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Custom Sidekick
m1ndfr1k
Posts: 173 Arc User
We really need something like that.
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And I need a stamp of aproval.
Oh well, I will just lick this thread...
=^ _ ^= Kitty Lives!
Nothings seems to be in the plan anymore, neither the foundry, nemesis, bug fixing, balance improving. We could just close the suggestion and pvp forums and call it a day.
=^ _ ^= Kitty Lives!
What??
...
And playing by myself since Aug 2009
Godtier: Lifetime Subscriber
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Now add a permanent sidekick device, for say 1000 Zen, (heck, also have a sidekick lockbox), which could be used for X minutes per hour, and you'd be set.
"Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?" -Tony Stark
Official NW_Legit_Community Forums
Oh. My. Goodness. Yes.
I'm about to faint from this, oh my gawd.
I like the fame idea a lot.
While she has been rescued
what diabolical mastermind
was behind the devious brain-napping of
the Volterrific Dr Cerebellum?
Yup. As a dev noted a while back, it would work something like the bridge commander/lieutenant/whatever feature in STO.
And It'd be neat. And if it was in the cStore, Cryptic would make sweet sweet $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Well that's all I got right now, but you get the picture, right? Endless possibilities if done right, a huge PITA if done wrong.
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In case you don't know: Companions are not customizable there. Not. At. All!
Neverwinter allows you to equip them Runestones, special gear that player characters can't use. They can wear normal gear too, but are limited to a defensive off-hand weapon, a necklace and a ring. They can have 3 Runestone and 3 regular gear slots, which are level-locked. Their powers are preset, and their appearances cannot be changed either.
^That is not what we want! vThat is!
On the other game; STO's bridge officers are almost as customizable as player characters! You can equip them regular gear (except kits, which they don't need anyway) and they can even use devices. They can only learn up to 4 powers (5 if you count their weapons), but that's very well enough. They can learn new powers either from the player's own selection, or from other Bridge Officers which are hired specifically to train one of your's. And you can change their appearance at the tailor.
Just wanted to point that out.
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Not really. Your idea isn't bad, but certainly very different from how STO and NWO do it.
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And we know how the things roll. If they really gonna roll at all.
And playing by myself since Aug 2009
Godtier: Lifetime Subscriber
2k Zen points? Permanent sidekick device? lasts 20 minutes, 2 hour cooldown? :biggrin:
Caliga's PRIMUS Database! --XXX--The Caliga Build: Threatening Haymakers! --XXX-- Caliga and Conquer fanart!
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STORE SIDEKICKS - Retool - Make all devices permanent and Bind on Equip with limited use of 1 hour for every 24 hours Real Time. Only one may be used at a time.
CUSTOMIZED SIDEKICKS - A new system very much like the Nemesis one and you get to choose the sidekick's powers (AT choose set OR Freeforms up to 4) including a travel power. A device like the Sidekick change above where you get a device that is bound and customizable and has a separate cooldown from generic Sidekicks.
Changing the generic sidekicks in the store in this way would make it so you can purchase each one for a character and it will never go away. They all share cooldowns (except for the custom sidekicks with their own shared cooldown).
The new custom sidekicks would be blank devices you can buy from the store that you can choose options for. And you can buy multiple for each character for flavor.
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In my case, 3 of them are occupied with healing patchess, a Heroic Resonance and revives. That leaves only two more, which I usually fill with Legacy attack devices and maybe a transformation/vehicle.
STO does it about perfectly. It is a whole own system that allows you to basically summon up to 4 NPCs as stand-in team members. But when you team up with other players, the NPCs make room for them.
You can "buy" normal ones for Requisition tokens and special ones from the Z-Store in STO. I could see CO doing the same thing, maybe with Recognition
This would be my ideas for the implementation:
Sidekicks should be tiered by their power potential:
White = Low-powered henchmen that can't learn any new powers. Can be hired for Resources from a new vendor.
Yellow = Hero sidekicks with customizable powers and rather low stats. Can be hired for MCPD Recognition.
