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Why not bring back Power Replacers?

ericsonxxericsonxx Posts: 17 Arc User
edited October 2013 in Champions Online Discussion
My Gadgeteer, when I last played the game 2+ years ago, was in dire need of some kind of laser gun, as he was a alien scientist. The Sonic Blaster energy builder was nice, especially when using it with the AOE adv+Sonic Device and Toxic Nanites back to back, but still. Then, I got my hands on the Gadroon SMG PR, which, if I took the SMG Burst power, turned into a full on automatic spray laser gun, with energy bolts, sound effects and all. And it was great, but he's 33 now and the item level is 29, so soon it'll be useless. Now I know the set has a laser gun now, but still, why not allow some weapons to, in addition to their model being changed, some visual/sound fx changes too? I dont care if SMG burst is still inflicting physical damage instead of energy, for instance, I'd feel like I'm shooting mah lazar! And perception is, in a way, reality.
Post edited by ericsonxx on

Comments

  • joybuzzerxjoybuzzerx Posts: 882 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    I'd like some alternate animations period!

    I have a concept that should have fighting claws ala Black Cat and Cat Woman (fingernails) but Beastial Claws is so...not acrobatic. I much more prefer watching/using the Fighting Claws animation.
  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    It's a tech issue.
    Or
    There's no one available to do every poweranimation 6-12 times over with each effect.
    Rank 1
    Rank 2
    Rank 3
    Rank 1 with Adv.
    Rank 2 with Adv.
    Rank 3 with Adv.
    Including some powers have multiple Advantages.
    Or
    It's not that easy.
    ...
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  • roughbearmattachroughbearmattach Posts: 4,784 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    I think it would be great to make power replacers into core mods.
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  • kaiserin#0958 kaiserin Posts: 3,077 Cryptic Developer
    edited October 2013
    Everytime someone suggests power replacers, a knife gets pushed further into the heart of a dev.
  • agentnx5agentnx5 Posts: 1,999 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    There were some power replacers that were actually quiet overpowered (i.e.: remember the A1A Eagle Sniper Rifle anyone?), but most were simply terrible. 1% chance stuff. Not worth it.

    Pardon me, but I feel the game is better off without them. No offense, but they aren't missed.


    However...


    The missing legacy costume unlocks and missing legacy devices however, those I feel need to come back. I forget where, but somebody on these forums had made a nice list of the missing stuff from the Legacy device and costume boxes.



    Conclusion: bring back the missing legacy costume unlocks and devices, but don't bring back power replacers (if anything delete them)
  • meedacthunistmeedacthunist Posts: 2,961 Arc User1
    edited October 2013
    agentnx5 wrote: »
    Pardon me, but I feel the game is better off without them. No offense, but they aren't missed.

    They aren't missed by you. Which is hardly important for everyone.

    Their implementation was terrible but they were still used for theme.
    If they were improved, or better, turned into gear mods with additional effects, things could be different.
  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    Pardon me, but I feel the game is better off without them. No offense, but they aren't missed.

    Because most of the nubs don't even know they exist.
    bring back the missing legacy costume unlocks

    I have all those, there's no need to bring them back.
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  • agentnx5agentnx5 Posts: 1,999 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    They aren't missed by you. Which is hardly important for everyone.

    Their implementation was terrible but they were still used for theme.
    If they were improved, or better, turned into gear mods with additional effects, things could be different.

    The 1% chance was used for theme? Really now? lol! Not sure what game you're being nostalgic about, but I don't remember people doing that all all, if anything people complained how useless they were. As I recall most people often complained how crafting was broken (note: instead of fixing it they basically obliterated it in favor of a mods & fusion system), and it was really the powers that gave coruscating might that slightly interested people. But even then the effect was minor compared to better and better gear (aka. power creep), for later on most of what people clamored for were the Champion gear which was bought with Acclaim. I never made claims of "everyone", but I do not miss them.

    And as far as if they were improved and turned into mods, that could be wonderful or terrible. It would depend on the details. Lay out some specifics as a suggestion and we can give pro & con feedback.

    There are other things that would give much more added value to the game than power replacers (which could just be a waste of development time entirely if they suck like they used to, or broken overpowered if Cryptic is trying to make a quick buck).

    The opening post make a good case for why they'd like to see powers being able to switch damage types. But in reality, this is either not helpful or really overpowered, it depends all on the game mechanics and synergies between powers. Can you imagine what would happen if say... Force Cascade was switched to fire damage? Or Strafing Run to physical damage? Or lifedrain or devour essence to physical damage? Or what if the vampiric health recovery one of the power replaces (on kill, HP gain) was made too powerful? There's a TON of balance issues to be considered, especially if you're going to "improve" (and possibly overpower) power replacers.

    We struggle as a community just getting simple balance changes, this is a whole new layer of complexity, for which you have offered no specific details. You simply accused me of not thinking what's best for everyone, which to the contrary is more truthful.

