Training Options: Powers vs Enhancement Slots

[Duuk]

Since I went 1 for 2 on my last suggestions, I want to throw out there a pie-in-the-sky, game changing option.

 

When you train, you have the OPTION to take a power OR enhancement slots.  Some builds seem to need power slots faster, some builds could use the enhances faster.

 

Say, starting at level 20, if you were given the option which you wanted at a level that would be amazing.

 

(I fully expect this one to get shot down, but I have to try)

[Rudra]

Yeah, I don't see this one getting any support either. Firstly because if we can just take enhancement slots instead of powers at the levels we would normally get powers, it becomes far easier to max out the powers we do take. Secondly because that would be a massive change to the game's core mechanics. Besides, as far as getting power slots faster? The devs already reduced the level requirements to get most powers.

 

Edited July 23 by Rudra
Edited to correct "of" to "if". And to add missing "the".

[biostem]

I could, perhaps, see this as an option after like level 35, where a character could be reasonably expected to be well fleshed out...

[Greycat]

IF something like this were done, I'd say there'd have to be a lower limit before it would become available. Granted, it might be *amusing* to have someone with no powers but Brawl, Sprint and inherent fitness highly slotted by level 10, but...

 

Besides, I *want* to say messing with slots like this tends to break the game when stuff like this is tried.

[Triumphant]

Just now, Greycat said:

IF something like this were done, I'd say there'd have to be a lower limit before it would become available. Granted, it might be *amusing* to have someone with no powers but Brawl, Sprint and inherent fitness highly slotted by level 10, but...

 

Besides, I *want* to say messing with slots like this tends to break the game when stuff like this is tried.

Yeah, I'm not against it in theory.  I even think it's kind of a fun idea.  I agree with you that it would probably completely bork what mechanical balance we have in the game, though.

[Greycat]

10 minutes ago, Triumphant said:

Yeah, I'm not against it in theory.  I even think it's kind of a fun idea.  I agree with you that it would probably completely bork what mechanical balance we have in the game, though.

 

When I mentioned breaking it? I mean it mechanically breaks the game.

 

(Most amusing example: Sometime back on live, there was a bug that - as I recall - let a Peacebringer put *all* their slots into one power. They one-shot Hami. I want to say this was pre-IOs, too, but can't swear to it.)

[TheZag]

9 minutes ago, Greycat said:

 

When I mentioned breaking it? I mean it mechanically breaks the game.

 

(Most amusing example: Sometime back on live, there was a bug that - as I recall - let a Peacebringer put *all* their slots into one power. They one-shot Hami. I want to say this was pre-IOs, too, but can't swear to it.)

 

I know that story too.  The guy reported the bug that all his slots can be put into 1 power in squid form.  The devs gave him 2 billion influence and basically said 'go nuts'.  Then he 1 shotted hami and the devs fixed the bug.

 

[Duuk]

Obviously I still want to keep teh limit of 6 slots per power.

 

[mistagoat]

I don't dislike this idea but I'm also perfectly content with the current system and don't think is is in need of revision. If it were an easy change to make and didn't eat much dev time I'd support it to expand options. Probably, like Biostem said, for 35+ toons.

[Akisan]

This could be an interesting way to change things up.  A couple things though:

• Trading a power for 2 or 3 slots is huge.  To keep the game balance mostly as-is, you'd almost have to implement this in such a way that you can only take 22 powers, and must take slots on the other 27 levels. (And vice-versa.)
• This... would not play nicely while Exemplaring.  Someone who took 22 levels of powers and then slotted up would have a massive advantage over someone leveled traditionally. It may have to be balanced such that you get the powers you would have at whatever level you Exemplared to, under the assumption that a character was leveled traditionally.

[SeraphimKensai]

4 hours ago, Greycat said:

(Most amusing example: Sometime back on live, there was a bug that - as I recall - let a Peacebringer put *all* their slots into one power. They one-shot Hami. I want to say this was pre-IOs, too, but can't swear to it.)

Iirc, that was prior to Enhancement Diversification that came in i6 and served as a use case for why ED was necessary.

 

@Duuk regarding your proposal, at end game there would be no difference, however it would likely affect game balance while leveling up. I'm not outright opposed to the suggestion, but I would want to see it in a testing environment before making a final recommendation as to whether the idea has or doesn't have merit IMO.

Edited July 23 by SeraphimKensai

[tidge]

To be fair, because players only get one enhancement slot when they pick a power, the proposed trade-off should be "one less power, one more slot".

[Triumphant]

7 hours ago, Greycat said:

 

When I mentioned breaking it? I mean it mechanically breaks the game.

 

(Most amusing example: Sometime back on live, there was a bug that - as I recall - let a Peacebringer put *all* their slots into one power. They one-shot Hami. I want to say this was pre-IOs, too, but can't swear to it.)

... wow.  Yeah, that is broken, all right. 😄

[megaericzero]

7 hours ago, Greycat said:

a Peacebringer put *all* their slots into one power. They one-shot Hami.

 

Finally - Enhancement Homogenization. 🧪🥽

 

😛

[Jacke]

I don't expect this to be possible.  Perhaps technically, certainly power balance-wise.

 

I was surprised at the change back in Issue 27 Page 5 of what Levels which Power Tiers are available.  However, the existing system had the ground work set up for this in the changes to the system back in Issue 12 when VEATs were added.  Using something similar allowed the Secondary Tier 1 Power to be available at L1 rather than L2 and other changes.

 

Getting all those Powers at earlier Levels did change the potential power balance of Toons when they are Exemplared.  But that's a marginal change.  Exchanging passed-over Power Picks for more Extra Slot Picks is rather more transformative.  The Powers devs know Players would like more Extra Slots, even just a couple, because good builds are tight on all resources.  So far, they've not done so.  I imagine this is because even added a couple of more Extra Slots would be significant in changing how things are.