I still stand by my age old idea of personalized miniature skyworlds. Buy bridge/building pieces from a shop and connect them to your preferences. Upgrade the maximum size of the skyworld using real money, while the pieces are bought using gralats.  

Posted by Ryan

Here are my ideas, some have probably been said:

Towns: As Kenovo said we should separate zone into different towns or zones (woop). I've always wanted the zone map to also have different names for their areas. Like on iClassic we have Swamptown, Snowtown etc.

I love this idea, as it would add the idea of an actual world/universe rather than the floating platform we have now.
This idea could be expanded into planets rather than towns/zones, with their own alien communities that are either allied, neutral, or enemies.  

I agree with Ryan on the staff, and FYI, im Australian too =[  

The only problem I find on iZone is the fact that the main area/start area and the places around changes every single update... which makes it kinda annoying for me or some other players... also you should broadcast a message if you need some staffs (not sure if you guys do this but il just leave it here)... and Probrably update your hack detection cause sometimes i get false bans for speed hacking...

Posted by Ryan

Here are my ideas, some have probably been said:

Towns: As Kenovo said we should separate zone into different towns or zones (woop). I've always wanted the zone map to also have different names for their areas. Like on iClassic we have Swamptown, Snowtown etc.

Tileset: Like everyone is saying, the tileset doesn't look too good. There was a tileset being made (A much better looking version of the current tileset made by Shane) but that seems to have been abandoned or something. Someone who has a similar graphics style to Shane should pick up from where he left off and complete it.

HUD: In my opinion the HUD looks yuck/old, and makes zone seem like some cheap MMO. If someone were to edit/remake the HUD I think it would look a lot more appealing to the players. When I'm talking about HUD, I mean the Menu, Profile, Chat buttons and hot keys.

Staff: This isn't about staff doing a poor job, their doing just fine. But about 95% of Zone staff are from the US and that means there is always a blank spot where no staff are on (during night time in Australia). We need more Asian/Australian staff to fill in that gap as me and Platinum are the only Australian staff currently working on zone.

Shops: All shops on zone need to be different, not just all named 'Style Co.' or 'Hatz'. Renaming those unnamed stores will give them character and make people remember them.

I'll post more if I can think of any

Could you pm me the template ??  

What if Zone had different planets with an actual story, background, etc.? All we have are basing planets, this one boring lava planet, Showdown, and I think that's it. Why can't we do more with these planets? Why can't we turn this "Showdown" planet (for example) into something more?

Showdown is this deathmatch arena that's on this planet. I mean, I doubt humanity would look at a planet, heck one that produces oxygen (assuming Graal-people breath oxygen) and only build an arena in it? What if there was some sort of civilization on this planet? Not just humans, but alien species. What if there was a town on this planet, and its main attraction was the Showdown arena? Try fleshing these planets out.

Heck, the lava planet could be home to another floating civilization that sends mining operations down to the lava planet. There could be some made-up valuable resource. That could introduce a new job. Imagine having to scavenge for this valuable resource, while surviving on a boiling planet, with hostile wild-life attacking you?

What if the Showdown planet actually had some civilization living there? Imagine walking through the streets of this town, seeing these aliens and Graal-people in one town? Expanding on these planets could add exploration, role playing, etc.  

Posted by Rockstar

I agree with Ryan on the staff, and FYI, im Australian too =[

see you're not wanted.. (╥﹏╥)

ok but in all seriousness i like you're ideas ryan, "makes zone seem like some cheap MMO" graal is a cheap mmo..  

Lmao. Since you're asking for an honest opinion, I'll gladly take this opportunity to get some b*tchiness out.

For iZone to get back on it's feet it needs a complete overload. Something like last year's big update that changed the gmap, but a lot more..not stupid. There's alot of promise in the systems iZone has, but they've just been used stupidly.

For instance the whole galaxies interface. There's a lot of promise to add different galaxies and planets. And not just as basing places. There can be an intricate storyline, detailed quests, shops galore (even though iZone is practically already a shopping mall), and as much as the mind can think of. Major idea? Don't know how to thread it in to the current overworld? Blamo. New planet. However this is a hella lot of work, new content to fill up each planet, and every plaet should look different from the others. This work requires a dedicated and experienced staff team, which brings me to my second point.

