making smaller group dungeons

[Scaevacas]

no need to nerf existing dungeons.

However, this is an MMORPG, and I believe solo content prevents people from playing together. I would suggest allow up to 3 players into existing solo dungeons so people can socialize and play together.

As Funcom doesn't have the time or the resources to make additional content for the minority of players, creating new 3 player dungeons is not viable. However modifying an existing solo dungeon would be very quick to do.

[Freke]

No, they are not. They are designed for six players without complete Kithai experience and gear. Same goes for old world dungeons. They -can- be done by two to three overgeared, overexperienced or overly patient players. But that's not how they're supposed to be done.

And please, stop the "don't let other people get stuff as cool as I have"-routine.
Offering content for 6-player-groups doesn't "dumb down" raids for 24-player-groups. Offering content for 3-player-groups doesn't "dumb down" 6-player-content.

The more people find satisfying content in the game, the greater the number of total players will be. That's good for Funcom, that's good for the game, and that's good for all of us.

One way of offering content for smaller groups might be to allow players to enter the solo dungeons with a group. Either leave them completely unchanged - then they'd be easier, but offer less reward (so that Lunatic doesn't have to cry about gear being given away freely and everybody having it easier today than in the good old times). Or the health of mobs could be increased according to the number of players, with an according increase in loot. That should be a fair solution.

QFT!
Doing something like this would not dumb down anything. It would just cater to smaller groups/guilds.

[Kurt2013]

I see no problem with dumbing down or nerfing things here, because the intention (and execution as proposed by the OP) will not nerf anything, but offer more ways to play, which would be good.

Only problem i see, if they do it wrong, like changing existing instances or scaling them down for less people, by making them faster and easier, but keeping the rewards. No problem otherwise...and i have seen not one valid reason not to do it mentioned here either (most concerns mistook the suggestion for dumbing down things or nerfing).

There is not even a population transfer from raids or hardmodes...because when you would do a 3-6 ppl instance, you either would not or could not do a k6 or raid. So no one hurt again.

If you have better progression, these 3 ppl groups will probably turn to find 6ppl groups, get a bigger friend list and thus get more options to join the endgame (K6 hm, higher tier raids). Again, why complain then?

As OP said, there should be a bridge between solo grind and group play. Just because the pro-MMO crowd has gotten used to certain mechanics, does not mean they can not (or should not) be improved.

Epic modes are fine, but the rewards are old and limited (and in solo modes you get more and faster). Adding variation to loot lists should help a lot (like specific gear, pets, tokens that could drop in addition). As would repairing some epic modes (slaughterhouse cellar, attilus mansion). If people spent 5 hours having fun killing lvl83 epic bosses in a 2-6 people group, why should it be worse rewarded than 30 mins solo action?

Another effect would be that such an addition might bring more life and thrill to open pvp on those servers again. Moving group action back to the open world out of instances to fight hordes of mobs, ccable bosses to unique tough bosses...all there and possible. Another example: The useable triggers in the resource zone...they spawn waves of waves of mobs (in an open pvp zone, so you already could have your famous pv(e)p bosses) with a boss at the end, but right no offer NO reward for the requirements (epic mobs requiring a few people, time invested, danger etc.).

Conans world is big, why put the progression only into limited instances (solo grind, minigames, k6, raids)?

[wraithminion]

making content for 3 man groups is a nerf its asking to dumb down mechanics for 6man to catter for solo players, raids are 24 man and instances 6 man rest is solo content, kithai quest and general speaking lvling is for solo or small groups/duets.

you use to be able to do slaughterhouse cellar, attilus mansion with multiple people up to 6 they didnt announce they simply broke those instances to be solo, because what you ask was already ingame untill they broke it, also lvling up in epic mode was intetend for groups wich no one ever does apart from going to fod in epic to farm epic bosses for vanity gear.

and like i said most content available for 6 man can be done with less then 6 depending on instance and player skills.

only thing stoping you inst funcom its yourselves not daring enough to clear dungeons with less then 6 or without healers/tanks.
while not all available dungeons arent possible like that, a lot are and especialy old world and kithai normal modes its up to player skills and imagination and daring to take up the chalenge of doing them without the intended 6man and healer/dps/tank trio or 6 people.

It is not dumbing down the game. I have done almost everything for AOC except AI district, T4 (small guild, hard to find open slots for T4 raids. ) and T3.5 which is kinda worthless compared to T4. I pay for my sub and want to continue with my small group of friends. Most of my guild has left and I really don't want to leave the guild I helped build up for a new flavor of the moment. I don't see how making a group 3 dungeon ruins fun for six mans. I don't care if the treasure drop rate is less than a normal six man or dungeon. The new crafting system, when it is implemented, could make this more fair. I just don't want to be posting in global for a half hour looking for groups for various dungeon levels.

[-tomhet-]

It is not dumbing down the game. I have done almost everything for AOC except AI district, T4 (small guild, hard to find open slots for T4 raids. ) and T3.5 which is kinda worthless compared to T4. I pay for my sub and want to continue with my small group of friends. Most of my guild has left and I really don't want to leave the guild I helped build up for a new flavor of the moment. I don't see how making a group 3 dungeon ruins fun for six mans. I don't care if the treasure drop rate is less than a normal six man or dungeon. The new crafting system, when it is implemented, could make this more fair. I just don't want to be posting in global for a half hour looking for groups for various dungeon levels.

then best thing would be what khaletohep mentioned to scale instance to number of players entering and adjust rewards, just not sure if that is even possible in current state of game.
but its an mmo merges had positive impact and at any given hour its easy to find people for whatever, so finding people is fast; problem is more with some dungeons being unnatractive like some old world places and some harder hm's wich seems i can only do with guild only groups like jade dugout.

[Brettscout]

Game is dwindling shadow of what it was....and what it could have been. hard to balance content for newer players while still being interesting for vets. Could have been done with a decent PVP system to bridge the gap...but even then FC managed to bork that over.

In the end the game is overly easy if you've grind your gear up in running the same raids over and over- or incredibly hard if you have not. there is no happy medium or entertaining middle ground.