What Makes A Good Augment?

[Forgotten_Aeon]

Given the mixed responses to many augments in the past (and this post triggered(!) by the recent Vauban augment), I was wondering what you all think makes an augment viable when compared to standard mods (which tend to be more flexible given they work on all abilities).

I think the crux of it is that a good augment is one that cannot be replicated or matched by non-augment mods. For example, greedy pull, pilfering swarm, total eclipse- these very popular augments cannot be emulated or made up for by other mods. Whereas the vortex mod, which simply adds duration, can be emulated by simply recasting vortex when appropriate (with more efficiency to boot).

Please note, this isn't about the vortex mod specifically at all, nor the place to argue about it's merits or lack of. Discussion about augments in general is the goal, especially the criteria that make them worth a mod slot.

[AkerTheSpjot]

So OP that it is worth a mod slot

Edited April 18, 2015 by The_Vile_Blade

[spiralmenace]

a good augment is something that adds to the power without feeling like it should be an innate aspect of the power to begin with

 

(coughs loudly, glares at firequake, ice wave impedance, piercing roar, explosive legerdemain, pacifying bolts, fracturing crush, all excal augs)

[GreyEnneract]

Good CC, Amazing damage, God utility.

[Defendor]

1) Augments a skill that's not garbage without it

2) Adds functionality

3) Doesn't step on the toes of another frame

4) Doesn't make a skill so OP it's the only thing worth using

[Forgotten_Aeon]

a good augment is something that adds to the power without feeling like it should be an innate aspect of the power to begin with

(coughs loudly, glares at firequake, ice wave impedance, piercing roar, explosive legerdemain, pacifying bolts, fracturing crush, all excal augs)

Absolutely, I agree completely.

[Evanescent]

Good CC, Amazing damage, God utility.

[Tyrian3k]

Well, first of all you are right to say that it needs a situation where it actually helps you in a way that wouldn't be possible without the augment.

 

Many augments simply don't do that and therefore don't help you.

Examples:

Why would I care about a swing line if I can just use parkour to reach the same spot or simply use it twice?

Why would I waste energy on Teslas to make a net that just deals a bit of damage that I could accomplish better and with less energy by simply using a vortex and shooting all those enemies?

 

Then, unless it adds something really significant that makes the ability worth using in the first place, it has to be on an ability that is worth using in the first place.

 

Same examples as above:

I don't use Rip Line, so why would I use an augment that lets me use it multiple times in a row.

I don't use Teslas outside of some silly stuff, so why should I use an augment for it?

 

Mechanical changes can be very situational and may or may not be beneficial.

 

In the case of Vauban's Vortex, you can use excess energy to keep throwing Vortexes, but if you don't have excess energy, it becomes more expensive to keep a Vortex up since you only get 70% of the time if you throw it into the Vortex. It also disallows you from putting multiple Vortexes too close to each other to cover a bit more area.

The Tornado augment for Zephyr also removes the ragdolling effect but in turn makes the enemies easier to hit and also fight each other if the tornadoes aren't changed in element.

 

In the end you obviously need to have a spare slot to fit it into your build without having to remove a mod that is essential for said build or otherwise too beneficial to be removed.

[NN13]

Since everyone is giving definition of good augments,which I agree with,I will use examples to clarify what I think-

 

Augments which actually FEEL like augments (The good augments)-

Irradiating Disarm, Eternal  War , Pilfering Swarm , Curative Undertow , Hall of Malevolence , Repelling Bastille, Despoil and other similar level augments.

 

Augments which are ok,not necessary,but not bad as well (The mediocre ones) -

Greedy Pull, Rising Storm , Iron Sharpnel and similar augments.

 

Augments that I don't know why they exist (The stupid ones)-

POOL OF LIFE, Pacifying Bolts, Divebomb Vortex(Only if it worked properly,rather had a better range),etc.

 

Basically,IMO,A augment can be considered good if it synergize well with the ability. A good example is Despoil.

3) Doesn't step on the toes of another frame

4) Doesn't make a skill so OP it's the only thing worth using

Why do I feel like something specific is being targeted...Looks at Irradiating Disarm...Yep,please stop that. ID is ok. =P

[Forgotten_Aeon]

In the end you obviously need to have a spare slot to fit it into your build without having to remove a mod that is essential for said build or otherwise too beneficial to be removed.

Exactly. That's the issue you and I and many others see with augments- they tend to be a "well, I have space for SOMETHING" mod, when they should be a real contender for a spot.

