As an alternative to stats, we are playing around with a
No-Stat Race System. In other words, races would have no stats at all but rather receive special powers based on their level (1, 25, 50, demigod). We are also considering special racial artifacts to allow you to gain the bonus of the next level (and something special for demigods). Anyway, give us your feedback!
BTW, columns A-F on the google sheet can't be edited but if you want to make a suggestion in the spreadsheet, do it in column G (or any later column).
Comments
with the Crow specialisation gain a 2/10 bonus to poison damage.
Faeling with the Night specialisation gain a 1/10 bonus to both
aspyxiation and excorable damage. Elfen with the Shadowbeat specialisation again a 1/10 bonus to both poison and excorable damage.
If you're a Faeling without Night/Crow/Shadowbeat, and already have access to Flight amongst a guild skill, beastmastery, etc, the only racial bonuses you get are:
1) Level 3 health regen in forests, and
2) Level 2 mana / ego regen in forests.
That's it. Not much of reason to select that race.
Suggestion: I feel that organization specialization bonuses should not consume a slot, but instead be an enhancement / addition in a slot. So Elfen, Faeling, Viscanti, Dracnari, etc. should all have an actual bonus (unrelated to the requirement for a specialization) at level 50. In addition, if they have the organization specialization, they get the current bonus as an addition (extra incentive to be that specialization, instead of "it's a waste to play this race unless you have the specialization").
Also, I noticed that spec race warriors don't seem to benefit much from their racial trait. Something other than a magical type damage bonus would be better for Warriors.
Gnomes are also missing, this will be quickly dealt with.
Some of the races Demigod abilities are enormously better than others.
Examples of The Good:
1) Furrikin get faster writhe & tumble. Awesome choice for PK.
2) Aslaran get the ability to keep people from running easily. Another awesome choice.
3) Merian get a 2/10 damage resistance bonus to everyone in their squad. This is like if one person could use Nightkiss/Drawdown and give it to everyone in the Commune at the same time. For 0 power.
4) Orclach get a huge damage resistance bonus, even at 75% health it's pretty great.
Examples of The Not-So-Good-In-Comparison:
1) Faeling/Elfen: Level 2 regeneration, limited by environment type, when regeneration caps out at 3 anyways (very easy to get there, Demigod racial bonus will often have little or no effect at all).
2) Loboshigaru: Level 3 health regeneration, same issue.
3) Lucidian: Supercharged. 1 hour = 1 link on an Astral node? I mean, it's cool thematically, just not much use practically.
4) Dracnari: Again, a cool thematic toy, but a jar of aethergoop does the tinderboxes and an ignite enchantment does the rest. It's just not up to snuff with the "Good".
Etc, etc.
The demigod bonuses really should be equivalent in terms of power and usefulness. All four of these examples should be moved to the level 50 slot for these races, and then given actual Demigod powers that are comparable to the other Demigod powers.
Keep the specialization bonuses in the level 50 slots for if these races specialize, but the races should be viable whether or not they do (the specialization bonus isn't going to make-or-break them).
Put suggestions in the spreadsheet as we will probably be looking at that more than combing through the thread.
@Estarra: Wouldn't it make sense to put in a lvl 75 layer there? The jump from lvl 50 to demigod seems rather steep...
EDIT:
Also @ALL : What would you guys think if everything that makes a race different from others is given at lvl 1, 25, 50, 75 (if 75 comes) and at demigod level only a shiny RP-power or the like is added?
I just don't think demigod should feel like a requirement to make the most out of your race.
is what it has said since I first read it (an hour ago).
And why are tuarian's getting a better defense buff than Tae'dae when currently Tae'dae have a better defense buff than Taurians? Hard to make suggestions without understandning the current decisions.
So basically, for Tae'dae I see the following:
Lose:
Level 3 defense buff.
Level 2 Elixir sip
Improved Influencing (high charisma) for non Bards.
Increased strength
Gain:
No balance loss
No easy Mana/Magic deaths.
Also, Anyone have any ideas on how to make Furrikin/Tae'dae pairs look compelling?
Theoretically you could do traits every x number of levels, actually creating them all and balancing them against each other is a more difficult task than it looks.
Some races which may have been "really good at X" and find themselves no longer dominant in certain roles, and that's something I'm content with. There will still be some races better tuned to certain archtypes, but you won't be excessively punished for choosing to be an Igasho Mage now.