Energy System Tweaks + Ninja Signs

[Azamagon]

I have posted this suggestion in a bunch of threads now, and i have gotten VERY positive feedback, as well as the comment to "make a seperate thread for it" a few times now... So here is the thread!

 

Credit to BenHoliday and SecurityWyrm for the inspirations of these ideas!

 

So:

 

--- ENERGY SYSTEM TWEAKS ---

TL;DR: Abilities have individual "cooldowns", when the cooldown is done the ability costs 0 energy, but abilities are still spammable, although the abilities costs energy (relative to the remaining cooldown) if you don't wait for their "cooldowns" to finish. Energy then becomes more of an emergency-resource.

 

Longer explanation of the system:

* Each ability has a pseudo-cooldown. When it is off cooldown, your next ability costs ZERO energy! When it is running its cooldown though, you can still cast it, but the ability now costs energy relative to the remaining cooldown!

* For example, let's say Ember's Fireball has a 20 second "cooldown" and still costs maximum 25 energy. If you cast it when the cooldown is done, it costs 0 energy. If you then wait 4 seconds and cast it again, it only costs 20 energy (16 / 20 * 25 = 20), and the cooldown now restarts again.

This way, you can use your abilities carefully and free of cost if you are willing to wait for your cooldowns, or you can still spam them at the cost of wasting your energy.

* Each ability has its own seperate "cooldown", meaning it best to use ALL your abilities as varied as possible. It also means you can make more powerful abilities (such as ultimates) have longer cooldowns and play around more to balance them better

* Even weaker abilities (although, i still think most abilities needs changing) would have more use as they would be free of cost every now and then! Their cooldowns can then also be a lot shorter than others, further increasing their values.

* The hud/UI needs to indicate the abilities' remaining cooldowns (Could be displayed similarly to how they show them in DotA for example)

 

On top of this system i would also overhaul a few other things:

* Energy orbs should either be a lot more rare, and/or give less energy (like 10/20 or 15/30 energy, down from 25/50) or be scrapped altogether (I don't like scrapping them completely though, just toned down in frequency a bit and reduced in energy provided)

* All Warframes should have a slight innate energy regen too (like 0,5 energy/sec). This could also vary (very slightly) between each Warframe.

* Auras could need an overhaul (My ideas for Auras are in here: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/103745-warframe-ability-slots-mod-points-and-auras/#entry1195046 ). The important changes suggested for auras in that thread is:

Auras should not stack anymore (otherwise Energy Siphon would be even MORE overpowered), most auras are buffed to compensate (although Energy Siphon don't need a buff i think) and auras should also have no polarities, so it is easier to switch between them.

* Streamline could also need a revamp: It could remain as it is reducing energy costs, or it could reduce the length of all your ability "cooldowns". Whatever is the most balanced

* Equilibrium would need a rebalancing too. I would say this seems balanced:

1a) If regular Energy orbs should give 10 energy (20 from boxes), Health orbs should give you with max Equilibrium 11 energy (so 1 energy boost per rank)

1b) If regular Energy orbs should give 15 energy (30 from boxes), Health orbs should give you with max Equilibrium 16,5 energy (so 1,5 energy boost per rank)

2) Energy orbs still gives you at max Equilibrium 27,5 health (so still 2,5 health boost per rank)

* We have ammo boxes and healing "potions". Why don't we have energy "potions" too? (Thus, potentially less waiting for "cooldowns" for the impatient people!) (Well, cool, that was added!)

 

Notes about this system:

* These idea(s) for the energy system probably requires a lot less effort than most other energy system overhauls of the energy system

* This system makes "no energy" nightmare runs more doable (since you can still cast your abilities, although not nearly as much as in a normal mission)

 

Note: This next segment is just brainstorming fun, and not overly serious. The important part of this thread is the above energy-tweaks

---- NINJA SIGNS ----

Well, above was the general concept of the energy tweaks. Thinking about this system, i saw one situation occuring which might be slightly irritating:

What if your abilities are on "cooldown", and you have full energy, and then you find some energy orbs on the ground? If you spend energy by using an ability that is on cooldown so you can pick up the energy orb, you also reset its cooldown (which you maybe don't wanna do). I got two ideas how to fix this situation:

 

1) My first idea was that any excessive energy picked up/regenerated could then instead go towards speeding up your remaining "cooldowns" on your abilities (divided equally among your cooldowning abilities). However, this gives you less control over how the energy is spent. This would be a very easy fix though.

