Development Update - April 2013

[Ascension]

Would it be too difficult to implement a weapon bonus based on the runner faction? For example, a TG runner would get a 10% bonus to damage with a fusion weapon, Tangent runners; laser weapons, etc. This would apply to all weapons rare and non-rare: pistols, rifles, cannons, etc. Since there are only a fewer weapon types than factions, perhaps FA also uses laser, but gets a 10% freq bonus instead. It might encourage a little more variety.

This would cause factions like DRE to become obsolete?

[Netphreak]

Would it be too difficult to implement a weapon bonus based on the runner faction? For example, a TG runner would get a 10% bonus to damage with a fusion weapon, Tangent runners; laser weapons, etc. This would apply to all weapons rare and non-rare: pistols, rifles, cannons, etc. Since there are only a fewer weapon types than factions, perhaps FA also uses laser, but gets a 10% freq bonus instead. It might encourage a little more variety.

This would cause factions like DRE to become obsolete?

I agree, there are so many reason's as to why this would be a bad idea and would harm NC and the whole point of having factions in the first place.

Balance should allow all players/runners a 'chance' to be 'equal'. Obviously player skill etc then comes into it but you can't have certain players/runners able to do more damage than other players/runners with specific weapons just because they are a different faction.

[eNTi]

I agree, there are so many reason's as to why this would be a bad idea and would harm NC and the whole point of having factions in the first place.

Balance should allow all players/runners a 'chance' to be 'equal'. Obviously player skill etc then comes into it but you can't have certain players/runners able to do more damage than other players/runners with specific weapons just because they are a different faction.

to a minor extend we already got something like that. the "Special Forces Plasma Wave" is practically a glorified ravager only available to ca. not cool.

[DIABLO666]

Aye from what I've heard its the best plasma wave in the game though as those guns are bugged to hell we never see it, considering how much the rav can do when it registers if this is so then it makes me glad I'm not an enemy of CA.. cos their tanks are going to be damn scary.

As for the idea of a bonus for factions the problem is the set damage bonus would always be the best and it would force people in a clan to use certain guns or else have your clan spread across many factions depending on the gun they use.

[Kanedax]

I like the idea of bonuses like that for factions but it would need to be a much smaller number than 10%. That way you could give DRE toons have a the ability to purchase any apt at a discount, biotech would have implants, etc. City Mercs could get a boost to all weapon types but at a very small percentage or something.

I guess what I'm saying is I'd like the bonuses to make sense from a lore stand point. NC has a lot of potential for RP and I think increasing the level of lore accessible in game as well as the consistency of the lore in game would go a long way towards that end.

[DIABLO666]

Aye it would be cool from a lore point of view and to add depth but sadly if you gave 1 faction a damage boost everybody would play them

[Bozz-Von Mel]

I like the idea of bonuses like that for factions but it would need to be a much smaller number than 10%. That way you could give DRE toons have a the ability to purchase any apt at a discount, biotech would have implants, etc. City Mercs could get a boost to all weapon types but at a very small percentage or something.

I guess what I'm saying is I'd like the bonuses to make sense from a lore stand point. NC has a lot of potential for RP and I think increasing the level of lore accessible in game as well as the consistency of the lore in game would go a long way towards that end.

Yeah I threw a 10% bonus out as an arbitrary number, you could use a resist bonus or another twist for some of the odd factions like DRE. I am talking about a combat related bonus only or even faction specific items like the CA plasma cannon. I am for any way to add variety to setups and get away from the cookie cutter setups. I think trying to achieve this "equality" in balance is over rated, as you might as well forget leveling and applying points as most come up with nearly the same optimal setup anyway, and the game becomes another pure FPS. With some thought, you could find a way to come up with a system of checks and balances between the faction bonus'. It seems with the way things are now and have been for years, players/clans only choose factions based on the number of reds they get or do not get.

[eNTi]

if done right, the boni for factions could add a lot of depth to the game. if those boni could be a extension to the epics this would be great as well, but we would have to take a very close look at current epics and rewards. there could be implants that are only usable by a certain faction that give bonuses as well. the possibilities are certainly endless. sadly this is simply too much work imho. this discussion should also go in a separate brainport thread tbh.

[Kanedax]

Aye it would be cool from a lore point of view and to add depth but sadly if you gave 1 faction a damage boost everybody would play them

Maybe you don't give a damage boost then. I'd just like to see lore friendly bonuses added to the factions. I feel like it would add more atmosphere to the game, something that has been missing for a while.

[Bozz-Von Mel]

Yeah, probably belongs in the brainport, but people don't really read the post, flame me, tell me that it is an awful idea and I get discouraged. I know generally very little about the programming involved here, but perhaps if there is a simple way to add that depth in the form of FSM or FDB items to other factions much like the CA Plasma cannon, NCPD armor, etc.