Underdark-type path across continent

ReallyNow10

How about a dungeon with a tunnel reaching across an entire continent and emerging in another dungeon or sewer complex beneath a city?  So, you can do the overland travel routine, OR you can gear and supply up and head down into the "Underdark".  That would cool.  Could have a few twisting tunnels for folks to get lost in as well.

Dullahan

An entire continent might be a bit far, but it would be awesome if it spanned multiple zones. Imagine if you entered Blackburrow and came out in east Karana. The zone(s) would be truly massive, but that would be very cool. You could have entrances that take you down into the dungeon in all the zones in runs beneath. This is a great idea.

Amathe

I agree this would be cool. 

Solar_Prophet

A full on Underdark type meta-zone would be pretty damn sweet. Might actually put the game on my radar as something other than an idle curiosity. 

Thebeasttt

They may want to think about adding Dark Elves first instead of freakin mermaids or w/e they are.

Hawkaya399

ReallyNow10 said:

How about a dungeon with a tunnel reaching across an entire continent and emerging in another dungeon or sewer complex beneath a city?  So, you can do the overland travel routine, OR you can gear and supply up and head down into the "Underdark".  That would cool.  Could have a few twisting tunnels for folks to get lost in as well.

I like hte idea, as long as it doesn't trivialize travel too much or just look like an excuse for fast travel. I think an abstracted link--like a tunnel--between Qeynos and Freeport WOULD have trivialized travel. But there could have been--for example--an alternate route out of Blackburrow to West Karana. But it needs to reward explorers and not just be on every map.

Another example that might be acceptable:
Jaggedpine Forest -> west end of North Karana (quicker way to get to North Karana or east of there if you're near Surefall Glade or otherwise near enough to Jaggedpine Forest. (but risky for new players too)

Non-linear links between zones may work, but I can't help but feel they'd just end up trivializing travel. Teleportation does too. I don't like any of it, but if I HAD to choose a fast travel system it'd be an expanded form of the bind system Everquest used. More binds (in Everquest non-casters only had 1), the capacity to choose which bind you respawn at, more bind locations, less restrictions on melee classes, bind potions (for setting a bind), and an ability with a cooldown (maybe 24 hours) to recall to a bind. I'd also wnat to make sure there were lots of outposts and services supplied to players so they could do most (maybe not all) of the things htey need to do to stay sustainable while adventuring. For example, merchants for selling/buying and bankers. I remember in Everquest one of hte critical thigns to do was to sell to reduce your weight (and make room in inventory) and possibly to buy efficient items to get rid of too much coin, as well as getting food so you could regen properly. It was very much a metagame to get it right and I enjoyed the exploration aspect.

(One of the nice things about Everquests bind system was you had to go somewhere first before you could respawn there. BUT I'm open to the idea of Wizards having a spell to allow players to share binds.)

Everquest was HARD in many ways, but I still believe tha'ts what made it special. If you trivialize it, you cut out a big part of its heart. And while I understand Pantheon will be somewhat less HARD--just for the fact many of those interested in it are EQ veterans with many more responsibilities than back then--it doesn't mean Pantheon is going to be mainstream either.

sludgebeard

Thebeasttt said:

They may want to think about adding Dark Elves first instead of freakin mermaids or w/e they are.

Cant we all agree Dark Elves are REALLY played out at this point?

Storm_Cloud

ReallyNow10 said:

How about a dungeon with a tunnel reaching across an entire continent and emerging in another dungeon or sewer complex beneath a city?  So, you can do the overland travel routine, OR you can gear and supply up and head down into the "Underdark".  That would cool.  Could have a few twisting tunnels for folks to get lost in as well.

I like this idea... Kinda like the HOMM strategy games where there is an underground map as well as top ground.
Even player cities could exist under ground. Very cool idea! I can't remember seeing it anywhere in any MMO before. (Unless we call Guk an underground city, which it actually was, only just for npcs.) Then it's been made before.