Staff. As much as I'd love to bash on a few of the staff members, I'll save it. Fact of the matter is, the iZone staff team has been decreasing in quality and experienced Developers since the server's beginnings. I'm not saying the staff now are imbociles (well...not all of them at least.), but the development departments seem to be made up of a lot more novices and freshies, than hardened and experienced developers like they once were. The graphics department is one place I'll take a hammer to though. The quality of graphics I'm seeing iZone push out is horrendous. I'm not calling the artists bad, but the amount of artists who are still trying to get on a decent level, who've somehow found themselves on a staff team already, is ridiculous.Too many cartoony artists on the staff team. Are you making a comic or a MMO? (And before you bash, and start saying many games are heavily cartoony, think...it works for them but not iZone, so what the hell is wrong there, huh?)


Tileset. The overworld tileset has been a problem for a long time. It's just starting to get even worse now, as the quality around Graal is more or less rising. It looks like a futuristic toy set. Like a Barbie playhouse, but blue instead of pink. Why the hell is it all blue? Cartoony graphics can be good here and there, amazing even. But it doesn't fit zone in large amounts. Hell, Starwars Lego sets look better than iZone. A new tileset needs to be made, and by someone with a style reminiscent, or improved from Zone PC. Or anything rather than cartoony tbh.

Trade Tables should be scrapped IMO, and all these little bobbles and trinkets y'all are constantly releasing as items should be stopped. iZone already has it's reputation as a huge shopping mall, don't take the spot of the "come collect items, cuz that's about the only f*cking thing do" server as well.

More focus should be placed on pk, basing, questing, big events (not the event house kind), and such. More guns (some more bang bang, with the pew pew.). Use the planet option to a great extent, we should be able to get lost exploring various planets and galaxies for a few days. Those kids that love socializing and trading and collecting various useless knick-knacks don't like it? Screw em. You can't please everyone. Keep them happy? Stay at the 400s (if you've made it that far). Cut the crap and do some serious improvements? Lose their sorry asses, but progress into a higher playercount and a better quality server.

There should be a ton of jobs as well, and not crappy "here's 100 gralats for cashing in the trash it took you 15 minutes to collect", but real good paying jobs. You'll say...but oh they'll have too much money with nothing to spend it on. Then make sh*t for them to splurge on, and not crappy show-off items. Guns, special useful items like Zone PC has, stuff like...not to brag...but my Riot Shield. Instead of the sh*tty thing clogging up player's inventories that you decided to release so damn early, it could have been something to revolutionize the basing situation. Heavy impacts, heavy drawbacks. A win hard, or lose bad type of thing. (Personal rage, but a serious issue nonetheless)

I can continue this forever, but I'll just cover one last issue. I have no bloody clue what between GhettoIcedTea and the rest of y'all and why he isn't on the Staff Team anymore, but y'all should build a bloody bridge over it, put on your big boy pants and make up. With GIT there was some hope for some good changes to iZone, at least on the firearms level, now y'all are just flopping around stupid as ever.

iZone should be a server where you can get lost exploring and questing and what-not for a long time. And after you've figured out everything, still have fun doing it.

And scene. My rage is vented. Lemme know if you'd like some more.


P.S. Implement food and healing items for f*cks sake. I haven't played in a while of course, but I'm assuming this is still the case. There should be various ways to heal besides a crappy medbot and an expensive ass un-realistic magical staff in the ZC shop. Food, Medpacks and Bandages and sh*t, maybe auto heal turrets that heal when you're in range,can be broken, and work better than crappy medbots. Forcefields that can be broken and then have a cooldown period, god I can go on forever.  

Posted by Rockstar

I agree with Ryan on the staff, and FYI, im Australian too =[

o yes, you 2  

I didn't thoroughly read every post so I might bring up the same points.
~
I feel like the whole zone tileset and levels could use a makeover. I'm sick of seeing 50 shades of blue. It'd be cool if you guys incorporated more natural/grassy tiles. Because when I think of a land mass floating in the sky I think of a beautiful nature filled world. The water falling off the edges and huge main town with little towns branching off of it. The water for instance is bland and has no details that could be added to make it pop and the water itself is just plain dark blue... e.e
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I think house packs should be changed too I never really liked them and their so bland and I hate the grass. I just ><
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THE MAP IS SO HUGE! A lot of buildings can be removed because they literally have no inside. They're half finished. The nature planet isn't technically a planet because it's a psrt of the starting planet.
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The staff needs to be cleaned out of inactives and people who don't care. I'm not a supreme gfx artist but I can say the hat's I've been seeing make my skin crawl. I'm sure it's not all of the gfx team and I'm sure most are trying hard but I'd like to see something different in style.  

