Well, since suggestions for the Weaves don’t seem to gather much support or, for the matter even, pushback (see Weave Boards (and how to connect to vanilla game) - A Suggestion) I will try it with something a lot more controversial which is easier to be against. I will cover today fun topics as: Possibly lore-breaking, possibly P2W, skill-gated content, power creep, lots or work for developers and general abstruse ideas. So get out your pitchforks forum warriors because there will abstrusity and it will get worse with the length of the post. So look how long you can hold out.
This is an idea I carried with me for a longer time. But I think it is a good moment to post it now as in the recent AMA the developers have said that they might return to vanilla game maps and maybe also DLC if the change in buisness model works out. With this said, we come to one of community’s favourite themes: lack of content in DLC’s, in this case Shadows over Bögenhafen. And maybe also lack of more bosses. Because, apparently, everything needs to have a boss, a Lord and their grandma.
Where to go
Entering the sanctum in the church has for most people been dissappointing because you pick up the Blightreaper, run away and bam, it is over. Anti-climatic. To me it always seemed a bit disappointing because there are actually unused areas and ways which could be used for more like the upper floors of the library or the badly hidden way in the sanctum. My basic idea is that you can chose a second way out of the sanctum. For this you need a barrel, you need to pick up the Blightreaper, and to be an ass, you need to do this on Cataclysm.
So after you pick up the Blightreaper, you can blow up the wooden planks shown in the image (they are … um… somehow magical and first need to be weakened by the rotten power of the Blightreaper) and use a second way out which does not lead to a Waystone but instead to an area below the church. Similar to the Wizards Tower and the Trials of the Foolhardy this would work as second exit and would teleport you directly into a next level.
The excuse, I mean story
Story, would be as follow: By luck or sheer skill Father Krausmann managed to trap the Beast of Bögenhafen (see image) below the church and even managed to take away the Blightreaper.
In the process though, he got wounded. In his wounded state he still managed to go upstairs, seal the catacombs, seal away the Blightreaper, seal the church and run away with the key as far as possible before he rotted away due to the wound he received.
The level would begin with a gauntlet event where Chaos Hordes would stream endlessy from behind, trying to kill you. As you are still carrying the Blightreaper the whole level would be with THP only. After escaping for some meters you will reach some kind of underground arena where the Beast is trapped and where you can fight it. The map will end with the group killing the Beast of Bögenhafen.
The cursed weapons
Upon beating the Beast of Bögenhafen something strange will happen. The weapon you are currently holding (either melee or range) will gain some power of the Blightreaper and get cursed (or you need to interact with the dead body of the beast so the level can be replayed without getting a weapon cursed). The weapon will loose it previous state and get a black border and change its skin accordingly. The skins for the cursed weapons will be similar to the Blightreaper and have kind of pulsating veins on them, showing their rotting nature. These weapons will be somehow stronger than red weapons, by either having three properties or two traits or by doubling the trait limits so you can have +10 % attack speed etc. Actually I dont care to much about that part.
In order to stop P2W and power creep to much, as well as to annoy collectors and reduce the argument of grind, there will be different mechanics affiliated to the cursed weapons:
- Cursed Weapons become class locked the moment they are created, so choose wisely which one you take with you.
- Every class can only have one cursed weapon at the time. If you play the map again and use a different weapon the previous one will lose its cursed state and return to what it previously way.
- Every time you are using the weapon on a mission (independent from your success) your curse counter will increase meaning less and less health the more the weapon is used until you are running around with 1 HP. In order to reduce the curse you have to succeed in your missions. You obviously dont have to carry the cursed weapon with you for this. One time usage of the weapon generates something like 10-15 % decreased HP. Winning on Cataclysm recovers about 3 %, less on lower difficulties. As such, you have to win 5 times in Cataclysm to recover from the curse. This makes the usage of the weapon very selective and only a choice in missions you have a tough time. So it works as a one-time buff with lots of risk. Should negate the P2W and power creep factor.
The curse deepens
But there is more. If you decide to keep using the weapon despite its power corrupting and weakening you, it will start altering your character. This will be shown by some of your talents starting to change like your THP gets changed to you constantly losing HP but gaining a drain effect in return which doesnt heal THP but permanent HP and so on. The longer you use the weapon the more your talents rot.
If you bring enough cursed weapons/counters with you (you and your teammates) that your total HP loss is above 200 %, then there will be a 50 % chance for you to encounter another beast in the map. This event will only take place on Legend or above. Upon defeating this beast AND completing the map, every character which yielded a cursed weapon will be “rewarded” with a “Rotten class” having all and more of the talents he previously “gained” while yielding the cursed weapons. And he can play the Rotten class also without ever touching the cursed weapon again. So yea, this is it. To the pitch forks.
TLDR: More Bögenhafen, Cursed Weapons, Curse Counters, Character class unlock
EDIT: Correction of some of the most glaring spelling Errors.