I made a comment about this in another thread, but I think it actually warrants a dedicated discussion.
I'd just like to say firstly, that I'm not really a fan of level caps on things. I think it makes more sense to design negative feedback loops to naturally deter higher level players from joining activities in a given playfield, and if these are built properly, that significant incentives will always be present for players to build toons of a level relevant to the content for maximum enjoyment of all people involved.
That perhaps is irrelevant to this discussion in general, but I just thought it might be worth a mention since it may be a valuable consideration later.
OK, my first observation is related to a thought exercise I was doing when I responded to Psikie's post:
I argued that it should be the other way around.Originally Posted by Psikie
Battlestation level ranges should be determined first, based on equipment availability, perks, IP availability, IP caps and pre-existing level locked weapons and nanos (essentially, PVP balance). Then, once the BS range is set, then relevant playfields should be designed to help populate those ranges.
Now, the interesting thing is that I think that was the original concept by FC, however, there were a few cave ins to forum pressure, and probably playfield generation was retarded due to working on some other pressing projects such as the graphics engine, and all that other stuff that Michi has single handedly delivered like a champ in the last couple years.
That said, lets not forget that the older developers laid some pretty awesome groundwork in AO that has kept many people pretty reasonably entertained for a long time. Perhaps it's worth giving them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to planning - and perhaps lets revisit those original plans to shape our understanding of how and why things might be out of balance currently.
First up, Title Levels
Title levels was a concept introduced at launch. Launch. This concept is as old as the hills. So lets just briefly try to figure out what the intent was here. Since each TL provides a significantly more 'badass' title for your character, one can only assume that as you progress in regular levels, that each title level you achieve is something significant. How significant? Well, lets take a brief look at some things that since launch have relied on TL's:
* Token boards - pretty significant. The biggest single slot boost in game
* AI Technology level 2 and 3 (notably, AIT 1 isn't related to TL which is peculiar)
* Research Devices Hud 3 The second largest single slot boost in game
* Garden keys (variously distributed with several interstingly not related to TL)
* Pendemonium gear in general
* Goddess gear
* research and procs
* some nanos, some weapons, some armour
This was all I could think of in the moment. I'm sure there are a few other items or classes of items which are related to TL, but I think I've nailed the big three.
So lets just consider for a moment that the three largest single slot boosters in the game are TL limited, this really provides solid evidence that TL's are meant to have a significant combat advantage over the next highest TL. TL2>Tl1. TL6>TL5. TL7>TL6. This is reinforced by perk availability and obviously by availability of IP so this shouldn't really come as any surprise: higher levels beat lower levels.
And this is true universally. But it's clearly more so - significantly more so, at TL cusps. level 100>>>level 99. Just putting it out there.
So now, this begs the question, if TL ranges are so significant to game balance.. how and why did more recent AO developers fail to adhere to this crucial game balancing system which has persisted since launch.
Well, it's not too late to change, especially since Michi is so active in his role. Perhaps we can provide some well founded insight so he can make historically relevant yet well defended changes to the system to benefit all the players.
Next up: why are the current BS ranges not working?
Yes, we all agree that it's nice to have a regularly running BS, and to some extent, you'd be hard pressed finding someone complaining that the BS is running... but is that the most important consideration? Some would say yes, and I won't try to say that it's not. I'll only say that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and if the sole objective is to have a running BS, then I will provide, now, the easiest way to make that happen:
ADD A LEVEL BOOST BUFF, and AMALGAMATE ALL BS'S
That's it. That is all you need to get BS running all the time. What is a level discrepancy buff? Simple. An amalgam which checks the user's level against the max level, and buffs according to the level difference. Here's an example:
I'm level 37 and I'm in the TL2 BS level 25-49
Level boost = 49-37=12 levels:
HP: 12* 40/level
AAO: 12* 5/level
AAD: 12*10/level
RS: 12*10/level
add all dmg: 12*10/level
heal eff: 12* 1%/level
(Note I'm not saying to use these values, this is just an example)
The outcome is that players of a lower level become instantaneously more competitive with those who are of max level in the BS.
Now if you have serious problems getting BS to run, simply amalgamate all the lower level ones (or higher level ones) which aren't running regularly and the level boost buff which affects all participants will ensure that the lowest level participants will be able to function in achieving basic objectives i.e. running from A to B and capping a point, and actually make a difference in contributing to PVP.
That's so easy, it should have been built in the day after BS went live.
But that's not what this section is about. This section is about what is not working with the current system, well, the current system isn't "broken" based on one of the objectives being "BS is running", it's just not optimal. However, if PVP balance is the desired outcome with all participants able to play a round of BS and feel like they made a contribution to the outcome of the match, then some things need to be addressed:
1. PVP ranges are broken.
2. They have been broken since launch.
3. Until we admit they are broken we cannot hope for a balanced PVP venue/system.
4. Superficial boosts could account for some level based inequality.
Given the emphasis in game on TL's, at launch and since in both the AI expansion and the LE expansion let us entertain the notion that the original developers really placed a lot of value on achieving different and subsequently higher TL's. Given this (I don't think it's arguable) perhaps we could consider that TL's were meant to have some impact on PVP.
What could it be?
PVP range novel proposal
Let us say for a moment that if we first can identify the most important cusps or power variances between subsequent levels in game, and then identify whether those cusps are between TL's or within a TL, we could evaluate whether the scaling on the PVP range is good, and if not, how can we improve it?. From there, we might be able to better determine if using TL's as the requisite for PVP range is a more reasonable choice than simply using max of attacker/defender*0.8 = allowable level range.
