QoL request: Character select screen - "Respec needed" indicator

[OverkillEngine]

With all the changes that have been made to even legacy powersets, it would be nice if at the character select screen there was a way to tell if a character was  in need of a respec to bring them "up to date" with the most recent version of their powersets.

 

Right now the only way I know of to pull it off is to be anal retentive to a ridiculous degree and either tracking every single patch yourself as it affects your characters, or default to doing a respec on every character after every major patch- also ridiculous.

My assumption for why older characters can have unchanged powers until they respec is they are using an older version of their powerset database that gets depreciated from selection in favor of a newer version upon respec. If that is the case, it would be nice if the game did a comparison at character select when retrieving character data and displayed some of flag or notice per character to indicate that they are "out of date".  Make the computer do the work of tracking that stuff!

 

[Rudra]

Make it an opt in option for visibility, and sure.

[Psyonico]

Can you get old versions of powers? Or it’s it just levels that powers are taken?

 

I’d have to log into my Regen brute to see if he has Dull Pain, but I suspect it got converted into Second Wind.  I don’t think old versions of powers are kept.

[Vanden]

There is no way the game could possibly know with any accuracy if a character "needs" a respec.

[WanderingAries]

5 hours ago, Vanden said:

There is no way the game could possibly know with any accuracy if a character "needs" a respec.

 

Unfortunately, this as it would require the ENTIRE character database to be run through some sort of update algorithm that I couldn't fathom the complexity needed to accomplish and the amount of added workload it would create on both the team and servers.

[MTeague]

I'm assuming OP is defining "in need" of a respec, as "your most recent respec predates changes to your primary, secondary, or pool powers".

Which does not necessarily mean you'd want to make changes.  Just that the last time you made your selections, was using information that is now somewhat stale. 

 

That said, I doubt the game actually tracks a calendar date for your most recent respec.

Just how many respecs you have available, and what your build looks like now. 

Provided it were opt in (personally I do not want the clutter), I'm not opposed, but I suspect this could not be a backwards compatible change. They'd proably have to introduce some kind of data element for "most recently respecced on YYYYMMDD", and they would not be able to seed that new field.

 

is it that hard to just skim patch notes and choose for yourself which to respec?

(full disclosure, my entire roster is a whopping 30 characters... i guess if you had hundreds, that would be a lot)

Edited June 20 by MTeague

[arcane]

17 hours ago, Vanden said:

There is no way the game could possibly know with any accuracy if a character "needs" a respec.

This. I keep a spreadsheet but if OP is averse to that, maybe a sticky note…

[Troo]

20 hours ago, OverkillEngine said:

If that is the case, it would be nice if the game did a comparison at character select when retrieving character data and displayed some of flag or notice per character to indicate that they are "out of date".  Make the computer do the work of tracking that stuff!

 

Interesting suggestion. (it might need some refinement which it seems you'd be okay with)

If character's power set has been changed a flag or notification seems to be a reasonable request.

 

Why?

Does a player need to read all the patch note to know if their character has been changed/gimped/broken?

Some players might miss a page or two.

Patch notes without the related discussions can be a bit cryptic.

..more reasons

 

Should this be a priority dev item? My opinion, no, but I can see why someone would ask for it and how it might help those who are not participating in Betas and reading patches.

 

16 minutes ago, arcane said:

This. I keep a spreadsheet but if OP is averse to that, maybe a sticky note…

 

What are you 100?! F- you and the spreadsheets you rode in on! Sticky notes?! StICKy NoTeS?!!!

sarcasm = fun

[lemming]

Hmm, some flag with Power changed might be good.

 

I do what arcane suggests and have a field with Respecs.   Though some are because of a power pool, some with a modification with a Primary or Secondary.

It's also degree of change.

When the stealth changes happened, some of my chars need a tweak, but it hasn't been a priority.   Many don't "need" it, but it would help.

 

Not sure what info would be needed to say "This char needs a respec"

[OverkillEngine]

7 hours ago, arcane said:

This. I keep a spreadsheet but if OP is averse to that, maybe a sticky note…

 

I already have an .ODS file of characters. I'm trying to avoid having to invest further in it as indirectly alluded to in my original comment lol:
 

Quote

Right now the only way I know of to pull it off is to be anal retentive to a ridiculous degree and either tracking every single patch yourself as it affects your characters, or default to doing a respec on every character after every major patch- also ridiculous.

Just want an easy way to tell at a glance if a character is in need of a respec (like invalid enhancement slotting, etc) without having to resort to all these dang hoops personally.
 

It's one thing to manage characters at that level of detail directly when one only has like 5-10 characters, tops. But I have the kind of altitis where it's totally under control and I can quit anytime that I want.

Edited June 20 by OverkillEngine