Full powerset+power respec in comic book tradition

I know this may have been suggested before but given the reason and storyline I am suggesting it may work. Read on....

In a lot of comics I have read, a well established hero or villain always seems to get reinvented, killed off, changed by an ever expanding multiverse etc. The main theme seems to be an alternate version that has developed differently or a time changing event that alters the character. What I am leading to is a FULL respec - including changing powersets.
Before this gets shot down though please read how this would work (at least suggested to work).

Prerequisite of Lvl 50 and Oroboros Portal.
Would be a TF with arc leading up to it.

The arc would deal with somebody messing around with oroboros crystals to change the past and stop them getting stopped in their attempt at global domination. The arc follows you foiling them at each stage until you finally catch them - or so you think - right at the end when they are defeated they go back in time in an effort to kill you before you get your powers (cue a lot of sci-fi movies).

You manage to jump back to the same point slightly after the villain has made their escape but in coming this far back you are exemp'd to 1st level. You are also now on a string of missions stopping said enemy from destroying you by stopping the event that gives you your powers (mish will be different dependant on origin)

Once completed you are transported back to the oroboros area but in going back in time you have changed history and your life has played out slightly different - you get a FULL respec including powersets and can't return to paragon until you have chosen. Only the mish holder gets the full respec - other teams members would have the option on a normal respec. Both choices given in same style as terra volta so respec still optional.

I personally think this would be a great idea and wouldn't harm the game play whatsoever. The FULL respec could only be granted once to a lvl50. It has to be a lvl50 as the effort to get to lvl50 with the powersets chosen to start with needs to be the same for everybody.

Now you have read it in full - let me know what you think - would love to see a Red Name comment

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I personally think this would be a great idea and wouldn't harm the game play whatsoever.

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This shows you've not actually thought about the implications

So you want to bring in a feature that removes the incentive for players to roll new alts (and play for longer, and continue paying their subs), by giving them an instant level 50 of another set of powers. Not Clever

No, No, and a further No

hmm.

Suggestion has been made quite a few times but it's one that crops up often enough that it does deem thinking about.

There are a couple of problems with it.

1) Why only the team leader getting this? You said it was a story arc which then lead into a taskforce. So I would assume the story arc is merely like unlocking a contact in the style of Ernesto Hess or Katie Hannon.

If the reward only comes from the Taskforce then everybody should get the option (like the roman costume or a rare recipe or a respec trial respec), otherwise, apart from a bog standard respec, what's the point in running it in a team?

2) Stopping you getting your powers thing, I've read a LOT of bios and yes there are standard things of lab accident, experimentation, finding magic talisman but there are also things like being from another planet (the abilities are natural to them) or being very highly trained (natural), being a creature from the netherworld summoned into our realm of existence (Magic).

People don't like it when you actually force their background on them with no choice, it miffed a few people with the whole explanation of powerset prolifiration.

Plus would it make any sense for the villain to be trying to stop you getting a magic talisman if your a demon from the netherworld who doesn't get their powers from said magic talisman...

2) Being level 1 ISN'T fun, it's a pain in the [censored], one attack and one ability from your secondary (three attacks if your a 33+ month vet) and the horrible endurance drain means your struggling every fight for no real good reason.

3) Exploitability, so you level something nice and easy but then switch it to something a lot harder. Yes I would love to be able to switch powersets but I reckon there's probably a better way to do it.

Comic Books dont have to worry about balance

the game does

Level up an easy set choice up to 50, then switch to something harder/better farming/more useful for a situaiton your aiming for.

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Originally Posted by VoodooGirl [*]Watching out for the Spinning Disco Portal of D00M!*

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Comic Books dont have to worry about balance

the game does

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this is so true, most comic toons have 1 ability, they can pass through objects or teleport or fly, imagine rolling a toon on CoH and you only have ONE power choice... out of every power you can have any ONE... thats like comics

@ Dr_Mechano

You have a point on the easy to level then switch but there is only so much you can do to stop farmers of this type. My idea was to reinvent a character in a comic book style that fitted in with existing storylines. The same way a noraml respec does but on a larger scale.

1st level exmpd: In retrospect. if it was a string of lvl50 mishs to stop your younger self being damaged as it were. I will update above.

Only team leader FULL respec: The setting of going back in time to stop the enemy changing your history is fairly easy to explain but the whole group? why would they be together then...? hence going back in time for them only changes their history slightly so only a standard respec.

The issue of balance will always be 50/50 asa there are some that can spend days online and some that can spend hours. If the sets are currenlty balanced at present then how does changing from 1 to another matter? no doubt this will get a few comments.

thanks for the thought out response though. Keep the comments coming...

come on rednames

@ Xemulas

I have thought about the implications - the game isn't always about rolling new alts. A lot of people have suggested this in the past (me being one of them) and i was looking to suggest a way it could happen without upsetting the status quo too much.

