How to Balance Solo Map Play and Group Map Play

You can read the previous version of this idea here; this is version 2.

1. The Changes

The Eternal Laboratory map device gains some additional features:

• No currency: Pressing the activation button on the device with no currency inserted sends all existing portals to a new instance of the same map. This button can be pressed any number of times, and allows someone playing solo to essentially get up to six uses out of one map (or three uses for two players, or two uses for three players).
• Currency: Players can insert currency into the device and press the activation button to have less portals and more monster health, but in return get more item quantity and experience . These are more bonuses and stack with all IIQ bonuses, including the party bonus. Two different, low-value currencies will be used: one minor and one major. You can insert currencies either with the map or afterwards, and you can use the currencies to apply the effect multiple times if desired; each use is a separate more bonus that stacks multiplicatively with itself and all other bonuses, including party bonuses.

Quick aside: In my view, the ideal currencies would not be usable on maps except through this mechanic, so I'm going to suggest Jeweler's Orb as the minor currency and Orb of Fusing as the major currency; however, virtually anything is acceptable as long as it's not too expensive.

• Minor currency: Using this currency destroys one portal and grants 20% more monster health, item quantity and experience.
• Major currency: Using this currency destroys two portals and grants 50% more monster health, item quantity and experience.

Party modifiers are also changed.

• Party item quantity and monster health bonuses are doubled for maps. This means a six-man group gets +500% IIQ, but also +500% monster health. Outside of maps, the normal party bonuses apply.
• The party IIQ bonus now applies to map drops as well, both inside and outside of maps.

2. The Results
Every type of party, from solo to six-man, now gets the same amount of loot and experience per map, including map drops.

For four- and five-person parties, this requires a small currency contribution; however, that bonus increases travel efficiency slightly (more loot per monster, but not more time finding monsters, just more time killing them), so it's arguable that the time savings more than make up for the minor fee on high-level rare maps; on low-level maps the option exists not to pay it.

For all other party types, it's cut and dry: if every person in a six-man party contributes a map, they get six runs at six times the item quantity split six ways, for a total yield of 600% quantity per map; if someone playing solo uses a map, they get six runs at normal quantity split one way, for a total yield of 600% quantity per map. Experience is also equalized this way.

Additional pleasant side effects:

• Groups that have run out of maps could now hunt for maps together in Act 3 if they run out without as big of a penalty.
• Currencies not normally involved in map creation get an opportunity for another item sink in the form of disposable, nearly-infinite-demand maps.

If you like this suggestion, please post with a +1; if you don't like it, with a -1. Reasoning is nice but optional.

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Thanks for taking the time to write this idea out. At first glance it seems like a good idea - it will be interesting to see if anyone can find any flaws with this.

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I was thinking about something similar on my own just this morning. I like the idea generally, however I would suggest that the first mode also require currency, albeit a small amount. 2-4 alt or equiv for 66 maps. More for higher level maps. Just a minor sink, that's all.

The system would therefore only have one variation from present: add currency, and things change. What we could do with amounts more than 2-4 alt is have the devs calculate a relative value for the currency added and have extra goodies added to the maps in response. It need not be clearly documented what the effects are; in fact it could deliberately be a bit mysterious, somewhat like vendor recipes.

Overall, A+ for the idea; minor tuning to touch it up, and I'm onboard.

--C

p.s. not sure of the motivation for the extra IIQ for group play.

Or just implement the /players command from D2.

For maps, I like Scrotie's idea better, because it fits in with the game more seamlessly.

Yeah sounds good

Dunno if destroying portals for using currency on it would be that good though

I mean, you use a fusing on the thing and only get +20% IIQ (right?), yet one portal is destroyed
That portal could have gotten you a 2nd run in the previous +0% IIQ map, which in relative terms seems more profitable right?

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gonzaw wrote:

Yeah sounds good

Dunno if destroying portals for using currency on it would be that good though

I mean, you use a fusing on the thing and only get +20% IIQ (right?), yet one portal is destroyed
That portal could have gotten you a 2nd run in the previous +0% IIQ map, which in relative terms seems more profitable right?

It's not designed for solo, but for 4/5-man parties.