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Legacy of Romulus Dev Blog #6
pwebranflakes
Member Posts: 7,741
Systems Designer Jeff "AdjudicatorHawk" Hamilton reveals details about upcoming Trait System revamp in this entry of the Legacy of Romulus News Dev Blog series.
Link to the blog.
Link to the blog.
Post edited by pwebranflakes on
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Having more traits to play with sounds like fun, too!
Finally, I appreciate that you guys are giving out a free trait respect. It's "expected" with this kind of major overhaul, but it's still nice and something I'm thankful for. Likewise, I like the idea that Gold Members get a discount on future respects.
Questions:
1) To overcome trait restrictions in the past I did make some characters as "Aliens" even though I wanted them to be race X (Andorian, for example). Will there be a "Race" respec that lets us change our existing Aliens to brand-name races?
2) So you guys are aiming to make all races competitive, does this mean all races will be able to select Accurate, Elusive, Efficient, and Leadership (some of the more popular/effective traits)?
3) Will there be any Trait Respecs offered as part of Veteran rewards?
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
At questions 2 there, from what I have seen, any trait that any race could choose, like accurate and elusive, seem to be open to anyone. On the other hand, things like leadership (which was excusively human) seem to be bundled into the race trait bundle that takes up one trait slot. Those this is just me looking quickly on Tribble, and who knows what they might change.
Nouveau riche LTS member
Awesome.
I can't help but wonder (or should that be want?) if there would ever be a way to gain access to another class's traits, i.e a Tac getting access to Conservation of Energy, or an Eng or Sci getting Crippling Fire. Maybe for getting an accolade for doing x (absurd) amount of exotic damage on a non-sci character would get that character access to that particular trait.
Maybe some traits available through DOFFing too?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Also surprised to not see a requirement to take so many ground and space traits, like we had the forced split when the Skills system got revamped. Space traits are mostly pure awesome while ground traits are mostly pure meh, really discourages anyone who isn't into ground combat from taking any ground traits at all.
I have normal Trill. If I buy Joined Trill from Z-Store, can I make my normal Trill - Joined?
I still like the basic concept of the revamp though, and do think it's at least a start.
"We are smart." - Grebnedlog
Member of Alliance Central Command/boq botlhra'ghom
The reason why I asked is because it was somewhat confusing where it says that Gold players will be able to get additional respecs at a discounted rate on the dilithium store. This leads me to believe that Silver players will also get the respecs on the Dilithium store but at cost.
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
"Gold players will be able to purchase both trait and reputation respecs in the Dilithium Store at a discounted rate. We?ll also be adding a bundle of skill, reputation, and trait respecs in the C- Store at a discount."
- another (tiny) Bonus for Gold Players? (do i smell a new approach here? adding benefits for subscribers again?).
- skill and reputation respecs listed separately, hmm at the moment if you use a skill respec and click on the *reset everything* button your reputation skills will also reset [at least thats what i've heard].
I take it this will now be an extra item? costing extra zen...
hmm my 10 characters surely have made some errors in their choice of traits, so i kinda look forward to be able to change them around a bit.
but then... changing traits of TEN characters... to new stuff i am not used to yet,
that will only result in the next messed up choices.
that bit about adding / earning new trait choices later...
do we get new trait slots with those new traits then?
or free respecs?
or do we have to pay for respecs to use any traits that are added later?
...i guess that will be decided later anyway.
Those are good ideas.
Any active species-specific traits that you feel are "meh", please post in the Tribble feedback thread for the Trait revamp. My goal is to leave no traits feeling "meh", so that you can always take the ones you think are cool.
Systems Designer - Cryptic Studios
Twitter: @JeffAHamilton
if only this were true. on tribble, my liberated borg captain cannot chose the trait 'elusive', one of the absolute must haves for anyone that space pvps. i was this close to reroling this character because it was made before i knew beter, but then when i heard trait respecs were due next season, or whatever, i didnt hold off and got this character fleet ships, and fully ground out rep, knowing that i just had to stick it out until i could get that respec.
and now i find that that trait is bared on that species, or theres some kind of bug. the traits are terribly buggy on tribble right now. if it is intentional that lib borg cant get the elusive trait, thats UNACCEPTABLE. this is a somewhat premium species, your not making it desirable if you bar the best trait there is from it. i wish you would have told me back at season 7 that you were going to TRIBBLE over that character so i would not have wasted so much time and money on it, at this rate it will forever be mediocre
i cant go back and change this character into one that can have elusive, i would if i could, so this bug or barring needs to be cleared up before may. you can bar anything but accurate and elusive from any species you want, but these 2 are critically important to pvp, theres a huge difference in performance between my character with both, and another with nether.
i have posted this concern in that thread in its first few pages, i was extreamly unhappy about it then, so it may have seemed a bit harsh. but that only because i waited so much time and money on a character i can never truly optimize, as it stands currently. is this an intended baring or more of a bug?
Understandable confusion, sorry for the unclear wording there! Only Gold players will see the option to purchase trait respecs in the Dilithium store.
Systems Designer - Cryptic Studios
Twitter: @JeffAHamilton
The current trait revamp is not changing Bridge Officer trait choices, though if a Bridge Officer has a trait that was improved (such as Limited Telepathy or Acute Senses), they will benefit from the improvement.
Systems Designer - Cryptic Studios
Twitter: @JeffAHamilton
In regards to BOffs and Traits, will the Exchange ever get updated to allow us to search for BOffs based on which traits they may/may not have, as well as skills?
future, that would be the icing on the cake!
