I think the developers should consider creating a feature that creates simple, random-generated side quests that scale to your level to be appropriately difficult (Level 11-20, Level 21-30, etc.). The storylines for these quests shouldn't be that in-depth, just enough to get your feet wet. Quest tasks would involve a mix of beating enemies and bosses, crafting, fishing, gardening, collecting, and talking. Players should be able to pick up these quests in worlds they have already completed. Difficulty and rewards should also scale to the level of the player. (So you could get Level 90+ rewards from quests in Krokotopia, for instance.)
We need something like this because the game has a lot of deserted areas. We have a lot of NPCs we never talk to, we have a lot of areas in the game not seeing any use. So, random quests seem like a good step in reestablishing the neighborhood. This feature is not just a boredom killer for hardcore players, it could also a chance to introduce new no auction items, badges, and get players better acquainted with aspects they have not tried before.
Re: Side quest generator, level-scaling in all worlds
I think some of the side doors and unused cavern entrances could be perfect for this. Maybe even have them be truly hidden, like Youkai and Smogger, so you have to be poking around at interesting scenery to find them. (This supposes there ARE interesting scenery bits in the general area. Like the sealed off dwarven gate in High Road. Wonder what was so bad behind there that even the froudlings sealed it off with rubble.)
Truth be told, I do think some of these sealed areas are already slated for future activity areas "in the works" just like Haarek Silverscale was on the river in GH for years, like literally YEARS, before he was tapped to participate in the fishing training program.
The problem is, how do you randomly generate to skill level? The Mysterious Well seems a good example of this, on any given day you could get Cheating Nasty Boss 1, or Cheating Nasty Boss 2.
Another example is the pylons. Except for your idea, there's only one pylon. You flip the switch, and get a random choice from among the nasties you would get by activating the designated pylon for each.
If you're level 20, the pylon gives you a baby Yogash with level 20-appropriate cheats. 60 gives you a normal Yogash. 100 gives you a Mother of Yogash and her 3 adult strapping water lurker sons.
or a random other boss scaled to level.
What I DONT want to see is random cheating boss from somewhere else in the Spiral. When I rub the lamp, a genie should come out and I fight him for my three wishes, not Indigo Giant or Rasik Pridefall. (These entities are reused elsewhere in the Spiral as filler mobs for other bosses' battles!)
Re: Side quest generator, level-scaling in all worlds
I don't see scaling difficulty to your player's level as a problem. The code already exists in dungeons like Winterbane and the Pagoda, where enemies are organized by tier according to the lowest level in your party. The code for randomly generated side quests would basically run a query on your level and match you according to whatever boss rank is most befitting.
But what I'm suggesting is bigger than just a new set of bosses, and can incorporate crafting, fishing, collecting into quest generation as well.
Nicholas Star