Roles in Champions and Their in-Beta De-Valuation
Posted 05-29-2010 at 01:56 AM by Silverspar
I am sure to many this will come to you as a shock, but in beta, there was an actual plan and strategy that power tray space was actually going to be a premium for your character, and you would actually be required to make some choices for how your character should be built and what powers would be used. Originally, the original powers limit was seven slots, and this set up would of actually emphasized the roles more strongly than they are now, but we will get into that later. I just feel liek discussing why I think it was a bad idea to give into the vocal minority on this, I think, exceptionally key aspect that would of not only helped teaming but help players define themselves better and assisted in themes and RP.
Back in beta there were just originally 7 slots plus your travel power slot and your energy builder slot. Of course you could earn mroe powers than you actually had slots, so this is where the build options came in and people could be exceptionally creative. However, as stated previously, there was a very loud, and very obnoxious group of people that didn't like this, that thought the tray limit was hampering with their perfect build and concept, and ironically, other than one or two, none of those people are even playing the game they kicked and screamed to be created. Before the tray was expanded to it's current 14 power limit, they had actually added a slot for a role passive, so that solved one of the problems of slots being eaten by those, and there was talk of a toggle slot being added for toggle powers (before they were technically scrapped, except the aspects; yea I know they are now back but originally they were scrapped).
Anyways, back in beta there was actually a wider choice and array of powers to grab. The original concept behind the build set up was that you could swap into different roles and such to accomodate the situation. Unfortunately, builds have become little more than quick costume swap buttons in todays game, but let me try to emphasize this in a more comic bookie style way that can work out, but I will get to that a bit later.
Basically, each build would require that a person would go in and actually plan and think of how said build would work. They couldn't just pick 14 powers and forget about it, each power pick and placement would have to have some modicum of strategy to the set up. You could also have multiple end builders to help out with such set ups, but that another story all together.
Needless to say, with the number of power picks and the multiple roles, it would be easy to design a character that could fill in more than just one position on a team, and swap as the situation needed. In the current game, going for two roles can be taxing on many builds, three is pretty much close to impossible as it stands.
But let's use the Batman as an example of how this would work. Basically put, Batman has several "roles" he tends to go from. He has his stealth mode, his kick ass mode, and his detective mode. It's obvious he doesn't use the same gadgets from one mode to the next. He wouldn't pull out his fingerprint spray, for instance, while he's stealthing or even fighting.
However, the vocal minority kept thinking it was unfair that they not only couldn't use every single power they got (you know for the game they don't play) but they found it insulting they actually had to use their brain and think instead actually thinking and planning their builds.
I am sad that aspect went, the build system would of been quite useful and I think it would of helped promote teaming. Instead of the problems we have of people filling out everything in one character and using it all, they would of had to make careful decisions with their builds. But as it stands we don't, the build buttons are little more than novelties and I think we are sitting inside a balance nightmare right now.
Back in beta there were just originally 7 slots plus your travel power slot and your energy builder slot. Of course you could earn mroe powers than you actually had slots, so this is where the build options came in and people could be exceptionally creative. However, as stated previously, there was a very loud, and very obnoxious group of people that didn't like this, that thought the tray limit was hampering with their perfect build and concept, and ironically, other than one or two, none of those people are even playing the game they kicked and screamed to be created. Before the tray was expanded to it's current 14 power limit, they had actually added a slot for a role passive, so that solved one of the problems of slots being eaten by those, and there was talk of a toggle slot being added for toggle powers (before they were technically scrapped, except the aspects; yea I know they are now back but originally they were scrapped).
Anyways, back in beta there was actually a wider choice and array of powers to grab. The original concept behind the build set up was that you could swap into different roles and such to accomodate the situation. Unfortunately, builds have become little more than quick costume swap buttons in todays game, but let me try to emphasize this in a more comic bookie style way that can work out, but I will get to that a bit later.
Basically, each build would require that a person would go in and actually plan and think of how said build would work. They couldn't just pick 14 powers and forget about it, each power pick and placement would have to have some modicum of strategy to the set up. You could also have multiple end builders to help out with such set ups, but that another story all together.
Needless to say, with the number of power picks and the multiple roles, it would be easy to design a character that could fill in more than just one position on a team, and swap as the situation needed. In the current game, going for two roles can be taxing on many builds, three is pretty much close to impossible as it stands.
But let's use the Batman as an example of how this would work. Basically put, Batman has several "roles" he tends to go from. He has his stealth mode, his kick ass mode, and his detective mode. It's obvious he doesn't use the same gadgets from one mode to the next. He wouldn't pull out his fingerprint spray, for instance, while he's stealthing or even fighting.
However, the vocal minority kept thinking it was unfair that they not only couldn't use every single power they got (you know for the game they don't play) but they found it insulting they actually had to use their brain and think instead actually thinking and planning their builds.
I am sad that aspect went, the build system would of been quite useful and I think it would of helped promote teaming. Instead of the problems we have of people filling out everything in one character and using it all, they would of had to make careful decisions with their builds. But as it stands we don't, the build buttons are little more than novelties and I think we are sitting inside a balance nightmare right now.
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