Ryzom

First; what we know can be done:
* Add new mobs anywhere, not just kittin.
* All spawn points.
* Set mobs hp and resistances.
* Set patrols routes or destinations.
* Make mobs aggro or not.
* Erect towers and fences.
* Pop eggs around the place that give boosts.
* Pop NPC merchants around the place.

Elements to make a raid interesting:
* Make some mob generals so resistant to magic that melee folk must do the kill.
* Strategically place ammo vendors so we can really see Launchers in action!
* Use players to find and lead everyone to the hot spots.
* Erect towers and fences as a forward base.
* Protect NPC builders for the forward base.

Some raid story ideas:
* Very remote kitin base, with many eggs that we can steal.
* Patrols camping our favourite harvesting spots as the kitin think we are digging for their eggs.
* Hidden piles of lightly guarded egges around the place, or with circling patrols.
* Get the GM to spawn a counterattack at a town while we are doing the last boss general; we loose the guards and the town for a bit.
* A day after the raid has died down, a pile of eggs and supreme amber pops up smack in the middle of the Faction PvP area. The last Kitin baby nest!
* Check some Frahars in who are also going after the eggs for their breakfast.

Lasting effects on world:
* Every once in a while for 6 weeks an egg pops up, nearby is one load of supremes.
* For 6 weeks or so occassional mass patrols of hatched baby kittins, looking for food, mini-raid. Perhaps they get into the capital city looting the bins.
* Keep the forward base for 6 weeks after event ends, slowly remove the odd fence or turn tower to ruin then gone.


All these ideas can be done, we want them, lets have it! Then after 1 month a similar event in the next racial land. So this one idea can last 4 month. That means we only need 3 actual stories/ideas per year to keep all the raid people busy without making it so common that it gets dull.


Bonus features that could improve raids:
* Rewards in the form of fantastically 'impossible' pendants. So what if they are uber, they wont last long!
* GM control a boss for those extra clever mob tactics.
* GM control a Kami for some cool laser backup!
* Constant rain and fog or deep winter until we kill weather-controlling boss.
* Aen unites the Bandit factions and they go around in large patrols ganking groups trying to hunt.
* Use terrain (such as one of those watery pits) to actually set a trap for us while we are doing a boss and then look up to discover we are souttounded by his returning guards.
* Give our mounted leader a bigger glowing stick!
* Explain how that new camera thingy can be used to make cool vids that we can post all over the web to attract new players.
* Get the King to put 10 million in participating guild's inventory as a thank you or get GM to play royal treasurer for 2 hours and anyone who comes and proves was in fight gets a cash sum.
* Get the King to sell stacks of 999 at the going rate to boost the economy from the royal coffers.

Maybe I might have missed a raid like this but here's an idea none the less:

Multi day Kitin invasion -

Day 1 - Kitin are seen gathering in numbers. They march slowly (Formation would be cool/intimidating) towards a town taking a couple hours for scouts/super killed players to report back to town. Roaring and killing anything in the way as they go. Before they get within strike range of city they stop for a moment. Nevrax has a specially prepared musical piece that begins to play . Then...they attack. From that point on they spawn in front of city gates. Of course they are chumps so they get beaten with relative ease. No boss is present at this attack. When numbers get low on final wave, remaining retreat.

Day 2 - A surprise attack. More Kitin invade said city in similar waves, maybe coming in from more than one entrance this time. Acompanying them this time are some general type Kitin that are stronger and take a serious focused attack to topple. A mini-boss Kitin (Named?) appears at the final wave and eventually gets toppled. Remaining retreat or get slaughtered.

At this point might be a day break, so that players can gather themselves from all the fighting.

Day 4 - Full assault! This is the Big Daddy. General types that only appeared maybe 4 or 5 at a time come in waves of 10 or so, followed by chump change ones in large numbers. Flying Kitins fly in overhead picking targets at random. You'd need some Range Fighters as sometimes they would take to the sky and be inaccessible to Melee Fighters and I'm the magic users would be plenty busy. Each Kitin type would have their own miniboss. After a Kitin type miniboss is defeated the spawn for that type ceases. Also, surrounding the area of the miniboss defeat, diggers can attain temporary, one use items that give a buff to anyone in a certain area. When a couple of the minibosses are toast, a decent sized squad of diggers comes up behind the defense. All minibosses are defeated, no more spawns...then you hear it. Loud roars off in the distance. It's the boss. Homins scramble to get dead members raised and crafters (we'll pretend they can build stuff too) rebuild downed defenses. He comes in with 4 others surrounding him, and for some added boss killing strategy, let's say cast buffs on him. They can be killed but have to be killed in a certain order as 3 of them can raise one of the others, but only one. Also, certain sentries are weak to a form of attack (Magic/Melee/Range) Once the sentry Ktins are down it's not all peaches and cream. Every once (5minutes?) in a while the boss will charge up a big roar that summons them all back to life. The resurrection order changes each time this is done (There would be some clue, like color or something). The roar is interruptable with a well timed Stun move of some sort, but the sentries are a constant part of the battle. After a long hard fought battle the boss dies, Hominkind prevails.

Phew. Thought of that one as I went, so it might be a little out there/overly ridiculous. I wanted to try and go for a raid that required more startegies and char type involvement (Note the use of digging/crafting). Possibly even changing to suit battle conditions. (IE: We need more range fighters, Kizoars incoming!)

In addition to the attack phases, defense would react to them. For instnace the first day your defense is prepared as reports of the advancing Kitin army reaches town. Destructable towers for range fighters/Magicians to perch in to avoid getting clobbered on the ground. Walls set up to attempt and funnel enemies into a more killable clump. 2nd day might get caught a bit off guard. 3rd day defense is armed to the teeth.

As a reward, you could havea scripted event where the Governor/King/whatever of the defended town comes out and thanks everyone and directs them to either Himself (Money) a trainer (New unique skill) or a town guard (Unique Non sellable Item) for a reward. Also for a while after the event as suggested by OP you could have things surrounding the defended land yield more xp/better mats or something.

Sorry for yet another excessivly long post,
-Kash-