Green = Hero sidekicks with customizable powers and average stats. Can be hired for PRIMUS Recognition.
Blue = Hero sidekicks with customizable powers and above-average stats. Can be hired for UNTIL Recognition.
Purple = Hero sidekicks with customizable powers and high stats. Can be hired for Silver Champions Recognition.
And of course, there would be special purple sidekicks with unique abilities in the Z-Store and in Lockboxes.
Alternative to Recognition, yet another currency, like the aforementioned Fame, could be added.
Sidekicks should have selectable travel powers, to a point.
All pets can fly if their player character can. If the player character moves so fast they can't keep up, they can teleport. Sidekicks should be no exception. However, I could see their version of Flight being selectable from the player's own list of unlocked travel powers.
No non-flight travel powers though. That includes Cape Gliding and Ice Slide.
Sidekicks should be able to equip and use the following:
Regular gear
Consumable devices
Legacy attack devices, summon devices, Becomes, vehicles or even travel power devices could be gamebreaking.
Sidekicks' cosmetic customization:
White henchmen would have limited costume customization around their default look (MCPD Officer, PRIMUS Soldier, VIPER Renegade, and so on), hero sidekicks would have access to all the costume options their player has unlocked. Their powers would be colorable just like a Nemesis's, and even their gender would be selectable upon unlock.
Things sidekicks shouldn't have:
Freeform builds
Sidekicks are comperatively weak heroes. If they weren't, they wouldn't have to be sidekicks. Therefore, they shouldn't be able to learn powers from outside their designated powerset or even sub-set. Special sidekicks could be an exception, in that they could have more than one power set, but should still be restricted to them.
Slotted Passive powers and Forms
Honestly, I think passive powers would make sidekicks a bit too strong. From a game-technical point, they are just pets, after all.
Auras
If the PTS was any indication, auras will get their own slots. But I don't think sidekicks would get those as well.
At least, most of them shouldn't. Giving special sidekicks an aura slot would give players another reason to buy them.
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If they are used to fill up vacant team space, than I'm all for it. I'll gladly take up to 4 custom NPCs to follow me around at all times without taking up device slot. I just like my permanent version better. I would buy multiples all across my most used characters.
The officer system sounds a lot better than asking people to make themed teams with me anyways.
Champions Online: Be the hero you wish you could be in a better game.
Chat bubbles that show up with a /command. Fluff like that is welcome.
Fame would be a great way to evolve the pvp reward system. Make Fame from the ashes of Acclaim which serves no purpose unless you want to look like a Nacho Libre wrestler.
@Rejolt when you see me in game. Forum member since late 2008, beta tester and LTS.
Still trying to make a Might/Electric toon that gets something out of Shockwave (darn you Stormbringer for not boosting Sonic damage!).
So you work in public education too?
@Rejolt when you see me in game. Forum member since late 2008, beta tester and LTS.
Still trying to make a Might/Electric toon that gets something out of Shockwave (darn you Stormbringer for not boosting Sonic damage!).
Nope. Not even for that. They removed all the costume unlocks from the Acclaim store, because they were also oldschool gear. Now the Acclaim store only has healing devices that work only in PvP, Penetration and Perception gear that works only in PvP, and a ridiculously expensive and limited chainsaw device.
The only way to unlock all Luchador pieces now is buying the costume pack. Rather smart, actually, to put those in the Z-Store. But why not all the other lost unlocks too?
Anyway, you can still get the basic Luchador costume pieces for playing 3 PvP matches.
And back on topic: Sidekicks as PvP rewards? I don't think that would catch on. :redface:
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- Role - Sidekicks have a role, much like players. Unlike players, however, these are used mainly to determine the AI they use:
- Hybrid: Sidekick will generally stand ground and use ranged attacks. If enemy approaches directly, they will retain position and switch to melee.
- Ranged: Sidekick backs away if they're approached in melee range.
- Melee: Sidekick runs at enemies to attack. Permits the use of lunges.
- Support: Sidekick will place emphasis on healing at all times.
