Expeditions UI/UX Feedback
Loving the Expeditions update and working my way to the final reward tier. Seems like a beta layout in its current form though, the Raid Map UI went from a list to a link chart since you still need to choose from 3 separate difficulties and check off every node to unlock a reward tier. This can feel like you're stuck with progress on one difficulty.
An Expedition should be dynamic like a Super Mario World Map or an action-adventure game with an open world map with "fog of war". Hopefully there are plans to make the Expedition Map UI dynamic with more player choice and the difficulties intermixed. Here's my idea below, feel free to add and discuss.
Imagine one big map with branching paths that you unlock as you play and choose zones with nodes of a high difficulty (4-5 skulls) for a higher amount of Expedition Points & Enhancements, or stay on the lower difficulty paths (1-2 skulls or 3-4 skulls) for a regular amount of Expedition Points & Enhancements respectively. The not-yet-unlocked zones can be hidden with a "fog of the wasteland" so it can buffer and be refreshed with the latest Outposts from Builders.
This will allow players to unlock rewards at a progressive rate and make the new skulls difficulty rating make more sense out of the buckets of Normal, Dangerous, & Brutal since players can choose as they go. It will also make Expeditions feel like a journey, and they can even add graphics for the Sector themes so the lore and the feeling of adventuring through the wasteland shines through the UI/UX.
This opens up the opportunity for zones not only based on new and previous Sectors, but also the Pantheon of Builders, and even the highest difficulty Outposts to test your mettle. Since all Outposts are now enabled on Social with Endless Activation/Forever Prestige 10, the reward for Builders in all of this should be having their Outposts featured prominently in a dynamic Expedition Map that's refreshed seasonally.
Comments
Welcome to the forums. Interesting idea. I don't think the current system should be scrapped but I do like what you are suggesting too. Maybe instead of just normal, dangerous, brutal there could be a fourth option. Maybe something like "campaign" where the expedition is much longer but there is fog of war and various routes and the final reward is based on the difficulty of outposts completed. That could be sweet. My biggest gripe with the expedition system is the lack of agency for the raider. You can only swap out an outpost by playing and abandoning. I just wish we could choose between two or three outposts per node.