Breed-balance...more gaps an option?

[lainbr]

My solitus sloob enf alwas run out of nano. My nm froob enf dont =P

What I mean is, I like current way breeds are, only Mongo Rage is a bit op. So what?

[Otinsainpas]

Personally, I think the fact that at end game the minimal advatages between the breeds gives more diversity, rather than less. Let's face it, if as a Trox you could not cast your top heals as a doctor, why would you ever want to roll that combination?

because its fun to make unoptimal setup and find it playable afterall?

[Hvyshadows]

because its fun to make unoptimal setup and find it playable afterall?

Aye, but that's only if your un-optimal setup is actually playable. If we're talking here about making the gaps more significant, to the point where you simply can't play a certain breed/prof combination, then we lose diversity, not gain it. As it stands right now, there are still benefits and challenges to different breed/prof combinations (particularly when leveling). But, you can still make them all work. If you create larger gaps in the abilities of the different professions to the point of unplayability, then we lose something that is cool about AO.

[Whealer]

Perhaps looking a bit more outside the box would be more beneficial for something like this.

Just some rough ideas but something like this could work.

Solitus
3s cap on heal delta
3s cap on nano delta
3hp per Body Dev
3np per Nano Pool
Max Nano Cost Reducer 35%

Atrox
2s cap on heal delta
4s cap on nano delta
5hp per Body Dev
2np per Nano Pool
Max Nano Cost Reducer 25%
+5% nano cost

Opifex
2s cap on heal delta
2s cap on nano delta
2hp per Body Dev
2np per Nano Pool
Max Nano Cost Reducer 30%

Nanomage
4s cap on heal delta
2s cap on nano delta
2hp per Body Dev
5np per Nano Pool
Max Nano Cost Reducer 65%
-5% nano cost

This puts each breed with a unique bonus skill set but doesn't completely rule them out from achieving viability for each breed.

Solitus would still remain your generic base line with Opifex receiving a a boost to heal delta and nano delta ticks at the cost of both hps and nano points. Atrox has an increase to hps and heal delta ticks while suffering with nano delta ticks and nano cost while Nanomage has an increase to nano points and nano delta and nano cost at the cost of hps and heal delta ticks.

[Cyberleet]

I am AR/Perception based agent (opi) but the AR-diference between me and def-agents aren't so much. I don't know, breed-benefits could also create more diversity

[Megasis]

My solitus sloob enf alwas run out of nano. My nm froob enf dont =P

What I mean is, I like current way breeds are, only Mongo Rage is a bit op. So what?

If your 220 -

I have a atrox enfo.. I never run out of nano. If I have no outside NT or Keeper buffs to help keep my nano up I have to work hard in a raid when tanking. If I have those buffs I can just sit back and afk Q... In a Raid I can quickly change my setup to PVM and and self 10k Nano pool. PVP im around 8.5k.

This has nothing to do with balance - This is not knowing how to play your toon.

[blingoutyourdead]

If you want people to roll moar opis and nanos, just up the cup sizes on the female toons a few levels and give them some head meshes that aren't butt uglies. That's the only REAL breed imbalance left: the impossible hotness deficit that every other breed suffers against soli.

[Cyberleet]

If you want people to roll moar opis and nanos, just up the cup sizes on the female toons a few levels and give them some head meshes that aren't butt uglies. That's the only REAL breed imbalance left: the impossible hotness deficit that every other breed suffers against soli.

Yeah, that and better male-models. Like Maxim, Axl Rose, Johnny Depp, Nikki Sixx...mhm

[Mostadio]

I think stat inflation has really killed the pros and cons of breeds. Aside from AI perks there are very few trade offs that make an actual difference. For specific mechanics there are still meaningful drawbacks, such as DTN and -% cost cap. For everything else it comes down to "do you want your mans to be big n tall, skinny and in need of a tan, or have the possibility of a reverse Michael Jackson and growing a fro?"

[Hvyshadows]

I still don't understand how widening the gaps between breeds will lead to more diversity. It will lead to less. Look, if I am crippled at end game on a trox something or other, then the only reason I'm going to roll it is To Be Different (tm). Yes, there are those people out there that will try something out just to see whether it can or cannot be done. But even those don't generally do that on their first toon. If you widen the gaps to the point that you simply cannot be effective at end game with a certain breed/prof, then you won't see those combinations. Even if we say that an end game breed/prof combination can still be effective, but this other breed/prof combination is way more effective, then the latter will be the norm. It's the same thing as weapon choices. Sure, you can be effective as a ranged energy doc, but how many of those do you see out there? Pistols is the path of least resistance.