Whenever players are going for the top end dps or threat, invariably, there is usually only 1 choice in a powerset to accomplish this.
Sure, there are other, support powers, that help get even more from this 1 ability.
My concern is that I much prefer the LOOK of some lower tier powers and am doing myself a great disservice if I try to make that my #1 power.
The example I will use for this is Heavy Weapons.
We should all be able to agree that Annihilate is top power here for dps and threat. Whereas Skewer and Skullsmasher are not. But, I like what Skullsmasher looks like for "this" character and Skewer for "that" character. And, no matter what, I am gimping myself if I make these powers my #1.
A suggestion that I think has merit and possibly (?) ease of dev implementation (are you NUTS? Everyone thinks that) is: give these lower tier powers a THREE point advantage that, after you have taken the rank 2 advantage, it makes this powers' base damage equal to rank 3 of the top tier power.
base damage of (Annihilate + rank2 + rank3) = base damage of (Skullsmasher + rank2 + new3ptTierEqualizerAdvantage)
Now, I can use Skullsmasher and spend 5 advantage points so that it would be the same as Annihilate after spending 4 advantage points (rank2 and rank3).
And yes, I know Annihilate can go higher with the Scorching Blade advantage, but I'd rather address this portion first.
Did I explain this well enough?
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-=-=-=-=-=-(CO in-game handle:
@WarCan )-=-=-=-=-=-
"Okay, you're DEAD, what do you do NEXT?"0
Comments
The whole point of having powers be different is to give variety to builds. This power gets to have 100 ft range, but it roots you in place and has lower damage; this power gets to have the most damage, but is melee; this power is in the middle; and this power is poor in all areas but applies such-and-such effect that certain builds will want.
Making every power too similar to each other is not a recipe for game balance.
Some of them have a utility on the advantage points. Some are innate. And some powers simply are just lower powered.
It's simply boring having to take the one and only worthy top tier power. Oh look, another ____ spammer build.
I'm not advocating for game imbalance. I don't want some power (as per your example list) to be able to still have that utility AND be able to hit like a tier 3 power. I'm simply looking at what powers we already have, that just don't get used because they don't bring any utility and there's no point ranking them up because that single tier 3 power, ranked up, overshadows it. I'd like a way to use those powers, especially as my #1 (dps, big hit, etc).
-=-=-=-=-=-(CO in-game handle: @WarCan )-=-=-=-=-=-
"Okay, you're DEAD, what do you do NEXT?"
A one-size-fits-all solution like what you're proposing here is not going to solve the problem. Moreover, the fact that your solution requires the spending of extra advantage points means that the previously weaker options would still technically be trap options by your definition, since you would have to spend extra advantage points to get the same effect. There would still be no reason to use the lower tier powers unless you personally wanted to use them, which is something you can already do right now. So, the worst case scenario is a sea of balance problems, and the best case scenario is no change from the status quo. I see no reason why precious development time should be spent on something like this, when conventional powerset revamps could accomplish the intended goal without the problems.
In my original example, Skullcrusher (I called it Skullsmasher) and Skewer are 10' long, 3' wide cylinder AoE attacks. However, there are examples of the advantage making some basic changes, such as changing it from an AoE to single target (Seismic Smash + Massive Attack advantage) or changing it from melee (and getting any Strength bonuses) to ranged (now using Ego bonuses) (Upheaval + Expansive Terrain advantage).
What are you talking about here? Trap options?
The reason I'm espousing an extra advantage point being spent is one is a tier 2 power and the other is a tier 3. The tier 3 should do better dps than a tier 2. The fact that this is not usually true is certainly something the devs should address.
I'm tired of seeing only 1 real choice per set for the #1. I'd like more options and think we could use existing powers to do it. Maybe not as I suggested. I can live with that.
-=-=-=-=-=-(CO in-game handle: @WarCan )-=-=-=-=-=-
"Okay, you're DEAD, what do you do NEXT?"
Epic Stronghold
Block timing explained
But the tier 3 power would still be the better choice to take. So there's still no reason to take the tier 2, unless you really want it. But you can do that right now, so your suggestion wouldn't actually change anything.
If targeted changes have made things worse, blanket changes can only be catastrophic.
Sounds right. Proper balance should be a priority.
I feel that you are missing the point. It's boring to always have to take that 1 lone, top tier power to maximize dps/threat.
And, of course you can always take that lower tier power but, as I said, you do yourself a disservice if you try to make that your #1.
Sure, I'd much prefer an alternative to my suggestion, such as there are 3 viable choices for #1 in each powerset. Each has a different anim, different chargeup, different etc. However, when you factor the various differences in and check their dps/threat to one another, they all have the same viable choice. IE approximately the same.
-=-=-=-=-=-(CO in-game handle: @WarCan )-=-=-=-=-=-
"Okay, you're DEAD, what do you do NEXT?"
What got me thinking about that was looking at just how fights in CoX looked, and overall while the whole cooldown thing is a contentious difference between the games it does admittedly produce character animation cycles that look at lot more interesting than just throwing the exact same haymaker over and over again.
The implementation of this effort in my head would probably be in a totally different direction: some solution that would facilitate of a wide number of attack powers from associated power trees to be used in fairly equal amounts depending on the situations. It'd probably require its own thread. Basically I totally get where you're coming from, just that I'd see a different approach as the best way to reach that end.
Epic Stronghold
Block timing explained
In SWTOR, just about all powers have a cooldown to prevent you from spamming it. Plus, as mentioned, there are powers that provide buffs/debuffs to setup for various attacks. It would be an interesting thing to employ here. But, then MSA would need some adjustment as ALL powers would have a cooldown.
THIS would be a massive undertaking. Of course, almost any sweeping change would be. It's why they do about 1 powerset at a time.
-=-=-=-=-=-(CO in-game handle: @WarCan )-=-=-=-=-=-
"Okay, you're DEAD, what do you do NEXT?"
Right now, most sets have 1 T3 power that everyone who uses that set uses. Everything else is either utility or useless fluff. There's no reason that "useless fluff" can't be given a boost so that it can serve as a proper T3 option.
And, with your suggestion, it would still be a disservice to yourself to take the lower tier powers, because you'd be spending an extra advantage point to get to the same place. That's the point I'm trying to make. It wouldn't lead to what you seek. This is not to say that what you seek is wrong; only that this is the wrong means of obtaining it.
My super cool CC build and how to use it.