4th Build slot

[Akisan]

With our wonderful dev team starting to add extra challenges to end-game content, would it be possible to add a 4th build slot for us to switch between?  My main currently runs 3 builds already (Solo, Team, and RP/base building), and I (and possibly others) would like to not have to burn a respec every time I want to join groups running the new no-set/no-incarnate challenges (and then another respec afterwards to put stuff *back*).

 

The current build unlocks are at creation, level 10, and when you get your alpha slot, so perhaps being granted that 4th slot when you craft your first tier 4 incarnate ability would be good pacing?  It'd be a good indicator that you've invested in your toon enough to want/need that slot for challenges.

[Greycat]

Or just make them purchaseable after the third is unlocked, through inf and/or threads/empyrians (since those end up - for me at least - building up and sitting unused.) Inf at the least, just as another sink. (Besides, we can buy respec recipes that way.)

 

Or even just make them recipes. *shrug*

 

Not even sure 4 is a good cap, might make that higher for those that want them.

[GraspingVileTerror]

Hell, if they're purchasable, don't even bother with a level requirement.  

[Glacier Peak]

I agree with all of the above, my Peacebringer would love this addition.

[SeraphimKensai]

As someone that runs multiple builds for my HEATs/VEATs especially I'd think allowing an extra build slot is fine. It doesn't really add power creep (one could argue doing what I do swapping builds via macro in mission might be pushing it, but that at least blows all your cool downs so it has a cost), and is an influence sink as having to purchase additional builds will use up extra influence.

[InvaderStych]

Assuming technical feasibility, I can't think of any game play/balance reason not to add a way for players to purchase builds slots beyond the "Free 3" builds.  A few outlier ATs might confer an advantage mid-TF/SF by doing so, but the costs/downsides seem to balance that out on the surface.

 

Also, others have previously mentioned, here is another thing for folks to spend their mountain of Fake Money Units upon. 😄

Edited November 9, 2021 by InvaderStych

[Yomo Kimyata]

This is one of the few suggestions I actually have no problems with!  It doesn't make things easier, it serves as an inf sink as opposed to creating easier rewards, and (in my uneducated eyes) would in theory be easier to program than a lot of other ideas.  A+.

[lemming]

While I think I may have one char with more than one build, I could see this as a useful ability for different uses.  Plus it would be an inf sink.

[EmperorSteele]

Nothing to add, just voicing my approval 🙂

[Akisan]

@Greycat, funny you mention respecs being purchasable.  With the greatly increased access to respecs (every 10 levels, plus you can buy them...), perhaps changing the reward from the Respec Trials to grant a build slot instead could work.  I think the last time I actually ran one of those trials for the respec was way back on live (shortly before CoV came out, IIRC)

[Greycat]

58 minutes ago, Akisan said:

@Greycat, funny you mention respecs being purchasable.  With the greatly increased access to respecs (every 10 levels, plus you can buy them...), perhaps changing the reward from the Respec Trials to grant a build slot instead could work.  I think the last time I actually ran one of those trials for the respec was way back on live (shortly before CoV came out, IIRC)

 

Eh, maybe as an option, but not as a wholesale change, I'd think. One of the complaints i typically hear about using builds is that you need to treat it like a second character - the sets don't transfer over, it gets filled with its own enhancements.

 

Better yet, put it in as an option on the trial with its own badges. 😉

[Akisan]

I'd consider having them be a reward behind the "Master of" or some other challenge setting, but that'd be a nice catch-22 for unlocking your builds.

 

Off topic, but as for new badges for those, "old-school" runs or having them be up-scaled to incarnate levels could both be fun challenges.

[RogerWilco]

I like the idea of unlocking it after reaching T3 or T4 in incarnate.

[Doomguide2005]

On 11/10/2021 at 3:06 PM, Akisan said:

@Greycat, funny you mention respecs being purchasable.  With the greatly increased access to respecs (every 10 levels, plus you can buy them...), perhaps changing the reward from the Respec Trials to grant a build slot instead could work.  I think the last time I actually ran one of those trials for the respec was way back on live (shortly before CoV came out, IIRC)

     I think one reason you don't see as much 'demand' for respecs especially via the Trials is fairly straightforward.  It's Mids.  Much less likely with a build planner, particularly for an experienced player, to need to alter the build often enough to need extra respecs the trials provide.  There are enough free ones to allow you to respec once the player reaches the point they do such things without needing to acquire additional ones. 

