#0 - Dec. 4, 2006, 1:37 a.m.
Let's have a topic where we can write down ideas about boss encounters in our mind, maybe Blizzard developers will find this and gather some inspiration for future bossfights.
Anyway this can be a fun thread because we can have here unique ideas and we can discuss it's weaknesses and coolnesses :)
I collected some important notices to help how to "design" an encounter:
-Have some random in it, but never let it be "too random"! An encounter with too much random can turn out of control and players will find it frustrating.
-There must be a role for every class. The worst thing in an encounter is when you feel that your class can not help too much (Thaddius phase2 for example where hunters are so bad to have in the raid). Also a good tip: it's always good if you can do something else than your main role, for example the Instructor Razuvious fight where priests tank with mind controling the adds.
-Don't make it last too long. A good limit can be the four horsemen encounter where you have a maximum of 20 minutes, before they enrage, maybe it's a bit too long. Enrage is a good example to force a time limit but it's getting boring (almost every AQ and Naxxramas bosses do enrage). Make sure it is possible to finish the encounter in a reasonable time before the "enrage".
My first boss encounter idea:
It is for an 5 person instance, one regular boss alone. Boss abilities:
-99% of any type of damage is absorbed by the boss' shield wich is undispellable.
-At every X (90) seconds he mind controls a player. The controlled player can't be crowd controlled but can be slowed and tanked. During this time the boss stays at his place (channeling the MC) and he will be vulnerable to one random type of magic from the five schools (for example fire from fire/frost/nature/shadow/arcane). So he can be damaged regularly by that spell school without the damage absorb. Also he can be damaged by melee attacks for 20% damage instead of 1%. After the MC expires (25-30 seconds) he has again 99% damage reduction for X (90) seconds till the next MC.
The interesting thing in this encounter is that at every mind control phase he's mind controlling different players and he is vulnerable to different types of magic. Sticking to the example, at the second MC phase he can't be fire vulnerable again so it will be random from frost, nature, shadow and arcane and he can't MC the same player as before so it will be random from the other 4. At the 5th MC phase we will be sure of what kind of magic vulnerability will he have and who will he mind control. From the 6th MC phase he won't have magic vulnerability, only the reduced 80% melee absorb shield and he will mind control 2 random people. At the 7th: 3 mind controlled people, and from the 8th, it will be only one player who is not mind controlled. So basically it's almost a wipe after the 5th MC. Maybe he should have some other abilities what he can use between two MC phases so it won't be boring.
That's all, a bit simple but I think it's fun. It has randomness but not "bad random" so it can be done in any cases. How do you like it? Discuss... and let's hear some other ideas. I hope I started your imagination :)
