Your proposal was outside the buff system, Shango's appears to remain inside it (so you can buy a 1/10 perk and upgrade it to 10/10). Thus it does not compete with artifact runes.
Aye. To give non-whatever classes that naturally get the max buff to 10 without runes, means to keep pace...without breaking things by going beyond it.
...it feels that way with costs so high that people are looking at RL years to attain. I.E You are looking at least at a RL year of nonstop bashing just to get Omniscience.
I think one thing that should be gauged hard and content for the game should be balanced around is this, not just player burn out - because it will happen in this system, but longevity of the game itself.
Running that estimate through an excel looks like it would take around as long as the game has been released to get 10 points and it just gets worse from there. (I keep rechecking the numbers because it ends up at hundreds of rl years)
I also hit a block with this sort of system because it's one big metric that feels huge and overwhelming, which leads to feelings of "why even bother?" and then negative feelings when doing stuff that's not directly generating essence because that's not progress towards the next thing. Small loops are really nice.
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Also, separately, I feel like crafting/trading/etc perks should probably come as part of the economy overhaul, seems like it's simper cause then you can just make perks/powers based on the economy of the game after that.
I think it might be safe to assume that people interested in over-leveling and pursuing the perks will already be heavily artifacted and wouldn't have a ton of use for perks that mirror artifact abilities, or aren't needed if you've all your vital runes, curios, etc. For people that aren't fully kitted, each 2-point perk would have to compete with a 20 crystal wonderitem, as the essence costs will be similar.
Outside of big nice Astral bashes, looks like it would take maybe a few years for me to get anything new XD so they're not really in the category of "things I can plan on getting within the realm of reason". I will, however, be able to generate wondercrystals every few months*, so that's nice.
Leadership - +5-10% increased gold, power, and experience while leading a squad, stacking with respect, aethersuit and commandant artifacts. Also allows you to bear a standard like a warrior, or if you're already a warrior, offers some damage reduction while standard bearing.
Anomalous - automatically regenerate 2.5-5% archpower each month.
Something Something Domotheos - Faster domoth claims, stacking with being a sealbearer/ascendant/TA
Lone Wolf - lets you have effects of being in a squad even if you are the only one in the squad.
I have mixed feelings about that - It'd effectively be giving yourself a permanent xp and gold drop buff for everything - maybe reduced efficacy for single person squads, like only 50% of the bonus? On the other hand, it'd cost like.. 350 million-950 million essence depending on point cost, so even at full strength it would take a very long time for it to pay for itself.
Crafty - lets you make trade items anywhere! No need to visit the workshops anymore.
From the ashes - A faster (Instant?) phoenix, at a hefty essence cost and unaffected by death blessing, for when you need to get right back into the action!
omnipresence - shows you on WHO and various XWHO's regardless of plane or bubble, much like current divine. (with easy ability to toggle on and off)
The anti-gem-of-cloaking you've all been waiting for.
I feel like this should just be a free toggle for all demigods, at the least, because it's more a positive for the game than the individual? I'd even be bribing players with like... increased passive essence gain if you've got it active.
I could see this setup totally keeping me busy enough to not do what I did in other games: get level 100, buy all available stuff, get bored, make new one, repeat. Though... Lusternia has so much other stuff that I like doing that reaching level 100 somehow got knocked down to like... number four on my top ten goals.
Well, they also had access to the Domoth powers which Demigods never did. But now that everyone has access to them, what would be the point in spending millions of power on raising a VA? Extra weight points doesn't seem worth it.
Also don't like the Weight being dropped though, yeah because more Powers are costing less, but that's still not helping the Power shuffle that has to go into it.
Well, they also had access to the Domoth powers which Demigods never did. But now that everyone has access to them, what would be the point in spending millions of power on raising a VA? Extra weight points doesn't seem worth it.
Maybe a set of three org themed and focused powers VA's could get for free while ascended might work?
The lines and names of the powers could be tuned to the orgs but they're just skins for the same core mechanical benefit.
I'd imagine powers where there's a direct personal benefit but also have an aspect that's beneficial to your org and locked to it. A quick example that comes to mind is something like a herofete but buffing different things which only affects org members present and maybe also gifts exp scaling based on the number of org members present.
There's always been a pretty consistent complaint regarding ascendants in that 1) they're just so much better and required and 2) you have to raise someone that's combat-oriented or it's a waste.
These changes seek to reduce/remove both of those complaints by making the differences less. There are still mechanical advantages and RP accolades associated with it.
I was going to wait until the weekend but it seems consistent enough get a handle on rates after playing a few days. Let's throw some numbers since it came up in discord today given the last 4 days of astral-fest.
With several buffs on: 50+ million potential is happening on group astral hunts that last only a few hours or so. 1-2 million per hour potential is what a very quick hunter can generate solo with same buffs on.
Buff levels: 50% Wheel 100% golden tonic 100% lips 100% silver cookies 10% harmony karma? (Not sure on % here) 5% human 25% baton 50% poteens 25% waxlips 25% Immaculate Control
(I probably forgot something, and there's also other limited ones like bloodrage, autumn, etc.)
That's well over 400% experience boost, most of that is easily permanent if you have enough wealth.
Suggestions in priority order: 1) Group astral needs be toned down. There's never been anything close to a time could you afk a few hours for 4 days and get #1. Sure that will shift over time, but given the baseline of demi powers costs and such, it's ludicrous by any standard. 2) Buff solo bashing, by whatever means makes sense. New super XP pinatas, buff existing mobs? Heck, anything. 3) Reduce or limit the exp buff stacking (maybe only those at demi level so newer players aren't affected); compress the gulf between those who can afford all those boosts and those who cannot. Does anyone else care about this part? Do people want to actually feel like they earned a thing or is that a pipe dream?