 

2) Then another idea occurred to me (which is NOT an easy fix) - Mix together 2 things:

* A system similar to the meditation-ideas suggested in other energy system overhauls (go in to a "meditation" stance for quicker cooldown recoveries etc)

* Ninja handsigns! (I bet you know what I'm talking about, those handsign gesticulations that occur in a lot of ninja media, where they weave these signs to cast a spells)

 

My second idea would thus simply be that you can do ninja signs with a sort of "meditation"-like effect. This is how i see it work:

You have a button which you can hold down, which causes your character to do random ninja signs continuously. Doing so rapidly drains your energy to reduce the cooldowns of your abilities, on a 1:1 ratio (relative to their energy and cooldown-time-relations). You can do these handsigns while running, sprinting and sliding but not during any action that requires the need of your hands (so you can't do it while wallrunning for example). This makes it better than the other suggested meditation-stances since it still allows you to be mobile, and doesn't require you to be "out of combat" or anything like that.

This would allow you to spend energy to speed up the remaining cooldowns, so you could pick up energy orbs (or maybe use an Energy-restore item or whatever). This is nice, but, i also thought that doing so much work for such a niched benefit is maybe wasted effort... however:

 

This also sparked some more ideas! Now you can have ninja-sign-mods! They can do stuff like (depending on how long you do signs):

* Empower your next ability with slightly more power strength/range/duration

* Empower your next damaging ability with a mild elemental damage

* Grant you a minor stamina/health/energy regen-boost for a short duration

* Boost your movement speed for a short duration

* Have the ninja-signing's energy-to-cooldown-ratio slightly improved

etc

Just very small utility bonuses that gives you more incentive to use the handsigns every now and then, other than just for the above described situations.

These "ninja sign mods" could even get its own 12th slot (similar to how Auras have a seperate slot) and have a different theme for its modding properties such as: No polarity, no modcost and maybe even no ranks!

 

Thoughts? Comments? :)

Edited January 27, 2014 by Azamagon

[darksithis002]

i like the energy system the way it is. don't see a reason to change it.

[ValhaHazred]

You have some good ideas in there. I expect a lot of hate for ninja signs though. Too magical for many people's percepions of this game.

[Azamagon]

You have some good ideas in there. I expect a lot of hate for ninja signs though. Too magical for many people's percepions of this game.

Perhaps, i just hope people understand that the whole ninja-sign thing is more of a random brainstorming idea and is not necessary for the other energy tweaks (more like a complement to them). The main focus of this thread should be the energy tweaks though :)

[lautalocos]

bump. i liked this

[Azamagon]

Bumping this! Would like some more feedback on this please :)

[RoboDoge]

Only problem with Ability CD is that it would slow gameplay. But i agree that current energy system could use a change.

[Azamagon]

Only problem with Ability CD is that it would slow gameplay. But i agree that current energy system could use a change.

Reread the suggestion please... There are no actual CDs added.

 

Look, it's very simple: They are only pseudo-cooldowns, since you can still spam your abilities as long as you have energy. Waiting for the "cooldown" only make the abilities cost less energy. Wait for only half of the "cooldown" and the ability only costs half the normal energycost. Wait for the whole "cooldown" to finish and it now costs NO energy to cost. Don't wait for the "cooldown" at all and spam your ability, but then you have to pay the full energycost of the ability doing so.

[Rottae]

Like the Ideas, although i think you should be able to do ninjasigns while Wallrunning xD Otherwise nice, well thought out idea