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Set effects: an overhaul.
quiscustodiet
Member Posts: 350
Why, says you player, is an overhaul of set effects desireable?
Why, says you Cryptic, is an overhaul of set effects justifiable?
Because there are issues with them, these issues three most notably:
Issue 1: some set effects are so good, they overshadow everything else.
Most notable, the Borg set.
As a result, a lot of the game's equipment is considered useless not through its own merits or lack thereof, but through its lack of powerful set bonuses.
Some gear is even obsoleted upon release, despite being intrinsically good, for lacking set bonuses. Example: Fleet Engines. Good stats, no set effects => (pretty much) nobody's going to use them.
Issue 2: mix-matching and variety are both victims of the set effects as well.
Those set bonii outshadow individual stats so much that tailoring different pieces to your Ship/Captain is irrelevant: you either use 3 Borg pieces and fill the gap with a MACO|KHG Shield or 2 Borg/2 Omega|MACO.
Issue 3: I forgot. BUT THERE WAS DEFINETELY A THIRD! I SWAREZ!
Now, the regularly offered solution to these issues is to nerf the Borg set bonuses.
But it'd only be a partial fix (another set bonus would take it place) and there'd be much uproar. No, nerfing is not the way.
Super-duper solution: uncouple set bonuses from their individual gear pieces.
How? Simple: instead of having set bonuses be triggered by equipping gear from the sets; have them be selectable, independently of sets.
How does it work?
A. Unlocking set bonuses: you can only equip the set bonuses from sets you have obtained*.
For sets with different Mk levels (Omega/KHG/Maco/Reman), the full bonuses would only be unlocked at Mk XII (XII Purple in Reman's case), Mk XI (XII Blue Reman) would unlock slightly weaker versions and Mk X (XI Blue Reman) significantly weaker versions.
Example: Magnetoplasma Relays:
- Mk X: +2.5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+7.5
- Mk XI:+4.5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+13.5
- Mk XII: +5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+15
*whether you need to currently own the sets or whether discarded sets work depends on Cryptic; probably the former.
B. Equipping set bonuses: you get a certain number of "set points", the same for every char; let's say 100; each set bonus costs a certain amount of set points and you can equip set bonii until you either run out of points or have 3 equipped, whichever comes first.
Example/proposed set point costs:
- Autonomous Regeneration Sequencer: 50
- Multi-Regenerative Shield Array: 35
- Assimilated Tractor Beam: 10
- Magnetoplasma Relays: 40
- Heavy Graviton Beam: 20
- Tactical Readiness: 45
- Mask Energy Field: 10
- Tetryon Glider: 50
- Gravitic Anchor: 15
- Prototype Plasma Projectile: 30
- Covariant Capacitance Cell: 15
- Dominion Synergy: 45
- Antiproton Sweep: 25
- Victory is Life: 0 (still only works on Galor and JHAS, does count towards the cap of 3)
- Superconducting Phase Channels: 25
- Breen Energy Dissipator: 35
- Thoron Distortion Field: 45
- Reactive Shielding: 40
Those numbers are tailored to allow all current possible options (and open some new ones) and affix higher costs to stronger bonuses (e.g. Borg 2/3) than weaker ones (e.g. Reman).
C. Exceptions.
The Ferengi, Odyssey and Bortasqu' sets remain on the ancient system. Otherwise, there'll be quite a furore from their owners.
I know this has very little chance of happening.
I know it doesn't really make sense to have set bonuses from gear that isn't equipped; I know they're relatively major changes (not huge either, unless the code is a huge mess it's quite manageable) and Cryptic is unlikely to go for it.
But I think it's required. You can release new gear all you want (and you should release more! Hard to obtain, too! This is supposed to be a MMO, not a store, focus on making some endgame events and rewards!), if the current set bonii are maintained, they won't see use (unless they grant much stronger versions).
Why, says you Cryptic, is an overhaul of set effects justifiable?
Because there are issues with them, these issues three most notably:
Issue 1: some set effects are so good, they overshadow everything else.
Most notable, the Borg set.
As a result, a lot of the game's equipment is considered useless not through its own merits or lack thereof, but through its lack of powerful set bonuses.
Some gear is even obsoleted upon release, despite being intrinsically good, for lacking set bonuses. Example: Fleet Engines. Good stats, no set effects => (pretty much) nobody's going to use them.
Issue 2: mix-matching and variety are both victims of the set effects as well.
Those set bonii outshadow individual stats so much that tailoring different pieces to your Ship/Captain is irrelevant: you either use 3 Borg pieces and fill the gap with a MACO|KHG Shield or 2 Borg/2 Omega|MACO.
Issue 3: I forgot. BUT THERE WAS DEFINETELY A THIRD! I SWAREZ!
Now, the regularly offered solution to these issues is to nerf the Borg set bonuses.
But it'd only be a partial fix (another set bonus would take it place) and there'd be much uproar. No, nerfing is not the way.
Super-duper solution: uncouple set bonuses from their individual gear pieces.
How? Simple: instead of having set bonuses be triggered by equipping gear from the sets; have them be selectable, independently of sets.
How does it work?
A. Unlocking set bonuses: you can only equip the set bonuses from sets you have obtained*.
For sets with different Mk levels (Omega/KHG/Maco/Reman), the full bonuses would only be unlocked at Mk XII (XII Purple in Reman's case), Mk XI (XII Blue Reman) would unlock slightly weaker versions and Mk X (XI Blue Reman) significantly weaker versions.
Example: Magnetoplasma Relays:
- Mk X: +2.5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+7.5
- Mk XI:+4.5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+13.5
- Mk XII: +5% Power Recharge Speed, Power Insulators+15
*whether you need to currently own the sets or whether discarded sets work depends on Cryptic; probably the former.
B. Equipping set bonuses: you get a certain number of "set points", the same for every char; let's say 100; each set bonus costs a certain amount of set points and you can equip set bonii until you either run out of points or have 3 equipped, whichever comes first.
Example/proposed set point costs:
- Autonomous Regeneration Sequencer: 50
- Multi-Regenerative Shield Array: 35
- Assimilated Tractor Beam: 10
- Magnetoplasma Relays: 40
- Heavy Graviton Beam: 20
- Tactical Readiness: 45
- Mask Energy Field: 10
- Tetryon Glider: 50
- Gravitic Anchor: 15
- Prototype Plasma Projectile: 30
- Covariant Capacitance Cell: 15
- Dominion Synergy: 45
- Antiproton Sweep: 25
- Victory is Life: 0 (still only works on Galor and JHAS, does count towards the cap of 3)
- Superconducting Phase Channels: 25
- Breen Energy Dissipator: 35
- Thoron Distortion Field: 45
- Reactive Shielding: 40
Those numbers are tailored to allow all current possible options (and open some new ones) and affix higher costs to stronger bonuses (e.g. Borg 2/3) than weaker ones (e.g. Reman).
C. Exceptions.
The Ferengi, Odyssey and Bortasqu' sets remain on the ancient system. Otherwise, there'll be quite a furore from their owners.
I know this has very little chance of happening.
I know it doesn't really make sense to have set bonuses from gear that isn't equipped; I know they're relatively major changes (not huge either, unless the code is a huge mess it's quite manageable) and Cryptic is unlikely to go for it.
But I think it's required. You can release new gear all you want (and you should release more! Hard to obtain, too! This is supposed to be a MMO, not a store, focus on making some endgame events and rewards!), if the current set bonii are maintained, they won't see use (unless they grant much stronger versions).
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