[Aurora_Girl]

Genuinely curious: why would you need a different build for base editing?

 

As far as the general idea, I wouldn't use it as I've never even used a 2nd build, but I don't see any way it would be bad. So. Yay I suppose. Just make it stupidly expensive. 

[SeraphimKensai]

55 minutes ago, Aurora_Girl said:

Genuinely curious: why would you need a different build for base editing?

I'd make any build that does base editing have fly, but you can do the same with a p2w flying power.

[Akisan]

1 hour ago, Aurora_Girl said:

Genuinely curious: why would you need a different build for base editing?

 

That build is for base editing & exploring, so it has Fly + Teleport, neither of which are on my combat builds.

 

Fly is an invaluable tool while base editing, mostly because it gives so much more freedom with the camera (and thus with positioning items).  You could use temporary powers for that, but after having a raptor pack run out on me on Live, figured it wasn't worth the frustration.

 

Teleport is much less useful for general editing, but is great for exploring bases.  I've seen more than a few bases that set up bars/grids/etc. that have easter eggs or other cool stuff behind them, and you can't get past the bars without Teleport. 

 

They're both useful enough that I used to have a Peacebringer that I used for both editing and exploring, back before we had multiple builds.

[Greycat]

48 minutes ago, SeraphimKensai said:

I'd make any build that does base editing have fly, but you can do the same with a p2w flying power.

 

I've seen people lose full days to base building.  I don't think running out of P2W jetpack time would help. 😉

[kelika2]

one thousand character slots.

[Akisan]

11 hours ago, kelika2 said:

one thousand character slots.

 

While yes, we do have 1000 character slots, that doesn't really help here.  If I make an alt just to go get one of the new challenge badges, I still don't have that badge on my badger.  I'd still have to respec to get those badges that limit my flexibility for slotted enhancements.

 

[Doomguide2005]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:13 AM, Akisan said:

 

While yes, we do have 1000 character slots, that doesn't really help here.  If I make an alt just to go get one of the new challenge badges, I still don't have that badge on my badger.  I'd still have to respec to get those badges that limit my flexibility for slotted enhancements.

 

      I'm all for more build slots or the ability to get more.  I doubt I'd have more than a few with multiple builds.

     That said I think what @kelika2is getting at is just create a character specifically for base building.

[Akisan]

2 hours ago, Doomguide2005 said:

That said I think what @kelika2is getting at is just create a character specifically for base building.

 

That's fair, and I certainly did that for a while on Live.  But since I spend 99+% of my time on my main, and occasionally visit team leader's bases while in waiting for people in TFs/mission groups, it's not always practical to swap to an exploration toon for more elaborate bases.  (And yes, I do ask before just hopping into someone else's base)

[Clave Dark 5]

Sounds like a perfect option to drop on the nice P2W ladies in Atlas and Mercy, so sure, why not?  Going price, 10, 25 mill?

[Doomguide2005]

On 11/17/2021 at 2:53 PM, Aurora_Girl said:

Genuinely curious: why would you need a different build for base editing?

 

As far as the general idea, I wouldn't use it as I've never even used a 2nd build, but I don't see any way it would be bad. So. Yay I suppose. Just make it stupidly expensive. 

     Stoopid expensive is very subjective unfortunately. Yomo is going to giggle at most folks stupid expensive and grab some pocket change while a new player on his way to his first 50 who is casual running content stupid expensive is probable an order of magnitude(s?) different.  

I think the idea of adding it to the respec trials reward menu is an idea worth looking into.

     For me only a handful of characters on Live had multiple builds.  Generally that also meant they were the few among the many that saw a lot of time and attention (i.e. mains) and therefore part of the expense was essentially an entire set of IOs for what amounted to a second or even third character. (Yay for wanting, on Live, a second+ Glad Armor +3% on my Claws/SR)