Mechanically, what playstyles are missing from CoH that you'd love to see?

[Heraclea]

A powerset whose entire focus is on confusing and charming enemies, in a way that is fast to use and does not detract from team XP.  Several attack sets have this feature but it is never the point, and defeats by controlled enemies take away from the rest of the team. 

[BjorJlen]

   This is a interesting topic, glad I found it. Currently I do not have any real game mechanics (save one - see below) as I am far more into designing archetypes and power sets in general (btw, where can I find such a post if it exists? Because I have a few suggestions and ideas about that lol). However one idea I have actually comes from the Thunderspy server (though I rarely ever play on it).

 

   My suggestions is to create a button that changes ALL the Knockback effects on a character you have into Knockdown instead, BUT using it (this would be a toggle mind you) means you deal a bit less damage in any attack that it changes. What that % is I do not know, but Thunderspy has that option and it works fairly good. This way it would allow people to use energy blast (for example) in a team setting and not piss anyone off, while still making the KB/KD Io's viable (as they don't change damage at all). What do you all think? Is this a good idea as I am throwing it out, or would it be too difficult to pull off game code wise?

 

Peace...

[Darmian]

Mercs with artillery as a Nova. Call it in on my position!  But Ma'am! Do it!  Cue bombing run from something!

[Hew]

On 3/15/2021 at 2:47 PM, Tyrannical said:

I'd love to see more powersets with the 'splash damage' mechanic, in which a single target takes full damage, while those around them take a smaller percentage of that damage. Sorta like a 'soft' AoE effect, I guess!

 

Perhaps on some sort of blast set, where many of the single target powers having splash damage on them. Obviously, this would make a powerset with lower single target DPS, but higher AoE DPS, something of which I'd very much like to see.

Splash- aahhHAAAaaa gordon! Savior of the universe!

[Darmian]

1 hour ago, BjorJlen said:

My suggestions is to create a button that changes ALL the Knockback effects on a character you have into Knockdown instead, BUT using it (this would be a toggle mind you) means you deal a bit less damage in any attack that it changes. What that % is I do not know, but Thunderspy has that option and it works fairly good. This way it would allow people to use energy blast (for example) in a team setting and not piss anyone off, while still making the KB/KD Io's viable (as they don't change damage at all). What do you all think? Is this a good idea as I am throwing it out, or would it be too difficult to pull off game code wise?

A bit like ammo changing?

[Hew]

Mine goes back to the wishlist of the whatever it was:

 

Hybrid hami EATS from Praetoria. Genespliced and the like, with very unique DE based powers.

 

A PEAT could drop DE emanators for instance, and that would be... interesting... considering all the crap those things can do.

[BjorJlen]

1 minute ago, Darmian said:

A bit like ammo changing?

 

   Well more like a single toggle then the multi toggle that DB has. Thunderspy gave it to you immediately when you first created a character I believe. It was very useful...

 

Peace...

[Darmian]

Even Pre-EATS.  Like Bobcat and Prime8, souped up hybrids!

[BjorJlen]

   Sorry @Darmian, but I don't even know what that reference even means lolol. Pre-EATS? Please explain... 😁

 

Peace...

[Darmian]

Well, @Hew mentioned PEATs, so Praetorian Epic ATs as a possibility.  And I pondered simply a precursor/alternate thing, since Praetoria had a humans spliced with predator DNA thing going on, which is where Bobcat and I assume Prime8 come from.  A whole AT of, for want of a better description, Unnatural Origins.

 

Edit.  I think I was writing that while you were posting, so it was meant to be after @Hew's post.

Edited April 21, 2021 by Darmian

[Leogunner]

I had a concept for a melee set that offered different effects upon defeating foes and thought it'd be an interesting mechanic for a set.  With the melee set I suggested, granting a temp power to a minion and then "defeating" them would then cause a fear effect on several nearby foes but a Lt or above, defeating them while they have the temp power would spread it to others.

 

There could be other ways to play with this concept like giving nearby allies a heal, the user a buff or cause extra damage or something.

[MTeague]

2 hours ago, Heraclea said:

A powerset whose entire focus is on confusing and charming enemies, in a way that is fast to use and does not detract from team XP.  Several attack sets have this feature but it is never the point, and defeats by controlled enemies take away from the rest of the team. 

*stands on soapbox*

 

The increased XP/Time from Confuse pays for itself!  You can easily tag bosses / lieut's before they die, and honestly, who's even going to NOTICE the lost XP of a handful of minions across a mission map?

 

*yields the floor*

[Darmian]

9 minutes ago, MTeague said:

*stands on soapbox*

 

The increased XP/Time from Confuse pays for itself!  You can easily tag bosses / lieut's before they die, and honestly, who's even going to NOTICE the lost XP of a handful of minions across a mission map?

 

*yields the floor*

That's how I got through Ghoul infested tunnels in Praetoria!  Invis (Infiltration now)+ Confuse, tag and wait.  Did I get less XP?  Probably.  Did I get eaten by ghouls?  NOPE.

[BjorJlen]

   It's always better to not be eaten by Ghouls then to be @Darmian. Not a pleasant way to go... just ask the people on the Walking Dead (though those are zombies I know lol)...