Joined in March, 2011. Lifer since December, 2011.
You may find that the next Tribble patch contains a change to roll Efficient into the Borg racial trait and add Elusive to the Borg optional traits. I'm not a big fan of how necessary Accurate and Elusive both are, but I recognize that they are viewed as such and therefore did try to give them to as many species as I could that didn't have them.
Systems Designer - Cryptic Studios
Twitter: @JeffAHamilton
My logic for asking the above? The Blog states new characters will get one free resoec (IE they can change after playing through the game once for free.)
Existing characters are getting a trait respec - and effectively being forced using it before they've gotten a chance to play with the updated changed Trait system; and if they want to change again after pklaying with the new system, they have to buy one?
You've changed the trait system (IMO a good thing) - but, I do feel existing characters should get to re-choose the traits under the new system, yet still get one free respec like new characters will because the new system is drastically changed. Existing characters should also not be effectively forced to make a decision without playing with the changed system. If you guys don't do that you're effectively punishing existing characters.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
As I understand it (and as it seemed to be on Tribble), you'll be able to select any new traits you like up until you get to the cap of nine. No respec needed for that. Then if you want to change them (or if you want to outright get rid of the traits you currently have), you'll use the respec.
Of course, I may be mistaken...
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
Do appropriate traits now scale with level?
If you set the power of a subsystem to 25 and equip or unequip a Borg BO, it changes by one power point. Any power setting above 25, equipping and un-equiping has no real affect. I continue to point this out in every thread I see that revolves around traits, one even got a dev response that they will look at it. I don't understand as the trait has no useful benefit. +1 power or a percentage of 1 power is not useful.
The efficiency skill was super nerfed during the great skill revamp during F2P transition.
http://www.stowiki.org/Trait:_Efficient/boff
http://www.stowiki.org/Trait:_Efficient_Captain
According to STOWiki the forumal is this:
SystemPowerBonus = (SystemEfficiency/300) x (75 - SystemPowerLevel)
So an efficient Captain which gives +10 efficiency gains the following:
SystemPowerBonus = (10/300) x (75 - SystemPowerLevel)
at 50 power: +0.83 power - which is rounded down in the UI to nothing.
at 75 power: +0 power
An efficient BOff which gives +5 efficiency gains the following:
SystemPowerBonus = (5/300) x (75 - SystemPowerLevel)
at 50 power: +0.41 power - which is rounded down in the UI to nothing.
at 75 power: +0 power
well i am extreamly reveled then, thank you.
space traits, and space skills for that mater, dont make a whole lot of sense to me at all. these have to do with your star ship, not your captain. ground traits and skills, ya sure thats completely captain based. but ship and space related? its a huge inanimate object that is 90% automated, traits and space skills should be a representation of how your ship is equipped, independent of your captain character.
i say make the space skills and traits a part of the ship costume tailor, it would be more of a ship refit then, choosing how it is outfitted. with powerful targeting sensors or better power insulation or better armor, etc...
be careful about worrying to much about must haves, they are must haves for a reason. the current changes to EPt skills are game ruining. that is not an understatement. it devastates slow moving ships that cant avoid damage, every time EPtS cycles its like they got subnukes, with such a huge drop in resistance even tame alpha strikes they would not be able to survive. the newest chain also punishes ships that use 2 different types of EPt skills, so again a nerf primarily to cruisers. wile EPtE gets buffed, literally making it even better then APO for the already speedy escorts. cruisers need consistent high energy levels from EPtW for thier weak damage to weare down a target. despite the longer damage buff with it, the loss of weapons power sends their damage into a tail spin, that change does more harm to cruisers then good. wile at the same time, its another damage buff for an escort to stack for an alpha strike.
so 3 ways cruisers have been nerfed and escorts buffed by the change. and its cruisers that need a buff and escorts that need a nerf, you guys did the opposite! there has been endless power creep to both spike and resistance and healing since F2P. escorts are extreamly tanky as a result, for cruisers it has made less of a difference. they didn't get more speedy wile escorts got more tanky, that at least would have been fair. cruisers deal pressure damage, but thanks the the healing and current average resistance levels, pressure deals a net of 0 damage to anyone in pvp.
these EPt changes are yet another buff to spike and and spike opportunities, and an actual nerf to pressure damage and pressure damage dealers! cruisers are made nonviable in pvp as it stands on tribble. get rid of these gaps in coverage, and rename the damn skill if you have too, if the word emergency is the problem. also cut the damage res buff on EPtS in half, theres the nerf that skill needs, not an exploitable hole in its coverage. every good escort will exploit that effortlessly, wile speed tanking so it practically doesn't effect them.
I have to say I like it because it pretty much solves a vast majority of complaints that were made about it and from my limited testing on tribble you have a decent selection of color schemes to choose from.
As far as traits for the minority of players that understand ground mechanics it makes different races well rounded where as KDF had the fewest races but for ground they had the best setups compared to fed ones. Atleast now there will be better options for federation characters.
I am just hoping when it all rolls out that its an improvement to all the races and not hard nerfing to the ones that were already great.
Why weren't Accurate and Elusive removed then? They are "too essential" or have too large an impact compared to other traits.
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
Because escort captains love accurate, crusier captains love elusive, and both camps would go raging if they were touched.
Would rather see Accurate and/or Elusive rolled into the "Species trait" instead of being outright removed. The base accuracy of a player with no [Acc] weapons is appalling. Rolling Accurate trait into the Species trait (for all species), would certainly be a step in the right direction, and potentially allow players to use fewer [Acc] weapons as a result.