- Tank does not exist here, since there isn't really a specific attack/strategy pattern that can be tied to it without changing the actual stats of the character. A tank ally can be created, though, by equipping it with abilities that generate high threat.
- Not Pets - Sidekicks do not get buffs from Commander tree abilities, don't have the "I'ma PET!" buff, and cannot be commanded with the pet interface. However, they are generally stronger than pets, can be given tactics mods, and generate no threat outside of combat.
- No need to resummon - if they fall in battle, they will slowly recover on the ground after a while instead of disappearing. You can use healing or the Z key to hasten their rate of recovery.
CreationBefore modifying or creating one, sidekick devices need to be bought either with Zen or Questionite. Sidekicks are modified/created at a sidekick agency in Downtown, much like Nemeses (interesting to note, I believe the bridge commander system just might be a reskinned Nemesis system/uses the same data space that the Nemesis system does). Once a base device is bought, the player can head here to give it a less generic moveset and appearance.
There are three parts to the Sidekick:
- Personality - Determines what the Sidekick might say in given situations. Could also include a custom battlecry.
- Moveset - Since NPC AI is generally less detailed than human intelligence, it's not very feasible to give them the same ability tree as a player has. Instead, they get a smaller, but more flexible selection of attacks:
- Shot - Backup ranged attack. For ranged-type sidekicks, this is their default attack.
- Weak - Quick, default attack used by the character in melee range. For melee sidekicks, this is their default attack.
- Assault - A powerful leading attack that is one of three types: A sniping blast, a maintained attack, or a powerful lunge.
- Strong - A charged attack that can wreak havoc on a single, or multiple, targets.
- Smash - A powerful, short-telegraphed attack that does grievous damage. Used once the sidekick is reduced to 1/2 health.
- Utilities 1, 2, and 3 - Extra moves that can be used to aid the hero, or a sidekicks effectiveness. Includes heals, shields, blocks, and passives.
- Appearance - Self-explanatory. Sidekicks can have their gender and name changed at any time (though it both costs a lot, and in the case of genderswap, it will erase the current costume.)
ModificationBeyond initial creation, Sidekicks can be given equipment. They use secondary pieces (offense, defense, utility) to boost their abilities, and also have slots for special mods. Mod slots vary with quality, but a Zstore-bought sidekick has 3 tactics slots, and 1 special slot.
That sounds like ... hmm .. Human Vehicles ? Yeah .. this not what we really want.
But .. its maybe the only thing we will get .. IF we get anything at all.
I can already see the "content" for the next year .. every month a new sidekick lockbox :eek:
Maybe also a new temp alert where only these cool new sidekick mods drop.
I'm pretty much both hands up for everything you said, except these two:
It would make more sense to actually hire sidekicks with resource and a certain Fame requirement, and special "mods" should be exclusive to Special Sidekicks, to make them, you know...special.
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And next on the list of things that will never happen...
But really, CO content is too easy for a sidekick already and could you think of all the stupid looking sidekicks you'd see around? You'd think 'oh well it seems there are lots of people here at the moment, cool' before you find out that it's just loads of sidekicks that don't really do all that much. Don't want to put such a downer on the idea, it all sounds great. But to make it actually worth while to have in the game they would have to do lots of work on it, which could be spent doing other things that as we know also never get done.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] <- No violence or dark humor here, move on.
I.M.P.@drimp in Champions (Careful that you don't get hit by falling bombs when dueling)
Dr Imp@drimp in Neverwinter (Apparently I use hax and exploits, also I apparently payed to win)
Way to be a pessimist.
Sidekicks are not needed because the content is too hard to solo. They would add another level to what CO is best at: Customization.
And haven't you seen all those stupid looking player characters that are around here already?
@cartun in-game!
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Eh, close enough.
I want a female qularr with 2 black pistols!
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
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*pumps shotgun*
I have a female qularr, with all lady parts, she IS an qularr and there will be.
You upset my wife, saying this
*aims shotgun and pumps*
Choice your next words,......CAREFULLY