Feedback:User/Guild Wars 3 perhaps/Trait Scaling
Trait Scaling | |
|---|---|
| User | Guild Wars 3 perhaps |
| Categories | Mechanics |
Go here to see a list of my other GW2 suggestions and discussion contributions.
I realize the game is still in development and things could change between now and game launch. With that said, I have a specific concern regarding the necromancer minor trait, Parasitic Bond, and - by extension - a more global concern regarding trait scaling.
Though I have not played the Beta, I have it on the authority of someone who has that Parasitic Bond - which allows a necromancer to gain health whenever they kill something - heals for 24 to 29 points. Assuming this amount of healing represents a static amount and not a percentage that scales with level, it presents a real problem with this trait (and possibly other traits, as well).
Let's assume a hypothetical situation of a low-level necromancer with 350 points of health who traits Parasitic Bond. This wouldn't occur in the actual game because a necro wouldn't be eligible to trait Parasitic Bond until level 11 at the earliest; by which time their health would be higher. Let's just continue with the low-level necro for illustration purposes for the moment, though.
Our low-level necro kills an enemy and receives 26 points of health. That's approximately 7% of their maximum health; not too shabby. If the player is a skillful enough killing machine, Parasitic Bond alone could keep the necro alive through most encounters. Arguably a little unbalanced, perhaps, but still acceptable.
What happens, though, when the necro in question has reached level 80 with health hovering around the 26,000 mark? Parastic Bond is still only healing for 24 to 29 points per kill. That represents 0.1% of the necro's maximum health; a 70-fold decrease as compared to when they were just a lowly adept with 350 health.
Our level 80 necro, a Grand Master with all trait points unlocked, playing for months (or even years) - practically an in-game embodiment of Grenth himself - only gains 0.1% of his maximum health when killing an opponent?!?!? Meanwhile, the little-novice-worm-of-an-excuse-for-a-necro gains 7% of his maximum health when defeating a foe. Are you kidding me?!?!?
The level 80 Grand Master has trained longer and harder and has much greater experience using Parasitic Bond. If anything, the level 80 necro should be gaining even more health per kill (as a percentage of maximum health) when compared to the low-level necro. Instead, we're presented with a situation in which this specific trait has become less effective with increasing level when just the opposite should hold true.
Now I realize if the level 80 necro was just as effective as the low-level necro when traiting Parastic Bond, this would mean the level 80 necro would be receiving ~1800 health per kill. I fully accept this would be an unbalanced situation. However, going the opposite direction and watering the trait's effectiveness down to nearly zero with increasing level is both counter-intuitive and a complete disappointment. We're supposed to feel like epic heroes as we advance our characters through the game. Instead, this trait - specifically - is rendered practically useless at higher and higher levels. Twenty-six health when you have 26,000? Heck, that won't even heal a sliver at that point!
Rant over.
Now back to calm and reasoned discussion.
Though I haven't taken the time to exhaustively research the traits of all the other professions (since we all know necros are the best, anyway), I'm concerned that a similar fate may befall other trait lines. That is to say, with increasing level (an assumed measure of increased proficiency) player's traits will actually become less effective. This is a glaring oversight with regard to the traits.
My suggested solution as applies to Parasitic Bond would be to make the life gain a percentage rather than a set number. For example, instead of healing for a set amount of 24 to 29 points, make Parasitic Bond heal for a percentage of the necro's base health; perhaps 3% or so to keep things reasonably balanced. At the very least this permits the amount of healing per kill to scale with the necro's level rather than becoming less and less effective with increasing level.
Likewise, any trait for any profession which has the potential to become watered down as the player levels up should be given serious consideration for revamping. I can understand not wanting to increase trait power with increasing level to the point that players are in god mode by level 80. But neither should players be rendered less effective at level 80 as compared to their effectiveness at level 11. Just make it balanced so equal effectiveness is maintained across all levels with all traits.
Thank you for reading.
Guild Wars 3 perhaps 19:13, 2 June 2012 (UTC)
