through Operations. However, that same gear should be available at a very low percentage in Flashpoints otherwise it’s not worth it. Top tier gear in Flashpoints gives all of us adrenaline junky challenge seekers a reason to log in with intent to gear more then twice a week. It would also bring back parties that do something fun AND worthwhile with my casual friends.