Fast Feedback: Ability Removal - Ability Rank Tied To Frame Rank = Bad For Everyone.

[Chroia]

As per CHT:

(Re: Ability removal)

I haven't had any frames to level from 0 since U15, so I can't speak from experience.

That said:

Change means I can't put an Aura, a nuke and Fleeting Expertise on a new frame to level up fast. This is irksome.

Change means that ability potency is directly tied to frame rank. This is... I'm not sure.

 

 

So I've now Forma'ed my Mag, as well as having leveled Limbo from scratch post-change.

And I can speak from some experience when I say that I'm seriously against this change.

 

Before, I'd just take 1-2 abilities and FE and go do what the frame does best.

(e.g. when re-leveling Oberon in anticipation of the buffs, I put Reckoning, FE and some Power Strength on him and took him out on Corpus Invasions to wipe the floor with some Grineer.

Were I re-leveling Mag before, I'd put Shield Polarize, FE, some range and Intensify on her and take her to wipe out some Corpus.)

 

Now, though?

I can either go back to Mercury/Venus and kill things with my abilities, or just do what everyone else does: strap on an Ogris/Penta/Quanta/whatever and go sit in ODD/Sechura/Etc. and shoot Infested in a barrel for 20+ ranks.

(And a new player won't even have that as an option.)

 

Not a good change.

Maybe, maybe the first time through, so you have time to get a feel of what the abilities do, but abilities are so different unranked and max rank with supporting mods that that's nearly irrelevant anyway. And I'm not even talking about 0% vs. 75% Efficiency.

(Case in point, by frame:

Shuriken (100 damage vs. 1000 before mods).

Any banshee skill bar Silence (due to being better with low range).

Fireball (due to flat damage) and WoF (and I assume Fire Blast, but who ever uses that?). 

Radial Blind (though probably less now.)

... Frost arguably could get a pass, but without Efficiency, (unranked) Snow Globe is expensive and short.

All of Hydroid's abilities.

All of Limbo's abilities, to a degree.

All of Loki's, to a degree. (Radial Disarm stands out, though.)

All of Mag's abilities except perhaps Bullet Attractor. (unranked Pull vs max + Stretch (+ Overextended). Shield Polarize.)

All of Mirage's abilities, though she may be least affected due to sheer versatility.

Nekros is just plain bad, regardless of rank.

M Prime.

Nyx's timed abilities almost run out by the time she's finished casting (though that's somewhat hyperbole) and Absorb is more of a panic button than anything else.

Oberon... Not sure. May also get a pass, post-buffs, due to versatility.

Rhino: Iron Skin. Wow, unranked is bad. 3 shots from level ~12 enemies = no more Skin.

Miasma.

Trinity... idk, honestly.

All Valkyr's abilities, except Hysteria.

All Vauban's abilities. (Short duration, no Efficiency.)

All Volt's abilities.

Arguably all Zephyr's abilities bar Dive Bomb

Edited November 4, 2014 by Chroia

[vaugahn]

Just make it so that forma'd frames keep their skills.

 

"bad for everyone" = unnecessary hyperbole 

[Angius]

It's not like you need to run Cerberus 5 times to unlock 1st skill, now is it?

[egregiousRac]

I would like to see all abilities level based on use (like the devs promised) and maintain their level through forma (again, like the devs said they would).

[Chroia]

 

 

Just make it so that forma'd frames keep their skills.

Yes, that'd help, and is why I added the 'first time through' line. But that's not how it is now.

And that's also why I went frame-by-frame and compared 'new' and 'maxed' abilities.

*shrug* YMMV.

 

 

"bad for everyone" = unnecessary hyperbole 

 

Well, it was that or spell out 'Veterans and newbies alike', but I thought the title was quite long already. (And isn't Newbies + veterans more or less everyone?)

No hyperbole, necessary or otherwise, was intended.

Would it help if I have the title changed?

 

 

It's not like you need to run Cerberus 5 times to unlock 1st skill, now is it?

 

1) Which is just as well, given that new players couldn't do that anyway.

2) If by 'unlock' you mean 'put it to some kind of actual use'... then for a fair amount of frames, you actually kinda do. :/

Edited November 4, 2014 by Chroia

[Phoenix86]

Just make it so that forma'd frames keep their skills.

 

"bad for everyone" = unnecessary hyperbole 

 

yeah, the game should distinguish between frames that are being lvl'ed for the first time (which is fine that they skills are starting from 0) and frames that are being formaed... those should retain their skills at max lvl!