Custom Archetype as a choice

[SwitchFade]

There are brutes already crushing 4/8 solo. Why would this really matter and get negatives responses? Give me an example of how this system would be more unbalanced than a brute? You guys keep saying balance, balance, balance.. Explain to me something that would be out of this world insanely OP.

 

You just sideways argued for a reduction in brute power.

[Widower]

It is my understanding that Powerset Salad was tried in the early days of the secret server, and was found lacking. I strongly doubt it will ever make its way back into the game.

[SwitchFade]

It is my understanding that Powerset Salad was tried in the early days of the secret server, and was found lacking. I strongly doubt it will ever make its way back into the game.

 

Thank the gods.

[PaxArcana]

... "Powerset Salad" .... BAW HAW HAW, that's a great term!  :D :D :D

[PaxArcana]

I have multiple 50s with incarnate A3+.

Which can be done in two weeks, AFK, with a friend PLing you hard and fast.

 

How many HOURS do you have invested in the game, both Live and Homecoming?  :)

[Solarverse]

No.

 

I think the reasons why are intuitively obvious to many of the previous responders.  But off the top of my head, strongest to weakest:

 

• There's no version of this that doesn't result in massive developmental headaches whenever a new set is created.  Or just all the time, really.
  
• There's no version of this that doesn't result in people making unplayable characters and getting frustrated about it.
  
• There's no version of this that doesn't destroy power category scaling systems.  As one example, right now Masterminds have low scaling for support and damage powers to balance their pets.  A pets/assault character with Mastermind scaling would probably be terrible.  A pets/assault character with different scaling would break something else.  Letting players "choose their own" scaling (like a hypothetical default "5/10-5/10-5/10-5/10" damage/support/control/tanker scaling that can re-arrange those points) just purely replaces all existing ATs.
  
• This erodes the prospects of EATs, which is something I'd like to see us as a community start designing.

 

This right here. Not to mention, this game is one of the most balanced MMO's in existence. If we were to add the suggestion proposed here, it would absolutely kill the balance in this game.

[@Fiercefield]

Dude, once the pets are out and improved, they cost 0 endurance.

 

Enter mission door, drop pets, improve pets, faceroll mission.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Seriously.  That would be broken beyond belief.

 

This is already my life as Bots/FF. :D

 

........

 

The idea is neat but I agree with the others, it'd be hopeless to try and make it reliably functional. Imagine a character with a Tanker primary and Scrapper secondary. Are the enemies just going to get bored to death or what?

[PaxArcana]

This is already my life as Bots/FF. :D

Well, yes.

 

Now imagine if it was Bots/Gravity :D

[ranagrande]

The idea is neat but I agree with the others, it'd be hopeless to try and make it reliably functional. Imagine a character with a Tanker primary and Scrapper secondary. Are the enemies just going to get bored to death or what?

Stone Armor/Fiery Aura would be pretty good.  Regardless, I think the potential for underpowered characters is being overestimated.  Slap a disclaimer that no one should choose custom unless they know what they're doing.

 

I do understand the other concerns people have.  Maybe make it so custom archetypes can't team with (or PVP against) traditional characters?

[PaxArcana]

[...] disclaimer [...]

City Of Heroes should never have one of these.  Never.

 

Maybe make it so custom archetypes can't team with (or PVP against) traditional characters?

That would only exacerbate the problem.  As well as dividing the playerbase even more than it already is (by the Blue/Red/Gold factional divide).

[@Fiercefield]

What if...

 

It wasn't a thing on main servers...

 

But there was a separate server, where the ATs are locked into their normal primary sets, but have every secondary set available.

 

That way, if it's imbalanced and terrible, at least it's segregated to its own server where that's all that exists.

[justicebeliever]

What if...

 

It wasn't a thing on main servers...

 

But there was a separate server, where the ATs are locked into their normal primary sets, but have every secondary set available.

 

That way, if it's imbalanced and terrible, at least it's segregated to its own server where that's all that exists.

 

I get the appeal, but

1.) Sounds like it's already been tried and found wanting

2.) Would require development time

3.) Spinning up another server incurs costs/time as well...

4.) Then there's the ongoing problem of having 2 different codebases to maintain

 

Why go thru the effort for such a small audience that wants it?

[@Fiercefield]

I get the appeal, but

1.) Sounds like it's already been tried and found wanting

2.) Would require development time

3.) Spinning up another server incurs costs/time as well...

4.) Then there's the ongoing problem of having 2 different codebases to maintain

 

Why go thru the effort for such a small audience that wants it?

 

Solid set of points.

[HelenCarnate]

I have multiple 50s with incarnate A3+.

Which can be done in two weeks, AFK, with a friend PLing you hard and fast.

 

How many HOURS do you have invested in the game, both Live and Homecoming?  :)

 

Got my spines/fire up to that point in 1 day.  Solo.  Number of 50s means nothing.  I have met plenty of 50+s that have no idea what they are doing and have little understanding of game mechanics or builds.

[MalphiteMeIRL]

The idea in theory is interesting, in practice it would have far too many issues. If anything new ATs would be something to look at down the line.

 

As much as I want a tank primary/brute secondary character. :p

[Ry]

https://media.giphy.com/media/xiMUwBRn5RDLhzwO80/giphy.gif

[Nathanor]

I think this would be awesome, not sure how they are do that though. Or what Inherent power they would get. But it might be fun. 

[klokwerkaos]

Great Idea on paper only.  In execution this is a terrible idea imho even though we all might think it was cool.

 

Result:  Immediately someone has the most meta build up that can do everything possible and smokes all content solo. 

 

Then over half the population plays that build and nothing else almost exclusively over night. 

 

So my thoughts are a big fat NO as others stated above.

 

Balance is the problem.  My vote is absolutely not, no, not now, likely not ever.

 

New archetypes shouldn't exist unless they specifically carve out a new niche that is not presently existing, and that's a tall order to fill since some of them are already pretty redundant.

[MGoblin256]

I'm gonna have to side with the no crowd on this one, and big time too.

 

As klokwerkaos stated above, it would be Meta'd to hell, and screw up the balance and dynamic of the game.

 

Champions Online already has a similar issue, and it was intentionally designed for "freeform" builds.