I always felt like pets/robots were lacking uniqueness in iZone. I wish the Pets/ Robots could have different looks and shapes (I mean they dont even look like robots). I would also like to see robots being able to hold weapons and help you with missions, quests etc.

They could something like this:
http://images.gizmag.com/hero/mip.jpg (Unsupported image host)  

Posted by kenovo

WEAPONRY
Of course there will be holiday related weapons that aren't futuristic whatsoever etc. But I think we should be releasing weaponry that has a special ability and is different. Examples being the Flamethrower etc, but actually done correctly. Also through leveling up, getting certain minerals (more than the current ones), and finishing quests for a required item piece, you should be able to upgrade a weapon to become better than its previous stage. This can allow different weapons being used and create goals for players to achieve.

Everything you have stated in there is something i started already.

Im seriously becoming incredibly frustrated now because most of the gun ideas i have already started and no one took up the baton and finished it. We were supposed to have an ACTUAL gun shop (not the **** holiday stuff) in december last year and i created an ass load of weapon stats and completely balanced 4 of those and all they need is a code.  

It's been a while since I've last played zone, but from what I know and remember here's what I think needs to be done: (feel free to correct me if any of these have been fixed, but this is my opinion, remember that)

• better F2P model- think of some things that you can do and present them to Stefan, all server managers, pic and mobile alike, should honestly be thinking more of how to make the IAPs more appealing without detracting from gameplay. Almost every manager has failed to do this so far, so if you can pull it off you'll be accomplishing a lot more than just increasing your player count

• add some rewards for exploration and expand the world. The game takes place in the future, and space travel is all about exploring new places and finding cool weird things. This is exclusive for iZone too, so make sure you really focus on building an all-star levels team who loves making new maps, cause the server needs a lot of em.

• make some other servers' eras an inspiration for the items. Make stuff that looks like it began as an M4 for example, but evolved over several centuries of technological development. And when you do this, don't make them better than the already futuristic guns, please.

(I typed these up on my PC so I cant add the bullets)

- Make the quests mean something. Have events involving the planets' relations, for example a war between skyworld and maybe the magma world begins, so any quests you do on the planet for its government (like taking out baddies and such) increases your affinity for that faction, contributing to the war. The winner of the war could get a limited time shop with items themed for that world


More to come, stay tuned  

I'm just going to post this here, but my argument is in the direction of kenovo's. I also noticed some of my ideas in the first post.

Map ideas:
-make towns rather than just malls. (Referencing classic...)
-make it smaller.
-make start larger. Walking into a pk fest discourages newbies and I know that for a fact.
-redo showdown map.
-Hire professionals to make a new tileset. Pixel joint is a good place to look.
-More trade houses?


New level ideas:
-Arcade
-Bumper cars (Idea by Peaches/Zero)
-Npc houses (good for rp and adds depth)

Top priority levels to redo:
*CASINO - lobby done.
-Redo machine rooms + building layout
- Remade graphics needed.

*Shooting range - has no purpose or functionality, new tiles wouldn't hurt either.

*Classes - useless.
I've suggested before converting it into a GUI in the main menu.

*HOTEL - scrap all levels - revamp. No rush.

Spar - needs a more unified layout.
Dance shop - extra tiles may be needed
Doll shop - extra graphics needed
Party shop - could be a lot cooler.
Ezio shop - needs a refresh. It's just plain.
Gun shops - merge them into one building.
Daves deliveries - ew.
Recycle - meh.
Lottery - just Ew.
Divorce lawyer - great concept, bad tiles.
Flag/pet slugs - merge together. Fugly levels
Mark's furni. shop- feels disorganized-redo.
Greasy Paul's Grenades - bad level.
Hover boards - needs new concept.
Vip pool - looks half assed. And it's plain.  

Bump.  

Make leveling up matter? I don't think being level 11 actually helps me in the game.