As requested: Implant scaling based on item quality

[John Doe]

This topic was certainly one of the most controversial on the test server (the feature is currently disabled) – here are a few modified concepts that we’d like to discuss with you. The reason behind this feature is the fact that there are Runners in Neocron that have been using the same implant for years, as the low quality does not have any effect.

Alternative 1:
The implants stay as they currently are (both on retail and test server). Quality has no effect whatsoever on the bonuses or penalties.

Alternative 2:
Implants lose bonuses depending on their quality. Quality is divided into four areas:
- Artifact (Quality 90 – 120 Percent): Bonuses are scaled with a factor of 1.2.
- Good (Quality 60 – 90 Percent): Bonuses are not scaled (Factor 1.0)
- Bad (Quality 30 – 60 Percent): Bonuses are slightly reduced (Factor 0.9)
- Shabby (Quality 0 – 30 Percent): Bonuses are reduced (Factor 0.75)

This alternative was already active on the test server – the partially different effects will of course be fixed.

Alternative 3:
This alternative is a derivative of alternative 2 – main skill bonuses will be excluded from the scaling effect, as they are often required to meet use restrictions and we don’t want your weapon to "drop out of your hands" during a fight.

Alternative 4:
We like this version the best: The bonuses are lowered with falling quality (as described in alternative 2) – main skill bonuses are excluded. The main element of this alternative is the handling of the implant’s penalties: the worse an implant’s quality, the higher the skill penalties. A proposition:
- Artifact (Quality 90 – 120 Percent): Penalties are lowered by a factor of 0.5
- Good (Quality 60 – 90 Percent): Penalties are only slightly reduced (Factor 0.75)
- Bad (Quality 30 – 60 Percent): Penalties have full effect (Factor 1.0)
- Shabby (Quality 0 – 30 Percent): Penalties are increased (Factor 1.25)

First off, we’d like to see some discussions where you try to convince us of the alternative you prefer – if necessary we will run a poll to get a result.

[Hell-demon]

Alternative 1!

ALL THE WAY!

[Jodo]

Number 1.
Leave things be, prices for some items are high enough already. An artifact MC5 chip would likely have an astronomical price under the other alternatives.

[Forget My Name]

I know you guys want to add money and time sinks into this game (like traditional MMOs), but do it with care.

I would like option 1.

But if you are going to go against the grain and make this game more tedious than it already is, go with both option 2 and 3.

This encourages players to make higher quality implants through tradeskilling.

Also, the "quality" of an item should be the RIGHT number(/XX), not the LEFT number(xx/).

[Bredahl]

Alternative 1...
please.. alternative 1... need.. alternative 1..

[Kierz]

tbh there is no way people wont be using full-effect implants/armour and i do kinda see what you've done this, but i don't think it shoulda been anywhere near your priority list but still..

option 4 sounds alright if it gives us lower penelties than we have currently, but whatever you pick, it must be the max condition that counts, not the current condition.. especially with armour

[Glok]

Alternative 4 please, assuming main skill bonuses are always the same. Also as requested, the effects should be based on the second quality stat (max condition) rather than the first (current condition).

[Dribble Joy]

One. But if not, 4 assuming that it's the main /condtion, not the condition/ value.

[silent000]

Number one or Eins

Been learning my german so i can get it thru to KK what they been doing wrong

[Mighty Max]

Alternative 4.

Maybe with the addition on what quality determinates the efficiency
Determinating Quality = (max. condition + cur. condition * 2) / 3

:edit: meaning a weighted influence of 2:1 for cur:max condition

[ninjagirl]

1 seems best to me.

[StevenJ]

Absolutely No. 1 - if any kind of skill increase or decrease is involved, not many people will like repping all their stuff all the time. But as soon as a few people do it, more will have to do it (even the ones who don't want to) just to keep up. Introducing bonus points for implants won't help offset this either, imo. It's just a new high that everyone will have to reach for to PvP, and will quickly become the norm. More busy-work time-sinks, less fun.

Also, I feel that any imp condition penalty system (even negating the existing penalties, negating a penalty is practically the same as giving more of a bonus) will hit hardest the people who die often, or new players, as their imps will get knackered more quickly. Which will make them die more... Whilst the people who are dying less frequently will be able to keep their implants in top shape as they never pop. People with, say, a DS in their head that is close to a condition threshold won't ever GR, they'll pay someone to come ress them. More busy-work, more down-time.

Any bonus system will make life easier for people who are already better, and worse for people who are a bit... well shitter. This will make it easier for the tough runners, more difficult for new or plain untalented runners (like me!)

I don't think that's right, really...

[unreal]

Alternative 1 for me also. Why does it matter that people have been using the same implant for years?

If this general bonus loss idea is to boost tradeskilling, I doubt it will work. Forcing people to log on a tradeskiller and rebuild/repair everything twice as often will just make people bother even less about doing jobs for anyone else, because they'll be too busy building/repairing their own/their friends items all day long.

[SorkZmok]

Alternative 1. Except if the bonus is dependent on the /xxx value and imps only loose condition when they drop on death.

[Brammers]

Vital question - what do you mean by quality on an item? Is it the 1st set of numbers (Current quality) or the last set of numbers? (Maximum quality)

However alternative 4 looks very interesting - what are the chances of being able to try this option, and decide once we given it a go?