    What I would like to see return with gear are the 100% perception gear (i.e.: Sensory Stone of Takofanes) being updated to be competitive with Vigilante secondaries and added to the Questionite vendor (and Acclaim being replaced entirely with Questionite daily mission(s)) I'd also like to see the unlockable costumes from certain power replacers come back, for those that like themes.

    But power replacers themselves as they used to be? No thanks.
  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    why not allow some weapons to, in addition to their model being changed, some visual/sound fx changes too? I dont care if SMG burst is still inflicting physical damage instead of energy,

    You missed the part of the OP post. No one is asking the PRs back 'as they used to be'.
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  • keikomystkeikomyst Posts: 626 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    I want power replacers back too, but they should either be:

    A: In a vanity slot that allows you to slot either
    - Weapon Auras: Slot a PR aura to set your weapons on fire, coat them in ice, cloak them in shadow, electrify them... they could even work on Unarmed!
    - Bullet Replacers: All bullets your Munitions-type weapons fire will have different FX. The Anime SMG's actual weapon, for example, had a really cool gigantic muzzle flare that made it feel really powerful.
    - Arrow Replacers: Like Bullet Replacers, but gives your non-trick arrows cool FX.

    B: Power Replacer slot that changes the specific weapon/set you're using.
    - Weapon replacements give your weapons that elemental damage but they remain buffed by your passive. That way, a Way of the Warrior user could wield a lightning sword without being punished for not having Electric Form.
    - These also change how certain powers work, i.e. the Eagle Blaster Rifle getting stronger the further you are away from the target, Energy Pistol's random chance to stun...

    While preserving your advantages as well. >_> That was another problem with power replacers.
  • meedacthunistmeedacthunist Posts: 2,961 Arc User1
    edited October 2013
    agentnx5 wrote: »
    We struggle as a community just getting simple balance changes, this is a whole new layer of complexity, for which you have offered no specific details. You simply accused me of not thinking what's best for everyone, which to the contrary is more truthful.

    And what exactly makes you the most informed person and an arbiter?
    agentnx5 wrote: »
    But power replacers themselves as they used to be? No thanks.
    And nobody was asking about PR as they were before. It was your assumption. In every your post you are placing yourself as an authority who knows everything better and frequently insulting people.

    Like you were plain insulting people for liking vehicles because you do not like them or when they were asking for costume sets.

    Personally I'd like power replacers as a simple visual thing. Like core mods with the same mechanic as regular core mods, but with no changes except FX. For example - "fiery whateverstandardname core" - changes power FX to fire, but nothing else.

    Anything more will end with broken builds and debalance, given all the passives and form and what is or isn't buffing damage.

    Yet another layer of mechanical complexity isn't really needed in CO. With stats+advantages and ranks+specialisations this game slowly becomes overcomplicated mess. Not a probel for anyone playing it for more tha year, but serious problem with new players.


    Though I have my personal agenda in this kind of power replacers. Energy dual pistols without animations for ejected empty cartridges.
  • supersharkssupersharks Posts: 103 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    People are asking for the entire anim / damage type / graphic effect / sound effect replacers. They're awesome for theme. They are awesome for characters.

    Examples:

    Qularr Acid Pistols: toxic damage, acid spit effect, acid shot sound
    Laser SMG: energy damage type, laser sound effect, laser beam spray
    Cryo SMG: ice beam visual, ice beam sound effect, cold damage

    Laser sniper rifle
    semi auto shellie pistols
    gatling pistols
    flamethrower gatling gun replacer
    psi pistols

    etc etc, theres many more.

    TAKE A LOOK AT SOME. <- Devs take a look too, implement! its already in the game you inherited but completely wasted!

    All of these things are already full coded in to the game, they have amazing effects.. they look pure awesome. The problem with them was their level gated implementation. (i.e they were set to the level of the replacer and even if you leveled past that level your power would remain that level: i.e shoddily implemented and you could only use one at a time)

    However these things are already coded in to the game.

    This wouldn't be a waste of dev time.. this would be a huge time-reward ratio on hunting down the code and implementing it into the game using the level+stat scaling tech they made for the special Nemesis / Q store gear. It would be the equivalent of multiplying your entire munitions sets. These things already work for every level, many of them dropped for entire level ranges and scaled appropriately. They're still in the game even, I have a bunch rotting in my banks and they still work. They just had terrible implementation with the old gear system.


    if these things were taken and implemented correctly (I still hold for characters getting separate statless power replacer only gear slots, though that would be far more complex) it wold effectively multiply champions online power options by at least 50% via multiplying the entire munitions set many times.

    The easiest way would be to use the heirloom + Q store x to super stats level scaling tech on these things.
  • crypticbuxomcrypticbuxom Posts: 4,582 Arc User
    edited October 2013
    These are going to be implemented into Auras. Hopefully.
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