Respecs a while ago were rare, now all you need is 20-30mil and its yours - a few farming mishs and you're there.

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@ Dr_Mechano

My idea was to reinvent a character in a comic book style

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Use a costume token, write some extra stuff in your Bio, let your imagination run free. Doing this with a game mechanic is too broken and open to exploitation. And only the leader getting the reward? Good luck getting a team together. Hard enough for some normal strike forces where everyone gets a reward

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come on rednames

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*sigh* Pack up the set everyone. Unless your forum name is red and impressive, your words mean nothing

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@ Xemulas

Respecs a while ago were rare, now all you need is 20-30mil and its yours - a few farming mishs and you're there.

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Which, as apparently most thing are accounted to, is a post i9 and inventions thing. Builds are more sophisticated and in depth than the old SO/HO method, and respecs are used a lot. The recipe is pricey, but they are used more often to perfect and tweak builds (which is part of this game's 'end game content'). Thus a game mechanic catered to an increasing need.

Not everyone needs to 'reinvent' their character, and a full respec to 50 is far too open to exploitation. If people want to play a new combination, they create a new character- I'd be wary to say that this isn't one of the main draws for some of the long running players in the game

My request for red name comment was so i coul get a more official response. I appreciate all comments and its only a suggestion anyway. Hence why i thanked all for comments so far and to keep them coming...

I personally don't think anything added to the game mechanic is truly adopted by everyone but then that's where CoX's strengths come in - you don't need inventions, oroborus, RWZ,PvP, Bases or anything else that is 'extra' to get enjoyment out of the game - none of them are 'required' and none of them - tip the balance in any major form (IMHO). Respecs - powers or powersets are just as expolitable as all the other exploits which some people will take advantage of and others will ignore.

Horrible idea, exploitable and in some respects game breaking.

No thank you.

I've been playing scince may 2006, and i've only considered changing my power set for a character ONCE. largley because i loved the backstory i gave him but was less enthusistic with the choice of powers i went with, solved with a remake

so this gets a no from me

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Respecs a while ago were rare

[/ QUOTE ]When was this again? Unless you're talking pre-I2, when they didn't exist.

Also, full set/AT respecs will not happen, and for a good reason. PL'ing and the lack of real death penalties already creates a number of 50's that don't know what they're doing. We really don't need any more of those.

No for all the reasons above and also for the technical ones that state you can't change your primary/secondary once they've been picked.

Acually, I believe Castle said something like:
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Could we do it: yes

Would we do it: Never

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A great idea but I think maybe Just the power sets ie Ya stay being a Blaster but if u are a Ice/Ice ya can change it to Fire/Ice or other sets with in the ATs range

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Acually, I believe Castle said something like:
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Could we do it: yes

Would we do it: Never

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Yeah I seem to recall him saying that.

Oh, and hallelujah to that too!

You say it would be in keeping with comic books...but I'm having a hard time thinking of a character who has changed that significantly.

Apart from the Green Lantern changing from a white guy, to a black guy, I cant think of any major hero changes either

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Apart from the Green Lantern changing from a white guy, to a black guy, I cant think of any major hero changes either

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Green Lantern has never changed from a white guy to a black guy. There are thousands of Green Lanterns.

Although now that you mention it, Guy Gardner had some weird alien powers for a while. But that was pretty [censored].

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You say it would be in keeping with comic books...but I'm having a hard time thinking of a character who has changed that significantly.

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Off the top of my head I can only think of Ms Marvel (pre-Binary, Binary, post-Binary) - I'm sure there are several more, but I'm somewhat wary of giving any ammunition to the OP to support his suggestion

Characters that have powers changed.

Kyle Rayner - ION etc - probably too may too mention.
Superman - became pure energy based for a while.
Blue Beetle - simple gadgets - now a full blown symbiotic arnmour
Firestorm - too many changes to mention :P
Spiderman - literally died and came back different with major changes to powers (more spidery) - including new ones (believe these are gone now - good ol' marvel)
Hulk - not sure on this one but normal marvel is gamma experiment and utimate marvel is super soldier serum gone wrong. Not really power change but worth mentioning.
The flash - taps the speed force, is the speed force, fast runner.... the list probably goes on.

At the end of the day - its a suggestion that has been made a few times and i thought i would come up with a vague outline on how it could be achieved within a story and obviously to bump the request becuase i wouldn't mind the option! lol. I know some toons/players that don't like the idea of respecs at all and i respect that opinion as well. Whatever makes the game good for some players but is still only optional and doesn't change the balance of a character vs another character out of game context so as not to infuriate other players cant be a totally bad thing.....

just to confirm - i am only suggestion apowerset change - not an archetype change.

And sub-suggestion - maybe only one power set could be changed? maybe events play out differently and only the secondary set can be changed?

Survey still says "no"