 

Peace...

[Squeakieclean]

Well, @malonkey1 already made a full-up Assault/Pet class called the Synergist, from this thread onwards. I genuinely am hoping for Homecoming to also implement it. It plays excellently as a tanky, melee oriented pet class.

 

[KauaiJim]

3 hours ago, Dinictus said:

Well, @malonkey1 already made a full-up Assault/Pet class called the Synergist, from this thread onwards. I genuinely am hoping for Homecoming to also implement it. It plays excellently as a tanky, melee oriented pet class.

 

 

Sounds interesting.  I had not seen that thread before.  This thread is quite intriguing also.  I am liking some of these ideas.  Perhaps the HC team is listening and getting ideas?  One can hope.  😋

[RogerWilco]

On 4/21/2021 at 3:24 AM, Darmian said:

That's how I got through Ghoul infested tunnels in Praetoria!  Invis (Infiltration now)+ Confuse, tag and wait.  Did I get less XP?  Probably.  Did I get eaten by ghouls?  NOPE.

 

I love how many different ways you can already play this game, with a bit of imagination. So many things are feasible, as long as you don't care it is less "efficient" and are willing to meddle with the notoriety levels when needed.

This game cares a lot less about balance and min/max than most games, and just makes it work. It cares about fun.

 

I have no really good ideas right now, and I think the game already supports a lot. My criterion for new options would be if they were fun to play, and that can be hard, even for a concept that is awesome on paper.

 

What I would really like is some more customisation of existing powers. More of the existing animations made available on other power sets, and also some of the current NPC animations, where possible. The animations are one of the best parts of this game.

[Taron Dale]

I saw the suggestion earlier in the thread, and with the Beast Mastermind in game, we have some samples of animals.  If we got a few more, a Shapeshifting AT might be possible. 

Primary Powersets for different animals; Bear, Wolf, Lion, Bird? or whatever. 

Not sure what to use for Secondary powers though.  Using the Druid example, nature powers, healing powers...  With a witch as an example, go darker with darkness and pain?

[ninja surprise]

Two things I'd love to see, both based on characters interacting with NPCs:

 

Firstly, every single pedestrian can shove any hero or villain out of its path. I'd love to have a sort of "repel" effect on player characters that affects NPCs that scales with level. So maybe a level 1 running through Atlas has to run around pedestrians and cars and stuff, but a level 50 running through PI can shove them out of the way and send 'em flying.

 

Secondly, I'd like powersets that have more interaction with enemies. Currently we have KB/KU/KD, but you never really touch an enemy.  Knockout Blow could be the attack that really gets close. I want more grappling attacks where you can pick a sucker up and do a bodyslam or throw them at other badguys and they all take damage.  That'd be pretty cool.

[BjorJlen]

33 minutes ago, ninja surprise said:

Secondly, I'd like powersets that have more interaction with enemies. Currently we have KB/KU/KD, but you never really touch an enemy.  Knockout Blow could be the attack that really gets close. I want more grappling attacks where you can pick a sucker up and do a bodyslam or throw them at other badguys and they all take damage.  That'd be pretty cool.

 

   Good point @ninja surprise. Recently I saw a Vahzilok carrying a body bag (with a person it it presumably), and when he saw me it looked like he dropped it to the ground like a body slam, so at least some of the mechanic is there.

 

Peace...

Edited April 23, 2021 by BjorJlen
Edited for spelling...

[tidge]

Even though there are a few instances of the following, mechanically I think CoH handles them clumsily.

 

• Stealth Missions - The closest is IMO Part 3 of The Strange Case of Benjamin A. Decker, with the Mayhem 'theft' missions as well. I don't really put 'Casino Heist' in this category.

Core game elements like 'click a glowie', enemy perception, spawn sizes, power suppression... not to mention the concept of balancing rewards... all sort of get in the way of being able to design an appropriate mission where you avoid certain groups, "silently" take out others. I am not asking for Deus Ex type options, its just part of the 'world' that I imagine exists yet it is something we don't really experience.

[Quindorrian]

A DOT Character.  

 

I know there are some AT's that have some DOT powers, but what I am talking about is a build that focus on all DOTs and maybe a blast that gets stronger when the DOTs reach a certain point.  Would make for a very fun build/mechanic.

 

A Tendril Character.

 

A multi-arm power-set, similar to Spiders, but with much different options.  Give us the ability to have multi-attacks with a multi-arm character.  Perhaps, have a mechanic that builds a meter of some kind that allows your arms to get more multi-strikes the more stacks you have.

 

Also, definitely need them to release Water Control and Wind Control.  

[BjorJlen]

3 minutes ago, Quindorrian said:

Also, definitely need them to release Water Control and Wind Control.  

 

   Seconded, BIG time... 👍

 

Peace...

[America's Angel]

Melee/Support. Cleric style.

 

And a class that uses the confuse effect to be able to control enemies for an entire mission with MM-level control.

[Darmian]

MM Necros being able to "raise dead enemies" as temp pets while in a mission.  Just a variation of Soul Extraction, coupled with something like Dark Extraction.