Personally I want to see a game where you can solo to max level with really random loot tables. But it is slow, Very very slow. But if you group you get bonus xp and loot more tailored to the group. If you group with more random folks you get more rewards too. Also have the game help with contacting people you have grouped with before and liked. (personalized rating system maybe)
Of course I also want random adventures when doing overworld travel. (Think scripted events, An assault on a nearby farm where your party can be teleported to you. And so forth)
I want lots of things. Bleh.
I don't think I want any of those things. I guess I don't mind if a few classes can solo to max level, like EQ, but only in a system where you have to weigh the cons of doing it (like less loot or being seen as a fucking loner who is going to get a group killed).
I don't want bonus exp for grouping, per se, because then people group up for the bonus and AoE or zerg. Just make tougher mobs give more exp. People will form groups to kill that stuff, because that's also where the relative safety and better loot is. But if you and your buddy want to duo that same mob, you get more exp.
Loot more tailored to the group should be a passive result, which may be what you meant, but I meant it as an active system where the game knows you're in a group and puts in appropriate loot. The loot system should be set to certain mobs drop certain things, and some are harder to kill and get to, but reward more.
Basic risk vs. reward gets skewered because of over-design where the game has too many factors and formulas trying to engineer an ideal gaming experience.
Fuck personal rating systems that reward you for randomly grouping. People will then just "LFG only people we haven't grouped with to max rewards!!!" You can't over-design too many systems or it just causes players to be extra retarded.
So, you're trying to travel to some dungeon to kill mobs that are harder, thus will give more exp and better loot, with the friends you've made by good old fashioned remember people, and you're teleported into an instance to help some local farm in a scripted encounter that isn't a part of the open world? No thanks.
The thing I don't understand is so many games do all these sorts of things, or at least try really hard. They over-design the game, try to control and reward everything, try to provide a forced, engineer gaming experience where you're instantly the hero and the game is always begging you to do something FUN it's handing players on a silver platter.... yet so many gamers who claim they want this are on forums saying that's what the next good game will have to deliver. Games either can't deliver this, or it's not what you really want, otherwise you'd be playing all those games.
Give me a world I can engage with, and make it simple and not over-designed. I'll figure the rest out, because I want to play the game, not have the game play me.