Alternative Leveling System
I think we just need to fix the content so you can't outlevel it.
Seems awfully complicated when there is a simple solution already in place, albeit one that OP doesn't care for - turning off XP.
Alternatively, since the game encourages the making of alts - do the "missed" content on an alt or two or three...
So I see the OP as a solution in search of a "problem".
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
Seems awfully complicated when there is a simple solution already in place, albeit one that OP doesn't care for - turning off XP.
Alternatively, since the game encourages the making of alts - do the "missed" content on an alt or two or three... So I see the OP as a solution in search of a "problem". |
1. Post 50 advancement
2. Allows characters to advance in power AND level at their own pace
3. Usable at level 1 to level 50
Nothing at all eh? No? Well I tried.
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I think we just need to fix the content so you can't outlevel it.
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1. He can progress on earning badges/accolades.
2. He can work on completing storylines.
3. He can work on collecting AE tickets.
4. He can work on collecting Merits.
5. He can work on playing the market selling low level drops.
6. He can work on crafting.
7. He can earn prestige for his SG. (yes you can earn prestige while xp is off)
8. Or he can simply play the game because it's fun.
2. Allows characters to advance in power AND level at their own pace |
3. Usable at level 1 to level 50 |
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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Currently in my gameplay I find I have a problem. I outlevel content too fast. I know, I know, I can turn off XP, but that does remove some of the fun of character progression and knowing my play is working towards a purpose. I find it fun to advance a character, just as I find it fun to read the contact stories and experience the content.
Yada Yada... complex unnecessary change to an already complex simple system... Yada |
If you turn off the XP you are indeed playing towards a purpose... your own purpose... you want to experience all the content. Simple. Nothing in life or gaming is done in a vacuum (unless you are working in a supercollider, but I digress). You give and you take. I am not saying that your system would be impossible to code, although in the present game it would probably lead to some magnificent bugs and exploits. And as others have stated; it just doesnt seem to gel with what you are looking for in your thesis statement.
As it stands there are so many ways to slow leveling, and power your toon up that what you are suggesting is mostly redundant. You dont like the mechanics, but they work.
I give it a good solid "meh; no thanks." You have to remember also that the game was designed for the casual player to have fun while allowing the StatsHounds to tweak away. Too much complexity and you lose the goodwill of a quite large segment of the playerbase. And there is a limit to what is fiscally reasonable to add to the game without much more hue and cry from the masses, and I doubt you could get much backing for such a system (aside from the small group who would see this system as a plus to their own personal gamestyle) to make it look like a priority for the Devs to further modify the mechanics and add another system to the mechanics specifically asked for by so many for so long (ie: turning off XP, Flashback, Rep adjusting, etc).
Or to sum it all up: you can already do what you want (basically vis a vis Leveling Speed and Power) with the available tools. Just because you think they don't mesh in the exact way you want them to doesnt mean that they do not work well for the majority of games. But that is what a Suggestions Forum is for.
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Rather than implement this complicated system, I would advocate for a simpler option to customize things.
Currently:
1) XP at full, with Patrol XP and all that.
2) XP Off
3) XP at full, with no Patrol XP (Only available in AE).
Proposed:
Slider that allows the following options:
1) XP On
2) XP Off
3) XP at 50% gain, no Patrol XP. (No other special bonuses.)
This proposal is assuming that leveling speed needs another form of brakes added, which some folks will argue that it doesn't, since you can already "tap the brakes" by turning the XP on/off as many times as you want inside a mission, even alternating between every kill, if you want.
Would be nice, but this system has the added bonus to giving post 50 progression.
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In a game where we have auto-exemplaring, why can't we have it implemented in the older content so we never outlevel it?
I think that's a reasonable question, and an area that the devs should address.
However, if your real problem is finding a way of providing post-50 progression, I have nothing of particular value to say about that.
In a game where we have auto-exemplaring, why can't we have it implemented in the older content so we never outlevel it?
I think that's a reasonable question, and an area that the devs should address. |
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The only logical alternative I see to a binary exp system is a variable one.
Think you are going too fast lower exp gain to about 80%.
Then you could add a toggle option for exp gain modifiers as well ^_^.
The OP is missing another slant on this: the new difficulty options give you four extra levels to complete arcs.