[DiosGX]

Why do I feel like something specific is being targeted...Looks at Irradiating Disarm...Yep,please stop that. ID is ok. =P

Or Zephyr becoming She-Volt.

o3o

[Otenko]

I think the crux of it is that a good augment is one that cannot be replicated or matched by non-augment mods. For example, greedy pull, pilfering swarm, total eclipse- these very popular augments cannot be emulated or made up for by other mods. Whereas the vortex mod, which simply adds duration, can be emulated by simply recasting vortex when appropriate (with more efficiency to boot).

Basically this. It has to have added functionality, but added functionality that is incredibly strong, typically through incapacitating enemies through more than just knockdown, or something that further buffs/assists allies. See Irradiating Disarm, Chilling Globe, Energy Leech, Repelling Bastille, Despoil, Greedy Pull. It makes powers that are very good already, even better.

 

Greedy Pull isn't powerful from a damage or CC standpoint but offers the valuable bonus of not having to go out into the fray and getting plugged full of bullets. Those other powers essentially cover any sort of weakness the power had before.

 

-Irradiating Disarm give you a breather against enemies that would normally bum-rush you and your teammates

-Chilling Globe means Snow Globe is mostly impenetrable while it's up. Enemies that enter become frozen or are still slowed enough for you/anyone to dispatch the few that are unfrozen inside.

-Repelling Bastille essentially does away with the target limit (in a sense).

-Energy Leech lets you "heal" allies by giving them Overshields while simultaneously giving them energy.

-Despoil lets Desecrate run forever (no energy limit anymore) because you'll easily (and always) get health orbs (which can also fuel Equilibrium).

 

Honorable mention to Pilfering Swarm. Mainly because anything that gives loot is really valuable in a game that runs so heavily on drops.

Each of these abilities were never bad, but got additional function to make them even better.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Otenko

[Forgotten_Aeon]

Honorable mention to Pilfering Swarm. Mainly because anything that gives loot is really valuable in a game that runs so heavily on drops.

Each of these abilities were never bad, but got additional function to make them even better.

Absolutely. In the case of pilfering swarm, without the augment, it's a mediocre cc ability (given that its has a smaller -and generally unreliable- AoE compared to MPrime, chaos, disarm, Bastille, etc.) it adds a completely new function to the ability that it never had before.

[Nedamise]

if its OP its good imo. I am only into OP stuff. Balanced stuff is pretty meh ....

[PookieNumnums]

A good augment has its own slot o3o

[Leavith]

Well for starters i feel like some augmentation should not be augmentation because they look like they should already been part of the power

as an example radial blind augmentation and trowing star of ash augmentation so in my opinion some powers need their augmentation to be part of their actual power.

Now for me a good augmentation provide a power that can not only make a skill better but also can make the skill provide an alternate game play if wished example pilfering swarm

Also in the topic of augmentation their should not be augmentation that provide a benefit that is to low either buff the buff or just get rid of it

Example Volt Overload

[Borockobama]

Radiant finish short and simple. Like OP said stuff that cant be replicated and can make your gameplay gimmicky/ viable. Despoil and Soul survivor with Equil turns nekros into a farmer/support. 

 

Stuff like Pilfering Swarm, Curative Undertow, and Tidal impunity makes Hydroid an amazing utility caster.

[RoboticApplesWithLasers]

Something that synergizes well with popular builds and can replace an existing mod. *looks at capacitance*

[Deidaku]

For me it has to actually augment stuff

not be a bandai fix to an already broken ability

[Reidmaster]

a good augment is something that adds to the power without feeling like it should be an innate aspect of the power to begin with

 

(coughs loudly, glares at firequake, ice wave impedance, piercing roar, explosive legerdemain, pacifying bolts, fracturing crush, all excal augs)

 

For me it has to actually augment stuff

not be a bandai fix to an already broken ability

 

I agree so much, there are too many augments trying to fix not so great abilities and that is just not how augments should work. Augments should add a new aspect that to said ability that can change the way you play with that ability.

 

Augments like Greedy Pull and Smite Infusion (along with the other elemental abilities), and some others are great augments because they don't attempt to fix something that is "broken", they add more utility and gameplay variety to their respective abilities.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Reidmaster

[SolaireTheSunWalker]

What makes a augment good is if it's worth removing a mod for it what makes it bad is chromas afterburn it's literally garbage