Most of that is not permanent unless you are throwing all your credits and gold into those things. Some of those are monthly only and hour long. Some of them are highly RNG based. One of them requires a race change.
At best permanent upkeep is going to be around 210%. Tonics, Cookies, Harmony.
I also feel like nerfing buffs will just put xp rankings in a position where the top 10 people will never be displaced due to the lead they hold already - making it far more difficult for those below to catch up.
I do agree with Astral bashing in groups of 20+ needing nerfs though. Maybe cap the amount of mobs that can spawn, the more people on the node the faster it drains, the more people on the node the stronger the mobs are without also increasing their essence value... as ideas.
Most of that is not permanent unless you are throwing all your credits and gold into those things. Some of those are monthly only and hour long. Some of them are highly RNG based. One of them requires a race change.
At best permanent upkeep is going to be around 210%. Tonics, Cookies, Harmony. The people making huge essence gains are doing it in only a few or more hours of astral hunts. If they get 400% for an hour or two, then only 200%, it's still a truckload. Regardless, the actual output is at 10-15+ million per hour on astral. Again, this points to what I said about enough wealth, which some have and many probably do not.
I also feel like nerfing buffs will just put xp rankings in a position where the top 10 people will never be displaced due to the lead they hold already - making it far more difficult for those below to catch up. Nerfing the buffs NOW will prevent exactly what you're saying, not feed into it. Doing it later would have the impact you describe, yes. Right now literally every demi is within a few days now, (or a week or two if nerfed) of bashing of each other. Compression = more equitable.
I do agree with Astral bashing in groups of 20+ needing nerfs though. Maybe cap the amount of mobs that can spawn, the more people on the node the faster it drains, the more people on the node the stronger the mobs are without also increasing their essence value... as ideas.
I throw my aethergoop and credits into those things It's how I buff people's gains when they follow me...I like making more Demis....was I not supposed to do that?
Soooo.... how soon will this stuff be a thing in game? I'm kinda eyeballing the wondercrystals I can get with essence, but will wait if the new stuff is soon to be put in!
Comments
I also hit a block with this sort of system because it's one big metric that feels huge and overwhelming, which leads to feelings of "why even bother?" and then negative feelings when doing stuff that's not directly generating essence because that's not progress towards the next thing. Small loops are really nice.
----
Also, separately, I feel like crafting/trading/etc perks should probably come as part of the economy overhaul, seems like it's simper cause then you can just make perks/powers based on the economy of the game after that.
*hopefully!
Explorer (80%), Achiever (53%), Socializer (53%), Killer (13%)
Bartle Taxonomy
(test yourself)
Leadership - +5-10% increased gold, power, and experience while leading a squad, stacking with respect, aethersuit and commandant artifacts. Also allows you to bear a standard like a warrior, or if you're already a warrior, offers some damage reduction while standard bearing.
Anomalous - automatically regenerate 2.5-5% archpower each month.
Something Something Domotheos - Faster domoth claims, stacking with being a sealbearer/ascendant/TA
The anti-gem-of-cloaking you've all been waiting for.
Crafty - lets you make trade items anywhere! No need to visit the workshops anymore.
From the ashes - A faster (Instant?) phoenix, at a hefty essence cost and unaffected by death blessing, for when you need to get right back into the action!
Is this the same for Vernal Ascendants? Do they get free powers as well?
The lines and names of the powers could be tuned to the orgs but they're just skins for the same core mechanical benefit.
I'd imagine powers where there's a direct personal benefit but also have an aspect that's beneficial to your org and locked to it.
A quick example that comes to mind is something like a herofete but buffing different things which only affects org members present and maybe also gifts exp scaling based on the number of org members present.
These changes seek to reduce/remove both of those complaints by making the differences less. There are still mechanical advantages and RP accolades associated with it.
With several buffs on:
50+ million potential is happening on group astral hunts that last only a few hours or so.
1-2 million per hour potential is what a very quick hunter can generate solo with same buffs on.
Buff levels:
50% Wheel
100% golden tonic
100% lips
100% silver cookies
10% harmony karma? (Not sure on % here)
5% human
25% baton
50% poteens
25% waxlips
25% Immaculate Control
(I probably forgot something, and there's also other limited ones like bloodrage, autumn, etc.)
That's well over 400% experience boost, most of that is easily permanent if you have enough wealth.
Suggestions in priority order:
1) Group astral needs be toned down. There's never been anything close to a time could you afk a few hours for 4 days and get #1. Sure that will shift over time, but given the baseline of demi powers costs and such, it's ludicrous by any standard.
2) Buff solo bashing, by whatever means makes sense. New super XP pinatas, buff existing mobs? Heck, anything.
3) Reduce or limit the exp buff stacking (maybe only those at demi level so newer players aren't affected); compress the gulf between those who can afford all those boosts and those who cannot. Does anyone else care about this part? Do people want to actually feel like they earned a thing or is that a pipe dream?
Some of those are monthly only and hour long.
Some of them are highly RNG based.
One of them requires a race change.
At best permanent upkeep is going to be around 210%. Tonics, Cookies, Harmony.
I also feel like nerfing buffs will just put xp rankings in a position where the top 10 people will never be displaced due to the lead they hold already - making it far more difficult for those below to catch up.
I do agree with Astral bashing in groups of 20+ needing nerfs though. Maybe cap the amount of mobs that can spawn, the more people on the node the faster it drains, the more people on the node the stronger the mobs are without also increasing their essence value... as ideas.