Merge Nightmare maps with Mirage and create the ultimate aspirational content

T17s/nightmare maps were added because the game needed a next level type of content for people to aspire to blast, but all the iterations didnt quite hit the mark, current one for example being just boss rush to get fragment, one of the reason being the horrible layouts nightmare maps have.

In my opinion last tier of maps should be something you aspire to run and should have the best layouts and good pack density /div card drops combo at the cost of requiring you to have a more well equipped character, BUT not in a sense that was previously used where you had to be able to do a loads of combination of annoying mods, just a more straight forward dps check might be enough.

I feel like there is a lack of aspirational content in the sense of map blasting, merging Nightmare maps and mirage could create this type of content.

It could be a new mechanic, nightmare maps being composed in more stages (similar to mirages) and could work like a mini roguelike similar to the mirage choices, you build your map until last stage where u have all the benefits from previous areas, layouts should be very good but different types that allow more farming strats.

Lootwise they could be similar to t16s but with nice highs when you hit a great mirage reward combo.

Nightmare maps droprates would be adjusted accordingly considering there would be more maps in 1 and t16 would continue to be useful for farming nightmare maps and continue to provide the main way to get your character stronger until you are Nightmare map ready.

Details above aren't that important, the core ideea is that Mirage mechanic + Nighmare maps could create something great, and main source of aspiration should consist in the map's overall layout combo (layout+pack density/div cards) and not necessarily from them dropping much more loot that t16.

Big Nope, unless these maps don't allow the use of scarabs. Otherwise the price of certain scarabs would result from these maps being farmed with it and we end up exatly where we came from with people complaining that their scarabs are to expensive for just casual t16 farming.

I pointed out the main reason you want to run these is because of their layouts and not from them exploding with loot at each run like we had in the past, and their droprate could be adjusted accordingly, same for fragments if the maps become too rare.

The no scarabs ideea would worth exploring too.

GGG is constantly removing aspirational content from the game. They prefer to dumb it down for the masses.