The one thing that's missing now is the ability to run the mission from your actual contact at the lower level. I have many characters that have open arcs that are 10 or 20 levels old. As it is now, I go through these missions swatting EBs like flies in order to close the arc out. It seems like such a waste of time, since I get no XP or inf.
I seem to recall the devs talking about dealing with this problem, but if they implemented it I can't find the option.
There should be be an option to autoexemp those arcs at the appropriate level. Instead of going through Frostfire at level 37, I would be exemped to 15 if this option is set.
You used to be able to do this by finding someone of the appropriate level and exemping to them. Now everyone will be autosked to the mission holder's level. Again, unless I'm missing something...
The one thing that's missing now is the ability to run the mission from your actual contact at the lower level. I have many characters that have open arcs that are 10 or 20 levels old. As it is now, I go through these missions swatting EBs like flies in order to close the arc out. It seems like such a waste of time, since I get no XP or inf.
( ... ) There should be be an option to autoexemp those arcs at the appropriate level. Instead of going through Frostfire at level 37, I would be exemped to 15 if this option is set. You used to be able to do this by finding someone of the appropriate level and exemping to them. Now everyone will be autosked to the mission holder's level. Again, unless I'm missing something... |
With my current play style (which is heavy on TFs, scanners, and AE) I don't run into this problem much any more. However, I remember how annoyed I was back in 2005 when I was running missions my contact just gave me in Steel Canyon and the foes were all grey in mission after mission for the whole arc.
Now we have a mechanism in the game that can ensure you and your foes are at the same level. Let's get it implemented so players don't end up having to drop otherwise playable arcs just because the NPC levels were too low.
Hmm, some people seem to think the only purpose of this system is to keep from outleveling content. It's not really, it's just one of the perks.
I'm sorry everyone, my poor formatting, with the little mini rant about out leveling content made the thrust of the post hard to understand. This is more what I would like to see added as post 50 character advancement, that solves some of my issues with the game in the same fell swoop.
So with that cleared up, what do people think of the system itself as a way to provide additional character progression?
"I accidently killed Synapse, do we need to restart the mission?" - The Oldest One on Lord Recluses Strike Force
Much of your explanation of the mechanics of your system was in the context of a character still earning XP - which a level 50 no longer does.
Can you perhaps explain again, limiting it to the context of only a level 50?
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
Hmm, some people seem to think the only purpose of this system is to keep from outleveling content. It's not really, it's just one of the perks.
I'm sorry everyone, my poor formatting, with the little mini rant about out leveling content made the thrust of the post hard to understand. This is more what I would like to see added as post 50 character advancement, that solves some of my issues with the game in the same fell swoop. So with that cleared up, what do people think of the system itself as a way to provide additional character progression? |
Personally, I think it'd be fun. It's adding something else to do and that's always a plus. The only thing I don't like are the rewards. Basically, this little tangent is for IO bonuses, which is great and all but it's catering to the min/max guys that tweek out numbers. Kinda hard *not* to do that but maybe something more noticeable to the non-min/maxer casual player?
Maybe you use this alternative xp mechanic to access temp powers? Or allow you to 'hang onto' temp powers you already have? Or buy 'ammo' for temp powers you acquire? Or perhaps power up 1 specific power from your primary by adding a pseudo-slot(doesn't take up a normal slot spot) that you customize with bonuses like additional typed dmg (not a proc...or a proc with 100% chance to go off, whatever makes sense) or improved stats?
Basically, something that broadens your capabilities by giving a certain power of your choosing a kind of 'specialty' or adding a temp power(s) to flavor your character (like a MA/SR scrapper with a couple gadgets to give them a Batman-esque feel) that you'd need to maintain with the extra system. Granted, you don't have to use the alternate system and you don't need the extra temp powers but if you want a certain flavor character with a certain combo of temp powers, you can work toward it.
IMO, it's what the invention temp powers should have been. As is, there are so few of them with such uninteresting effects and just take up space in your inventory to craft, it's almost not worth it...
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The one thing that's missing now is the ability to run the mission from your actual contact at the lower level. I have many characters that have open arcs that are 10 or 20 levels old. As it is now, I go through these missions swatting EBs like flies in order to close the arc out. It seems like such a waste of time, since I get no XP or inf.
