Traits/Traditions/Tactics Overhaul

[Dimgl]

With the removal of masteries from the levelling process, and the march of time leaving the original release of EQ2 behind, the old Traits/Traditions/Tactics choices are becoming slowly but surely devalued and lacking in the face of many combat system changes and expansions since their inception. The old system is both cryptic and difficult to track. Beginning at a pecuilar level, and ending abruptly in the 40s the choices that are made from the simple yet archaic menu are often forgotten about, and become background aspects of the character due to the inability to actually check the choices made by the player. Weak racial abilities that generate nearly no damage through procs on ponderous recast timers find themselves tucked away in the Abilities page, never to see the light of day. Similarly, some powerful racial abilities leave others at disadvantage, either in travel or combat, while fae gently glide to the ground, races with +DEF and +HP hold superior tanking positions. However, these differences in racial ability are often minor, and are often only noticeable in 3 or 4 choices made throughout the lifetime and development of a character. Other than those choices, all characters face some of the same choices while levelling. STR or INT? Poison or heat resist? So why not overhaul the system, make it more transparent, and give players a little more working room in customizing themselves? So here is an idea: Why not create two new development trees, either based on achievement experience, or based on character level, which would likely be preferrable. The first tree, the general tree, would hold 50 points and would be open to every player of every race and every class to act as general improvements to the character, the second tree, your racial tree would hold 20 points. One point would be awarded for each adventure level obtained, or by another condition such as experience, and could be placed at will. The general tree could contain boosts such as: Max HP%: +1.0% per level (5 point maximum) HP Regen: +# per level (Scale to level.) Same with power. +Resist: Increase your resistance against a school of magic by 1-2% per point (5 point max) +Stats: Increase a stat by 10-20% of your level (5 point max, would be 35-70 for 5 points to a 70.) +Mitigation: Increase your toughness to a type of damage by 1% per point (3 point max) +Combat Skills: Increase your slashing, piercing, crushing, or ranged by 5-10% of your level (5 point max) +Aggression, Defense, Deflection or Parry: Same as above, 5-10% of level (5 point max) +Casting Skills: Increase your disruption, Subjugation, Ministration, Ordination, or Focus by 5-10% of your level (5 point max.) +Concentration: Increase your concentration pool by 1 (5 points.) Spell Haste, Spell Reuse, Recovery, Double-Attack, AOE-Attack, DPS, Haste, Run Speed, Crit Chances, the list could go on. The basic idea is there. This could allow a player to expand themselves in a minor way in many directions, helping to direct their choice of specialty. DPS? Tanking? Reduced resistability? Increased spell damage? We already have many of these exact same choices while levelling, being given the option to choose stats, resists, and other abilities at greater potencies than listed above. Why not formalize it and make it transparent? Then second, a 20 point racial tree giving racial favor and abilities, the tree could follow some basic themes, offering all races some kind of travelling boost, some kind of visual boost, some resistances, some physical characteristics, etc. Racial Visions: Could include all of the visions, from infra to ultra, and also options for the visionless races, such as better tracking for Barbarians (they had this for a long time) or a perceptive ability for Humans allowing temporary see invis/stealth. Give visions meaning more than just being racial funspells in the meantime. Racial Resistances: Troll resistance to disease, erudite resistance to mental attacks. Many races already have existing resistances they can increase. Give variable point costs to allow different levels of resistability and investment. Racial Crafting bonuses Brewing for dwarves, woodworking for wood-elves, etc. Varying point levels to allow higher specialization. Travel Options: Improved Swimming for Iksars and Frogloks, more skill for more points. Glide for Fae Reduced Safefall damage for Kerra, more reduction for more points. The list could go on Then finally for some racial specific abilities the various skills/effects much like the ones listed above in the general tree could be reiterated here to mimic current racial traditions, such as the Dwarven "Butcherblock Body" being additional +Max HP to invest in. Or how about a reduction in stun durations for the more thickheaded and brawny races, an increase in casting speed for those pokey-fingered Gnomes? An immunity to trap damage for those lucky Halflings? Or they could simply exist as fun spells, such as the ability to summon food/drink or the ability to leap to great heights on a cooldown. A lot of good could be done by making the system more transparent and also easily navigated, while offering small yet appreciable bonuses alongside tasteful and interesting racial differences players will be able to enjoy their characters more, and further express their individuality. It would be easy to put into place, and easy to balance, as all characters have the same options to choose from. Thoughts?

[valkyrja]

Interesting ideas, I just want to see them add in something remotely as useful as the Fae traits to all the other classes.

[Spyderbite]

valkyrja wrote:

Interesting ideas, I just want to see them add in something remotely as useful as the Fae traits to all the other classes.

QFT..

[Geothe]

On EoF release,

Devs stated that the Fae racial traditions were in the "new style" and that all the other races would be receiving updated/improved racial traditions on the level with teh Fae ones.

They just neglected to give a time frame, imagine that. lol

[Dimgl]

Geothe wrote:

On EoF release,

Devs stated that the Fae racial traditions were in the "new style" and that all the other races would be receiving updated/improved racial traditions on the level with teh Fae ones.

They just neglected to give a time frame, imagine that. lol

It's a shame that this is the case. By now everyone who was going to make a fae has made one and had a good period of time to enjoy it. It was a nice incentive to increase low level characters being made, but hopefully they move on to overhauling racials (and other level-based bonuses) soon.

[Korpo]

I'm a big fan of the way racial traits work in WoW:

• The benefits to a race are clearly indicated before you even pick it.
• Every race gets like 3 traits that are unique and powerful, and influence which race/class combo you might pick.
• You get all your traits from the get go.

Now different strokes for different folks, but I'd rather have 3 powerful abilities than the half dozen mediocre ones we get now.

[AdamWest007]

My initial response:

"Wait, gnomes get hastened spells while I only get + mental resists!"

See the monumental tasks the devs will be faced with this, or any, retroactive change?  An absolute balancing nightmare.  Maybe that's why there was no timeline given...

[Etchii]

A grand idea. 

[Kaleyen]

I'm with Kemt on this one.