Enhancements Tied to Origins... is this a good idea still?

[Galaxy Brain]

So the thread about TO's not dropping / dropped Enhancements often not being usable got me thinking. In ye Olde days I'm sure this was a means to get people to trade or at least have stuff to sell, but that ship has LONG sailed with IO's, especially generics, by and large replacing them at a certain point  to begin with. Add on how we start getting DO's and SO's very early on now and I find it kind of funny that so much of what drops can't even be used...

 

So, what if we altered it so that all origins can be used by your character (what is stopping Iron Man from using a naturally learned technique as stated by natural SO's despite his tech, or Wonder Woman from using a gadget despite her being magic?), but then you got a small Bonus for matching your origin?

 

Lets take a look:

Schedule A: 16.7% (DO) / 33.3% (SO)
Schedule B: 10% (DO) / 20% (SO)

 

These are the current values of a fresh enhancement for 99% of what you'd see (iirc there is a schedule C for knockback but the same thing will apply for where I'm going with this). But lets look at the competition:

Lvl 50 IO: 42.4% (A) / 25.5% (B)

 

A generic IO can grow to be ~ 27.5% stronger than an equivalent SO it seems! At lvl 25, the base lvl where you'd get store-bought SO's, IO's also basically match them in power with 32% enhancement to an SO's 33.3%, only getting stronger from there. 

 

 

What if there was a 30% bonus (15% for DO's) for matching your origin? SO's can be outleveled and can randomly not be a matched set, so making them at least competitive for longer at a *price* could be a nice change of pace:

Schedule A: 16.7% (DO) / 33.3% (SO) > 19.2 / 43.3
Schedule B: 10% (DO) / 20% (SO) > 11.5 / 26

 

This is just  throwing a dart at the wall in terms of making the basic enhancement's ties to origin a bit better in today's environment, but what do you think about the topic?

 

 

[SwitchFade]

While i can understand making them universal, not sure about the buff, i think there's no real point, honestly.

 

While I do see the QoL value of homogenizing them, I also see the flavor of them being exclusive, it gives some people something to hunt and a certain value to drops and factions.

 

As a whole, I would probably no vote, but only slightly so. If the idea was "homogenize only" I would say, I'm indifferent and ok either way.

 

Edit: typo "bad" to "and"

Edited March 3, 2021 by SwitchFade

[Galaxy Brain]

Just now, SwitchFade said:

While i can understand making them universal, not sure about the buff, i think there's no real point, honestly.

 

While I do see the QoL value of homogenizing them, I also see the flavor of them being exclusive, it gives some people something to hunt and a certain value to drops and factions.

 

As a whole, I would probably no vote, but only slightly so. If the idea was "homogenize only" I would say, I'm indifferent bad ok either way.

The way I see it tho, in HC as it is right now... what does it add having them exclusive? Every store (generic) one you go to will only sell Enh you can use. The AH / IO system is global as well, meaning only specialty stores and random drops will lock you out which can both be ignored...

[SwitchFade]

7 minutes ago, Galaxy Brain said:

The way I see it tho, in HC as it is right now... what does it add having them exclusive? Every store (generic) one you go to will only sell Enh you can use. The AH / IO system is global as well, meaning only specialty stores and random drops will lock you out which can both be ignored...

Yeah, makes sense, I see that logic and can't disagree. For the combine, I'm indifferent and fine with either. I can see that there's a set of players, probably very casual, rp'ers and the new also, that use them from drops, that hunt factions or that have no clue about how the game works.

 

As newbies learn more they move on to shops, and less focused on drops. Rp'ers might feel a bit let down. Drop hunters maybe a bit let down, not sure this group even exists in CoH.

 

It would reduce an jnf sink slightly, as the ration of drops sold to shop bought would be altered, and there would be more used from drops and less bought.

 

All in all, I think miniscule change in terms of possible negative consequences. But definitely I would no vote a buff to SOs. 😁

Edited March 3, 2021 by SwitchFade

[Herotu]

I know a lot of people say "Origin doesn't/shouldn't matter", but I want it to mean at least something.

 

It's supposed to be the manner in which my powers are manifested. 

 

Ideally (I know, ideally, but not realisticall), there would be unique animations depending on origin type - Technology uses devices a lot according to the text on the creator, so THAT would determine the animation rather than the power itself.

 

Perhaps this is off-topic, but I want origin to mean SOMETHING, and if it can't be animations, perhaps enhancements can remain that thing. Else what's the point? They're all that remains of a great, and CENTRAL idea in the superhero genre,  that got edged out of the game over the years.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Herotu

[captainstar]

Most of the time I choose magic, because the stores are closer to transport.

[Uun]

Back in the dark ages, zone origin stores only sold the Power 10 enhancement types and you could only buy the other 16 enhancement types from contacts of your origin after you had developed enough reputation with them. This construct is long gone, and you only need to buy DOs and SOs from an origin store until lvl 35 or 40 (after that vendors will sell enhancements of all origins) and IOs have no origin at all. IMO, whatever flavor associating enhancements with origins once had has long since faded. My vote would be to eliminate the origin distinction for DOs and SOs entirely.

[Tigraine]

2 hours ago, Herotu said:

I know a lot of people say "Origin doesn't/shouldn't matter", but I want it to mean at least something.

 

It's supposed to be the manner in which my powers are manifested. 

 

Ideally (I know, ideally, but not realisticall), there would be unique animations depending on origin type - Technology uses devices a lot according to the text on the creator, so THAT would determine the animation rather than the power itself.

 

Perhaps this is off-topic, but I want origin to mean SOMETHING, and if it can't be animations, perhaps enhancements can remain that thing. Else what's the point? They're all that remains of a great, and CENTRAL idea in the superhero genre,  that got edged out of the game over the years.

I agree it would be nice for origins to be meaningful.  Unfortunately, that meaning has already been stripped out as contacts, and therefore enemy groups, have become universal.  The little that remains (enhancement origins) is outdated and now reduced to little more than a nuisance and obstacle.