Genesis Incarnate Powers: Damage Conversion

[Alchemystic]

First off, let me preface this with what has to be an obligatory statement this days;

 

Yes, I know Incarnate stuff is considered overpowered in core-game content, so let's refrain from debating that here, please.

 

Okay, now onto the actual suggestion! So there's about four more tiers of the incarnate system that were due to be developed, right? Well, I had an idea for what could fit the 'Genesis' slot that was supposed to be paired with Hybrid. A form of Damage Conversion for players.

 

The basics are this; with this incarnate slot, you will be able to convert a percentage of your base damage to that of another damage type. There will be an added secondary FX added to your powers depending on what Genesis you have active (ie. Flames for Core Thermal Genesis, Bubbles for Radial Biological Genesis).

 

The reason I think this would be a cool idea is how it can change how your powersets function without directly increasing or reducing numbers, it just converts a percentage of your damage to that of another. Now, there are inherently some balance issues to consider, like how somebody might be able to run a powerful offensive powerset and convert a majority of the damage to something else far more effective vs certain mob types, but ultimately I think any new additions to the incarnate system will ultimately affect balance... this one perhaps less so, I hope.

 

Thermal Genesis

Normal: Converts 7.5% of base damage to Fire damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Cold damage

Core: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Fire damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Cold damage

Partial Core: Converts 50% of base damage to Fire damage

Total Core: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Fire damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Cold damage

Core Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Fire damage

Radial: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Cold damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Fire damage

Partial Radial: Converts 50% of base damage to Cold damage

Total Radial: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Cold damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Fire damage

Radial Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Cold damage

 

Quantum Genesis

Normal: Converts 7.5% of base damage to Energy damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Negative Energy damage

Core: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Energy damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Negative Energy damage

Partial Core: Converts 50% of base damage to Energy damage

Total Core: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Energy damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Negative Energy damage

Core Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Energy damage

Radial: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Negative Energy damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Energy damage

Partial Radial: Converts 50% of base damage to Negative Energy damage

Total Radial: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Negative Energy damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Energy damage.

Radial Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Negative Energy damage

 

Physical Genesis

Normal: Converts 7.5% of base damage to Smashing damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Lethal damage

Core: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Smashing damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Lethal damage

Partial Core: Converts 50% of base damage to Smashing damage

Total Core: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Smashing damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Lethal damage

Core Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Smashing damage

Radial: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Lethal damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Smashing damage

Partial Radial: Converts 50% of base damage to Lethal damage

Total Radial: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Lethal damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Smashing damage

Radial Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Lethal damage

 

Biological Genesis

Normal: Converts 7.5% of base damage to Psionic damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Toxic damage

Core: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Psionic damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Toxic damage

Partial Core: Converts 50% of base damage to Psionic damage

Total Core: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Psionic damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Toxic damage

Core Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Psionic damage

Radial: Converts 17.5% of base damage to Toxic damage, and 7.5% of base damage to Psionic damage.

Partial Radial: Converts 50% of base damage to Toxic damage

Total Radial: Converts 32.5% of base damage to Toxic damage, and 17.5% of base damage to Psionic damage

Radial Super: Converts 75% of base damage to Toxic damage

[Steampunkette]

So... there are some issues, here.

 

City of Heroes registers damage by the power individually within the power table. It does the lookup, fires off the values, and goes from there. But there is no "Convert" button for the engine to play with. Currently there are only a handful of powers which change based on circumstances. And those powers generally do so in one of two ways: Flagging Power Values and Flagging Lookup.

 

Flagging Lookup works for things like Titan Weapons. When the lookup protocol is triggered it looks up the power based on a flag for Momentum. If momentum is flagged it looks up the "Fast" version of the power, and if momentum is not flagged it looks up the "Normal" version of the power. This requires you to have two separate powers within the system for each power with a flagged lookup version. You essentially "Need" this function for anything that changes cast times or other values that aren't explicitly related to the power's damage/control values.

 

Flagging Power Values works for things like Assassin's Strike, Dual Pistols, and Street Justice. Rather than having a separate table of power variations, the power itself contains a series of flagging conditions. It's also why every Scrapper Attack Power has a "Fiery Embrace" value tacked onto it, even if you don't use Fire Armor. In this version, the lookup takes the values off of the individual power to find out how much (More) damage to deal and which types based on whether Cryo Ammo or Fiery Embrace are active. This is also how Overpower, Domination, and Bio Armor function.

 

For this Incarnate Genesis to work, you would have to put flags into every power, flag every lookup with more powers, or create the damage conversion function.

 

The Power Value method would involve going over every attack power in the game to add 36 new "If X then Y" functions to each and every one of them to cover your 36 options.

 

The Lookup method would involve making 36 copies of every attack power in the game, each with it's own "Genesis Damage" values tied to them to cover your 36 options.

 

The last option would be a big undertaking and involve forcing the engine to use a new logic routine.

 

HUGE investment for this one. But you're right that it wouldn't significantly impact overall balance!

Edited April 5, 2021 by Steampunkette

[MTeague]

1 hour ago, Tyrannical said:

First off, let me preface this with what has to be an obligatory statement this days;

Yes, I know Incarnate stuff is considered overpowered in core-game content, so let's refrain from debating that here, please.

<starts to say something, stops>

<starts again, stops>

<goes and makes coffee>

[Zeraphia]

I've got to say, I actually like the creativity and the idea, and I love @Steampunkette's contribution on the mechanics, but I can tell you from MANY player perspectives this will immediately become an extremely lopsided incarnate. Let me explain, Thermal has Fire and Ice damage. This is important because Fire damage is the least resisted damage type in the entire game, and it is by far the most vastly preferred damage type in game other than some unique situations where you may want Psionic (some T9's and Cyclops/Minotaurs). I can tell you already Thermal Core Super would be picked lopsidedly over almost all of these besides maybe Niche Biological Core Super. All of the rest would be relatively meaningless. I say this because with judgements, you still have a variety of targeted aoe, pbaoe, secondary effects, etc. and the actual animation of the power (how "cool"/pretty you find the nuke) to take into consideration when choosing between the options. With this, it just converts the power, with none of those things to consider, and would overwhelmingly favor Thermal Core Super.

[Alchemystic]

@Zeraphia thanks for the input! I did consider that some damage types may be more favorable than others, and I was originally considering adding secondary effects to help set the different options apart more.

 

Only issue is, I couldn't think of what would work that isn't going to further throw things off balance, especially with other incarnate powers coming into consideration like Hybrid and Interface.

 

So I may have a think longer on exactly how to make each Genesis power desirable outside of a damage change without causing balance issues.