All enhancements add their value to a base of 100%. The base is then multiplied or divided by that modified number, based on whether it is an increase (damage, defense, hold duration, etc) or a reduction (endurance cost, recharge, etc).
Knockback is an additive enhancement. Theoretically, they could add a new class of enhancement that adds a negative number to the base, but then, by slotting enough, it would be possible to reduce the Knockback to 0% or even negative numbers, which could have all sorts of buggy implications. They could avoid this by capping the max enhancement value, but then you get powers like Nova and Rise of the Phoenix, with mag 12 Knockback. If enhancements were capped at -90%, these would still be mag 1.2, failing to accomplish the KB > KD conversion.
And all of this ignores the fact that you'd be adding in a way to reduce costs linearly, where all previous reductions have been on a curve. Converting Knockback to the curve would make existing Knockback enhancements increase KB mag exponentially, rather than linearly, which, while amusing, would be bad when you hit the AV with a mag 250 KB, and then couldn't find him, because he's now several thousand miles outside the boundaries of the map.
I have no access to the code, so I have no idea if it's posible for an attribute to be affected by both additive and reductive enhancements. I suspect that it's not, without the addition of new code. Even then, new problems arise. Many interactions between the two systems have to be taken into account, because it will be possible to slot both types, and eventually, someone will.
Also, there's the question of whether or not the added steps will significantly impact server performance. When Castle was asked about making it so phased creatures could attack phased creatures, but not unphased ones, he commented on the extra checks causing latency issues. But, as I understand it, some variation on that rule now exists in PVP, so that particular issue may not exist - the server upgrade a while back may have made the extra checks trivial.
@Roderick
If my understanding of knockback/down in this game is correct anything over or equal 1.0 mag against even level mobs will cause knockback, anything less will cause knockdown. I also know that knockback mag scales with the level of the mobs.
Would it be possible to create an IO that would multiply knockback powers by a multiple of say .1 (arbitrary number to decrease knockback) so that knockback powers will do knockdown?
Disclaimer: I'm not asking this to discuss whether knockback is good or bad, or whether you personally like it or not. It is a common known fact that knockback is despised by some and loved by others. I'm also not asking if there would be balancing issues, just whether this would even be a possibility with the way enhancing works within this game. Thanks in advance.
Active 50's
Darklocked (dm/sd Brute)
Wardman (Fire/sd Scrapper)
Congealer (ice/cold Corruptor)
Peroxisome (mind/psi Dominator)
Evil Thing (Fire/Kin Corruptor)
Proud Member of Repeat-Offenders