So, here is the levels where significant boosts occur:
5 AI level 1 - notably nothing to spend it on - WTF?; research 1 opens
10 SL perk 1
15 AI level 2 - first AI prof line perk available
20 SL perk 2
21 Many items from totw are equippable
25 AI perk 3 and TL2 items available such as garden keys
30 SL perk 3 - NR 1 opens
35 AI perk 4 - First AI breed perk available
40 SL perk 4 - nearly all profs now have a damage perk - almost EVERY damage perk is so weak it's not worth perking (?)
41 some gear/weapons become available
45 AI perk 5
50 SL perk 5, TL 3 locked items available including LE research huds, Second Research line, some important nanos become availble
55 AI perk 6
60 SL perk 6 NR 2 opens, limber opens
65 AI perk 7
70 SL perk 7
75 AI perk 8 and AIT 2 perkable - the reasoning for this is unknown, but it is peculiar as it's really unrelated to everything else; research level 3 opens, some important nanos become available
80 SL perk 8
85 AI perk 9
90 SL perk 9 and NR 3 opens
95 AI perk 10
100 SL perk 10, TL 4 +500 hp/nano, big AR boost, huge defense boost, huge CL, RS boost, QL 200 jobe implants available, research level 4 opens, some big nanos become usuable (every prof now has both procs), notucomm TC available, the biggest boost in one level (99-->100) in game.
105 AI perk 11 - second professional perk available which for many profs is a significant boost, also first Champion perk is available (which used to be significant)
110 SL perk 11, AI perk 12 - Genius opens, which is a massive boost for many profs
115 AI perk 13
120 SL perk 12, Ai perk 14, cyborg prototype board available
125 AI perk 15, research level 5 opens, some important nanos become available, IS opens which means some decent item availability (MoTR, FotD, etc.)
126 AI augmentation hud's become available - a very peculiar level to open this broad range of twinking and secondary boost items, until you realize that it's in direct response to the PVP level range (dumb).
130 AI perk 16, SL perk 13
132 SL brain symbiants become available which confer significant twinking boosts to all profs
135 AI perk 17 some really important nanos become available
140 SL perk 14 AI perk 18, DOF opens
145 AI perk 19 Ado key/sanct key available
150 SL perk 15, AI perk 20 TL5, AIT 3, research level 6, research hud level 2 available,
155 AI perk 21
160 SL perk 16, AI perk 22 Many profs are able to max out their most important combat lines at this level building quite well rounded combat capable toons
165 AI perk 23, many important nanos available, important skill lock modifier perks open, as well as penumbra key/sanct key, level 9 champion perk available which boosts damage considerably
170 SL perk 17, AI perk 24
171 Nmemonic memory's available
175 AI perk 25, research level 7 available, many highest level SL items available but not necessarily usable
180 AI perk 26 SL perk 18 some nanos available
185 AI perk 27 Icy pads available some nanos available
190 SL perk 19, AI perk 28, icy pads available, TL 6 some gear nanos and weapons become available, research 8 AND!!! 9 available (wtf?)
195 AI perk 29, icy pads final upgrade available many important and maxed RK nanos available
200 AI perk 30, SL perk 20 research 10 available conferring some very strong boosts to all profs
-------- Up to here, you can see basically that there is a concentration of power in the top end, while there is a relative dearth of power additions occurring in the early levels really, between level 41 and level 95 there are very few significant changes occurring per level.-----
From 201 to 220, every single level provides an SL perk which greatly concentrates power not only by perk, but by IP as well with each level giving the equivalent of 5 normal levels with double the SL perks and none of the AI perks. This further concentrates power in the end game, with massive boosts coming at level 215 and 216.
Based on this power gain by level pattern, the most obvious level ranges that need the MOST refinement are:
TL3 - TL4 overlap
TL5-TL6 overlap
TL6-TL7 overlap
to a lesser extent TL4-TL5 overlap, and
the WTF moment: the TL5-TL7 overlap
Given that the general trend is that there is accelerated power gain at higher levels, the most obvious control is to reduce the impact that the highest level players have.
I propose the following:
TL1 to TL3 use same PVP rules as current
When a TL 4 is engaged, the following rule applies: PVP range limited to 18% of max level (not 20%) (100 can hit 82, 149 can hit 122)
When a TL 5 is engaged, the following rule applies: PVP range limited to 16% of max level (not 20%) (150 can hit 126, 189 can hit 159)
When a TL 6 is engaged, the following rule applies: PVP range limited to 14% of max level (not 20%) (190 can hit 163, 204 can hit 175)
And finally, when a Tl7 is engaged, the following rule applies: PVP range limited to 12% of max level (not 20%) (205 can hit 180, 220 can hit 194)
And with the PVP ranges significantly better defined, let me propose the obvious for Battlestations:
Make BS ranges the same as TL's, it just makes sense.
How to Populate BS ranges without tweaking the balance?
Make playfields with relevant level ranges (notably this is already done, to a great extent, but TL4 and TL2 really need to be fleshed out a bit).
Also, add optional level participation, i.e. level 150's in S10, but allow up to level 189 to fight the bosses in the other instanced area.
Similarly, in the upcoming TL 4 area, make whatever relevant cap (say, level 130 or 135), but add a separate area where up to level 149 can help for specific aspects.
This will provide significant impetus for people to build a broader range of characters with either more or less focus than their upper/lower level counterparts. This is turn will create diversity and a much broader range of players/characters in each level range.
Thanks for reading!
I hope to see some interesting discussion on the topic.
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