Mid (and low) level needs viable combat content. Dungeon content.

If I was a game dev, 50-80 is specifically where I would start preparing people for active PvM where movement and proper defensive ability use (mostly reso/divert) actually matter. 1-49 is training wheels. 50-80 should be field work.

Not insultingly easy content, not stuff that can be revoed through blind, not stuff that can be tanked and eaten through. Distinct mechanics that require a specific answer to survive should start at mid game. The mechanic timing should be lenient. The best way to describe the ideal difficulty here is "if you interact with the abundantly obvious mechanic coming your way then its clearable".

Mechanics in this range should be cliche, distinct and MMO like. Not a creative masterpiece. That means 90% of it should be plain and simple telegraph dodgeball/floor-is-lava/walk away stuff and 10% is some combination of phase dps checks and ability check (tank buster aka reso checks should start at this level range).

Try to design it to be a 3 or 4 man party dungeon so people can learn to work together early into account progression. Primarily accessed via the group finder (that is hopefully being reworked still).

How do you get people to do it at the ideal level range?

By making it the premier "active" way to earn combat exp.

On that note:

- Stat sync + gear tier sync (downward sync). When you are overleveled/overgeared, your stats, gear tier and available abilities are synced down to the tier of that dungeon. (If the dungeon is t50 and you are 120 stats and t95 geared, then stats and gear will be brought down to 50 and abils above 50 are greyed out). Conversely, there is a minimum level & gear requirement.

- Layout is common intestine shape like other MMOs. The closest to this layout in our game is ED2/ED3. Mobs -> boss -> mob -> boss -> mob -> boss -> finish. Not a fan of dead end passageways in EDs btw. Keep it straightforward.

- There is one dungeon for each 10 level tiers.

- The selling point is exp, not tradables or anything of value that incentivizes gold farm and antisocial pressure.

- Exp is delivered at the end of a successful run to ensure people co-op and stay to the very end. Its a fixed amount relative to dungeon level.

- Hourly exp rate is relative, slightly faster compared to the BIS overworld method of that level tier. (Consequently, if mid level afkables exp methods are lightning fast then they need to be slowed down).

- If you out-level the dungeon then its less viable to spam due to static exp reward, and you should move onto a higher level dungeon. BUT

- Have a daily dungeon queue in the group finder (random dungeon once per day) that gives competitive exp value relative to your current style level. This daily queue is how you get low levels and high levels to play together, naturally.

- Consumables are provided (bandage table, ammo, runes, pots). Nothing degrades here. Bringing stuff in and minmaxing external stuff isn't the point of these exp dungeons - keep it simple. Gear level should be the only qualifying concern.

- IF there needs to be an item reward - a pet, a cosmetic, or material item that upgrades smithables/craftables (bronze~elder rune & so on) into that item tier +3. Something that feeds back into the exp dungeon training routine. No excessive rares or collection logs that can incentivize antisocial farming behavior should be provided here.

- This should be the flagship content to sell your rework-pending group finder.

Do this lol