Yes, I'm well aware that the topic of elite revival had been raised before (for example in this thread by Serancha, in this post by Energizeric, Kingmartin had also made suggestions on this issue in Remiem's weekly update). I'm also aware of STS response to these suggestions. But bear with me.
The thing is, for me, and I'm sure for a lot of elite enthusiasts, the highlight of 2015 was not an event organized and run by STS. It's Kalizzaa's Tour of Arlor. And it wasn't because of any specific reward. There wasn't any event pet or event gear. Nothing to make money off apart from what you looted in your runs. But for me it was a lot of fun just because it gave me a reason to run elite. A lot.
The initiator and organizers of that contest had retired so I doubt there will be a repeat of Kalizzaa's ToA. But here's where STS can step in and do something.
As it is now, most of elite maps apart from Ren'gol and Wilds are deserted. In Ren'gol people just farm the mobs and don't kill the bosses, because there is no justifiable reward for it. But this, and the fact that the maps are untimed, means a lot of times people enter a map only to find the mobs wiped out and everyone leaving. Elite has never ever ever been this annoying before.
The question of reward is also an issue here. With events supplying the majority of legendary pets and gear, what could be gained by running elite? A lot of endgame players feel the Glintstone mythic quest isn't worth the stat loss, hassle and cost for a glittery pedicure and AP and so we have even fewer runners interested in mining Ren'gol maps for fangs. You end up with capped people saying "Don't bother running elite. Farm KM3 and buy everything." You end up having players lying dormant between events or get bored and quit (the last Syrillax event had the lowest level of guild activity I've seen during major event). This isn't what had kept me interested and playing for over two years.
So here are some of my ideas.
1. New elite titles and achievements. If pvp players get titles for killing a certain number of opponents, why can't pve players get titles for killing a certain number of enemies too? You can even make them specific to certain enemies, for example Wolf Slayer, which you only get after killing, let's say 10k Shuyal wolves.
2. Elite dailies. There is the quest to kill 40 elite Nordr bosses. Can we have reward as well for killing 40 elite Tindirin, Shuyal, Planar Tomb and Rengol bosses? Reward can be weak/standard primary jewels, or even crafting components. (Or elite tokens, like orc tags, that you can use to purchase things).
3. Have elite bosses drop high tier jewels.
4. Rare portals. Make it so that killing an elite boss gives players a chance to enter a special ground with special boss, or old bosses that drop valuables (for example, like Gauntlet bosses they can drop ankhs, or elixirs, etc). Have the special ground spawn random bosses so you never know who you're going to meet when you get there. Make it so that the portal has much higher chance of opening from harder elite bosses so people won't be spamming elite Brackenridge to get one.
Bottom line is, a lot of players love running elite, but currently there isn't any incentive to do it. And Arlor is a beautiful world. Why waste the resources that go into those older elite maps by letting them stay unappealing and empty? And I want to play between events and have my friends there playing too instead of just seeing them on Line chat. And seriously if 2016 is going to be just another series of big events (with vanity reward) interspersed with Gauntlets, I don't see much left to keep me interested in playing.
Revamp the elites, please.