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I was kind of surprised so many just looked at the prospect 'it slows xp' and dismiss it from there and not look at the suggestion itself.
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Practically speaking, I'd like to see a greater variety of actual activities, and a lesser variety of actual effects, such that it forces us to split our efforts a lot less. I DO NOT WANT to face the same problems I did back in the day with enhancements, where I HAD to stop levelling for a while and just build up Inf to replace them, or I would lose my enhancements and in so doing lose my ability to progress altogether. I don't want to see an actual mechanical benefit attached to turning out your experience gain.
Once again, I'm not against this idea, not in a big way, at least, but if we're looking for post-50 progression, I would like to restrict this to the post-50 game and only the post-50 game. And even then, I wouldn't make it infinite. I expressly DO NOT WANT infinite progression in this game, because I am perfectly happy with my ability to "finish" it, so I can start over. Closure, as it were, is important to my game experience.
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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But I'm not sure that I agree with the OP that we need something else to make toons even more uber at 50. We already have rare IO sets, hami-Os, temp powers, etc, etc. There is already a disconnect between the casual/hardcore players. Something like this would make the hardcore players even more overpowered compared to the casual, and it seems to me the devs put a lot of work into trying to keep it somewhat level so that everyone can have fun. I would like to see more post-50 content that gives something to work for, but I don't think this is it...
The Training System
At any level a character can visit the trainer in order to enter a period of intense training to improve their mental and physical fortitude and abilities, quite outside of the normal range that their powers or equipment provides them with.
By entering training mode, a character can choose to divert 0% to 100% of their experience to gain global bonuses for their character, each global bonus can be "equipped" into one of five slots [Potential for missions, TF's, crafting to give more slots].
For Example :
Johnny Rocket is a level 5 character who finds that he runs out of endurance far too often. Looking at the Training System he finds at this level he can divert Experience to gain a 1% bonus to his endurance recovery [A bonus equivilant to what you can gain from a set bonus at that level] up to five times [One for each "Training" slot]. He sets 10% of his experience to go into each slot, slowing down his leveling by 50%.
After getting his bonuses done, Johnny decides to work on a bonus to his damage but also wants to level faster, so he sets his XP to 90% and only 10% to the extra bonus.
Later in his play, Johnny unlocks the ability to work on better Training Bonuses after reaching level 20. Deciding he is tired of endurance woes he sets 100% of his experience towards unlocking better Recovery bonuses. Later when he is pleased with how his character performs he can change the ratio however he likes.
Breakdown of the System.
1. A character has 5 Training Slots [Possibly 10 unlockable]
2. You can sacrifice experience in order to gain these bonuses.
3. These slots follow the "Rule of 5" that invention sets follow, this rule also limited by what invention bonuses you have
- IE. If you already have 5 "+5% Global Recharge" invention set bonuses adding more +5% Global Recharge bonuses through Training will have no effect.
4. Higher value bonuses are level gated and bonuses must be unlocked in order of magnitude
- IE. At level 1 you only have access to a 1% recovery bonus. At level 15, if you have a 1% unlocked, you can work on the 1.5%. And so on for other levels.
5. This system is governed by the "Rule of Five", which does not let you have more than 5 identical bonuses between this and the Invention System.
Long story short, it is a system to allow players to spend more time at lower levels if they so choose, allows a level 50 character to further improve, and continues to break the gameplay experience much like inventions did...
Advantages to such a System
1. Post 50 Progression
2. Usable from level 1 to 50
3. Allows people to level at their own pace and still advance their character.
Currently in my gameplay I find I have a problem. I outlevel content too fast. I know, I know, I can turn off XP, but that does remove some of the fun of character progression and knowing my play is working towards a purpose. I find it fun to advance a character, just as I find it fun to read the contact stories and experience the content.
In the last few issues, we've had a few instances where the general XP rewards are increased [Not to mention Rested XP] and we whiz through content a little bit too fast. I would like a system where you can reduce the experience you gain in order to gain other rewards.
Edit : Moved some comments to the bottom so people will be less confused over the purpose of the system.
"I accidently killed Synapse, do we need to restart the mission?" - The Oldest One on Lord Recluses Strike Force