One of the biggest problems with this game is the impossibility of organizing community-driven content. It's a problem, but it's a huge mistake too, since community-driven content can provide a lot of replayability with a bare minimum effort, something this game lacks in every front.

Wait, what's community-driven content? To keep things short, it's a playground, where you can organize different activities. It has no rewards, no balance, and no progression. It's only goal is fun, and most of the time, dumb fun, perfect for when you just want to chill out and socialize a bit.

There's a lot of ways to introduce this topic, but I'll go with the Heart of the Mists. The new one we got a few months ago has some improvements, but it fell short in other things too. Above all, I feel like it's a huge wasted opportunity for what could have been the real heart of PvP as a whole.

So, I'm going to redesign the Heart of the Mists, and turn it into a community-driven playground, where PvP can shine once again.

Castle of the Mists

• The new lobby is a single island, with a gigantic castle in the middle of it, surrounded by dozens of open world arenas. These arenas are much like the individual one we have now, and the one from guild hall's.
• Each arena has a gimmick. Some are FFA, some are 3 teams, some have a pit, etc. Some are not arenas at all, but huge rooms with tunnels and such. Some are mini-versions of specific PvP game modes.
• All the arenas have balconies, where people can watch. They also include cameras and vistas, so you can pan around easily (like spectating PvP conquest). Some arenas allow spectators to mess up with the players by throwing garbage at them.
• Arenas have special features, that can be used for free or a small donation. Things like summoning beasts to the arena, activating traps, temporarily rearranging the decoration, etc. You can also select music tracks to play for players and spectators of each arena.
• Anyone can enter an arena, choosing the portal of the team they want to be in. Some arenas have participation limits, and you can queue to enter next (king of the hill). Some arenas close once a match starts (last man standing).
• Guilds can sponsor the arenas, unlocking new options depending on their guild hall progress. Their flag and name will be everywhere for everyone to see while the sponsorship is active.
• The castle itself has various levels, tiered like a staircase. You can access special areas by paying a small fee, gaining higher PvP ranks, or staying in the top of the ladder. Some exclusive spectator balconies are only available to these "vip" players and whoever is in their party.
• The aesthetics of the zone are no longer dark, eerie, and depressing. Each inner section of the castle has a different aesthetic and architecture, and so do the arenas. Snow, desert, and forest themes coexist with each other.
• Aside from the arenas, there's a few stages for musicians (with amplifiers for the music they play, which can be directed to the arena), and a stadium for mount races (with customization options for the track and obstacles).

A place like this would give us years of PvP content easily, since people would organize their own games there whenever they want.

How hard would this be to implement? Shouldn't be too hard, since most systems are already ingame. This could be a bonus feature for one Living World episode, much like raids and fractals are.

It's important for all of this to be in the same single place. The game needs a "social zone" where all these features are packed together, almost like a small theme park if you wish. Why not spread these across the capital cities? I don't think those are good for this, since the arenas would be too big to fit inside any of the existing cities.

I firmly believe this is the kind of content every online game needs, and the best way to keep people playing while there's no new content around. Feel free to contribute with your own viewpoint to make this idea grow =D.

•Aside from the arenas, there's a few stages for musicians (with amplifiers for the music they play, which can be directed to the arena)

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