Weight Classes / Does Arena PvP start at 15?

you think there allso be sprate AT weight classes?

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Here is an alternate distribution. It is not even, but divided by important levels (enhancements and power selection):

Strawweight-(Level 1 to 5) - pre power pool
Flyweight-(6 to 11) - pre dual-origins
Bantamweight-(12 to 13) - pre travel power
Featherweight-(14 to 21) - pre single origins (wide and varied fights here)
Lightweight-(22 to 26) - single origins and perma powers (stamina becomes effective, as does perma hasten)
Welterweight-(27 to 31) - pre primary set completion
Middleweight-(32 to 37) - pre secondary set completion
Cruiserweight-(38 to 40) - pre auxiliary power
Heavyweight-(41 to 46) - pre max auxiliary
Super Heavyweight-(47 to 50) - access to every power available

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A) You have a weight class of 12 and 13.
B) You have a weight class of 14 to 21. Ie., you say that a 14 should be able to take on a 21.
B2) I don't think that travel power = auto-win. It will be hard to kill someone who wants to fly away (or invis), but they won't be doing any more damage to you when it comes time for them to finally fight.

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A) You have a weight class of 12 and 13.
B) You have a weight class of 14 to 21. Ie., you say that a 14 should be able to take on a 21.
B2) I don't think that travel power = auto-win. It will be hard to kill someone who wants to fly away (or invis), but they won't be doing any more damage to you when it comes time for them to finally fight.

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Didn't say it was perfect, just an alternate. Right now they are in groups of five - are you suggesting that a level 5 can take out a level 9 or 10? Taking out a purple opponent controlled by the system is not nearly the same thing as taking out one controlled by another person. If it makes you feel better, split that weight class in two: 14-16, 17-21

They're bringing people down to the weight class, not the level, from what I can tell. The gap seems to be about four levels, which is still significant PVP. If they bring the highest level down to the lowest, then my scale is even better - no major difference in ability will be lost.

You're right. Travel powers do not automatically mean a win, but I think you're discounting it way too much. Whether it is a ranged attacker keeping distance or a melee attacker closing it, superior mobility is a definite tactical advantage in any form of combat.

As to the small division of two levels - so what? Is there some mandatory restriction that says that divisions have to be uniform in size?

I think the reasoning behind making them all even is because that is simple and easy.*
When was the last time you drove down a highway with a speed limit of 57?

I agree 100% with you that the weight classes, as-is, don't make much sense if you really look at them.
I also agree that they need to be more finely divided.
Even a system with 3-level ranges would be better. A 4 vs 6 or a 24 vs 26 or a 48 vs 50...those all seem about the same to me.
But a 5 against a 9 or a 40 against a 44 seems much more unfair.

I am not saying your weight class proposal was worthless. I was saying it had about 8 good points and 2 weak points.
Is the glass 20% empty or is the glass 80% full?

I would just like to not have a weight class of two (12-13), I don't have an answer to it.

As for the one weight class I would prefer a split of 14-17 and 18-21.

And, yes, I think a 5 could beat a 9 [+4] (say a 5 Blaster and a 9 Controller). My Controller at 9 couldn't beat a mule.
Regardless of opinion, it is far more likely than a 14 beating a 21 [+7]. That is unlikely in the extreme.

I wonder how long these fights last? With two even levels blasting away at each other, how long does it take to go from full to K.O?
A 19 versus a 21 with 3-slot Stamina could be at a bigger disadvantage than any other place in the game except the 21/22 fiasco. But that is pure speculation, we have no idea how fights play out.

I'm not underestimating travel powers, but neither am I overestimating them--Which would you rather bet 1,000,000 influence on:
A 13 with Sprint fighting a 14 with Fly, or
a 14 fighting a 21, and both Fly?

Ariel

* If they come up with a color coding system for the weight classes then we don't have to figure that out for ourselves.

Here's what a 3-level spread might look like. Like all systems and ideas around this place, it's imperfect, but at least you've got a real chance within every weight class, regardless of AT or build. Biggest difference is probably between 8 and 11, but honestly how long does it take you to level from 8 to 9?

1 to 4 (if you don't want to be level 1, do the tutorial or hunt for 5 minutes)
5 to 7
8 to 11
12 to 13 (DO's)
14 to 16 (power pool tier 3)
17 to 19
20 to 21 (power pool tier 4 important?)
............[17 to 21 alternative]
22 to 24 (SO's)
25 to 27
28 to 31
32 to 34 (last Primary Power)
35 to 37
38 to 40 (last Secondary Power)
41 to 43 (1st ancilary)
44 to 46 (2nd ancilary)
47 to 49 (3rd and 4th ancilary) *
50 (class of its own) *

* This could easily be
47 to 50 (superheavyweight)
or
47 to 48 (3rd ancilary)
49 to 50 (4th ancilary)

As part of exemplaring, you will lose all powers except those authorized at your new weight class.
With some tinkering, the list could be made to give more powers for an EX going down, or to include less powers.
That is really a policy decision for the devs.

That makes sense, Ariel (80% full, btw). It keeps in line the major power/enhancement differences while keeping the level spreads reasonable.

The main problem now is the same problem you have when looking for a pickup team. "Level 33 blaster looking for an opponent in the ultra super middle weight division". We have 15+ weight classes. I don't have a problem with it, but it could lead to some lonely nights at the arena looking for a dance partner.

Good work.

Yeah. I can just imagine a match with 150 lvl 1 toons brawling it out. That would be funny as hell.

You would be so proud if your lowbie was the last hero standing!!

i would make a lvl 1 defender just for that it would be a blast we got to make a date for that when the update come out

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Well, what about the DO/SO issue:
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Lightweight-(20 to 24)


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A 20 and a 21 aren't going to stand a chance against a 22, 23, or 24.

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Let me rephrase what I said above, (and maybe Positron can answer this if he's still watching)
Statesman said, "the effectiveness of your Enhancements are capped to the level of effectiveness of that weight classes' Enhancements."
What is a Lightweight's enhancement?
If it's a SO, then yes there's probably an imbalance. If a it's a DO, then there's no problem - a 22 only gets is an edge during PvE.

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Well, consider this. There are five levels in the lightweight range. Three of the five levels have access to SO's. That's a majority, so perhaps for that weight class all enhancements are considered SO's?

That would seem to work to me. That way even training enhancements would be useful. And it wouldn't diminish the person who got twinked to afford all SO's, because they'd still be better in PvE, but they'd be on the same footing in the arena.

How's that sound?

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Well, consider this. There are five levels in the lightweight range. Three of the five levels have access to SO's. That's a majority, so perhaps for that weight class all enhancements are considered SO's?

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on the other hand, 20-24 contacts award DOs for completing their story arcs. is that the Dev's way of saying we're supposed to have DOs at that level?
and yet those same contacts offer SOs in their stores.