Let's Debate About The Ability Augments ( Debate Thread)

[Awazx]

The idea behind ability augments is very cool to be honest, however the execution can only be described as "DE-style".

[MechaKnight]

The idea behind ability augments is very cool to be honest, however the execution can only be described as "DE-style".

The way I see it, "DE-style" generally means implementing a solution through the form of a mod. As far as development for this game seems to go, the form of the mod is practically worshiped by devs, and it's not completely wrong. It's a very good skeleton for making modular changes to the game, although there are a few issues found along the way...

 

1) When a change should be applied directly to the content (warframe, ability, or weapon), it is generally implemented as a mod. Sometimes, it would be kinder, simpler, and more agreeable to apply the alteration onto the item itself rather than a new mod.

 

2) Identical mods with non-identical quality. An example of this is the new physical weapon damage mods from events when compared to the standard physical damage mods found in game. The melee mods are the most even at 120% compared to 90%, but the rifle equivalent stats are 120% compared to 30%, which is abysmal to both the event counterpart as well as the melee counterpart within its own set. The normal mod should be buffed to 90%, to give players the option without being as good as the event equivalent.

 

3) Working around the problem. It could be a symptom of the above mentioned points. Using mods to solve scenarios with in-game content could start looking strange sometimes, but isn't necessarily bad if the developers have planned months ahead to make it wrap together. Warframe duration builds and certain abilities seem unimpressive, so an improved version of the Continuity mod was released along with various augments for various abilities.

 

In short, "DE-style" is essentially more mods. Sometimes not a terrible idea, but sometimes easily detectable to players who have been playing and following the forums for a while to know what players have wanted buffed for a while.

[AlphaHorseman]

Really that's all they are. 

Having to sacrifice any of my actually useful mods for any of these band-aid augments doesn't exactly look like a good incentive. 

 

 

While this is a good idea I don't think we have enough augments to justify one augment slot for every power.

 

Maybe when we get 4 augments for 1 power across all the frames, but for now they'd just be free upgrades if we added 4 slots. 

We could bind them to augments only, viewable in the abilities screen. Each ability can only have one augment applied to them, and as such we could not abuse those slots for other purposes, only an augment only available for that power.

[-Onyx-AquaDragon42]

True, but one augment slot? That seems a bit limiting for a system that could allow us to spec out our WarFrames to especially fit our playstyles. It would make battle encounters that more lively and different because we all could spec out our powers in completely different and dynamic ways, as more augments are rolled out per ability. I would hope it would be one augment slot per power. One way they could implement it is that we receive an augment slot for that power once it's maxed out as we level the frames.

the same could be said for Aura mods.  You are only allowed 1 on a frame.  Maybe they will allow more than 1 Augment Mod, maybe not.  

[AlphaHorseman]

the same could be said for Aura mods.  You are only allowed 1 on a frame.  Maybe they will allow more than 1 Augment Mod, maybe not.  

The thing about auras is that they affect the entire team. An aura is applied to the entire team, not just one WarFrame. Augments don't even affect an entire frame, they only affect one power, that's it. Having 1 augment slot for 4 powers, that only affects 1 power, is far different than having an 1 aura for 4 players, that actually does affect the entire squad, and in the terms of other auras enemy stats as well. Augments do not have that affect.

[EetNotErn]

True, but one augment slot? That seems a bit limiting for a system that could allow us to spec out our WarFrames to especially fit our playstyles. It would make battle encounters that more lively and different because we all could spec out our powers in completely different and dynamic ways, as more augments are rolled out per ability. I would hope it would be one augment slot per power. One way they could implement it is that we receive an augment slot for that power once it's maxed out as we level the frames.

 

 

Giving us 4 augment slots is just reverting us back to the 4 ability slot builds then. That just doesn't make sense. They might as well take those augments and augment slots out and incorporate them into the powers themselves. I mean what's the point then?

[AlphaHorseman]

 

 

Giving us 4 augment slots is just reverting us back to the 4 ability slot builds then. That just doesn't make sense. They might as well take those augments and augment slots out and incorporate them into the powers themselves. I mean what's the point then?

 

The augments alter the powers in one sense or another, alter them as they will. As the system is now, the augments are little more than the ability mods we had before the system change, but optional and with only 8 slots to work with. Though some of these augments do have attributes that should've been innately within the abilities, like the Slash Dash and Ice Wave mods. Having one augment slot per power would allow us to spec out the powers as we see fit, with the greatest level of customization once we have multiple augments for one ability.

 

At least with 4 dedicated augment slots, most likely placed on the abilities screen, we can ensure that only augments can be used, and thus these slots cannot be abused for other purposes like QOL mods as some did before when they specialized their frames for extreme min-maxing.

Edited December 15, 2014 by AlphaHorseman

[sanj66]

Some of them are pretty nice, and get a light on new build. Saryn, Loki, Hydroid, and other. One Frame instead as a huge advantage with the augment, see the Mirage.... some as Ember or Frost or Rhino , their augment are garbage. I wait something that help Rhino in high level and what i see iron skin that deal puncture damage !!! come on .... ! maybe DE have to play more his game , until release garbage mods.

agreed rhino has gotten probably 2 of the worst augments and iron shrapnel especially does not augment the iron skin ability or make it better or worthwhile to use the mod.

[Hueminator]

I think the reason some of the augment are huge let down because the base skill needed a buff (I think everyone know frost and his freeze)

 

solid skill + augment = ok to great

 

Meh skill + augment = meh to ok

 

That's my take on this.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Hueminator

[AlphaHorseman]

I think the reason some of the augment are huge let down because the base skill needed a buff (I think everyone know frost and his freeze)

 

solid skill + augment = ok to great

 

Meh skill + augment = meh to ok

 

That's my take on this.

Took the words right out of my mouth.