Suggestion: Final or Signature Power

[Stan The Man]

City of Heroes is a great game and really doesn't need any real alterations, but there are a few concepts that I occasionally scratch or compromise with the Archetype System.  And I don't mean that as a slight against the Archetype System.  The possibilities are nearly endless! 

 

You can practically make anything with it.

 

But I noticed that Stateman has Thunderous Blast.  A thoroughly unique power for a Tanker.  That and his other lightning powers.  I realize that this is either because he is a signature character, or perhaps an unreleased Lightning Ancillary Power pool for Tankers.

 

I'm sure there were probably plans to Power Proliferate Ancillary Power Pools, which in and of themselves is a really neat idea.  An alternative to a headache of trying to balance these powers per archetype, however, is this idea.

 

Why not allow characters to choose a unique signature power ourselves?  We can choose any power from any powerset to be this signature power.  Just one.

 

Now even one power could easily severely unbalance everything so I have additional suggestions on when this Signature Power unlocks.

 

1. The Final Power: It unlocks at level 49 as the last power.  Seems simple enough.  At level 49 you would now have access to any power in the game. This is probably the best option honestly as my other variant would probably be a little trickier.

 

2. The Signature Power:  It unlocks by level.  You can have one Signature power and can select it at any time.  But you have to be the appropriate level to pick THAT power. 

 

I know it's a pipe dream and I'm probably better off wishing for  Ancillary Power Proliferation or possibly even a wallcrawling power pool than having this idea be considered let alone liked.  But hey, it's an idea.  I like throwing ideas out and hopefully someone likes it.  If not, that's okay. 

 

Thank you for your time.

[Sniktch]

Actually, States's lightning is most comparable to a Judgement Incarnate ability, as it's Lightning of Zeus, not Thunderous Blast.

[klokwerkaos]

Actually, States's lightning is most comparable to a Judgement Incarnate ability, as it's Lightning of Zeus, not Thunderous Blast.

 

That's true, but he had it long before incarnate system existed (even though his powers are from the well also).

 

The reason sigs get special powers is because (from the devs in one of the AMA's):  "Devs cheat".

[Vanden]

Statesman had Thunderous Blast (and a few other Electrical Blast powers) on the rare occasions a Dev would take control of him for events. By the time he was a character that players encountered in canon content, those abilities had been replaced by Zeus' Lightning Bolt and Hammer of Justice.

[_NOPE_]

+1, But... don't you get your final power at level 50?

[MalphiteMeIRL]

Fire/Kin corruptor with granite armor as a signature power? Sign me up!

[Primantis]

The thing that sticks out in my mind, is the term "Signature" hints that it should be unique.

 

Even if you could choose any one power in the game, its still just a generic power that many other heroes have. Which isn't very "Signature" feeling. 

 

While I'm sure its completely infeasible, I would love to be able to craft your own power some how. To make it true signature power, a power few others would have unless they copied your template.

 

 

Structurally it could work similar to spell crafting in the elder scroll games. You could choose if its an Attack, Buff, Debuff etc. Then choose if its range, aoe, melee, effects and side effects. All while working against a "budget" of sort so the power doesn't end up being absurdly OPd.

 

This will never, ever happen. But hey I can dream xD

[OEM61]

I'm sure there were probably plans to Power Proliferate Ancillary Power Pools, which in and of themselves is a really neat idea.  An alternative to a headache of trying to balance these powers per archetype, however, is this idea.

 

Why not allow characters to choose a unique signature power ourselves?  We can choose any power from any powerset to be this signature power.  Just one.

 

So your alternative to the headache of balancing specific powers within small sets is to have to take into account any power from any set?

 

I think I'd be happier with more APPs, and I think that those would be easier to balance.

 

In some cases, the core powers are already in the game.

 

Radiation, for example.

Blasters, corruptors, tankers, brutes, scrappers, stalkers, and defenders all have access to radiation based primaries and secondaries.

 

So it seems that making a radiation APP for all of them would allow for more themey APPs for some of those toons.

 

It's just a matter of finding the mix of powers to put into the pool and possibly tweaking their strength.

 

The APPs would vary by AT, of course, with scrappers, strikers, tankers, and brutes getting a mix of radiation blast and radiation emission powers, while the defender and corruptor would be getting some radiation melee and armor powers, and the blaster would get a mix of radiation armor and emission, and all would possibly have some utility thrown in like a radiation version of conserve power or something.

 

The animations are done.  The effects are done.  And it would have to be easier than trying to balance every individual power in relation to every possible combination of powers on every AT.

[Novacat]

Some kind of radiation manipulation secondary for Blasters? Something like Atomic Manipulation?

[OEM61]

Some kind of radiation manipulation secondary for Blasters? Something like Atomic Manipulation?

 

Exactly like that.  It's not on the wiki and that was what I was using for a quick reference.

 

I'll edit my post to reflect that.

 

Doesn't change anything, really, just reinforces it.