Add Three post-50 Enhancement Slots

[srmalloy]

On 11/14/2025 at 10:11 AM, lemming said:

Would three more slots deeply unbalance the game?  Probably no worse than anything else.

Well, then, sure... you get one extra enhancement slot each level when you ding 51, 52, and 53. Absolutely trivial for the HC staff to implement.     🤣

 

Then you just have to work on getting them to expand the level cap to 53.

[Arbegla]

On 11/14/2025 at 9:40 AM, Yomo Kimyata said:

Speaking of slots, have you found the secret slot machine in St. Martial yet?

 

Not to derail this thread too much, but I recently redid this arc via O-zone, and its rather fun. Plus its quick and good for the O-zone badges.

[Heatstroke]

I've been an advocate of this for YEARS AND YEARS !!!!

 

Absolutely should be implemented if at all possible !!!

[ThatGuyCDude]

I made a similar recommendation in the past as a 'capstone' bonus for reaching Level 50 (since the level is otherwise underwhelming with its three slots, I pitched five instead).  The suggestion was shouted down as a contributor to power creep, with 'extra set bonus' as the primary argument.  Incidentally, apparently the way the enhancement slots are coded makes it very difficult to add more: the devs can set existing powers to start with more enhancement slots but they can't really increase the number that are available--particularly because of how the respecification system is coded.

So they could do something like "Fitness inherents start with two slots" which would consequently save *some* players up to four enhancement slots for other purposes, but I don't think they can add additional assignable enhancement slots.  I will say that the 'respec to give your level 49 power extra slots' route and 'enhancements work as long as the power is active, regardless of when the slot is picked' mechanics are not exactly clear or well-communicated by the game, so additional in-game text about the matter might be helpful.  A mechanism where acquiring an Incarnate slot unlock also *adds* a power to your character with its own enhancement slots might also be possible (like learning Rest at Level 2), but the benefits of that would probably have to be generic like other inherent powers.

[biostem]

They could do a little tweak in the leveling scheme, to go from...

 

44 power

45 slots

46 slots

47 power

48 slots

49 power

50 slots

 

To...

 

44 power

45 slots

46 power

47 slots

48 power

49 slots

50 slots

[Ukase]

Having slept on this idea, I have more to say. 
I have teamed with a player who is ...persona-non-grata on HC. They made their own server. I was invited to team with them and a bunch of others several years ago now, and when I insta-50'd my character, I noticed my build was incomplete. I had three more slots available than I did with HC. 

So, intellectually, I know there's a way to do this. But, I don't think they will, and I'm not even sure they should. (or should not) 

I can't see around corners. I can look ahead, but seeing how a change like this might impact me and the game, and all of you - and the people that never look in the forums or the discord, who can really say how such a change would impact things? 

It would certainly be useful to most builds. Of course it would. But if every power came with 6 slots...we'd definitely have to make a lot of changes to the npcs to keep the game engaging - would we not? 
The game as it is allows easy mode. The default notoriety setting for this game is 0/0. I think it really is de-facto +0/1 player. And pretty much 99.9% of my characters can handle this with ease, all the way to 50. A few might need to use break frees, or the random luck or health insp. Yet, I know there are players, who for whatever reason struggle to get through missions solo. I can't even call them the vocal minority, but I do know they're in game. I've teamed with some of them. Aging, or really young, or just inexperienced. Some will figure things out, some never will. 

My concern is there isn't enough time or interest just yet to revamp npc difficulty around those extra 3 slots. Most folks think the game is too easy as it is. 3 more slots would just make things even easier. That's another few set bonuses we could get. That really can make quite a difference. Easier to perma-hasten or perma-dull pain, or anything else. 

So, while I love the idea of it in theory, in practice, I just don't think it's a good idea until they make all the npcs across the board a little harder to defeat. 

[MsSmart]

This is a useless response, respec does nothing in resolving the last power you buy to be stuck at 3 slots

[MsSmart]

On 11/14/2025 at 8:47 AM, Yomo Kimyata said:

 

To reinforce this and add more clarity, if you use one of your five free respecs at level 50, you can slot that level 49 power all the way to 6 slots.

True, but still, it does not cleanly address the issue, it is a work around, there truly should be 6 level 50 slots

[MsSmart]

On 11/14/2025 at 10:21 AM, Snarky said:

I have always advocated for more slots.  The least unbalancing suggestion I have offered was one slot at vet level 100. Which would still require a RESPEC at 50, for the 49 power to be fully slotted. 
 

Alternatively, you can plan your build beforehand and pick a power at 49 that needs no/few slots like a Leadership pool power. 

The problem of doing what you correctly suggest, is that the last power you buy, tends to be a lame one IO set wise

[tidge]

1 hour ago, MsSmart said:

This is a useless response, respec does nothing in resolving the last power you buy to be stuck at 3 slots

 

[tidge]

1 hour ago, MsSmart said:

True, but still, it does not cleanly address the issue, it is a work around, there truly should be 6 level 50 slots

 

I'm having trouble writing this with a straight face... but having the level 49 pick be available instead at level 48 would address the specific cornball concern of not being able to put 6 slots in the last power pick (without using a respec).

[srmalloy]

2 hours ago, MsSmart said:

True, but still, it does not cleanly address the issue, it is a work around, there truly should be 6 level 50 slots

Okay, so without breaking how the game is currently for power levels, the HC staff can change leveling so that you get two enhancement slots at 30, 31, and 33, then you get three at 50 and three more at veteran level 1. Now you can six-slot your level 49 power without using a respec to do it.

 

5 hours ago, MsSmart said:

This is a useless response, respec does nothing in resolving the last power you buy to be stuck at 3 slots

You're not looking at how the process of a respec works. You select all your powers first, then after all your powers are selected, you allocate your additional enhancement slots into any of the powers you've chosen -- so at your first opportunity to place additional slots, you can place them in the power you picked last (your level 49 power choice); you can six-slot that power before you put slots in any other power. 

[tidge]

3 minutes ago, srmalloy said:

You're not looking at how the process of a respec works. You select all your powers first, then after all your powers are selected, you allocate your additional enhancement slots into any of the powers you've chosen -- so at your first opportunity to place additional slots, you can place them in the power you picked last (your level 49 power choice); you can six-slot that power before you put slots in any other power. 

 

Based on the comments in another thread, I think what is happening is that the "player" is "playing MIDS" (or an old version of the character builder) that doesn't allow the level 49 power to get more than 3 slots added to it.  I don't use MIDS, nor do I have it installed, so I can't tell if this is still the case.

 

Needless to add: Even if MIDS has this behavior, there is no reason to not simply readjust the order of picked powers (in MIDS) to make the slotting work. Even taking all 5 epic powers and 6 slotting each of them should be possible. It is left as an exercise to the reader to come up with a realistic set of power choices that does that, and still requires more than 4 slots in the level 49 power. There should always be at least one power pick that can be delayed (for MIDS purposes) that has fewer than 5 slots.